– MEMO --
To: Members of the Massachusetts House
April 23, 2009
Re: New
taxes – Are you feeling lucky, rep?
Citizens for
Limited Taxation appreciates sincere opposition
to new taxes, and the warning that the sales tax
may be increased. I’d been planning some necessary
purchases to help stimulate the economy, as
President Obama asked, so I shopped yesterday.
At least I helped
a Massachusetts company, and you’ll get your 5
percent. Other people may not be so parochial.
Give engaged voters a game to play: Eat meals in towns that don’t have the
increased sales tax, buy grocery ingredients and
make their own sweets, pick up gas, lunch and
liquor while they spend the Obama tax cut in New
Hampshire.
Tax anything on
the internet and bring young, presently
unengaged voters into the taxpayer movement. Infuriate the property taxpayers who are
still waiting for relief by expanding the Senior
Circuit Breaker to include younger low-income
homeowners, thereby hiking property taxes for
the middle class. Increase that outrageous tax on frail,
sick, dying elderly patients in nursing homes
who pay their own way, are no burden on
taxpayers – just as more boomers become aware of
the tax as their parents age.
CLT has seen
several fiscal crises addressed with tax hikes. Sometimes legislators get away with them;
others, as in 1990, lose their jobs. We notice that voters this year are antsy
about a lot of things. Open your State House window and stick
your head out: You may hear them yelling "I am Mad as
Hell and I’m not gonna take this anymore!" Or you may not; they may be quietly
reading a newspaper account of the latest
pension scandal, the latest nose-thumbing
disrespect for taxpayers. Voters are more aware and energized today
than they were six months ago.
Are they ready to
make sure you fear them as much as some of you
fear the public employee unions? We don’t know. But the unions are losing public support
with every news account of "only in
Massachusetts" police details, the Quinn bill,
teachers unions’ selfish refusal to forego a
payraise to save the jobs of other teachers,
cheating union members with improper pensions,
overtime, sick leave and tolltaker Easter flu.
CLT supports #328,
repeal of the nursing home tax, genuine public
employee benefit reform, and no re-election for taxhikers. Massachusetts taxpayers have the right --
after paying the 5th highest per capita tax
burden in the nation, being 7th last to
celebrate Tax Freedom Day, and giving Tim
Bassett a nice family pension -- to not have our
taxes increased during this national recession. And by the way: If you hike voters’ income tax rate
again, they won’t believe you this time when you
say it’s only "temporary." The Legislature has taught them well the
value of its promises.