There they go again, the hordes of tax-hike advocates, spreading out across the Commonwealth to urge support for Governor Patrick’s $1.9 billion tax package.
I’ve met these kinds of advocates on the tax trail before, beginning in 1980 with their opposition to property tax limits in Proposition 2½. Today, though, I offer “institutional memory” on just the income tax.
Comments
This is a lot of complaining about taxation with little actual content. If the current rate is enough to improve our education system and fix our transportation infrastructure, and I'm openminded about that, the only solution is better management. But this article didn't give any suggestions about better management, it just said it was required. What do you recommend? Just saying "don't raise taxes" won't fix the likelihood that a Massachusetts bridge is going to collapse in the near future. We need practical recommendations, not whining.
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She was actually being kind to the governor by not giving too many examples. Here are a few that are easy and will make a small dent: Deval's travel budget, all hires made by Deval to jobs empty for years before he was hired, food budgets for Beacon Hill (bring a lunch), take home cars and gas cards for employees including troopers, EBT card holders can do volunteer work for the state and reduce some filing or park clean up overtime hours. And any tax increases suggested after good faith reductions should clearly be assigned where they are going, no promises for the money while it goes into the general fund.
This is the usual Barbara blather without any real recognition of reality. This is the same person who will demand further reductions in federal spending, spending which aids the local voter in terms of costs for necessary infrastructure work. but folks like Ms. Anderson don't care about infrastructure work. They don't care about education. They only care what their tax rate is or what it could be. Reduce federal spending increase the cost to the state, that's fine my federal taxes go down. Simply cut my state taxes and pass the needed expenses for transportation or education to the local level. Let them pay it. Cap property taxes, their you go. Now my federal taxes are low, my state taxes are low, my local taxes will be low and if nothing gets done it is not for lack of money. It's a lack of management.
Incredible. For people like Ms. Anderson A never leads to B that leads to C. Nope the important thing is her taxes are down. It is the philosophy of the irresponsible, the demagogue, the it is easier to fire up a crowd to line their pockets than it is to be responsible. It is easier to blame some nebulus union or political hack than it is to say, We have things to do.
Attaturk: Baloney! The problem with your argument is that it leave out one key word: responsibility. As it applies to politicians.
They have a responsibility to spend our money wisely, which is precisely what they are not doing. The list of their squandering is long and distinguished. Most of it is done to gain political favor with one special interest group or another to aid in their own election/reelection.
You do recall that we have typically not run this country with this level of deficit? Now we have a president stating that this level of debt is "sustainable" for the next ten years.
Budget "cuts" are just that, not a reduction in spending. Unless the spending is reduced, the debt is not going to be paid off. Now the president is saying that there is really no need to pay off our debt, he sees no reason to just pay it off for the sake of paying it off. Is he for real? When money is borrowed, the taxpayer pays for something called "debt service", the rest of us understand that as "interest". We do not get anything in return for interest. We do not get bridges, roads, schools, etc when we spend on "debt service". Do you like just throwing your tax dollars down a "debt service" hole?
You are darn right "It's a lack of management". Do you think sending Egypt $250M is good "management"? With a promise of another $250M+? Funding robotic squirrel programs is good management of taxpayer money in your book? Of course, you probably think that supplying Holder, et al with a couple of private corporate luxury jets that they zipped around the world in on "non mission" trips was probably good management too, right?
The government is rife with mismanagement of our tax dollars. How about at a state level, Mrs Whatever Her Name was, in charge of traffic safety, getting about 80K a year while she busily spent her time campaigning for the gov? That was stellar management of our funds too.
You need to open your eyes up. We built all this infrastructure in the country before this herd of hogs showed up in DC. This bunch has figured out the way to stay in DC is to pander to special interest groups so they can have their multimillion dollar homes in Chevy Chase. You do know that the five wealthiest counties in the US are outside of DC? You also know that they did not suffer at all in the recent economic downturn? Real estate did not take a nosedive, businesses flourished, etc. Life is good when you are a pig at the trough that has become DC.
The rest of us are tired of slopping the hogs.
