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To: |
The Honorable Deval Patrick,
Governor |
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From: |
Citizens for Limited Taxation |
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Date: |
June
24, 2009 |
Dear Governor Patrick,
Please veto the sales tax increase, as
you said you would if you didn’t get substantial pension,
transportation and ethics reform.
Veto it also because raising the sales
tax rate is a bad economic move for the Commonwealth, because the
revenues won’t be enough to deal with the Massachusetts structural
deficit anyhow, and could make it worse.
Please don’t be influenced by
proponents complaining that “the sales tax hasn’t been raised in
decades.” The sales tax automatically increases as prices
increase, which they have over that period. Please believe
that an increase in the rate to which taxpayers are accustomed will
send them elsewhere to shop.
We appreciate your efforts for Reform:
This is the only thing that will save the commonwealth and its
cities and towns from years of irresponsible behavior. If you
stand firm you will be responsible for that salvation.
But “pension reform” that simply ends
the most outrageous scams isn’t the kind of reform that will make a
fiscal difference (though it certainly makes us feel better to be
ripped off less). “Transportation reform” allows us to be
still ripped off by employees who retire after 23 years while we
ordinary taxpayers must work at least 40.
Ethics reform hasn’t been as important
to CLT since we’ve given up on political ethics. Usually
ethics bills just inconvenience honest people, while the
professional pols get around them. But good for you for still
trying!
We have found the legislative
criticism that “the governor hasn’t filed a bill” a tad odd.
We thought we understood the basic separation-of-powers thing:
Executive branch executes, Legislative branch legislates, Executive
branch eventually urges the Legislature to do its job when it
hasn’t. They should have been responsible bill filers for the
many years many of them were there, before you even came on the
scene. Geez, doesn’t the whining drive you crazy?
Honestly, we at CLT are beginning to identify with you, Governor!
Except for the Republicans,
Treasurer Cahill and a handful of Democrats, you are the only
one on Beacon Hill who speaks to Massachusetts taxpayers’ ongoing
frustration not only with the cost of government here, but its
ongoing failures. We appreciate the understanding.
According to the Washington DC-based
Tax Foundation, Massachusetts’ state and local tax burden per capita
is 5th highest in the country. Many people voted for you
because you pledged property tax relief, which we clearly are not
going to get. So at least, Governor Patrick, don’t raise our
sales tax and increase our tax burden. Veto, please.
Barbara Anderson
Executive Director