| You and 3,400,000 other taxpayers pay $12.6 billion in income taxes to the state government every year.
In other words, for every dollar you pay, your town gets back 40 cents. Does that sound like a bargain to you?
Let's assume Question 1 wins, we end the income tax, and the very worst "doom and gloom" scenario our opponents like to paint came to pass: the legislature cuts 100% of state aid to city and town governments. You would no longer pay $1.00 to get just 40 cents in return. You'd be 60 cents ahead of where you are now.
But that's not all.
That 40 cents the state hands out to city and town governments doesn't go to you. It goes to the politicians in your town - and their special interest pals.
That 40 cents pays for things like extravagant and unnecessary building contractors and architects like the ones charging taxpayers $200 million to build a high school in Newton, Massachusetts. They paid $35 million of that to a fancy architectural firm for the school's design - enough to build an entire high school!
That 40 cent on your dollar pays for lucrative government employee pensions and generous government employee health care benefits - far better than what you get from your employer.
If you're an average taxpayer, how much of that 40 cents benefits your family? For every dollar you pay in income tax, you may get back 25 cents or 10 cents or 5 cents in benefits.
But it gets worse.
That 40 cents of every dollar you pay in income tax that the state hands out to city and town governments is not evenly distributed. Many town governments see only a fraction of that 40 cents. The bulk of it goes to big city governments - home to the state's worst corruption, crime and dysfunctional public schools. A lot of that 40 cents pays for the worst schools in the state - at a rate that's often TWICE as expensive as what small and medium size towns pay per pupil for better schools!
Who profits most from state aid to city and town governments?
The same people who oppose Question 1, who oppose this $3,700 tax cut for you and your family. Government employee unions. Builders who get government contracts.
You can vote No on 1, continue to pay an average of $3,700 every year in income taxes and get back perhaps $185 to $985 in benefits. A net loss of $3,515 to $2,715 every year.
Or you can vote YES, get back $3,700 on average you're now paying in income taxes, and get back perhaps $0 to $985 in benefits. A net gain of $3,700 to $4,685 every year.
Which is better for you, your family, and your neighbors? |
