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CLT UPDATE
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Lights, Camera, Action!
|
Twenty-one initiative petitions, including
proposals to raise the minimum wage and lower the sales tax,
are one step closer to appearing before voters after
clearing Attorney General Maura Healey's eligibility review.
Healey on Wednesday released a full list of
initiative petitions that met constitutional requirements
and were certified to move ahead in the ballot question
process.
Seven of the 28 petitions filed, including
proposals to end tolling in Massachusetts and require
insurance coverage for holistic health care, were not
certified because they did not meet requirements, Healey's
office said.
The approved petitions deal with 18
different topics, including clean energy, political spending
and paid family and medical leave. Some groups filed
multiple proposals on the same subject.
Healey's decisions are based on the
requirements for ballot questions, laid out in the state
Constitution, which specify that petitions cannot infringe
on constitutional rights, specifically appropriate funds
from the state treasury or deal with religion or the
appointment of judges. Initiatives also cannot contain
unrelated subjects or replicate measures on the ballot in
the past two statewide elections.
The decisions likely set the stage for a
2018 ballot showdown between progressive groups that back a
higher minimum wage, family and medical leave, and an income
tax increase for high earners, and business groups that say
they've grown frustrated by the cost of doing business in
the Bay State....
The Raise Up Massachusetts coalition, which
is behind the $15 minimum wage and paid leave petitions, has
already secured a spot on the 2018 ballot for a question
asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment that
would impose a surtax on incomes over $1 million.
Four different versions of questions, backed
by retailers, to lower the state's 6.25 percent sales tax
were all certified, including two that would establish an
annual sales tax holiday....
Backers of certified petitions have until
Dec. 6 to meet their next hurdle, gathering and submitting
the signatures of 64,750 registered voters....
In 2016, only four of the 35 petitions filed
ultimately ended up on the ballot, three of which survived
court challenges along the way. Voters approved new laws
legalizing adult use of marijuana and restricting the
confinement of farm animals, and shot down proposals
authorizing a new slots parlor and an expansion of charter
schools....
Certification does not guarantee a slot on
the ballot, nor does meeting the signature deadlines. Last
year, Healey signed off on a question to end the state's use
of Common Core learning standards, but the Supreme Judicial
Court later ruled it ineligible.
In 2014, Attorney General Martha Coakley
deemed ineligible for the ballot a petition attempting to
repeal the state's casino law, and the high court overturned
her ruling. The repeal failed at the ballot.
State House News Service
Wednesday, August 6, 2017
Battles between progressives, biz shaping up as AG certifies
ballot questions
The Associated Industries of Massachusetts’
latest monthly confidence poll shows the mood here remains
generally upbeat. But nestled deep within its press release
is an unsettling quote from AIM chief Rick Lord: Employers
are saying that several measures headed for the ballot next
year might force them to relocate....
Most AIM members don’t add comments in their
poll responses. This time, the ones that did clearly seemed
irked. The most likely trigger point: the state’s new $200
million assessment on businesses to help pay for MassHealth.
A new requirement for paid sick time didn’t help.
Now, they look to November 2018 and wonder
what the ballot will bring. A $15-per-hour minimum wage? A
mandate for paid family leave? A “millionaires’ tax”?
Probably all three, especially if they survive any court
challenges.
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Is Mass. business climate getting hostile?
Two months into the fiscal year, state tax
collections have begun to slump as legislative leaders weigh
the prospect of packing vetoed spending back into the state
budget when they return to Beacon Hill.
The Department of Revenue on Wednesday
reported collecting $1.712 billion in taxes in August, which
was $16 million or 0.9 percent below the monthly benchmark.
Two months into fiscal year 2018, tax collections are $11
million below the year-to-date benchmark, the department
said, and up 1.9 percent, or $66 million, over the same
period in fiscal 2017....
Before breaking for recess, legislators said
they planned to monitor collections before deciding in the
fall on whether to override any of Gov. Charlie Baker's $320
million in budget vetoes. The House is expected to meet in a
formal session next week. They could begin the veto override
process then, though no concrete plans have been announced.
