Massachusetts voters spoke through their wallets yesterday
by giving themselves the biggest tax cut in state history, but opted not to blow up the health care system in two of eight
ballot questions.
In addition, voters rejected a plea by animal rights activists to shut down the state's greyhound
racing industry and stripped inmates of the right to vote.
Question 4: The decision will mean the state income tax will
be rolled back from its current 5.85 percent to 5 percent over the next three years, about $450 annually for the average
family of four.
Voters appeared to agree with Gov. Paul Cellucci that the
state was awash in surplus money and decided they would rather have the $1.2 billion in their own pocket rather than let
legislators spend it.
"What a great victory for the future of Massachusetts,"
Cellucci said. "The voters of this state have sent a strong message ... about fiscal discipline. We've sent a message
across America tonight."
But while the rollback supporters cruised to a seemingly
comfortable victory, the margin was much tighter at the end than polls had shown several months ago, when support reached
77 percent.
Jack McCarthy, campaign manager for the anti-rollback
Campaign for Massachusetts Future, said those who read the question for the first time in the voting booth likely voted in
favor of the measure because of its appeal.
"We had the tougher battle," McCarthy said last night. "We
had to convince people not to take a tax cut."