Can’t anyone keep a secret around here? đŸ˜‰
A confidential draft report recommends immediate implementation of one of Gov. Deval Patrick’s largest corporate tax changes (known as check the box), a move that would hit up businesses for an extra $100 million in fiscal year 2008 alone. The draft report, which landed in State House inboxes this morning, also gives a strong recommendation in favor of a second provision know as combined reporting, which would also generate tens of millions of dollars in new revenue from businesses.
Some members of the special commission, however, are unhappy.
“It’s a very one-sided report that ignores the fact that roughly half the commission members have a very different view of the potential impact of these large corporate tax increase, namely that they will hurt job creation and further undercut business development in Massachusetts,” [Michael Widmer, a commission member and president of the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation] said. “None of that diversity is reflected in this report. Essentially, the administration is writing the report as it did its state budget earlier this year.”
We are still waiting for Widmer’s explanation of how to pay for desperately-needed infrastructure repairs, fund the new health care law, not cripple existing programs, and not decimate the rainy day fund, without finding new revenue somewhere.
Casey says that the “interim report” was written by David Sullivan, former general counsel to the State Senate and now chief counsel at A&F. The full commission is apparently going to meet tomorrow to discuss the report. That ought to be entertaining.