Well put, History. I would add two words that could improve many of the situations you describe: term limits.
"The state is not suffering from a lack of taxes; it is suffering from a lack of accountability for the taxes already paid. The ongoing scandal over electronic-benefits cards is a maddening example of this." ABSOLUTELY TRUE Add to the EBT fiasco the hightly-paid no-shows that are sucking the taxpayers dry. There's one a week. This week its Killins. The governor is a total dunce. He doesn't know what the H is goIng on in this state. Or he doesn't even care "You don't like it? Too bad" Did i mention the governor is a dunce?
He is on the Obama travel plan...see the world, it's free...and he is setting up all his friends with lifelong pensions...
Thank you for writing common sense. There seem to be lots of reports about government waste and mis-management (and likely corruption). But no one ever stops it. Unless they are forced to by public exposure (transparency). But another good way is to hold ythe line on taxes and make the Governor find more money by eliminating the waste. I would think there is lots of money to be had via this route.
The more money government is given, the more it wastes. The only way to get them to deal with the waste is to put a gun to their heads, i.e. starve them of tax revenue. There's a need for transparency of how money current tax revenues are spent before there can be any discussion of tax increases. As Barbara says, there's a need for better management. No business could ever operate the way our government does.
Utter hypocrasy. I don't see Ms. Anderson advocating any cuts that involve personal sacrifice. Gutting school budgets after her children have finished in the school systems is nothing short of selfishness and cowardice. And what about your Social Security and Medicare benefits? You once told me to my face you had earned those, and yet the official position of your beloved Tea Party is that it is a corrupt ponzi scheme. Thus, I am paying for your perks while that trust fund will run out of money before I ever see a dime of what I've paid into it, and I am the oldest surviving member of my family. I'll give you your tax cuts if you give up what you receive from my tax dollars.
Actually I WAS "gutting school budgets" while my son was still in school, when we did Proposition 2 1/2; wanted all students to learn fiscal responsibility. Though come to think of it, school budgets weren't gutted, despite the dire warnings of opponents. I can't address saying anything to your face since I don't know who you are; do know I never heard the Tea Party call SS and Medicare corrupt. I have paid for the benefits I'm getting now; will be until I'm almost 80 on SS, depends on how much I use of Medicare. What makes it a Ponzi scheme is that those paying in now won't get their benefits;pay attention, children.
Unless you paid maximum into SS and Medicare your statement regarding both is simply not true. Unless you waited until 70 to retire you moe than get your money back. Figure it out it's not real hard. Take the amount you paid into SS, not your employer and divide it by the number of years you are retired. Actually part of the acturial tables are based you or some of you not making it to retirement. You obvviously don't know how the program runs but still want to comment on it. Try looking up Title II sometime. No wonder you get tax information wrong.
Secondly, children will get their SS as long as the people of this country are willing to pay for it. Now if you get your way and people don't have to take responsibility for the services they receive then you're right we will rip the next generation off that is paying our retirement now. Just as the program was established to function. You paid for your parent or your grandparents. No matter how some of you wish to spin it another way that is the way in which the program was envisioned. So you actually in terms of SS have paid for nothing you are receiving. But then like most libertarians it's all about you.
More continuing hypocritical blather from the Queen of cherry-picked "facts", usually from Fox News or similar, and filled with emotional insinuations and misrepresentations. Get real! The Masachusetts annual budget is over 30 billion dollars annually. A few hundred million dollars of alleged waste or inefficiency will not begin to address our many pressing needs over the next twenty years. We must make decisions about what quality of private and public life we want --- and raise enough public monies through taxation to pay for it. Since one can't get blood from a stone, one can't get the necessary money from our poorest 60% of citizens without make their lives desparate and destitute. The wealthiest 40% only can afford to pay without unacceptible decreases in living standards. For four years or more, numerous reliable sources have stated that the Massachusetts total tax burden is in the middle of the pack of all US states. We can afford to pay. Another desirable rationalization of the current mess and dilemma is to remove the Big Dig debt from the MBTA budget, moving it to the Transportation Dept., thereby solving one of the MBTA's biggest problems. More monies can be made available to the regional transportation systems all over the state. See numerous reports and articles at the website of The Mass Budget and Policy Center, www.massbudget.com, over many years, for facts much more reliable than anything from Ms. Anderson!
