As legislative leaders attempt to thrash out the differences in the
House and Senate budgets, one major sticking point -- income tax relief -- could become a
moot point.
Citizens for Limited Taxation and
Government, which championed Proposition 2½, once again is taking an
issue of equitable taxation to the voters.
The taxpayer advocacy group has filed an initiative petition calling
for a rollback of the state income tax from 5.95 percent to the pre-1989 level of 5
percent.
The rate increase was a temporary, emergency measure to restore
solvency after unsustainable spending programs ran collided with the recession of the late
1980s.
This week's filing with Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly is just the
first step in a complicated process.
After the attorney general determines that it passes constitutional
muster, it will be forwarded to Secretary of State William F. Galvin. The petitioning
group must gather 57,100 valid signatures, to be verified by local registrars by Nov. 17
and filed with Galvin's office by Dec. 1.
Gov. Paul Cellucci has pledged to assist in the petition drive.
If the Legislature rejects a tax rollback, or fails to act on the
issue, the petitioners must get 9,517 signatures to place the initiative on the Nov. 7
ballot.
We generally are skeptical of government by initiative petition, a
process in which the complexities and nuances of law-making sometimes get short shrift.
But when lawmakers refuse repeatedly to act -- as they have on
rolling back a tax rate imposed as a temporary measure 10 years ago -- the people have no
other option.