wow, glad we voted down killing the income tax here in MA under the fear that vital employees would lose their jobs.....

[bozack]

http://www.boston.com/news/loc...te_sales_tax_increase/

Somehow saying "I told ya so" just doesn't seem fitting....

So even though we opted to keep the income tax due to the fear of critical job cuts and increases in taxes we are still facing critical job cuts and wow oh wow, increases in taxes....

sales tax is going up, just passed the house by a big margin and is poised to pass the senate by as much....gas tax will probabily happen....as well as the various "sin" taxes comming our way...

Thankfully I live close enough to NH to shop there and avoid all this.

 

[sciwizam]

Didn't the Gov, in a surprise move, threaten a veto on this sales tax hike before doing any reforms (pension, massport etc)?

This veto threat seems like the 1st time in a long time that he found he had a pair. Or maybe he is thinking about re-election.

 

[glenn1]

It's a free country, and there are lots of other states that you could live in. Vote with your feet, or subject yourself to whatever your fellow state citizens vote for.

 

[MotF Bane]

Well, that's what New Hampshire is good for, right across the border.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: glenn1
It's a free country, and there are lots of other states that you could live in. Vote with your feet, or subject yourself to whatever your fellow state citizens vote for.

:roll:

That option is really only practical for the rich. And this is what happens, the stupid vote for what they think is free government entitlements paid for by the rich, the rich flee from the state, and everyone else is now screwed.

 

[glenn1]

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: glenn1
It's a free country, and there are lots of other states that you could live in. Vote with your feet, or subject yourself to whatever your fellow state citizens vote for.

:roll:

That option is really only practical for the rich. And this is what happens, the stupid vote for what they think is free government entitlements paid for by the rich, the rich flee from the state, and everyone else is now screwed.

They're raising the sales tax, which is regressive and affects the poor more than the wealthy. And moving to another state is not so prohibitively expensive that most middle-class folks can't afford it, especially when you're talking about moving from a small state like MA.

 

[mugs]

Do you think it'd be better if there was no income tax? If they got rid of the income tax they'd have less revenue, and they'd still have the same options - raise revenues through other means or cut expenses. So either other taxes would go up more or more people would lose their jobs.

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: glenn1

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: glenn1
It's a free country, and there are lots of other states that you could live in. Vote with your feet, or subject yourself to whatever your fellow state citizens vote for.

:roll:

That option is really only practical for the rich. And this is what happens, the stupid vote for what they think is free government entitlements paid for by the rich, the rich flee from the state, and everyone else is now screwed.

They're raising the sales tax, which is regressive and affects the poor more than the wealthy. And moving to another state is not so prohibitively expensive that most middle-class folks can't afford it, especially when you're talking about moving from a small state like MA.

?

A tax hike is a tax hike is a tax hike.

And if you think a family moving to a new state is *that* easy to do...

 

[cubby1223]

Originally posted by: mugs
Do you think it'd be better if there was no income tax?

Would be better if money wasn't lost to corruption and/or wasteful failed government programs. But alas it's easier to raise taxes than to reform government.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: bozack
http://www.boston.com/news/loc...te_sales_tax_increase/

Somehow saying "I told ya so" just doesn't seem fitting....

So even though we opted to keep the income tax due to the fear of critical job cuts and increases in taxes we are still facing critical job cuts and wow oh wow, increases in taxes....

sales tax is going up, just passed the house by a big margin and is poised to pass the senate by as much....gas tax will probabily happen....as well as the various "sin" taxes comming our way...

Thankfully I live close enough to NH to shop there and avoid all this.

This is a real question: Would the situation be worse, if Mass had gotten rid of its income tax?

 

[bozack]

Originally posted by: glenn1
They're raising the sales tax, which is regressive and affects the poor more than the wealthy. And moving to another state is not so prohibitively expensive that most middle-class folks can't afford it, especially when you're talking about moving from a small state like MA.

The interesting thing was that supposed advocates for the poor were the ones who lobbied for this pretty hard....guess they figure they don't buy much.

With that said, and given the current job climate, moving isn't that easy, plus certain areas are condusive to what my wife does for work and unfortunately this is one of them. Thankfully NH is so close.

 

[bozack]

Originally posted by: mugs
Do you think it'd be better if there was no income tax? If they got rid of the income tax they'd have less revenue, and they'd still have the same options - raise revenues through other means or cut expenses. So either other taxes would go up more or more people would lose their jobs.

