Legsilators need to restrain spending

Every tax is a pay cut. Every tax cut is a pay raise.
Citizens for Limited Taxation

Legislators need to restrain spending Wednesday, November 24, 2003

Chip Ford, Director of Operations,
Citizens for Limited Taxation, Peabody Metrowest Daily News

In his Nov. 18 column, "Small tax pain could be a gain," Tom Moroney advocates a one percent increase in the state income tax and "the state could collect an extra billion dollars a year, maybe even more." Then yet another political promise was made by an unnamed legislator: "And that billion would be absolutely, positively guaranteed, under law, to go back to the cities and towns to be used to pay the local bills."
Oh sure, we taxpayers are about to buy another deceptive promise like another "temporary" tax hike or revenue being "absolutely, positively" dedicated beyond however long it takes to suck in the public again!
"The politician wanted anonymity," Moroney noted and it's easy to understand why. That pol also knows better.
"Mayor Tom Menino and Gov. Mitt Romney were in Boston drumming up support for a measure that would temporarily shift some of the tax burden from the homeowner to the business owner," Moroney reported. Another news source quotes the lead opponent, Brian Gilmore of Associated Industries of Massachusetts: "It's very hard to guarantee the future actions of the Legislature." Now there's a man who's been around and has his eyes open.
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
"To some, a bigger state income tax and more user fees may seem intolerable. But what's the alternative? More foreclosures?" Moroney concluded; a false choice.
Spending at both local and state levels has doubled in a mere dozen years, most of those with low inflation. The honest alternative is spending restraint. The only result of continued fiscal irresponsibility is never-ending tax hikes at both levels.
If you want to breed an epidemic of foreclosures, just keep raising taxes.

Legislators need to restrain spending	Wednesday, November 24, 2003
Chip Ford, Director of Operations, Citizens for Limited Taxation, Peabody	Metrowest Daily News
In his Nov. 18 column, "Small tax pain could be a gain," Tom Moroney advocates a one percent increase in the state income tax and "the state could collect an extra billion dollars a year, maybe even more." Then yet another political promise was made by an unnamed legislator: "And that billion would be absolutely, positively guaranteed, under law, to go back to the cities and towns to be used to pay the local bills." Oh sure, we taxpayers are about to buy another deceptive promise like another "temporary" tax hike or revenue being "absolutely, positively" dedicated beyond however long it takes to suck in the public again! "The politician wanted anonymity," Moroney noted and it's easy to understand why. That pol also knows better. "Mayor Tom Menino and Gov. Mitt Romney were in Boston drumming up support for a measure that would temporarily shift some of the tax burden from the homeowner to the business owner," Moroney reported. Another news source quotes the lead opponent, Brian Gilmore of Associated Industries of Massachusetts: "It's very hard to guarantee the future actions of the Legislature." Now there's a man who's been around and has his eyes open. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. "To some, a bigger state income tax and more user fees may seem intolerable. But what's the alternative? More foreclosures?" Moroney concluded; a false choice. Spending at both local and state levels has doubled in a mere dozen years, most of those with low inflation. The honest alternative is spending restraint. The only result of continued fiscal irresponsibility is never-ending tax hikes at both levels. If you want to breed an epidemic of foreclosures, just keep raising taxes.

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