repeal of State Income Tax
October 6, 2008
Would the passage of Question 1 cause the State and Legislature to re-analyze and create better solutions for prioritizing programs and functions that should be funded? While we wait for the Legislature to do something (and the Governor to provide tax relief to the people as promised), we just continue to read more and more stories about how things continue to be the same.
I even heard someone this weekend talking about immediate increases in property taxes if the income tax was struck down. Proposition 2 1/2 does not allow for this. This was supposedly an intelligent person (Peter Meade) on John Keller's WBZ show "Keller at Large". Fear tactics like this are part of the reason people who believe that the government wastes funds and does not have the desire to fix itself want to see Question 1 pass. See the interview here -- http://wbztv.com/video/?id=67612@wbz.dayport.com Simply scare propaganda.
It would take a major event to cause the required fundamental re-analysis of government priorities and spending that we seem to all believe is necessary. Face it, the Governor and Legislator just want to tinker - while major changes are necessary.
Since New Hampshire is often mentioned, let's look at the facts. From NH Dept of Revenue (http://www.nh.gov/revenue/faq/gti-rev.htm) "New Hampshire does not have a general sales tax or an income tax on an individual's reported W-2 wages." So, yes it does have property taxes which are normally higher than what we in MA pay. But, it does not have two other taxes which effect us all daily (sales tax) and weekly (income tax).
Will the Legislature follow the vote of the people, or ignore it as they did with the past roll-back of income tax to 5%? There is no way of knowing. However, if you believe things are working well as they are, and are happy with either no action or minor tweaking, then vote No on Question 1. If you believe that matters require new thinking, and a limit to the amount of our money the Legislature spends and how it spends it, then vote Yes on Question 1.
There was also an op-ed in yesterday's paper regarding the question -- [click here for link]
Both sides have websites to convey more of their message:
YES on 1 == http://www.smallgovernmentact.org/
No on 1 == http://votenoquestion1.com/no.html
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
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