Mihos stumps for governor in Baker’s back yard

SWAMPSCOTT – On a day when Charlie Baker collected most of the political headlines in the state, Republican gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos quietly delivered a campaign speech before the Swampscott Republican Town Committee.Speaking before approximately 50 fellow Republicans and supporters Wednesday evening at the town’s VFW Post, Mihos said he welcomes Baker in the race.”I was once as tall as Charlie Baker was, before my days on the Transportation Authority,” Mihos said. “I welcome Charlie Baker to the race. It is great for the party and the state to have a spirited primary. I expect to have a race between us and I am not going anywhere.”Mihos, who said he left the Republican party in 2006 because he could not watch a Republican governor and lieutenant governor take contributions from Big Dig contractors, said he got in the race this time around because he has two kids who will be getting out of school soon and are going to be hit in the head with high interest rates and a state in disarray.”People in this state are angry and they are losing their jobs and their homes,” Mihos said. “No CEO is going to bring their company to Massachusetts when the workers they need to hire can’t afford to live here.”Mihos said if elected he would cut the state work force by 10 percent and attacked the recently approved transportation bill.”The transportation reform was like putting lipstick on a pig,” Mihos said. “You have toll collectors making more in salary than teachers and nurses. The transportation bill only addresses new employees. It does nothing to change things for current employees. You have to take on that contract.”Answering a question on the possibility of seeing the MBTA cut back night and weekend service on commuter rail trains, Mihos said, “You should never cut back on service that gets people to their destination on a system that we have invested billions of dollars on. I will not curtail service.”Mihos said the current administration is not business friendly and it showed that by approving the sales tax increase.”All you are doing by implementing a 25 percent sales tax increase and allowing cities and towns the option of adding more is hurting industries we need to protect,” Mihos said. “What we should be doing is cutting back the capital gains tax and doing away with the inheritance tax.”Although Baker has only been in the governor’s race a few hours, it has been rumored that the former Swampscott selectman may be eying state Sen. Scott Brown of Wrentham to run for lieutenant governor.When asked if he had a selection for a possible running mate, Mihos said, “I am not going to select a lieutenant governor. Whoever comes forward I will welcome.”Mihos said after his speech the best thing for the Republicans looking to win the corner office is a solid primary race.”The dumbest thing any party can do is just sleepwalk through a primary and then get hammered in the election,” Mihos said. “When you do not have a primary battle, the troops are not ready and it is a recipe for disaster.”Charlie is a real credible individual,” Mihos said. “While we are different, we both want the same thing – to rebuild the Republican party.”