When legislators talk about talking about raising taxes they say it would be political suicide. I disagree. It is how it is framed.
Most of our legislators don’t have real opposition. There is no real GOP and incumbency is very powerful. I think that we need to encourage more or our legislators to stand up and vote for rational revenue. Remember when people were afraid to vote for equal marriage. People said they were afraid they would get voted out because voters would be so angry. Look what happened. Not one legislator who voted for equal marriage was voted out.
We need a MassEquality for Rational Revenue. Show people what the cuts look like, like we showed people what equal marriages looked like. At the same time we need to root out any waste we can. I thought it was interesting when one of the legislators at the fundraiser in Arlington said the voters don’t trust government to raise taxes because they don’t trust government to spend the money well. Show what taxes pay for. Show a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. Show a day treatment program for adults with mental health issues. This is not waste on Beacon Hill
it’s time for our fearless leaders to start talking about raising taxes on those making $150,000/yr or more.
What a good idea. That’s why ONE Mass is asking all of you to ask Governor Patrick to do…………..some smart cuts some smart revenues.
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p>He can look at some of the folks from the disability community standing in vigil right outside his office.
Does Bristol Community College have to pay an Interpreter $93K for working 30 hours a week?
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p>Does the State have to pay 20-30 Chief Probation Officers a salary of over $100K?
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p>Does the President of Cape Cod Community College have to make $178K?
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p>How about these 2008 incomes for the State Police from the Mass Pike…
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p>$240,809.52
$240,493.24
$231,624.46
$224,008.81
$217,161.73
$211,966.65
$211,142.09
$208,314.26
$202,906.74
$197,119.23
$196,367.11
$196,112.60
$195,797.97
$193,004.88
$192,972.01
$192,800.00
$192,478.03
$192,272.21
$191,735.67
$191,104.23
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p>Oh ya, we have really cut this state budget to the bones so increasing taxes is the ONLY way to fix things. What a joke!!!
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p>PS Before anyone defends these highly trained police officers, realize that there isn’t a Judge, AG, DA or lawyer working for the state that makes what these yahoos make for money (for sitting in their cars on details). Another joke!
Someone opposed to tax hikes or favoring cuts comes out with a list of things he thinks we can cut, though the merits of such can certainly be debated. Your comment would be even better if you lost the attitude in the last few lines.
I’m sorry but knowing how much people are making for these jobs and hearing which people/programs are being cut from the budget sometimes pisses me off.
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p>If you want to get pissed off then go to the Herald and look up some salaries. Please explain to me why an Assistant District Attorney (after 3 expensive years in Law School) makes $32K while a Court Officer (after paying a politicians for his job) starts at $58K? Which of those two people is better educated and works harder for their money? I won’t even get into the $52K starting salary for Toll Collectors (all the necessary education provided by the Count from Sesame St… 1 quarter, 2 quarters, 3 quarters ha ha ha…).
I wonder why that is:
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p>If this is true, that’s messed up!
…for which you do not give a source. Are they full annual salaries, including details for which taxpayers aren’t footing the bill?
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p>If this is the salary this state officers make from their job, that’s ridiculous. If this is the money officers make because they work long and hard to make their families’ lives better…well, I remember the day that used to be a conservative value.
I’m not really sure, maybe way back, but as far back as my memory goes it’s always seemed to be a rhetorical bludgeon rather than a genuine value.
go to: http://www.bostonherald.com/pr…
Paying millions and millions of taxpayer money to executives of failed financial firms after they screwed up the economy. Imagine how angry that would make Republicans!
Helping the rich get richer is what today’s Republicans seem to me to be all about.
Obama is a Democrat, the House and Senate are controlled by Democrats…
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p>and yet here’s a news flash from Oct 2009 (that’s 2009 not 2008)
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p>But here is what Obama (a Democrat) said 10-12 months ago…
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p>Deborah, it appears that you were correct about the statement but wrong about the party… “Helping the rich get richer is what today’s Republicans Democrats seem to me to be all about.
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p>Speaking of Democrats… how is Barney Frank doing with the huge sweeping reforms for the banking industry?
My only support for them would be to honor whatever contract they have. Other than that, I support not only their demise but also the demise of the boards who hired them. Why do democrats assume Republicans like myself are on board with Wall St? I want banks and other companies (like GM) to fail if they can’t survive.
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p>To me… “Too big to fail” is bullshit. My motto is “Too big to fail means you are Too big to operate” Limit the size of companies otherwise make sure they understand they will get no help from the public bankroll!
If any Republicans step forward to offer alternative approaches for addressing this cancer, then your criticism will have more merit.
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p>So far, the Republican values of greed and unrestrained self-interest trump all other concerns every time they come to the test, and have done so since the Nixon era.
My gripe is that we pay outrageous rates for this work. The unions have priced these services out of sight but lawmakers have provided regulations and rules which force them to get paid. Cop works a construction detail for an hour and the job ends but he gets paid for 8 hours. These costs are crammed down our throats with no say. Do you think the public would sanction an Interpreter getting paid $93K for working 30 hours at Bristol Community College? These are examples of why the referendum petition process is so attractive to the public because we can actually stop something from happening we don’t like. No matter who gets elected, the patronage and cronyism and union supported overpaying will continue. We are powerless to do anything about this.
I think the truth is a little less dramatic, namely that not raising taxes–or closing loopholes–incurs zero political penalty.
Especially with comments like today’s “Comment of the Day.”
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p>If Governor Patrick had not approved a tax increase, especially in the middle of a recession, I think he would be in a much, much stronger political position than he is now, even if dramatic cuts in services resulted.
I think he did a fine job of “negotiating” with the Legislature to get them to move on ethics reform and pension reform, and we got some much needed revenue at the same time. from the sales tax that no progressive wanted.
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p>But then “we progressives” never worked as hard in support of the governor’s revenue ideas as we did on ethics and pension reform. So the Legislature stepped up and offered an alternative to forestall some cuts.
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p>And here we go again. Have you called the Governor to offer him your ongoing support if he will propose a balanced solution to address the growing gap between shrinking revenues and our neighbors and friends increasing need for services. Instead of laying off workers that provide those services?