Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

  • Shop
  • Subscribe to BMG
  • Contact
  • Log In
  • Front Page
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Rules
  • Events
  • Register on BMG

Chickens on the Hill Clucking About Taxes

April 27, 2009 By massmarrier

Cross-post note: This appears at Marry in Massachusetts.

 For one example, look at our collapsing bridge and road infrastructure. Had the legislature raised the revenue decades ago and a decade ago to fix them, the solutions were relatively easy and inexpensive. Since then, the problems have worsened and the cost soared. It's not so manageable now.

For another, look to the MBTA. The same cluckers cut a deal years ago, forcing the T to tie its debt reduction to the state sales tax. For that, the lawmakers demanded level funding, that is, operating at breakeven or better. When the sale taxes fell dramatically and stayed low, they refused to acknowledge their mistake or adjust anything. As a direct result, the T is consumed by debt and slashing services just to function.

Both of those are only two in a long list of cowardly moves by the General Court. Up there, they operate under two deadly premises:

  1. Do not raise taxes if you want to stay in office and power.
  2. Do the minimal and say the job is done.

For the first, we pay big time and long-term. Avoiding the necessary simply delays it and makes it more expensive. These chickens are like a homeowner who won't pay $1,000 for a simple roof patch job and then ends up paying $7,000 to replace the whole thing as a result. This robs us.

The second is like the old Lone Ranger shows. The masked man captures the bad guy, turns to his faithful Indian companion and says, “Our work is done here, Tonto.” They ride off to praise and expressions of wonder.

In this case, our chickens want to do a half or third measure by raising the sales tax from 5% to 6.25%. They want to forestall Gov. Deval Patrick's proposal of a 19¢ gas-tax hike. Despite the Boston Globe's muddled editorial today, the sales-tax bump is not the best solution.

What it emerges as is another of those Long Ranger fantasies. Do the simple and easy with the smallest number and their work is done.

Not by a long shot. Patrick's plan gives workable amounts of revenue. The legislature's barnyard clucking provides just a start. They'll be back in the fall with another fantasy — that casino gambling and/or slots wills provide the needed money.

Both of those legislature ploys will end up taxing the poor and middle class citizens the most. The gas tax is by far a fairer way to fund transportation and infrastructure needs…from transportation-related activities.

The other side is what the chickens in the hilltop coop have run from so many times. We need a progressive income tax. We need to bring our tax rates up above the bottom third to half of the nation. Yes, times are tough, but we need to do this now as we should have a long time ago.

The chickens are afraid of cries of Taxachusetts! Playing cheap, cheap, cheap on taxes has ended up costing us billions in increased costs instead. Surely there are adults among the chickens up there, adults who know about false economies of not spending for the essentials.

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0
0

Filed Under: User Tagged With: deleo, deval-patrick, gas-tax, income-tax, massachusetts, sales-tax, taxes

Comments

  1. nopolitician says

    April 27, 2009 at 1:06 pm

    There is too much flailing going on as trial balloon after trial balloon is floated. It is too easy for the anti-tax, eliminate-government crowd to pick them off.

    <

    p>I have not yet heard an anti-tax plan to balance the budget except with “cuts”. People need to realize that this is the M.O. of the anti-tax crowd — the never propose specific cuts because those trial balloons are easy to pick off too, since their plan is to go way, way beyond the “fraud, waste, and belt-tightening” that is being sold to us. They want to eliminate things like health care for the poor, public schools, etc. — make them show their hand.

    <

    p>However, even though I follow this stuff pretty closely, I have not yet heard a comprehensive “big picture” analysis of the state’s problems. I know that revenue is down — but I don’t know by how much. I know that we have a backlog of transportation problems — but I don’t know exactly how much. And I know that many communities are at the end of their ropes as they try to provide basic services with fewer and fewer resources — but I don’t know how much it would take to fix that.

    <

    p>I recognize that the governmental process is often like nails on a chalkboard — but at some point the flailing needs to end and a plan needs to materialize.

