Patrick answers tough tax questions

Governor Deval Patrick went one-on-one with more than 100 people in Chicopee on Thursday night, where he shot down talks of a new round of tax hikes.

The governor answered about a dozen questions from the public outside the Chicopee Public Library. The topics ran from abortion, to education, to medical marijuana, to the economy. But many residents were worried about another round of tax hikes in the near future.

22News asked Governor Patrick how he could be so confident there would be no new taxes -- with tax collections falling $24 million short of estimates in July.

"Everybody's hurting and that's true of the ones that we put into effect already. I certainly can't see adding to that right now. We're just going to have to figure it out and that may mean some more very difficult choices," he said.

One West Springfield resident told 22News the reason for the governor's promise was simple.

"The legislators are not going to have the political will to raise taxes in an election year," Ronald Patenaude said.

The meeting was part of the Governor's Summer Town Hall Listening Tour around the Bay State. The next one in western Massachusetts is on Tuesday, August 11 in Pittsfield at 6:30 p.m.