Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Can Deval Play Samson?

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Not raising taxes when required to fix the commonwealth's infrastructure has been the worst blunder of modern times in the Bay State. Joined and often led by cowardly and self-interested Dems, they refused to generate the revenue necessary for road and bridge repairs, other transit improvements (including track and high-speed rail preparations), and other low-visibility essentials.

The result has been an accumulating bill like those for the people who don't exercise or eat right and who refuse to visit the doctor or dentist until they are in big trouble. The costs for those delayed infrastructure essentials have soared and have gone from millions to billions.

Meanwhile, donkeys and elephants alike here have largely rolled through re-elections on that promise of I'll never raise your taxes. Thanks a bunch, you short-sighted and dishonest pols.

To their discredit, the Democratic Party has not made it plain that fiscal responsibility definitely does not include deferring the necessary until it is critical. With a heavy sigh, I admit that is likely in recognition of how many Dems play the never-raise-taxes game to get re-elected too.

In fairness, along with his high intellect and far-reaching political vision, Mike Dukakis will forever represent two negatives to many voters — Taxachusetts and that damned tank picture.

Back in the real world, we should ask whether he would be a good stand-in for Kennedy with crucial health-care and other votes coming up before the middle of January. That answer is clearly yes, which must annoy and terrify our local GOP types.

In contrast, they have set themselves apart as the the anti-Kennedys. After decades of slamming and slandering Ted's goals, they don't have anyone who stands for his values. Dukakis, with his two burdens, does. I don't know that Gov. Patrick would have the courage to appoint the Duke and come down like Samson with the donkey's jawbone on the sillies.

Cross-Post: This also appears at Marry in Massachusetts. 

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Comments

  1. By all means appoint Dukakis. ‘Branding’ is an important thing in the public mind, and there is no better way to highlight the Mass. Dems. spritual home – or ‘True Compass’.  The ludicrous association of Dick Cheney and GOP Town CLerks (happened on Cape) shows the power of creating a brand.

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    p>Personally, I cannot think how Democrats are passing on the opportunity to appoint Jim Marzilli.

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    p>As for anti-Kennedy – we disagreed with his values.  He was a gentleman, performed fine constituent service – but his values were never ours.

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    p>(There’s a ‘P’ in Sampson.  And if Deval makes that appointment, he’ll certainly pull down the pillars of the Temple, killing all those inside…)

    • During the last election cycle, former Romney Reform Team members  like Greer Tan Swiston dropped the pictures of them with Mitt and replaced them with pictures of Weld and the Duke.

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      p>Your Marzilli comment just demonstrates lack of class.  Comparing Dukakis and Marzilli is ludicrous.

      • Since the criteria proposed is to be a Democrat, and willing to ‘take dictation’, how about Sen. Wilkerson?

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        p>She would be the woman/minority appointment that the Glob is pushing for, she hasn’t been CONVICTED of anything, Patrick has already endorsed her, and God knows, we don’t have to worry about her running and winning…

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        p>Query – the health care vote is over; another crisis/crucial viote emerges – how do you know the pupp..interim will vote ‘Ted’s Way’?

        • Many people, including me, believe Mr. Dukakis would be a very thoughtful and responsible interim Senator.  No dictation required.

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          p>Bringing up every disgraced local of a particular party is a very dangerous game to play. Especially when one is a member of the opposition’s state committee.  

    • Steward of the Massachusetts Miracle and probably one of the most competent Governors of a generation – I’ll take that branding!

  2. An equally valid point was made about the terrible tax situation in this state.

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    p>I recently had the glorious opportunity to spend a 10-day vacation on Carolina Beach (near Wilmington, NC), and when I went on my first shopping expedition to the Food Lion, I noticed on my receipt that the “Sales Tax” was 7.75%, and the “Food Tax” was 2%.

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    p>That prompted me to go to the North Carolina state website to see what their current income tax rate is. Well, of course, there was more than one rate (it’s a progressive state, unlike Massachusetts), and the bracket that would apply to most middle-class wage-earning families, I think ($60K+) was also 7.75%.

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    p>As I remember, the business community here has argued loud and long (during various hearings, such as when we were trying to close corporate tax loopholes) how states like North Carolina were attracting jobs away from Massachusetts because of the lower cost of living there. The implicit argument was that taxes in Massachusetts are making things expensive here, and raising them would make things worse.

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    p>Wrong.

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    p>My impression (from talking to people who live there) is that NC is attractive (besides for the climate) because, in large part, the quality of life is perceived to be better there.

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    p>A huge part of that seems to be the educational system. Some of the public schools there are on a year-round system, as an example of an innovation not yet tried here.

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    p>From what I saw, the roads were in better shape than around here, things like trash collection were done efficiently, by friendly and helpful workers, and people were, in general, quite pleasant, cheerful, and welcoming.

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    p>The state even went for Obama!

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    p>So why is the quality of life in NC seen by so many to be better than here? Of course, there are a lot of intangibles, but my hunch is that the primary difference is made by the high quality of government services, and [guess what!] those things cost money.

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    p>So, if we want to retain jobs in Massachusetts, perhaps we should raise our sales and income taxes to 8%.  

    • Good points, MFW. I have relatives in both Carolinas and hear the us/them chatter.

