To: Members of the General Court
10. Since the Governor chortles to the media that he’s using the
increased exemptions in order to “push more burden on higher-income
taxpayers”, cleverly getting past our state’s prohibition on a graduated
income tax, he is setting up another ruling from the SJC that a
back-door grad tax isn’t allowed. Your tough vote for the biggest tax
increase in history could be nullified by the Court.
9. Taxing “higher-income taxpayers” isn’t working in California, where
millionaires are escaping that bad attitude toward job creators.
Massachusetts has lost productive citizens too (and a Congressional
seat); can lose more to states that have lower tax burdens yet a viable
transportation system. Even California has a viable transportation
system, using regional voter-approved taxes and elected managers.
8. On the other hand: removing those deductions is an assault on the
middle-class. Have you read them?! Seriously.
7. Our state and local per capita tax burden is 4th highest in the
nation. With this income tax increase, our state income tax alone could
reach the highest in the nation relative to median income. How much
higher do you plan to go? When the federal government finally faces its
extraordinary debt, and cuts spending for the states, what taxes will
you raise to cover the losses?
6. The same governor who talked you into increasing the regressive sales
tax in 2009 now wants to lower it, to get a higher income tax rate. He
could be back to increase the sales tax next year again. Why not? He’s
not running for re-election…
5. When voters said in 2000 that they wanted the income tax rate dropped
to 5%, they did not mean “hike the rate to 6.25% — or 5.95% either”.
Maybe they re-elected the legislators who voted to “temporarily” freeze
their ballot mandate in 2002, but in 1990 when the rate increased to
6.25%, Republicans replaced 14 legislative Democrats.
4. If in order to keep us all healthy, you remove the sales tax
exemption for candy and soda, will you exempt dark chocolate with its
healthy flavonoids from the removal? Gingerale when we drink it for an
upset tummy? Will you make us eat broccoli? Will it have to be organic?
Will you make us exercise? How much longer will smokers subsidize state
spending before they die?
3. Despite being promised new trains in return for new taxes, voters in
southeast and western Massachusetts will be more likely to ride a train
to Hogwarts than to Boston.
2. If you regularly increase the gas tax and Registry fees for
inflation, that may be hard to explain when federal policies cause
double-digit inflation as they did during the Carter Administration.
1. If you pass the largest tax increase in Massachusetts history “for
transportation needs” and “for the children”, voters may actually expect
you to improve transportation and education, instead of spending more on EBT cards for drug dealers, illegal immigrants, and breathtaking Patrick
Administration mismanagement. Soon he’ll be gone, you’ll be held
accountable for how the new taxes are spent. Let’s tell him “management
reforms first,” then we’ll all talk taxes.