State House News Service
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Tax collections under benchmark as veto overrides are
weighed
To the greedy and disingenuous Brockton
legislative delegation of state reps. Claire Cronin,
Michelle Dubois, Gerry Cassidy and state Sen. Michael Brady,
all of whom profited from sizable pay increases they gave
themselves earlier this year. In one of the most blatant
cash grabs in recent state history, they joined most of
their fellow Democrats last winter – including state Sen.
Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton – in approving $18 million to
provide bigger stipends and salaries for state officials.
In other words, themselves.
But as sickening as the vote itself was, the
way the legislators tried to explain their rapacious
actions, both just after the vote and now, have been worse.
In the days after the vote, which was taken in the dark days
of late winter, the big four representing the Brockton
region had all kinds of baseless answers for padding their
pay instead of directing the $18 million toward teachers,
schools or addiction treatment. Cronin said the raises were
actually less than what a panel had recommended. Huh? Brady
and DuBois said the pay hikes were long overdue. Why? And
Cassidy, one of the newest legislators, had the lamest
answer. He said the increases didn’t affect him. What? ...
Teachers are losing their jobs, and as they
prep their class rooms this week for the new year, have
already begun asking for donations to buy pencils and paper.
Class sizes are growing, prompting another education-related
lawsuit. Bridges are in disrepair and have been for decades.
And in the middle of a drug epidemic, treatment centers are
starved for funds. And amid all this, our legislators decide
to spend $18 million – on themselves.
It’s a sad reflection of the imbalance of
power in this state and a reminder of the indifference
legislators have for us, and how distant they remain,
regardless of how many senior sing-alongs and chicken-dinner
fundraisers they attend.
Next time you see them at such an event,
make sure they reach deep and make a sizable donation to
your group or cause. After all, if they do, remember they
aren’t giving anything up. They are simply returning money
they took without permission.
From you.
The Brockton Enterprise
Monday, August 28, 2017
A Brockton Enterprise editorial
Thumbs down: To a greedy group of Brockton area legislators
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Chip Ford's CLT
Commentary
Labor Day is behind us along with the month of August summer
vacation for legislators. A few of them are still
meeting in "informal" sessions —
the vacation schedule placeholder when a handful show up to
pass non-descript housekeeping bills like a liquor license
or a "sick leave" bill for an individual
— but they're all expected to
show up for work someday soon.Meanwhile, Attorney General
Maura Healey released a list of the petitions she has deemed
to certify for the 2018 ballot, assuming sufficient
signatures (about 70,000) of registered voters are
collected. The State House News Service again lists
the constitutional requirements of any initiative petition:
"Healey's decisions are based on the requirements
for ballot questions, laid out in the state
Constitution, which specify that petitions cannot
infringe on constitutional rights, specifically
appropriate funds from the state treasury or deal
with religion or the appointment of judges."
There it is, laid out again: "cannot
... specifically appropriate funds from the state treasury."
The Graduated Income Tax (Grad Tax) constitutional
amendment (aka, the "Millionaire's Tax," aka, the "Fair
Share Amendment") she approved —
which will appear on the 2018 ballot —
does exactly that.
According to the
proponents' own text,
"Article 44 of
the Massachusetts Constitution is hereby amended by adding
the following paragraph at the end thereof: To provide the
resources for quality public education and affordable public
colleges and universities, and for the repair and
maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation, all
revenues received in accordance with this paragraph shall be
expended, subject to appropriation, only for these
purposes...."
CLT will have an announcement over the coming weekend
concerning our opposition to
this sixth attempt by The Takers to establish a
divide-and-conquer Graduated Income Tax
— and what we're doing to
defeat it again.
Remember, CLT was founded specifically to oppose
and successfully defeat the 1974 Grad Tax ballot question
— The Takers' fourth failed
attempt.
If it hadn't been, CLT wouldn't have been around to put
Proposition 2½ on the ballot six years
later, in 1980. You can only in your worst nightmare
imagine what your property taxes would be today without it —
never mind the
62 percent annual savings CLT provides to you since Prop
2½ on your auto excise (tax)
and all the other taxes we've since repealed or reduced.
It all started for CLT with the
1974 Grad Tax ballot question. We defeated the next
Grad Tax ballot question in 1994 as well — The Takers'
fifth attempt. Here we go again, Round Six, right
about on The Takers' twenty-year schedule again . . .
