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Question 1: Where do you stand?
Submitted by MJB on October 12, 2008 - 12:07.
General | Real Issues
Note: This entry addresses Question 1 on the ballot. We encourage your comments! We do not offer an opinion on this issue, we encourage you to research the facts, and make commentary - in a positive way we hope, so that readers can make an informed decision on this measure.
Question 1 on the ballot this year has to do with the repeal of the state income tax.
A vote in the affirmative (Yes) will repeal the state income tax in two steps. It will drop the Income tax rate to 2.65% on January 1, 2009, and to 0% on January 1, 2010.
We plan to put a poll up so folks can vote on the matter. However before we do, we think it is in the best interest of our readers to examine the pros and cons of such a measure.
Please review the two websites shown here. For Question 1: and Against Question 1
A summary of the positions:
Proponents of the Initiative say:
- It will give more than $3,600 each to more than 3,000,000 Massachusetts workers each year.
- It will take $11 billion away from "Big Government" every year and give to the workers.
- This $11 billion a year will help create hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the state.
- It will force the Massachusetts legislature to cut the waste out of the state budget and get rid of government programs that don't work.
- It will make the legislature accountable to workers and taxpayers instead of others who might profit from high government spending.
- These changes will attract private, productive businesses and individuals, leading to more jobs and workers.
Opponents of the Initiative argue that:
- The proposal is reckless and will cost the Commonwealth more than $12 billion in revenues: 40 percent of the state budget.
- It will drive up local property taxes.
- It will put public safety at risk by reducing the number of fire fighters, police officers, and paramedics.
- Decrease funding for education, increasing class sizes and cutting after-school programs.
- Cut money for infrastructure improvements, which will lead to a serious deterioration in bridges and roads.
- It will limit health care access for seniors, people with disabilities, and working families and will increase waits in emergency rooms.
Don't Take the Bait...Yes on Question #1 Can Work
Submitted by ptymps on October 30, 2008 - 12:10.
According to the state's local aid dispursements for FY08, Millville received $16,149 in FY08 for Chapter 70 funding which is paid from state income tax. In addition, Millville received $444,249 from the lottery which would not be affected by voting Yes on Question #1. That means 97% of the money we receive from the state comes from lottery funds and not your state income taxes.
Secondly, there are nine other states in the union that don't have a state income tax including Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennesse, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, and yet, I believe they're still offering essential services in those states. In fact, it's Rhode Island that has the second highest tax rates in the country, and who is suffering from a budetary meltdown. Imagine that. They have the highest taxes and a lower population, yet they still can't balance their budgets--take notice all of you voting for BO this election. RI is a microcosim for what will happen in the country if BO and the Democrats control the white house, the congress, and senate.
Sometimes, getting state government to do the right thing means forcing them to do the right thing. This initiative would finally force them to eliminate the WFA (waste, fraud and abuse) to make up the 12 Billion this initiative would cut from the state coffers. Just to name a few of these they include:
- The Big Dig
- Exorbitant govt. employee pensions and health benefits.
- Double dipping pensions.
- 100M to Hollywood Elites in Tax Breaks
- The growing "Hack-ocracy" and patronizing in govt.
- $1B for pharmaceutical companies
- $100k sign painters on Mass Pike
- $70k/yr toll takers who MAKE CHANGE
- Theft at Longfellow Bridge
You see, it's kind of like getting a drug-addict off his drugs. It's painful at first, but they learn to live a cleaner, better life without the adiction to the drugs, and in the case of the state, the addiction to your money.
