CLT UPDATE
Thursday, September 30, 2010
So-called MTF, the Trojan Horse, strikes again
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"It is not an exaggeration to say that the
resulting massive spending cuts would eliminate or erode a wide
range of services -- from education and public safety to health care
and human services -- that for decades the citizens of Massachusetts
have counted on the government to provide," said the report by the
business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Report warns of dire consequences from Question 3 tax-cut proposal
“People may save in one pocket, but it will
come out of another one,” [MTF] president Michael Widmer said.
The proposal to cut the sales tax to 3 percent comes amid the
worst fiscal crisis in the state’s history - with the state
facing a $2 billion shortfall in fiscal 2012 that would balloon
to $4.5 billion if voters approve the measure, the fiscal
watchdog group said.
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sales-tax fight shunned
Business groups not backing rollback
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Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
It's gratifying to see that
– after CLT's years of effort at exposing it, its membership
and resources – at last MTF is now at
least identified as "business-backed" instead of "highly respected"
– which was the common reportorial
adjective often used in the past.
The so-called Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation has been
campaigning to crush citizen initiatives to cut taxes for over three
decades. It opposed Proposition 2½ in 1980, our repeal of the
Dukakis tax hikes in 1990, the income tax rollback in 2000, and
every tax cut ballot question since. No surprise that it now opposes
cutting the sales tax, since it has advocated expanding that sales
tax to services over the years.
Tax-hiking legislators can depend on MTF, the Trojan Horse, to give
them cover as they raise taxes and fight tax cuts for average,
regular, everyday taxpayers like us.
So it’s correct to list MTF as an opponent of Question 3 along with
the public employee unions and most politicians, as long as everyone
realizes that this is not unusual, and that just because it has the
word Taxpayers in its name, it doesn’t represent us.
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Chip Ford |
The above
commentary went out this afternoon to the media statewide as a
news advisory.
Read the MTF report and news release, "Question
3: Heading Over the Cliff"
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The Boston Globe
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Report warns of dire consequences from Question 3 tax-cut proposal
By Martin Finucane
Thousands of Massachusetts teachers, police officers, firefighters,
and other municipal employees would have to be laid off, property
taxes would rise, and students at the University of Massachusetts,
state colleges, and community colleges would see higher charges, if
a proposal to cut the state's sales tax passes, according to a new
analysis by a respected budget watchdog group.
"It is not an exaggeration to say that the resulting massive
spending cuts would eliminate or erode a wide range of services --
from education and public safety to health care and human services
-- that for decades the citizens of Massachusetts have counted on
the government to provide," said the report by the business-backed
Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
Question 3, which will go before voters on the Nov. 2 ballot, would
reduce the state sales tax rate, which stands at 6.25 percent, to 3
percent as of Jan. 1. Proponents say it would curb overspending by
the state, create jobs, and give each taxpayer nearly $700 annually,
while opponents say it would force catastrophic cuts in services.
The MTF, in its report, "Question 3: Heading Over the Cliff," said
that cutting the tax would create a $2.5 billion deficit, in
addition to a $2 billion deficit that is already expected due to
lagging revenues in the tough economy.
With half of the state's $32 billion budget legally required, the
$4.5 billion in reductions would have to be spread over $16.9
billion in discretionary spending. That would mean across-the-board
cuts of 28.4 percent, the foundation said.
The foundation said in its statement that the cuts would "seriously
compromise the core services provided by local government –
education and public safety" and would fall most severely on cities
and poorer communities.
Carla Howell of the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, which is advocating
for the cut, said in a statement that the report was a "comedy" that
ignored "tens of billions of dollars in government waste, pork,
patronage, overspending and sweetheart deals" in the state budget.
She said the foundation, which she described as a "business lobby
group," had shown its "contempt for the everyday taxpayers who have
had to cut family budgets by 20% and more while politicians lavishly
grew state spending."
The Boston Herald
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sales-tax fight shunned
Business groups not backing rollback
By Donna Goodison
Even groups representing businesses that would benefit from a sales
tax cut can’t muster support for a controversial ballot question
that would roll back the rate to 3 percent.
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts, which lobbied hard
against last year’s state sales tax increase to 6.25 percent, is
staying out of the fight for Question 3.
“When you have 3,500 members, you’re going to have a lot of
different opinions,” said Jon Hurst, president of the statewide
retail group. “We couldn’t reach an agreement to be actually out
front in supporting the initiative.”
Instead the trade group will push Beacon Hill lawmakers to roll the
tax back to 5 percent in the next legislative session.
The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce actually opposes the ballot
measure.
“We have a fragile economy, and it would carve a giant hole in the
state budget of over $2.5 billion per year,” executive vice
president Jim Klocke said.
That view gained traction yesterday when the Massachusetts Taxpayers
Foundation forecast that the measure would result in higher property
taxes for many communities because of dramatic cuts in state aid, as
well as higher increases in state college tuition and fees.
“People may save in one pocket, but it will come out of another
one,” president Michael Widmer said.
The proposal to cut the sales tax to 3 percent comes amid the worst
fiscal crisis in the state’s history - with the state facing a $2
billion shortfall in fiscal 2012 that would balloon to $4.5 billion
if voters approve the measure, the fiscal watchdog group said.
Necessary spending cuts would have enormous impacts on local
schools, public safety and all of local government in addition to
public higher education, human services and a wide range of other
state programs, according to Widmer.
“We already have a huge hole, and this would create a mammoth hole,”
Widmer said. “It’s unfortunate the proponents put forward simplistic
solutions for complex issues. It’s an illusion to think you can cut
$2.5 billion and preserve the services that the public expects.”
The Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, which collected signatures to put
Question 3 on the ballot, is led by libertarian activist Carla
Howell.
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Citizens for Limited Taxation ▪
PO Box 1147 ▪ Marblehead, MA 01945
▪ 508-915-3665
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