CLT
UPDATE
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Please Act Right Now!
Suppose you make $50,000 a year. Could you use another $150 in your pocket?
I thought you could. And guess what - the state Senate has an opportunity to vote to give you that extra dough today. Not that they will, you understand, but at least their feet should be held to the fire.
You've heard of Hawaii Five-O. This is the day the Senate has a chance to make the first move toward Massachusetts Five-O - restoring the 5 percent state income tax rate....
The vote might still be put off, because most of the senators would rather touch the third rail than be recorded on this.
But why is it such a tough vote to cut the income tax from 5.3 to 5 percent? Nobody wants to pay higher taxes. Those who collect welfare, in one form or another, may want working people to pay more, but when it comes to asking the layabouts to pay their "fair share," forget about it.
We know this because Massachusetts obligingly offers all good liberals the opportunity to voluntarily pay at the old 5.85 percent rate. So far this tax season, 893 taxpayers in Massachusetts have opted to pay more of their own, as opposed to someone else's, money - 893 out of 2.5 million....
There's not a chance in the world that the Senate will vote to keep their 1989 promise to the voters. If the tax-cutters get eight votes, it'll be a
suprise. And then everyone who voted to break their promise will be lauded in the local all-gay all-the-time sheets. The Senate acted "wisely," the bow-tied bumkissers will write, in refusing to "pander" to taxpayers.
So this is the day the Senate is scheduled to vote on Five-O. If they vote no, remember in November, and send them a message: Book
'em, Dano. Grand theft one.
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Senate OK Five-0? Don't make book on it, Dano
By Howie Carr
Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
Thanks to those who have contacted their state
senators; we hope everyone else will do the same. If you sent an e-mail and have not yet received a personalized response, please give them a phone call as well.
In fact, make a phone call or a number of phone
calls. E-mail is perceived as just too easy and may not be taken
seriously enough by our elected officials today.
You will probably be told that Friday was the deadline for putting in amendments and there is nothing that can be done now.
The response: "Look, Senator, it’s not as if we just thought up this amendment yesterday.
"We know Friday was the deadline: that’s why the Governor gave the amendment to the Republicans
early -- and Lees, Hedlund, Knapik, Brown and Sprague did file it on time. The problem is that Lees then pulled it yesterday so it is no longer on the agenda.
"If you can’t get it back on, then maybe it’s time to start planning to elect a new Minority Leader in January so that Lees can’t embarrass you again."
Republican senators can strongly urge Lees to put the amendment back in, which he can if he wants
-- no matter what he says to the contrary.
Call one or more of those listed below
immediately, before noon today!
|
|
|
Chip
Ford |
The Boston Herald
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Senate OK Five-0? Don't make book on it, Dano
By Howie Carr
Suppose you make $50,000 a year. Could you use another $150 in your pocket?
I thought you could. And guess what - the state Senate has an opportunity to vote to give you that extra dough today. Not that they will, you understand, but at least their feet should be held to the fire.
You've heard of Hawaii Five-O. This is the day the Senate has a chance to make the first move toward Massachusetts Five-O - restoring the 5 percent state income tax rate.
That's what it was back in 1989. Then the Dukakoids jacked it up, to 6.25 percent. It was a "temporary" measure, you see. Fifteen years and counting, the rate still hasn't been cut back to where they promised it would be.
The vote might still be put off, because most of the senators would rather touch the third rail than be recorded on this.
But why is it such a tough vote to cut the income tax from 5.3 to 5 percent? Nobody wants to pay higher taxes. Those who collect welfare, in one form or another, may want working people to pay more, but when it comes to asking the layabouts to pay their "fair share," forget about it.
We know this because Massachusetts obligingly offers all good liberals the opportunity to voluntarily pay at the old 5.85 percent rate. So far this tax season, 893 taxpayers in Massachusetts have opted to pay more of their own, as opposed to someone else's, money - 893 out of 2.5 million.
Four years ago, after waiting 10 years for the budget "emergency" to end, the people took matters into their own hands. In a statewide referendum, the people decided to cut the tax rate back to Five-O.
The vote was 60-40, a landslide.
So the Legislature reacted the way they usually react whenever the people get uppity and try to assert their rights to self-government.
They ignored them. Actually, they allowed some of the voter-approved tax cuts to go through, which was surprising. But in the end they reverted to form, nixing the final reduction from 5.3 percent to Five-O.
Naturally the tax-and-spenders claim the state "needs" the extra money. There are hacks to be hired, disability pensions to be handed out. Just before the Senate votes on your tax cut this afternoon, the Governor's Council is scheduled to rubber-stamp a special pension deal for an ailing judge that will jack up his pension. The judge, whose lawyer said he was not a success in private practice, was appointed in '96, and hasn't worked in more than a year due to illness.
Could you ever score a 75 percent pension on a $115,000 salary for working 35 weeks a year for less than seven years?
A couple of weeks ago, a female judge whose husband is on the Boston Licensing Board got a promotion from another judge whose brother serves with the female judge's husband on the Licensing Board. Now that's a nationwide search. No complaints here - the female judge is a decent person, and her competition was another distaff judge who used to work under Sen. John Kerry. I'll take a Connolly over a Kerry any day.
There's not a chance in the world that the Senate will vote to keep their 1989 promise to the voters. If the tax-cutters get eight votes, it'll be a
suprise. And then everyone who voted to break their promise will be lauded in the local all-gay all-the-time sheets. The Senate acted "wisely," the bow-tied bumkissers will write, in refusing to "pander" to taxpayers.
So this is the day the Senate is scheduled to vote on Five-O. If they vote no, remember in November, and send them a message: Book
'em, Dano. Grand theft one.
Howie Carr's radio show can be heard weekday afternoons on WRKO AM 680, WHYN AM 560, WGAN AM 560, WEIM AM 1280 and WXTK 95.1 FM.
Return to
top
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or
payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this
information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For
more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
|