Patrick says he might hike fees in fiscal crisis

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deval L . Patrick, breaking his silence on his response to a potential fiscal crisis, yesterday said he would consider raising fees to generate new revenue for the state.

``You reach into the rainy day fund . . . and then you may have to raise fees," Patrick said in an interview.

Patrick, who opposes an immediate state income tax rollback, had previously refused to detail the steps he would take if he were confronted by a financial emergency like the one faced by Governor Mitt Romney in 2003. Patrick abruptly ended a press conference earlier this week when a reporter pressed him on the question.

Yesterday, Patrick said that before raising fees he would look first to cut the state budget, repeating a frequent campaign assertion that he can cut $735 milion from the budget a year by cracking down on Medicaid fraud and pension abuse and enforcing wage-and-hour laws, among other things.

Taxes have become a flash point in the campaign, with Patrick attempting this week to blunt Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey's warning that he would raise taxes. He criticized the Romney-Healey administration for raising fines, fees, and taxes, as the Republicans called for an income tax cut.

``I would have told people the truth," Patrick said. ``I don't think it was honest or forthright to say we're getting a tax cut when they were reaching into our pocket and raising fees. If you're going to roll the income tax back in the midst of a financial crisis, say what the trade-off is."

Also yesterday, Healey unveiled a new television ad, seeking to capitalize on praise she received from Democrats at a bill signing ceremony just a week ago. The ad shows her standing with Democratic elected officials, including Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and state Senator Steven A . Baddour of Methuen , who said Healey ``deserves a great deal of admiration and respect." It also shows a Sept. 14 clip of Thomas F . Reilly, whom Patrick beat in the primary, criticizing Patrick's positions on taxes and crime: ``I just don't see how you get elected governor."

In an interview with the Globe, Healey opened yet another front, criticizing Patrick for meeting privately with Senate President Robert E . Travaglini and House Speaker Salvatore F . DiMasi Thursday morning. She said he is now part of the insider Beacon Hill culture he has repeatedly said he wants to dismantle.

``He went into this race saying he had no debts to the political establishment on Beacon Hill. As of yesterday that statement doesn't hold," Healey said.

She said that if the Legislature had had its way, Melanie's Law -- which cracks down on repeat drunk drivers -- would have been dramatically weakened because of aggressive lobbying by defense lawyers.

``The Legislature presented us with a watered-down bill that served the needs of the special interests who wanted to be able to return repeat drunk drivers to the road," she said. ``I went public and tried to expose the hypocrisy of calling that bill a reform. That is the difference between me and Deval Patrick. I will never hesitate to stand up and expose the hypocrisy of pseudo reforms presented by the Legislature. After yesterday, he won't be able to do that either."

But Patrick said he met with legislative leaders because he needs ``relationships to get stuff done."

``I talk to all sorts of leaders," Patrick said. ``I talk to leaders in education and healthcare and arts and culture. I need relationships to make change."

Patrick also took the blame for failing to vote in several elections in his hometown of Milton. Officials in the town clerk's office said records indicate that Patrick did not vote in at least six elections over the past 10 years. His failure to vote was first reported yesterday by the Boston Herald.

``I remember sending in absentee ballots regularly, but if there are no records, shame on me. If they don't have the records, I don't have records," he said referring to Milton town officials. ``I'm not quarreling with them. It's my fault."

According to records, Patrick did not vote in two out of four regular town elections held between 2002 and 2006 and in one out of three special town elections held between 2002 and 2006. He also failed to vote in a special 2001 state election to choose a successor to the late US Representative Joseph Moakley, and in the 1996 presidential election, when President Bill Clinton was running for reelection against Republican Bob Dole. Clinton had selected Patrick to work at the Justice Department in 1994.

Milton officials said they believe that Patrick voted in the 2000 presidential primary election, even though they have no proof. They said they believe they never entered records for voters into the computer system for that election.