Furthermore, this initiative has wide appeal among very responsible citizens and to say we're being irresponsible by voting Yes is wrong. In fact I believe just the opposite. By demanding greater responsbility on the part of our elected leaders, and forcing them to re-prioritize their spending, we're going to see better services in the long run. Even some liberals agree that the WFA in state govenment is out of control and is affecting our state's ability to deliver the most critical services effectively. In an article on MySouthEnd.com Shirley Kressel, a devout liberal who professes to want bigger government, and believes we need more core services (police, fire, education) and not less, believes voting Yes on question #1 will send a clear message to our state law makers, and will force them to get their priorities straightened out. According to Shirley, "We hear that the most urgently needed human and infrastructure services will suffer most. Well, that’s the point. These needs are at the bottom of the legislature’s priority list. Not every legislator’s list, but this legislature as a whole. And that will be true no matter how much we give them in taxes: genuine public services will get crumbs. So we have to send a message that we’re not going to tolerate this outrageous misuse of our money any longer."
Finally, what about the average of $3700.00 annually this puts back into the pockets of the working residents of the state. Imagine the bills, debts, and education this money can buy for the residents of MA. Voting Yes on Q#1 is not only OK, its the responsible choice to make to improve the services we receive from government.
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Income Tax
Submitted by PRO handyman (not verified) on October 27, 2008 - 21:37.
As always, Chuck has some very good points on this issue. I would love to continue to receive all of the services I currently do without any of the expense, however, that is unrealistic to expect. As a service provider I can't imagine working for free! Anyway, it is fantastic to say that the state government should 'trim the fat' or 'stop funding programs that don't work' but the reality of it is they won't cut the difficult programs to identify. The state government will start with the most bang for the buck and the most public of cuts. These include public safety and school services. To those of you that have actually looked at the town budget, even a cursory look tells you that the primary spending in local government and I'm sure State budgets is public safety and education. It's easier for the state to cut off a leg than go on a diet! So the next time you or a friend or family member need to call 911, or your children get on the schoolbus, or you put your trash out on the street and it magically dissapears, wonder how that is able to happen. Money, that's how.
Paul R. Ouellette
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Vote No on Question # 1
NOTE***
Chuck Singleton is a member of the Blackstone-Millville Regional School Committee, but the following comments are his and his alone. They do not reflect the feelings or desire of the School Committee in any manner. He is not representing the School Committee on this blog. To see where other members stand on this issue please call or email them directly.
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Ladies and Gentlemen,
No one likes the idea of paying taxes, and I would like to see the State income Taxes go away myself. In an Ideal world they would be gone, but realistically we pay taxes for a service and to better our community.
As you may know in the November election there will be a quetion on the ballot - Question Number 1. This question will be to rescind or not rescind the State Income Taxes. Now should we decide to rescind the State income Taxes - then our Income Tax would fall from the 5.3% it is now to 2.65% on January 1, 2009 and then fall to 0% in January 2010. I agree that sounds great and what a relief it would be to not have to pay those taxes, BUT BEWARE!
We are already in a very bad situation on the local and state level financially. This afternoon at 5:00 Governor Patrick is expected to announce where he plans to cut the state budgets in order to make up for the already very large deficit.
Do we lose Chapter 70 Funding for our Schools? If so what happens, how do we pay for the loss locally? What other promises by the state to the towns will we lose?
Keep in mind that if we vote to rescind the State Income Tax the state will lose another nearly 40% of its operational budget. (12 Billion Dollars in addition to what Gov. Patrick will announce today) That means the state will most likely not be able to pay us to operate the Schools but we will still have to continue with our daily business. That means if the schools do not have the money then we will need to get it from the Towns. If the towns do not have it then they will need to raise Property Taxes. Now I do not know what happens to Proposition 2 1/2 in this instance but I can tell you this much, we will be hurting as a whole.
We can not vote to rescind State Income Taxes and then cry to the state that we need more funding. It just does not work that way. I agree that there is money being wasted in Boston, and by cutting back the taxes it will force the issue and make the political leaders of the state push to stop the waste, but do we really do this at the expense of our Children?
If this happens, we will certainly see larger Class Sizes, and Teacher Layoffs. We will see programs cut and lack of proper supplies in our schools. We will see our children losing their academic stability to the children in our neighboring states to the North, South, and West of us.
Please think very carefully before you vote on this very important issue.
Chuck Singleton