For Immediate Release
You may have interpreted the defeat
of Question 1 thus: It went too far. Public
anger was understandable, but this proposal was
"risky and reckless."
But as we predicted, Beacon Hill
interpreted it thus: Voters are OK with higher
tolls and taxes. And even if they’re not,
they’ll put up with them, and re-elect the same
politicians who pass them. Yay!!!!
It’s been two whole weeks since the
election. Already the state is moving to
double the cost of tolls. This will be
followed or combined with a gas tax increase.
And Sunday on the
Blue Mass Group blog,
Judy Meredith had an essay titled: "What
did we vote for?" She answered her own
question in a call for the anti-Question 1 coalition
to stay together and meet today to discuss strategy
for higher taxes.
"The ONE Massachusetts Network is
about to begin a statewide debriefing project to
learn more from our communities and organizational
members: Which public structures do you rely
and place value on, and where do those structures
need improvement?
"What sort of changes need to be made
to restore your faith that AN INCREASE IN TAXES
would be spent wisely and collected fairly?
(Emphasis mine).
"ONE Massachusetts' job is not to
craft the content of a tax reform package, but to
help our network of statewide and community-based
organizations to develop a membership education
program around tax and budget policy, and to empower
them to participate in the upcoming public debate by
declaring that their communities UNDERSTAND THE
NEED FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUES – as long as they
are fairly collected and effectively used."
Gee, shouldn’t they start by showing
the EXISTING revenues are effectively used?
CLT interpreted the defeat of
Question 1 thus: The usual pols, liberals,
tax-eaters and business community suck-ups – plus,
understandably, senior citizens and others who
bought the $7 million union message that property
taxes would go up if Question 1 passed and were
afraid – voted NO.
Since we all seem to be in agreement
that property taxes shouldn’t go up, CLT is sure we
were all pleased to see almost every Prop 2˝
override that appeared on the Nov. 4 ballot go down
in defeat. We are filing a bill to end
overrides on local ballots, requiring that they
appear ONLY on the biennial statewide ballot.
For those who weren’t around in 1980,
that was the provision in the original Proposition
2˝ ballot question when the voters passed it.
Time to return to our roots.