Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

It’s time we had a talk

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Worcester – Tax Policy and the Challenges of Local Government

October 7th 4:00pm to 6:00pm

The Academy at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Framingham – Tax Policy and Vulnerable Populations

October 13th 10:00am to 12:00pm

Framingham Senior Center

Pittsfield – Tax Policy as a Tool for Economic Development

October 21st 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Berkshire Community College

Fall River – Tax Policy and the Taxation of Property

October 28th 6:00pm to 8:00pm

City Hall (pending confirmation)

Cambridge – Tax Policy and Working Families

November 5th 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Harvard Kennedy School of Government – JFK Jr. Forum

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Comments

  1. …for assuming the distance from Orleans to Fall River is a mere bagatelle, when obviously you need a second hearing so the people in Framingham won’t have to drive ALL THE WAY TO WORCESTER!

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    p>Just ONCE – couldn’t you clowns make it Wareham or Plymouth?

    • Remember, it’s not just the folks in that city, it’s the folks past that city — C&I and South Shore for Plymouth, and Lawrence, Haverhill, etc. for Lowell.

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      p>Then again, I also wonder about how many people attend each of those vs. how many will attend the one in Cambridge — is it unfair to Boston Metro because the number of people in Boston Metro is so high that having two (or more?!) in Boston Metro would also be appropriate?

  2. I am wondering why the One Massachusetts website focuses on professional services and real estate transfers. Is it just the amount of money at issue? Obviously these are big-ticket items, but there are others we could choose, too. For instance, taxation of social security benefits would yield $656 million. Taxation of capital gains at death would yield $693 million. I guess what I am wondering is: does One Massachusetts have a principle that suggests which tax expenditures should be eliminated?

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    p>TedF

    • ONE Massachusetts supports a tax system that is fair, adequate and stable. To that end, we favor taxes that are progressive. We’re only just beginning to look into the Tax Expenditure Budget. We haven’t looked at taxing Social Security or capital gains at death. But between the two of those options, I’m guessing Social Security benefits would be way more regressive.

      • Well, I’m with you on progressive taxation. but in general, sales taxes are regressive, right?

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        p>I’m not sure I see the progressivity in taxing professional service and real estate transfers. No doubt that a tax on services will be split in some way between service providers and consumers, and I wonder how the tax burden would fall across the income spectrum. Likewise with taxing the sale of real estate. In economic reality, the buyer will pay some and the seller will pay some. And with if the property is rental property, presumably the renters will pay some.

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        p>So how do we know that these particular items would be progressive?

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        p>TedF

  4. The Pittsfield event:

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    p>October 21
    2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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    p>Berkshire Community College

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    p>(In my original post I listed this as the 20th)

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