Patrick gets a few lumps and some laughs at Marblehead meeting

MARBLEHEAD – About 200 people crowded into the Marblehead High library Thursday evening to see Gov. Deval Patrick take questions about the economic future of Massachusetts – and 14 of them got to ask their questions in person.In a travel-wrinkled white shirt, Patrick, who sent top aides to many of the 36 scheduled finance forums this month, told the audience this was his third – and the first time he heard applause. He later joked that some speakers brought their posses with them.Occasionally rewarded with applause, the speakers favored pension reform for public employees, a gas tax linked to specific programs, a graduated income tax which will take four years to achieve, MCAS testing reform, more intense investigation of the Big Dig and the closing of the old Salem Power Plant.Four speakers expressed their disappointment in cutbacks in mental health, mental retardation and drug rehab services.Longtime tax foe Barbara Anderson of Marblehead spoke against the graduated income tax after seeing hands go up in support of it, calling the proposal a plan “to pick us off, one tax bracket at a time.””The harder you work the more they steal from you. That’s why the voters defeated it at the ballot,” she said.During the 90-minute meeting, originally scheduled to last an hour, Patrick made frequent use of the expression “I got it (I understand),” in his answers and reminded his audience, “There is some human soul behind every (budget) cut.”After listening to Anderson’s typically intense anti-tax speech, however, he took a different tack: “I’m afraid of you,” he told her as the audience laughed.Kristina Kyles, Marblehead’s METCO director, spoke passionately about the effect Patrick’s budget cutbacks are having on her 42-year-old program. “You say education is a priority but you cut METCO,” she said. “You don’t walk the talk.”Bert, another Marblehead resident, asked if the slide presentation on revenue proposals was available on the Internet and Patrick told him it was – at www.mass.gov/governor/communityforum. When the governor ran out of time aides accepted written questions from the audience.State Rep. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, Secretary of Education Paul Reville and Selectman William Woodfin sat at the head table with the governor. Reville presented a slide show detailing the budget crisis and Patrick’s proposed solutions and Ehrlich vowed to fight toll increases as a revenue enhancement.Woodfin, the last speaker, told Patrick, “I didn’t vote for you,” but added, “I think you try to do the right thing and I applaud you for coming down here and facing the people who pay the bills.””I encourage you to have the guts to make the choices, regardless of how politically expedient they are,” Woodfin said to the loudest applause of the evening.”That’s what I do every day,” Patrick said.