The last time the Legislature
returned from its recess, back in January, its priority was
an obscene pay grab for themselves. They calculated
that, if done soon enough, their constituents the voters
would forget. It might have worked in the past, but
it's not looking so certain this time. If anything,
the public has become even more cynical — and the media
isn't letting anyone forget either.
We're doing our part, as we vowed
after the pols rammed through their abomination. This
pay grab will be a big issue come Election 2018.
Prominently posted on the top of CLT's website since the
pols voted to enrich themselves with our money:
Watch over the weekend for the
important news we'll have to report.
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Chip Ford
Executive Director |
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State House News Service
Wednesday, August 6, 2017
Battles between progressives, biz shaping up as
AG certifies ballot questions
By Katie Lannan
Twenty-one initiative petitions, including
proposals to raise the minimum wage and lower
the sales tax, are one step closer to appearing
before voters after clearing Attorney General
Maura Healey's eligibility review.
Healey on Wednesday released a full list of
initiative petitions that met constitutional
requirements and were certified to move ahead in
the ballot question process.
Seven of the 28 petitions filed, including
proposals to end tolling in Massachusetts and
require insurance coverage for holistic health
care, were not certified because they did not
meet requirements, Healey's office said.
The approved petitions deal with 18 different
topics, including clean energy, political
spending and paid family and medical leave. Some
groups filed multiple proposals on the same
subject.
Healey's decisions are based on the requirements
for ballot questions, laid out in the state
Constitution, which specify that petitions
cannot infringe on constitutional rights,
specifically appropriate funds from the state
treasury or deal with religion or the
appointment of judges. Initiatives also cannot
contain unrelated subjects or replicate measures
on the ballot in the past two statewide
elections.
The decisions likely set the stage for a 2018
ballot showdown between progressive groups that
back a higher minimum wage, family and medical
leave, and an income tax increase for high
earners, and business groups that say they've
grown frustrated by the cost of doing business
in the Bay State.
The 2018 ballot will include races for governor
and the seat now held by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth
Warren, campaigns that will be influenced by
ballot questions.
The Raise Up Massachusetts coalition, which is
behind the $15 minimum wage and paid leave
petitions, has already secured a spot on the
2018 ballot for a question asking voters to
approve a constitutional amendment that would
impose a surtax on incomes over $1 million.
Four different versions of questions, backed by
retailers, to lower the state's 6.25 percent
sales tax were all certified, including two that
would establish an annual sales tax holiday.
Two questions limiting political contributions
made by people and groups from outside of
Massachusetts also made it through the
certification process.
The rulings were a mixed bag for the the
Massachusetts Nurses Association, which saw one
version of its petition mandating minimum nurse
staffing levels certified while the other was
rejected.
Healey did not certify a proposed constitutional
amendment to declare that corporations are not
people and that the Legislature can limit
political spending and contributions, finding it
was inconsistent with constitutional rights.
A second petition to increase the minimum wage
-- filed by Medford High School student Lauren
Brown, who previously said she planned to join
the Raise Up coalition's wage hike efforts --
was declined because it was not submitted in the
proper form.
Backers of certified petitions have until Dec. 6
to meet their next hurdle, gathering and
submitting the signatures of 64,750 registered
voters.
The certified petitions include 20 proposed laws
and one constitutional amendment, which faces a
different process. The amendment, which would
allow the exclusion of abortion services from
state-funded health care programs, will appear
on the 2020 ballot only if - following
successfully signature drives - it is approved
by at least 50 of the 200 state lawmakers next
year and again in the 2019-2020 legislative
session.
The initiative petition process in Massachusetts
gives voters and advocates an opportunity to
advance policies that have failed to garner the
attention of lawmakers or failed to gained
sufficient traction in the Legislature.
The signature gathering requirement has derailed
campaigns over the years, while other questions
have been tossed due to legal challenges and
still others have used the leverage of the
ballot to force the Legislature to act on their
proposals.
In 2016, only four of the 35 petitions filed
ultimately ended up on the ballot, three of
which survived court challenges along the way.
Voters approved new laws legalizing adult use of
marijuana and restricting the confinement of
farm animals, and shot down proposals
authorizing a new slots parlor and an expansion
of charter schools.
The failure of the charter school ballot
question marked a significant loss for Gov.