    <

    p>I don’t need much convincing that taxes need to go up. However, I think that probably more than one should go up rather than lumping a whole lot of increase into one area.

    <

    p>I’d be OK with an increase in the gas tax coupled with MBTA reform and a small increase in tolls — spread the pain.

    <

    p>I’d be OK with an increase in the income tax coupled with pension reform, provided that burden is not shifted to local communities. I think the income tax is the least regressive tax we have.

    <

    p>I think that an increase in sales tax should be considered as a local option, not funneled to the general budget. I think it could be coupled with some tinkering of the state aid to give communities more independence from the two-headed beast we call local revenue — property tax or state aid. I live in a community with low property values, and I’m sick of my community having to hold the tin cup to the state ever year, and to have that aid slashed every 3-4 years. It’s a terrible way to live, it’s like being on welfare with the pubic ire focused every downturn.

    <

    p>If Deval Patrick did this, he would have made good on his promise to reduce property taxes because communities have shown, time and time again, that they don’t tax to the maximum when they don’t need to. Check the state website, you will see plenty of communities which have left room under their levy limit when things were going well for them.

    <

    p>I still emphasize, to the anti-tax crowd, what are your solutions? Specifically, not generally? We need to hold these people’s feet to the fire — don’t let them give anecdotes like “so and so’s cousin is a loser and is employed by the state — so we shouldn’t raise taxes!”. Make them find the $3 billion or whatever in revenue that we are down.  

  2. ed-poon says

    April 27, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    PATRICK: WITHOUT REFORMS, I’LL VETO SALES TAX HIKE — Gov. Deval Patrick, in a letter to legislators about to entertain tax increases, said Monday, “Without final and satisfactory action on the several reform proposals before you, I cannot support a sales tax increase and will veto it if it comes to my desk.”  Patrick again emphasized his “targeted” tax increases and his plan to boost the gas tax.  “I have deep reservations about imposing a higher sales tax on people during these difficult economic times, especially at the risk of costing the Commonwealth jobs and at a time when we can least afford that trade-off,” Patrick wrote.  “Doing so without meaninful results on the reform agenda is unacceptable.”  In his letter, Patrick pointed out that both transportation and pension reform bills are before House-Senate conference committees and that the Senate “has taken no action at all yet on our ethics reform measures.”  He also said his administration had been forced by legislative inaction on his revenue-side proposals “to make deeper cuts in local aid and other programs in the current fiscal year.”   12:46 P.M.

  3. eury13 says

    April 27, 2009 at 1:21 pm

    The House could have taken this opportunity to act in a way that actually addresses the problems the state is facing. Instead they’ve offered half-measures that will leave us scrambling in another 6-12 months.

    <

    p>I’m not so upset about general revenue. Raising $500+ million to supplement the budget and offset some cuts is a start. I’d like more, but that’s not the biggest issue for me.

    <

    p>Transportation, on the other hand, is where they’ve completely dropped the ball. The Globe story indicates this package will bring in roughly $275 million for transportation. That’s probably enough to ensure tolls don’t go up and little else. The T will still end up cutting service and raising fares. Roads and bridges will still go unrepaired, and in another year we’ll be back again facing transportation deficits with no solution in sight.

    <

    p>This is half of what the Governor proposed for transportation (19-cent gas tax = ~$570 million). Even the Governor’s proposal wasn’t enough to solve the problems our state’s transportation system is facing, but it was at least a decent start.

    <

    p>This, on the other hand, is a joke.

  4. massmarrier says

    April 27, 2009 at 4:13 pm

    I had a question about whether the Mass. constitution prohibits graduated income taxes. I should have mentioned that.

    <

    p>Yes. At the moment, the constitution prohibits graduated income taxes. However, as the state budget folk describe forms of it already exist here by policy. Getting buy-in and then amending the constitution would take awhile. Expanding the policy and administration aspects do not.

Recommended Posts

  • No posts liked yet.

Recent User Posts

Predictions Open Thread

December 22, 2022 By jconway

This is why I love Joe Biden

December 21, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Garland’s Word

December 19, 2022 By terrymcginty

Some Parting Thoughts

December 19, 2022 By jconway

Beware the latest grift

December 16, 2022 By fredrichlariccia

Thank you, Blue Mass Group!