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      p>Interestingly enough, those who visit us from there and elsewhere in the country are pleasantly surprised at what we don’t tax. Top of the list are clothing (with high-end exceptions) and grocery food (except for HABA). Those are fair game in the higher-sales-tax states.

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      p>Southerners tend to be quite fond and proud of their homes. They wouldn’t want to live in Yankeeland, where we allegedly are all in a terrific hurry and few of us have any breeding or manners. Yet, they know they are taxed more.

      • Once the Senate silly season is behind us, I hope our Governor, during his re-election campaign, will focus us on a serious debate about revenue issues.

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        p>I remember a defining moment in his last campaign. It happened in a 3-way debate in Agawam, where a bunch of us had gone to hold signs and cheer him on during the debate.

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        p>Tom Whatshisname and Chris Theotherguy were also on the stage, and Tom brought up the now-tired idea of “honoring the voters’ wish” to return the income tax rate the the Republican level of 5%. “After all, it’s your money!” he parroted Dubya.

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        p>Deval faced that square on, turned to his opponent, and said, “Yes, Tom, let’s talk about taxes. Yes, it’s your money! And, yes, it’s your broken roads, and your broken schools, and, quite frankly, your broken neighbors.”

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        p>It was an electrifying moment. It was a first in my memory of recent times that a politician had had the courage to resist the mantra that lower taxes were, in and of themselves, a good thing.

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        p>At that moment, I knew he would win the election. Until then, I wasn’t sure. That, I thought to myself, is real leadership. I haven’t been disappointed.  

        • At a town committee meeting with about 15 people in 2005.  That, and his simple, principled response that people should be ‘equal before their government’ when asked his view of the Goodridge decision.  How I would like to be done with Reagan-era rhetoric on taxes!  It has been a disaster for our public institutions and services.    

      • My girlfriend had a field day shopping for clothing when she visited me and my parents over the 4th of july holiday. Compared to Cook County Massachusetts is a tax haven!  

    • In spite of the higher tax rates you point out, North Carolina actually spends less per person than Massachusetts.

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      p>In 2006, state and local government in Massachusetts spent $8,147 per person, compared to $6,303 for North Carolina.  I think you may be excluding property tax (which is likely higher and yields greater revenues due to higher values) and capital gains tax.  

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      p>As far as education goes, I’m sure there are great schools in NC and while the SAT’s are hardly the best litmus test, with 84% of students taking the test, Massachusetts has an average score of 1551 (ranked 27th) while NC had an average score of 1487 (ranked 39th) with only 63% participating.  It’s important to note that the higher the percentage taking the test, the more likely you are to drag down scores – so the more important difference is the 84% versus 63% not 1551 vs 1487.  

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      p>Also, Massachusetts spends significantly more money per pupil than North Carolina, $11,545 versus $7,835, after making cost of living adjustments.  

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      p>So while the quality of life in NC may appear to be better, and it certainly has warmer weather, a beautiful coast line and lower housing prices, I’m not convinced that the quality of life is better, maybe if you’re rich, but not for the average person.  

      • Well, I think you’re cherry-picking your statistics. I’m not an educator, so I don’t know how valid the SAT yardstick is as a measure of success. Also, while it is true that we spend more per pupil than most states, I wonder if we’re getting our money’s worth. I don’t know.

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        p>I am an economist however, and our friends at Mass Budget and Policy Center (MBPC) have done a nice job of ranking Massachusetts against other states on a variety of measures. My comparison to North Carolina was anecdotal, of course, and proves nothing (except that we should stop bitching about our taxes, because they are quite low).

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        p>If you go to (numbered) page 11 (page 14 in the pdf document) in this report, you’ll see that Massachusetts ranks well below the national average (and below North Carolina) in total tax revenue as a percentage of personal income. The kind of per capita comparisons you have done are generally not considered a good measure by most economists, since they don’t take into account the affluence of a state.

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        p>Also, on  (numbered) page 22 (page 25 in the pdf document), you’ll see that Massachusetts ranks, at 17th, slightly higher than the national average (3.7% versus 3.4%) in property taxes collected. North Carolina, ranked 39th, is at 2.5%. This is something to be proud of? I think not.

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        p>In a different report, MBPC (on page 18) shows that Massachusetts ranks 29th in the percentage of total education spending that comes from the state. (NC is 15th.) We rank 48th in federal funding (at 5.2%) and NC ranks 22nd (at 9.1%). This, according to the report, mostly reflects our relative prosperity, since a lot of federal aid is tied to income levels. We do rank above NC in Local spending, confirming your hunch that property taxes are a bigger share of spending in this state.

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        p>On page 16 of the same report, you can see that Massachusetts ranks well below the national average on all 4 categories of educational spending that they list:
        – Total
        – State and Local
        – Current
        – Capital

        <

        p>You conclude that the “quality of life” in NC is better if you’re rich. Isn’t that true everywhere? And, this is an intangible, subjective measure, not easily put on a chart, like education spending. It’s certainly not all about education, though that’s a huge factor; there are many other things that government does to contribute to our quality of life. I certainly have no desire to move to NC, as lovely as it is there, and as nice as the people are. I like it right here in my home state; I just wish we would do the right thing by education.  

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