Tax hike not the answer

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

Tax hike not the answer Wednesday, November 26, 2003

Jack Prindiville Metrowest Daily News

Tom Moroney, in a column dated Nov. 18, talks about an anonymous politician lamenting to him "about the shameful property taxes in this state, how high they are and how they are just getting higher and higher."
Moroney goes on to say, "The politician's idea is to increase the state income tax by a marginal amount. Let's say one percent." According to the unnamed politician, a billion or more dollars would be collected, and "that billion would be absolutely, positively guaranteed, under law, to go back to the cities and towns to pay the local bills."
If anybody believes that anything the Massachusetts Legislature does is absolutely, positively guaranteed, I have a bridge over the Sudbury River to sell them.
Why are we increasing income taxes in the first place? The answer to out-of-control, escalating property taxes is simple: stop passing tax hikes such as the $7 million Framingham override we did last year and institute an underride to reduce taxes. Proposition 2 1/2 allows such a procedure.
In 2000, the electorate voted overwhelmingly (60 to 40 percent) to lower the state income tax from 5.9 percent to 5 percent. The Legislature defied the will of the people, citing an emergency, and set the rate temporarily at 5.3 percent until such time as the emergency passes. As a sign of its displeasure with the Legislature's failure to implement the earlier ballot initiative, 46 percent of the electorate took the draconian stance last year of voting to get rid entirely of the state income tax.
In light of the clearly demonstrated opposition of the electorate to higher taxes, what politician would have the temerity to even suggest the idea of an income tax hike? As Claude Raines is famous for saying the movie "Casablanca": "Round up the usual suspects." In the case of Framingham, the usual suspects must include Sen. David Magnani and Rep. Deborah Blumer, both avid proponents of higher and higher state axes. I would put my money on either one of them being the mystery politician. Am I right, Tom?

Tax hike not the answer	Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Jack Prindiville	Metrowest Daily News
Tom Moroney, in a column dated Nov. 18, talks about an anonymous politician lamenting to him "about the shameful property taxes in this state, how high they are and how they are just getting higher and higher." Moroney goes on to say, "The politician's idea is to increase the state income tax by a marginal amount. Let's say one percent." According to the unnamed politician, a billion or more dollars would be collected, and "that billion would be absolutely, positively guaranteed, under law, to go back to the cities and towns to pay the local bills." If anybody believes that anything the Massachusetts Legislature does is absolutely, positively guaranteed, I have a bridge over the Sudbury River to sell them. Why are we increasing income taxes in the first place? The answer to out-of-control, escalating property taxes is simple: stop passing tax hikes such as the $7 million Framingham override we did last year and institute an underride to reduce taxes. Proposition 2 1/2 allows such a procedure. In 2000, the electorate voted overwhelmingly (60 to 40 percent) to lower the state income tax from 5.9 percent to 5 percent. The Legislature defied the will of the people, citing an emergency, and set the rate temporarily at 5.3 percent until such time as the emergency passes. As a sign of its displeasure with the Legislature's failure to implement the earlier ballot initiative, 46 percent of the electorate took the draconian stance last year of voting to get rid entirely of the state income tax. In light of the clearly demonstrated opposition of the electorate to higher taxes, what politician would have the temerity to even suggest the idea of an income tax hike? As Claude Raines is famous for saying the movie "Casablanca": "Round up the usual suspects." In the case of Framingham, the usual suspects must include Sen. David Magnani and Rep. Deborah Blumer, both avid proponents of higher and higher state axes. I would put my money on either one of them being the mystery politician. Am I right, Tom?

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