What's a few hundred million a year? It's a few hundred million that they have to pass on to us...could be the difference between 6% income tax and 6.25%...but hey, it's no big deal...not like they get raises every year and won't invite their friends to the party. It is the tolerance of what you view as a piitance (must be nice) that increases the disease...
A few hundred million? You could probably reduce the state budget by 20% and the only people who would notice would be public employees.
Both sides are right. I once had a neighbor who resented paying property taxes toward school maintenance because she had no kids in school. Some here are like that. Also, quotes from the past don't take into consideration everything has gone up, including wages. That said, Patrick has not had any control of the state. The crime lab scandal, compounding lab scandal, EBT card scandal, political insiders regularly accused of bogus positions or making off with large amounts of money as we see shots of the governor playing with bear cubs. There will probably be political gridlock until a new governor takes office.
How anyone here can say with a straight face that Mass gov't is doing such a bang-up job, "we" REALLY need to raise taxes to fund all these projects and services. Woooooow! Here in the state where the last three Speaker of the House ended up resigning, some doing jail terms. In the state where construction projects are suppossed to be using flag-people instead of high priced police details....where are these flag people? Here in the state where the EBT card is used like a debit card....I got to get me one of those....hey its only being paid for by taxes....here in the state where it took how long to figure out how much the housing authority in Chelsea is making, only after the Globe caught him, and on, and on.... I'm sure with all that curruption, and wastefullness we can muster up a few dollars to fund infrastrucure, and education.
I meant to just hit "Like" instead of Reply; have been liking many responses today! Some of do "get it"!
It's almost like democrats get commisions on taxes
Huh? I thought they did? Oh, wait, I forgot, they buy VOTES with taxes. Me thinks that is why they like all the illegal aliens and don't want no one checking no stinking ID's.
And in another Opinion piece today, we have James Roosevelt, Jr. extolling FDR's New Deal government programs. ..But if you look at monthly stock price charts from 1928 to 1945 you will see that the Great Depression became WORSE well after the 1929 crash..The reason was FDR's massive government spending and high taxes.
Why is a request for the Government to take responsibility/accountability for the appropriate and responsible spending of those dollars, before they come after additional taxes. I MEAN WHY !!! Is that what all RESPONSIBIE citizens do in their own/private lives ?? Maybe we need a return too Democratic US Senator Proxmire's approach to foolish spending, the Golden Fleece Awards. We need to continue to identify the MILLIONS of dollars wasted on things like the Worcester Airport (nobody flies there), that 1.5 million to MGH as to why Lesbians get fat (same reason I get fat, EAT TO MUCH,now return the damn money), and the list goes on. Just think, if we weren't worried about fat lesbians, we could funded the White House tours for a i/3 of the year !! Now you tell me where we should be spending that money??
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"History" When it comes to certain areas within the public sphere I never argue with communits or libertarians. Both intellectualy bankrupt philosophies which are only followed by the true believers. Frankly "History" you only find government efficient and of purpose when it serves your purpose. Let us say your VA benefits. Your VA medical coverage. Perhaps your SS.In the long run I enjoy political debates but people who disparage government without any factual basis I find pointless to debate. 250 mil. to Egypt? What has that got to do with state govt. or for that matter you don't even note what its purpose is. So perhaps from a foreign policy standpoint it's a good idea.
But for you or for Barabara it really doesn't matter. You hate govt. there is nothing to discuss. There is nothing that govt. does that you like unless it is for you. You carry on and Barbara carries on like there is some "conspiracy" to rip off the Americn public. What you want is a country that gives you what you want and you don't have to do anything for it. You are not required to worry about anyone else nor care about the society in general. Losers die and succesful people make out. But I point out to you under Barbara or under Ryan you can kiss that VA stuff good bye. Because my wounds your wounds mean nothing to these people, you and I are just moochers. You know getting stuff.
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