December 15, 2022 By methuenprogressive

Recent Comments

  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftSo where to, then??
  • Christopher on Some Parting ThoughtsI've enjoyed our discussions as well (but we have yet to…
  • Christopher on Beware the latest griftI can't imagine anyone of our ilk not already on Twitter…
  • blueeyes on Beware the latest griftI will miss this site. Where are people going? Twitter?…
  • chrismatth on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022I joined BMG late - 13 years ago next month and three da…
  • SomervilleTom on Geopolitics of FusionEVERY un-designed, un-built, and un-tested technology is…
  • Charley on the MTA on This site (will be disabled on) December 31, 2022That’s a great idea, and I’ll be there on Sunday. It’s a…

Archive

@bluemassgroup on Twitter

#mapoli

bychrisvan Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan ·
48m

The four Mass. police officers suspended this week by the state’s law enforcement licensing agency are either facing or have been convicted of serious criminal charges, including bank fraud, child rape, and a high-profile overtime scandal at BPD. #mapoli https://www.masslive.com/police-fire/2023/02/overtime-fraud-to-child-rape-4-suspended-mass-cops-face-criminal-charges.html

Reply on Twitter 1621200631221391362 Retweet on Twitter 1621200631221391362 Like on Twitter 1621200631221391362 Twitter 1621200631221391362
alisonkuznitz Alison Kuznitz @alisonkuznitz ·
60m

Awaiting Gov. Maura Healey. #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1621197680000077824 Retweet on Twitter 1621197680000077824 Like on Twitter 1621197680000077824 Twitter 1621197680000077824
quatoria anna phylaxis @quatoria ·
1h

Folks, we're expecting incredibly cold weather in the days to come, and our unhoused neighbors could use a little of yr generosity.

Won't you please pitch in? https://secure.givelively.org/donate/material-aid-and-advocacy-program-inc

#bospoli #mapoli #CambMA

Material Aid and Advocacy Program @MAAPMass

🧊 URGENT COLD WEATHER NEEDS! 🧊

We're expecting SUB-ZERO temps in
#bospoli / #cambma & across #mapoli this Fri & Sat.

Help us continue to support unhoused community members ahead of & throughout this extremely dangerous, potentially deadly, weekend!

linktree in bio

Reply on Twitter 1621196225985875968 Retweet on Twitter 1621196225985875968 5 Like on Twitter 1621196225985875968 4 Twitter 1621196225985875968
act_on_mass Act on Mass @act_on_mass ·
1h

Yesterday, the MA House rejected an amendment to make committee votes public—a measure supported by 87% of Bay Staters. The speaker stifled debate & promptly rejected it with no opportunity to stand for roll call. A shameful display of the speaker's concentration of power #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1621196045131649025 Retweet on Twitter 1621196045131649025 6 Like on Twitter 1621196045131649025 11 Twitter 1621196045131649025
hi_hildreth Hildreth Institute @hi_hildreth ·
1h

Disinvestment from student financial aid has eroded the purchasing power of state grants and scholarships. The total state aid students receive covers only 12% of the cost to attend college. #mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1621192852557496321 Retweet on Twitter 1621192852557496321 1 Like on Twitter 1621192852557496321 Twitter 1621192852557496321
raiseupma Raise Up MA @raiseupma ·
1h

We had a big win in November with the passage of the #FairShareAmendment. But the fight isn't over.

Thank you to @SenJasonLewis and @RepJimODay for filing two bills to protect the revenue from Fair Share: HD2236/SD1166 and HD2310/SD1167!

#mapoli

Reply on Twitter 1621192154046414850 Retweet on Twitter 1621192154046414850 6 Like on Twitter 1621192154046414850 7 Twitter 1621192154046414850
Load More

From our sponsors




Google Calendar







Search

Archives

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter




Copyright © 2023 Owned and operated by BMG Media Empire LLC. Read the terms of use. Some rights reserved.