Chip Faulkner, CLT’s
communications director, testified at the State House today before the
Legislature’s Joint Committee on Revenue against H. 3933 –
another proposed Graduated Income Tax.
He also presented our written testimony (below).
The below memo to the committee was also sent out across the
state to our extensive list of media contacts, and to each state
representative and senator.
CLT Memo to the Joint Committee on
Revenue
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Dracula Rises Again
House 3933 – A
Legislative Amendment to the Constitution
DRACULA RISES AGAIN
What part of 1962, 1968, 1972, 1976 and 1994 do the
tax-borrow-and-spenders not understand? Those were the years that the
graduated income tax was on the Massachusetts ballot and also the years
the grad tax was defeated, the last by a better than 2-1 margin. Yet by
moving to put this fiscal atrocity (H.3933) on the ballot once again,
they somehow expect Bay State taxpayers to finally be duped or ground
down into voting yes. Of course the charge will once again be led by the
usual suspects: the public sector unions, liberal church groups,
welfare service providers and beneficiaries, et al.
Most appalling is the climate into which they are introducing the tax
increase. The new governor and legislative leadership are working in
sync to reform and fix the way the state is being operated – without
increased taxes. Indeed Governor Baker has vowed not to hike taxes and
Speaker DeLeo has promised no new taxes in 2016. This is part of a tax
trend nationally as several states have vowed to not only hold the line,
but actually cut taxes. One aberration was fatal to Connecticut, which
just lost GE to Boston. According to a recent Globe article citing this
move, “If there was a last straw, this was it: Connecticut lawmakers in
June proposed to raise taxes by $1.9 billion…”
Plus, what do you suppose these millionaires targeted for this huge tax
increase will do? Advanced technology more than ever will enable them
to kiss Massachusetts good-by in a heartbeat. More frightening, once
they fleece the remaining millionaires, the tax and spenders will
inevitably come after taxpayers in lower income groups where the real
money is – at a higher graduated rate of course.
Exposed also will be the outright lie by proponents that the increased
revenue from the 4% additional tax will go to public education, public
colleges and repair and maintenance of roads, bridges et al. Not one
penny will necessarily go to these areas.
Article 48 of the Massachusetts Constitution prohibits certain subjects
from appearing on the ballot. An appropriation of money is one of
them. Any additional revenue must and will go into the giant maw known
as the general fund.
For the sake of the economy and the taxpayers of Massachusetts, vote NO
on H. 3933
Citizens for Limited Taxation ▪ PO
Box 1147 ▪ Marblehead, MA 01945
▪ 508-915-3665