Fargo Charges Martinez Spends Big Out of State

In a war of words over spending locally, the campaigns of incumbent Sen. Susan Fargo (D-Lincoln) and her Republican challenger Sandi Martinez fired charges of not supporting local businesses as the campaign reaches its final four weeks.

Fargo charged on Monday that "the Martinez for Senate Committee made more than four dozen out-of-state purchases according to reports submitted to the state's campaign finance regulators despite claims of support for local business."

"The record is clear. Every time the Martinez campaign left the state to buy goods and services she took money away from local businesses," said Fargo. "The Martinez campaign spending reports show that the majority of her out-of-state purchases were made in tax-free New Hampshire."

But on Tuesday, Martinez fired back.

"Susan Fargo has spent the last two years raising sales taxes that has driven business to New Hampshire, and all of a sudden she is worried about where I shop? I wish she would focus on solving problems rather than creating them," wrote Martinez in an email seeking comment.

Martinez said her message of lower taxes and less spending "must be resonating."

"My positive message is resonating with the voters, and Susan recognizes that. Because she has been a big part of the problem for so long, she has no new ideas to put forth. While I am out talking to the people about real solutions to the problems that were caused in large part to her over-spending and over-taxing, she is scouring the Internet looking for mud to throw."

Martinez acknowledged that businesses and taxpayers are "needing to drive to New Hampshire to seek relief from high taxes," which she puts at Fargo's feet.

"If Susan was this conscientious in her stewardship of the taxpayers money, then we wouldn't have these outrageous taxes which are driving business out of state and taxpayers needing to drive to NH to seek relief from high taxes."

Fargo states that Martinez could have chosen to shop in her hometown of Chelmsford.

"Her decision to leave the state is made even more puzzling, because in many cases she could have shopped at the same stores, like Staples and Market Basket, right here in her own town of Chelmsford," said Fargo.

Fargo states that Martinez is not favoring the working family in Massachusetts.

"Obviously, my opponent hasn't followed through on behalf of working people of our state," said Fargo. "New Hampshire is not in the Senate district."

Fargo said more than $10,000 in office equipment, computers and food, even alcohol, were made by the Martinez camp in New Hampshire.

"I would rather support a business from my district or in our state. That's one sure way to help a worker stay employed, not by taking your money over the border," Fargo said.

Martinez has been critical of targeted tax cuts for businesses located in the state such as; motion pictures, television, life sciences and biotechnology. Fargo supports each of these tax cuts, because they have created jobs.

"Before the film and TV credit, about $6 million was spent in the state on film making. Now, everywhere you go, a new production company is setting up shop and hiring skilled, local talent," said Fargo. "Hiring in the industry is way up and a new study shows that $1 billion has been generated in the local economy since the tax incentive was adopted."

"The life sciences business cluster is booming, and the center of this economic and life-sustaining effort is in our Senate district," said Fargo. "We are saving lives, expanding our knowledge, and growing jobs that are the envy of other states. No other state has had as many months of job growth as we have had. My opponent's plan is to eliminate these incentives, a move that would surely send jobs to other states."

Fargo encourages voters to review the spending records of each candidate's campaign. The reports are available online at www.mass.gov/ocpf