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Posted by: kwflatbed

BOSTON -- Anti-tax activists have begun a second petition drive aimed at putting a question on the November state ballot which, if approved, would abolish the state income tax in Massachusetts.
Supporters of the initiative need to collect just over 11,000 signatures to put the measure on the ballot. A similar question appeared on the 2002 state ballot and was defeated, but did get the backing of almost 45 percent of voters.
The income tax accounts for about $12 billion in revenue for Massachusetts and critics are predicting chaos if the tax is eliminated, not only for state government but also for cities and towns that rely heavily on state aid.
Carla Howell, a Libertarian who leads the group Committee For Small Government, says she thinks the measure has a good chance at winning this time around.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO78260/

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Posted by: 14thWW2

That would be nice to see.

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Posted by: resqjyw0

If it passes, the Governor will make up the difference somehow, whether it be more toll roads, increase the gas tax and the sales tax. Who knows? Deval Patrick is Governor, who lives by the slogan Together We Can...fuck up this state beyond anyone's imagination.

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Posted by: Wolfman

The insane and out of control spending needs to be curbed first or in conjunction with the tax decrease - unless of course you want to see fees, commodity taxes, tolls, business and personal registrations and licensing costs skyrocket.

While I'm all for more of my paycheck staying in my pocket, I'm not quite ready to be nickle and dimes from every other angle just yet, even though it's probably going to happen anyhow.

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Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

Dont they mean abolish the temporary income tax?

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Posted by: resqjyw0

Income tax cut unlikely, says DiMasi

By Lindsey Parietti/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Jun 11, 2008 @ 12:46 AM
Last update Jun 11, 2008 @ 12:50 AM


House Speaker Sal DiMasi speaks to editors at the
MetroWest Daily News.

VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzKcL6decG4

FRAMINGHAM — House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said he does not see the state carrying out a repeal of the income tax - even if voters approve the binding ballot measure in November.

"I'm against doing it and I find myself hard-pressed to say that I would try to completely implement an elimination of the income tax," DiMasi told a Daily News editorial board yesterday.

"I can't see myself doing that in the future, but I know people are hurting and I know people want to send a message maybe at some point in time that their taxes are too high."

The citizen-sponsored initiative to repeal the state's 5.3 percent income tax has cleared the initial hurdles and will appear on the ballot this fall as long as its sponsor, Wayland-based Campaign for Small Government, collects 11,099 signatures by next Wednesday.

Voters narrowly defeated a similar proposal in 2002, with 40 percent voting for the repeal and 48 percent voting against it.

DiMasi called ending the income tax, which would take $11 billion away from the state's $28 billion budget, a Draconian move. He said he did not know how the state would avoid implementing the repeal, if it passed.

"I'm hoping that the people of Massachusetts don't vote that way, and I'm asking them not to vote that way. ... It would devastate the services the state provides as well as services that the cities and towns provide," he said.

As the two-year legislative session nears its end - lawmakers wrap up official business on July 31 - DiMasi said the he expects the House to take up legislation that would have states cast their Electoral College votes for the presidential candidate with the most popular votes. When enough states pass the the legislation to control the Electoral College then the interstate compact takes effect.

The House will also authorize environmental, transportation, information technology and a handful of other borrowing bills in this session, he said.
DiMasi said he wanted to reform mandatory minimum criminal sentencing, but doesn't expect it to happen this session because "a lot of people don't want to be that aggressive."

Instead, the Legislature is likely to pass some form of Gov. Deval Patrick's proposal to reform criminal background checks by limiting employers' access to an offender's record, DiMasi said.

The House may or may not take up a campaign finance reform bill that would decrease from $200 to $100 the maximum campaign contribution that lobbyists are allowed to make, he said.

Despite butting heads with Patrick on casinos, local meal and hotel taxes, ending a telecommunication tax exemption and many of the governor's other proposals, DiMasi said he was happy with the accomplishments this session.

"I think we accomplished a great deal," he said, naming legislation that awaits final approval including a green energy bill, a $1 billion life sciences bill and education reforms.

"We have many things that we can be proud of," he said. "I have like 10 or 15 pages that I could give you."

