Finn, Neffinger debate issues in 6th Hampden District

Date: 10/13/2010

Oct. 13, 2010

By Katelyn Gendron

Assistant Editor

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Democrat Michael Finn and Republican Gregg Neffinger made their cases for the 6th Hampden District during a debate on Oct. 5 at West Springfield Middle School.

Finn, a trial court officer and president of the West Springfield Town Council, and Neffinger, an architect and small business owner, fielded questions from panelists Ray Hershel of abc40 and FOX 6, and G. Michael Dobbs, managing editor of Reminder Publications, while challenging each other's qualifications during the debate sponsored by the West of the River Chamber of Commerce.

"There are too many career, professional legislators [in Boston]. We need people there ready to fight. I'm going there as a Republican and they may want to put me in a closet [but I'm ready]," Neffinger told the crowd.

He noted his priorities, if elected, would be to reduce spending, lower taxes, stimulate job growth and the economy.

Finn said that while a Democrat, he refuses to be part of the status quo on Beacon Hill. "Examine my voting record [as a town councilor], you'll see I'm not afraid to stand up for an unpopular vote," he added.

Finn explained, if elected, he'd focus on regionalizing services to save taxpayer dollars, protecting funding for core municipal functions and establish additional economic target areas to provide incentives for businesses.

When asked how specifically they plan to create jobs, Neffinger replied, "The government can't create jobs, they create bureaucracy. The government has to get out of the way of small businesses . and stop putting roadblocks before entrepreneurs."

Finn said he'd support casinos as one form of job growth. "I think they're good because of instant revenues for the state of Massachusetts that we desperately need," he added.

Neffinger said taxes must be lowered in order to retain businesses and ease financial hardship for residents in the district.

"West Springfield has the third highest commercial tax [rate] in Massachusetts," he noted. "We see businesses leaving West Springfield and just going down the road ... the state needs to maintain budgets so municipalities don't have to raise property taxes."

Finn agreed with Neffinger that taxes, specifically the state's sales tax must be lowered; however, lowering it to 3 percent as proposed by ballot question three would have a devastating impact on the 6th Hampden District level of state aid, Finn added.

Neffinger called for spending cuts, citing that the Commonwealth's budget increases over the past several years support special interest groups and lead to the duplication of services. "Spending: it's because of a lack of discipline," he added of those on Beacon Hill.

Both called the establishment of casinos in the state as a viable option to help stimulate the economy, however, it's not the magic bullet that will lead to fiscal recovery.

"It is my hope that with careful deliberation and consideration you can confidently cast your vote for Mike Finn," he said in closing, adding that he's been able to establish a voting record where every decision is "based on the facts" and in the best interests of citizenry. "I will go to Boston and fight for you."

"It's not all slogans; it's about solutions," Finn said later.

Neffinger ended the debate by calling attention to what he called the government's overregulation, which inhibits economic development. "I'm a small business owner and I see as an architect there are so many possibilities for growth but people are afraid . In this state we need real ideas and I have the ideas to reduce spending and stimulate jobs," he said.