tax policies

Governor Patrick, in Wednesday's speech on employment for those with disabilities, announced that:

"There are going to be some programs, a limited number, that will be eliminated entirely." Patrick said his team was working with unions, and has previously said that up to 2,000 layoffs could result from the cuts... The governor's budget remedy package, including a request for expanded "9C" authority, is due tomorrow. "I've got a few more decisions to make. I'm close," he told reporters after his speech at the Westin Copley Hotel. "I'm going to do the very best I can, particularly to protect services for vulnerable people and education." [State House News Service]

And although tomorrow's 9C Cut announcement is being overshadowed by the great focus on Senate and Mayoral races, some community members and organizations are reaching out to the Governor and his staff, pushing for the programs they care deeply about.

Just one example is the push-back against Patrick's "plans to furlough workers and possibly cap staffing at the Massachusetts Disability Determination Services... a belt-tightening move that could worsen a Social Security backlog, leaving tens of thousands of disabled citizens desperately waiting for benefits." [Herald Article]

Another example is Tuesday's rally to protest cuts to Clubhouse services, with folks lining up from the plaza near the Department of Mental Health, proceeding to the front of the State House and ending at Governor Patrick's office.

In the past, these pleas have too often come in the form of "don't cut me, make cuts somewhere else!!" Thankfully, this is beginning to change.
Many of those mental health advocates are not only asking for their program to be spared cuts - they are joining ONE Massachusetts in our Virtual Rally - telling Governor Patrick to take a balanced approach to resolving our budget shortfall - closing the gap between shrinking revenues and the increasing need for services to in a time when all families have been hit hard in their own budgets!

This means not only making cuts, but looking to increase our state revenue in ways that are stable, adequate, and balanced. It also means taking a thoughtful, careful look at the loopholes included in our Tax Expenditure Budget.

For centuries, our state and local governments have been responsible to our communities for the creation and upkeep of our public structures. This has made us a competitive state, across our region and our nation.

Now, the combined effects of an era of tax cuts in Massachusetts and a suffering federal fiscal climate are limiting our ability to fulfill those responsibilities, and to ensure a healthy, vibrant state to all who live here.

This challenging time calls for wise and thoughtful measures. Our Governor, Legislature, and local governments have a difficult set of decisions to make in order to support our public structures. Just this weekend, a state sales tax increase went into effect, and a new set of revenue reforms - both increases and cuts - are already being discussed for the fall.

It is time that we, as a community, have some serious conversations about we value in our communities and how we should pay for it as ONE Massachusetts. If you have ideas about our best options as a state, and are interested in having a statewide discussion, please contact ONE Massachusetts today!

[Below the Fold: Revenue Reform Options]

We have all been learning a lot about our state budget recently. For one thing, like other U.S. States (but unlike our Federal government), Massachusetts is not allowed to run a run state deficit. This means we must raise additional revenues, make cuts, or do a combination of the two.

But we’re not alone in this process.

NPR aired an interesting piece a couple of weeks back on the revenue reforms taking place across out country, based on more detailed research by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

A few examples include:

• Connecticut - Lawmakers have proposed the institution of a graduated personal income tax
• Florida - Senate Finance Committee passed legislation what would repeal numerous sales tax exemptions, including the partial (50%) exemption for materials, tools, fuel, machinery and equipment used in manufacturing tangible personal property
• Illinois - Governor has proposed increasing the corporate income tax rate to 7.2% from 4.8%.
  

Many Massachusetts Representatives have already been asked by their constituents to support an "adequate, balanced tax package."

They know that Massachusetts has worked for decades to build a system of public structures that keep our communities safe and healthy, educate our children, and draw businesses to our state.

The House has already passed its version of our State Budget. [Budget Process]

Now is the time to ask your Senator to support our public structures with an "adequate, balanced tax package."

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VIRTUAL RALLY:

1. Contact your Senator. Tell your Senator that you support an adequate, balanced tax package that both addresses our structural deficit and stabilizes the public programs that we depend on!

   Customize your message, telling why restoring these public programs is important to your local community!

2. Pass this on to your personal and professional networks via Facebook, mailing lists, or dining room table - and recruit five of your friends and neighbors to do the same.

3. Let us know how it went! Once you've called each of your legislators, Twitter about it with the tag: #MassRevenues
   

Great article from the Boston Globe. 

Now more than ever is time for us to come together as a community to protect our public structures in the state. 

As Mayor John Barrett of North Adams said in the article: 

“When times are tough, we need leadership. Any fool can cut budgets.”

Lets take an active role as members of this community to have our voices heard in the Legislature.  We can not afford to cut services and programs that make us a competitite state compared to others.  A balanced budget should always look at both revenues and expenditures.  Lets support more revenues for our state as part of an adequate and balanced tax package.

We are excited to announce the official launch of the Virtual Rally to Support Our State!!

Massachusetts has worked for decades to build a system of public structures that keep our communities safe and healthy, educate our children, and draw businesses to our state.

Now, in an effort to avoid raising state taxes, the House Ways and Means Committee has proposed to dramatically cut those public structures in a time when we all rely on them more than ever.

All this week, our legislators will be considering amendments to our budget. Debate starts on April 27th. Now is the time to talk to your legislators!!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VIRTUAL RALLY:

1. Contact your legislators - in the House and in the Senate. Tell them that you support an adequate, balanced tax package that both addresses our structural deficit and stabilizes the public programs that we depend on!

   Customize your message by telling your legislators why restoring these public programs is important to your local community!

2. Pass this on to your personal and professional networks via Facebook, to mailing list, or in person - and recruit five of your friends and neighbors to do the same.
3. Let us know how it went! Once you've called each of your legislators, Twitter about it with the tag: #MassRevenues

As you know, our nation now faces one of the most devastating economic times since the Great Depression. In Massachusetts, 9C cuts in FY 09 and impending cuts in the FY 10 budget have exacerbated the crisis.

These funding cuts put at risk the public structures that we all rely on and value, the public structures that make us a competitive state - attracting and keeping businesses and residents. We need to learn how to talk about these budget and revenue decisions in a way that is understandable to all, and to start seeking ways to address them as a group.

How we talk about these issues, and about government itself, can dramatically change our  conversations and help to rebuild people's confidence in what we can accomplish together.

At our next Insider Budget Briefing, Patrick Bresette will help us explore ways to communicate more effectively about public policy issues, to better engage our communities, and to move our friends and neighbors to create positive social and economic change.

Join us on Thursday, January 22nd at 5:30pm in the 9th floor conference room at 30 Winter Street.