To:
Members of the Massachusetts House
April 23, 2012
Re: House Budget Debate; Revenues and Respect
Citizens for Limited Taxation, noting that our traditional opponents
(generally described as Citizens for Unlimited Taxation) are urging
an increase in the income tax rate, once again expresses its
support for the House Ways & Means decision not to raise taxes this
year.
We
recognize the wisdom in the W&M decision to do nothing that would
impede a Commonwealth economic recovery. It is also important to
show respect for the voters who mandated in 2000 that the income tax
rate be rolled back to its traditional 5%.
CLT
supports the Lombardo amendment for that rollback. We’d like to see
the sales tax restored to 5% as well. A priority for us is to repeal the obscene nursing home tax, which penalizes the sick
elderly who pay their own nursing home costs with a tax to pay for
patients on Medicaid; we certainly support the Levy amendment not to
increase this tax. We continue to support Unemployment
Insurance reforms.
We also
support spending-issue amendments that might help restore faith in
state government. A priority is ending the abuse of EBT cards
(Amendment 804). We like Rep. Winslow’s State Benefits Fraud
Prevention plan, and amendments to prevent illegal immigrants from
receiving taxpayer-funded benefits. We like the amendment to stop
funding the Greenway, with its extraordinary administrative
salaries.
We are
grateful for the bills already passed on state employee health
insurance and pensions and support further reforms.