Charlie Baker, who vocally supported the
expansion. Teachers unions, public school
parents and grassroots groups mobilized against
the question, defeating it after a $41 million
fight that attracted national attention.
Certification does not guarantee a slot on the
ballot, nor does meeting the signature
deadlines. Last year, Healey signed off on a
question to end the state's use of Common Core
learning standards, but the Supreme Judicial
Court later ruled it ineligible.
In 2014, Attorney General Martha Coakley deemed
ineligible for the ballot a petition attempting
to repeal the state's casino law, and the high
court overturned her ruling. The repeal failed
at the ballot.
Other questions Healey certified this year seek
to ban the use of aversive therapy for people
with physical, intellectual or developmental
disabilities; restrict euthanasia of homeless
animals; prohibit the authorization or licensing
of commercial fishing gear known to entangle
whales or sea turtles; and raise the annual
percentage increase of renewable energy use in
Massachusetts.
The People Govern Not Money Campaign -- which
backs a petition to form a citizens commission
that would consider a U.S. Constitutional
amendment establishing that corporations do not
have the same rights as people and that campaign
finance can be regulated -- cheered their
certification. The campaign said it planned to
collect over 90,000 signatures by Nov. 22,
through an all-volunteer effort.
"This ballot initiative demonstrates the power
of the people of Massachusetts to bring big
reform even in the face of entrenched monied
interests," MassVote executive director Cheryl
Crawford said in a statement released by the
ballot campaign.
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Is Mass. business climate getting hostile?
By Jon Chesto
Could the state’s business community be reaching
a tipping point?
The Associated Industries of Massachusetts’
latest monthly confidence poll shows the mood
here remains generally upbeat. But nestled deep
within its press release is an unsettling quote
from AIM chief Rick Lord: Employers are saying
that several measures headed for the ballot next
year might force them to relocate.
We’ve heard these kinds of threats before,
though they aren’t always idle.
Policies in Connecticut played a role in the
decisions of GE and Aetna to move their home
bases. Massachusetts is considered a more
business-friendly place than its southern
neighbor. AIM’s leadership would argue that our
reputation is at risk, that their members are
starting to feel under siege.
Most AIM members don’t add comments in their
poll responses. This time, the ones that did
clearly seemed irked. The most likely trigger
point: the state’s new $200 million assessment
on businesses to help pay for MassHealth. A new
requirement for paid sick time didn’t help.
Now, they look to November 2018 and wonder what
the ballot will bring. A $15-per-hour minimum
wage? A mandate for paid family leave? A
“millionaires’ tax”? Probably all three,
especially if they survive any court challenges.
Proponents say there are good reasons why
businesses should embrace these initiatives,
rather than fight them. And it’s hard to read
too much into the AIM survey, given its small
number of commenters.
But a spokesman for AIM says this is the first
time this kind of unease showed up. With the
ballot question campaigns officially underway,
it probably won’t be the last.
State House News Service
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Tax collections under benchmark as veto
overrides are weighed
By Colin A. Young
Two months into the fiscal year, state tax
collections have begun to slump as legislative
leaders weigh the prospect of packing vetoed
spending back into the state budget when they
return to Beacon Hill.
The Department of Revenue on Wednesday reported
collecting $1.712 billion in taxes in August,
which was $16 million or 0.9 percent below the
monthly benchmark. Two months into fiscal year
2018, tax collections are $11 million below the
year-to-date benchmark, the department said, and
up 1.9 percent, or $66 million, over the same
period in fiscal 2017.
"Total revenues are slightly below actual
collections from the same period last year, and
are also below the monthly benchmark," Revenue
Commissioner Christopher Harding said in a
statement. "The small shortfall in August
collections reflects mostly lower than expected
income withholding payments, partially offset by
slightly better than expected performance in
regular sales tax and estate tax."
Before breaking for recess, legislators said
they planned to monitor collections before
deciding in the fall on whether to override any
of Gov. Charlie Baker's $320 million in budget
vetoes. The House is expected to meet in a
formal session next week. They could begin the
veto override process then, though no concrete
plans have been announced.
DOR cautioned that July and August, the first
two months of the fiscal year, are not
significant months for collections and that "it
is not advisable at this time to use
year-to-date collections to formulate trends or
patterns for the full fiscal year."
