Romney on a roll

"If we stay on the road of reform," Romney said, "putting the interests of people first, we can do some good things this year, some very good things."

After severe spending cuts in his first year and hundreds of millions in new fees, Romney eased his grip slightly, even proposing a modest increase in local aid and new initiatives for housing, full-day kindergarten, teacher training, and free college tuition, all while holding the line on taxes.

By contrast, Democrats this week have been like budgetary Cassandras, sounding warnings that no one wants to heed. Senate President Robert Travaglini, for example, spoke of the likely need for "drastic budget cuts" that would not be obviated by Romney's proposed reforms. The Legislature has pegged the projected deficit for next year at $1.5 billion, the third year of deficits in a row. Closing the gap gets harder each year as the more obvious strategies for squeezing the budget are exhausted.

Romney was not blind to this reality last night, but he chose to dwell instead on his sunny "Legacy of Learning" program. The gritty details will have to wait until he unveils his budget next week.

On Wednesday Romney's budget aides and Democratic leaders agreed on revenue projections for the coming fiscal year and found a way to recalculate the state's pension liability that honors the current repayment schedule. They will need to continue with bipartisan co-operation if they are to balance the budget and protect vulnerable citizens.

Perhaps in that spirit, Romney steered clear of overt references to defeating Democrats in November. But he is more committed to building his party than were his last three GOP predecessors combined. After his address he was to hold a $250-a-plate fund-raiser for his own political committee. This produced a slightly off note to the evening; it is hard to see how collecting money from special interests in the middle of budget season is the mark of a reform administration.

A large part of Romney's optimism last night was linked to a perceived uptick in the economy. He took credit for luring "thousands" of new jobs to the state, naming companies famous and obscure that have located here. This is the right focus for Romney, because income and sales taxes make up almost 80 percent of state revenues. In other words, creating more jobs at higher wages is the key to his grand plans succeeding.