Keller @ Large: Is A Recession On The Horizon?

BOSTON (CBS) -- Jay Ash, the CEO of Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, joined Jon Keller to discuss the economic state of Massachusetts.

Ash, formerly the Secretary of Housing and Economic Development for the Baker administration, called Mass. a "high-cost state" when it comes to taxes. Therefore it is important to have a check on "the good things you want to do and there's the things that make it more difficult to be competitive. We need to balance those two."

According to Keller, some conservative business groups have come out against the proposed hike in real estate transfer tax, which would help towns deal with climate change.

Ash responded that the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership is still reviewing the proposal but "we congratulate the governor for taking on the important issue of climate change, it's something that we all need to focus on...We support the concept of doing more and we'll work with the governor, we'll work with the legislature on what they craft."

Is a recession coming? Ash does not seem to think so. He said, "I think [about] the talk of a recession the way that I think of the talk of the New England Patriots. Many pundits have talked over the years that the end of the dynasty was happening but what I learned on the streets of Chelsea, Jon, growing up is that I never bet against a streak. We're two quarters away from the largest economic expansion that we've ever had here in the United States."

Ash cited record growth in employment in the U.S. and Massachusetts, in-check inflation, and a growing G.D.P.

Recently, Massachusetts General Hospital announced a $1 billion expansion. There has also been talk of lowering a section of the Mass Pike, a move that would greatly benefit Harvard and Boston University. So Keller asked Ash, are the rich just getting richer?

"No. I would say that we're providing lots of opportunity in the economy for people to take advantage of that economy. When you have a strong economy like you do here in Massachusetts, specifically in Boston, you attract attention, you attract capital," said Ash. "The challenge for all of us, in the private sector and the public sector, is to make sure that that opportunity to tap into that investment is made available to everyone that we can."

One way to promote that is training programs, said Ash.