When asked if the improved relationship between DiMasi and Patrick could be attributed to Patrick's silence on recent ethics allegations that the speaker has used his influence to benefit friends, DiMasi said, "No, no I don't think that at all."

"I thought we got along at the beginning and I think we get along now," he said.

DiMasi has come under fire for accepting a $250,000 mortgage, which he recently repaid, from friend Richard Vitale, who was allegedly paid by ticket brokers to push a ticket resale bill through the House without registering as a lobbyist.

The state GOP has also asked the Ethics Commission to look into reports that DiMasi pressured administration officials to award a state contract to software company Cognos, and that he killed legislation blocking a Fall River liquefied natural gas project, which his friend Jay Cashman later benefited from by selling the property for $14 million.

DiMasi wasn't shy about calling Patrick out on his early missteps such as expecting taxpayers to foot the bill for costly drapes and the lease for his new Cadillac.

DiMasi waved a mock-up of Car and Driver magazine featuring "Cadillac Deval" at last year's St. Patrick's Day political roast and, a month later, showed reporters the worn furnishings in his own office.

"That was fun," DiMasi said yesterday. "Well, ... it wasn't fun. It was poking fun, that's it. It wasn't serious."

"We're very supportive of each other. I really feel that way. We personally like each other very much. There's no question in my mind. The only issue that really caused a problem was the casino issue."

http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ne...ly-says-DiMasi

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Posted by: Delta784

VERY bad idea.

I agree that spending needs to be reigned-in, but the abolition of the state income tax would be disastrous to police departments.

Quinn Bill? Bye-bye!!

Details? Bye-bye!!

A more realistic approach would be a rollback of the "temporary" increase which is proving to have more staying power than Jason in Friday the 13th.

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Posted by: Inspector

From up here, in the Granite State, I have to agree with those who think the idea is bad.
Once touted for not having an income or sales tax, there is an increasing number of residents up in New Hampshire who are beginning to see the need for additional taxes, including income tax as property taxes rise, services and infrastructure fall apart and populations increase.
The cold hard fact is that the only way any government gets money for the services people demand is from the people. Costs are rising for everyone including government entities.
Tax systems are out of whack whereby middle class taxpayers share a disproportionate share of those costs while those at either end of the economic spectrum take full advantage of the unfairness, causing bitterness and misunderstanding among the middle class and leading to such drastic anti-tax moves.

Those anti-tax moves, particularly income tax elimination, lead only to more breaks for the lucky ones on the top scale of income while forcing reduction in services for all.

I would suggest establishing a graduated income tax with no loopholes, a fair business tax and penalties on those businesses which eliminate American jobs and use off shore offices to avoid taxes.

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Posted by: Delta784

An end to the coddling of drunks, junkies, illegal aliens, bums and other layabouts would save a holy fortune, but it's easier for the cowards on Beacon Hill to just further penalize those of us who work for a living.

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Posted by: MSP75

A better idea would be to vote out these defense attorneys and get some new two faced pols on Beacon Hill.

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Posted by: masscopguy

This isn't a "proposed" ballot question it is a binding referendum that will be on the statewide ballots in November. But, as they did with the income tax roll back, the legislature can find away around the issue if they choose to.

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Posted by: resqjyw0

The government needs money to operate. If this ever makes it through, the steps the state would take to recoup that money by possibly increasing sales tax, gas tax, more toll roads, etc. is going to leave people in certain areas baring most of the burden. Having an income tax keeps it even being a percentage of earnings.

Anybody who supports this is a dumbass that can't see beyond the end of their nose. They just think about the immediate gain instead of potential losses down the road.

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Posted by: Inspector

As a perfect example of what a lack of fair tax application does. I presently pay $7,000 annually for property tax here, in NH. The house is worth perhaps $370,000 if it were to go on the market today. A house I did own in MA is currently on the market for $389,900 and the annual property tax is listed as just over $3400. What we are not paying on income tax we more than make up for in property tax. Add that to the fact when one works in MA he/she pays income tax. Then NH turns around and slaps you with a tax on all investments and bank account interest if that money is in an out-of-state bank.

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Posted by: justanotherparatrooper

The only ones not paying property taxes in NH are those on welfare/section 8. If you rent you pay property taxes.

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