Harding, in his statement, put more weight on
September tax collections. "While most economic
indicators remain generally positive about the
Massachusetts economy, we will continue to
monitor revenue collections closely, especially
for September, which is traditionally one of the
largest collection months," he said.
The Brockton Enterprise
Monday, August 28, 2017
A Brockton Enterprise editorial
Thumbs down: To a greedy group of Brockton area
legislators
Our weekly look at the highlights and lowlights
from recent news stories focuses this week on
Brockton area legislators Claire Cronin,
Michelle Dubois, Gerry Cassidy and Michael Brady
who all recently profited from big pay hikes --
which they gave themselves.
THUMBS DOWN ...
To the greedy and disingenuous Brockton
legislative delegation of state reps. Claire
Cronin, Michelle Dubois, Gerry Cassidy and state
Sen. Michael Brady, all of whom profited from
sizable pay increases they gave themselves
earlier this year. In one of the most blatant
cash grabs in recent state history, they joined
most of their fellow Democrats last winter –
including state Sen. Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton –
in approving $18 million to provide bigger
stipends and salaries for state officials.
In other words, themselves.
But as sickening as the vote itself was, the way
the legislators tried to explain their rapacious
actions, both just after the vote and now, have
been worse. In the days after the vote, which
was taken in the dark days of late winter, the
big four representing the Brockton region had
all kinds of baseless answers for padding their
pay instead of directing the $18 million toward
teachers, schools or addiction treatment. Cronin
said the raises were actually less than what a
panel had recommended. Huh? Brady and DuBois
said the pay hikes were long overdue. Why? And
Cassidy, one of the newest legislators, had the
lamest answer. He said the increases didn’t
affect him. What?
They did, and here’s how:
Cassidy, Cronin and Dubois, along with all the
state representatives, had their base pay
increased by about $2,500, and travel
compensation hiked from $7,200 last year to
$15,000. As a result, DuBois, who made $67,232
in 2016, now makes $77,547. Cassidy now makes
the same amount.
Brady is now making $112,748, compared to the
$74,733 in total compensation he received last
year. The 51 percent increase was partly due to
a boost in compensation for “leadership pay,”
which is added money based on the chairperson
roles that state lawmakers fill in the
Legislature. Brady makes $35,200 for being
chairman of the Joint Committee on Revenue, a
position that would have previously paid $7,500.
Cronin, an Easton attorney, saw her compensation
jump from $67,232 in 2016 to $107,547 – a 60
percent raise. Much of Cronin’s pay hike was due
to her new leadership position. Last year, she
didn’t have one. Now, she sits as the chairwoman
of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary,
boosting her pay by $30,000 (or roughly the
annual salary of a starting teacher). Before she
gave herself the raise, it would have been half
that.
None of the Brockton legislators accepted an
Enterprise emailed request for an interview,
which is no surprise. Cronin did email a
rehearsed response, saying her “increased
responsibilities” at the Statehouse justified
the pay hikes. It should be noted that Cronin is
receiving her 60 percent increase after being on
the job for just five years.
Paul Craney, of the Mass. Fiscal Alliance
watchdog group, called the pay hikes “incredibly
harmful.”
“The number one legislative priority this
session was the pay raise vote and ... we can
finally see why,” he said.
He’s right. These are huge increases, this is a
lot of money, and the entire process is both
insulting and hurtful when you consider what is
happening locally and across the state.
Teachers are losing their jobs, and as they prep
their class rooms this week for the new year,
have already begun asking for donations to buy
pencils and paper. Class sizes are growing,
prompting another education-related lawsuit.
Bridges are in disrepair and have been for
decades. And in the middle of a drug epidemic,
treatment centers are starved for funds. And
amid all this, our legislators decide to spend
$18 million – on themselves.
It’s a sad reflection of the imbalance of power
in this state and a reminder of the indifference
legislators have for us, and how distant they
remain, regardless of how many senior sing-alongs
and chicken-dinner fundraisers they attend.
Next time you see them at such an event, make
sure they reach deep and make a sizable donation
to your group or cause. After all, if they do,
remember they aren’t giving anything up. They
are simply returning money they took without
permission.
From you. |
| |
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this
material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior
interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes
only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
Citizens for Limited Taxation ▪
PO Box 1147 ▪ Marblehead, MA 01945
▪ 508-915-3665
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