Define better? the prediction was if income tax was tanked then they would seriously jack sales tax, personally I could live with that as I would just shop across the boarder or cut back on purchases so for me that would have been ideal.

 

[KK]

Come on now, what would you expect from a liberal state? Don't be so shocked.

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: mugs
Do you think it'd be better if there was no income tax? If they got rid of the income tax they'd have less revenue, and they'd still have the same options - raise revenues through other means or cut expenses. So either other taxes would go up more or more people would lose their jobs.

Define better? the prediction was if income tax was tanked then they would seriously jack sales tax, personally I could live with that as I would just shop across the boarder or cut back on purchases so for me that would have been ideal.

Yeah but you would have screamed bloody murder when they were forced to raise Property Taxes to make up for the deficit of revenue.

 

[Bateluer]

It boggles my mind how people cannot see the easy solution to government budget shortfalls. Spend less money. Its not that complicated. The average American consumer is now realizing that they can't spend money they don't have forever, why does the government have to be such a slow learner.

 

[Mursilis]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
It boggles my mind how people cannot see the easy solution to government budget shortfalls. Spend less money. Its not that complicated.

That's just crazy talk!

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: glenn1

Originally posted by: cubby1223

Originally posted by: glenn1
It's a free country, and there are lots of other states that you could live in. Vote with your feet, or subject yourself to whatever your fellow state citizens vote for.

:roll:

That option is really only practical for the rich. And this is what happens, the stupid vote for what they think is free government entitlements paid for by the rich, the rich flee from the state, and everyone else is now screwed.

They're raising the sales tax, which is regressive and affects the poor more than the wealthy. And moving to another state is not so prohibitively expensive that most middle-class folks can't afford it, especially when you're talking about moving from a small state like MA.

Possibly in other times yes. But many middle class people are now upside down in their home. Hard to move when you have to gather up 20-40K for the closing on your home.

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
It boggles my mind how people cannot see the easy solution to government budget shortfalls. Spend less money. Its not that complicated. The average American consumer is now realizing that they can't spend money they don't have forever, why does the government have to be such a slow learner.

Because govt doesnt play by the rules? In MN the DFL wants to jack up our income tax to pay for expansions of govt. This one dimwit used the tried and tested appeal to emotion by claiming hospitals would be closed down in the time of a swine flu pandemic if we dont raise taxes!. These people should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Slew Foot]

Government wants to grow larger? Unfathomable!

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: mugs
Do you think it'd be better if there was no income tax? If they got rid of the income tax they'd have less revenue, and they'd still have the same options - raise revenues through other means or cut expenses. So either other taxes would go up more or more people would lose their jobs.

Define better? the prediction was if income tax was tanked then they would seriously jack sales tax, personally I could live with that as I would just shop across the boarder or cut back on purchases so for me that would have been ideal.

Yeah but you would have screamed bloody murder when they were forced to raise Property Taxes to make up for the deficit of revenue.

Here's a better idea - cut spending, something that the government seems to be allergic to entirely.

 

[CPA]

And your governor was on Sqwauk Box last week saying how great of shape Mass was in, especially their mandatory health insurance program, which we know is a lie.

 

[EagleKeeper]

Originally posted by: bozack

Originally posted by: mugs
Do you think it'd be better if there was no income tax? If they got rid of the income tax they'd have less revenue, and they'd still have the same options - raise revenues through other means or cut expenses. So either other taxes would go up more or more people would lose their jobs.

Define better? the prediction was if income tax was tanked then they would seriously jack sales tax, personally I could live with that as I would just shop across the boarder or cut back on purchases so for me that would have been ideal.

Back in the 70s theState police used to hang out at the licquor shops just across the border in Nashua (Rt3 & I93) as well as off of US 1 &I95.

People with Mass plates, purchasing anything that was a case or more would be ticketed for sales tax evasion. They may still do it or bring it back.

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: mugs
Do you think it'd be better if there was no income tax? If they got rid of the income tax they'd have less revenue, and they'd still have the same options - raise revenues through other means or cut expenses. So either other taxes would go up more or more people would lose their jobs.

there are many states with no income tax and do better financially than with states the have HIGH income taxes. Texas, Nevada are just two of them.


what your state is doing is exactly what the tea parties were about. out of control taxation and out of control spending.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Shock and awe. A liberal and socialist nanny-state is raising taxes!

 

[QuantumPion]

Originally posted by: glenn1
It's a free country, and there are lots of other states that you could live in. Vote with your feet, or subject yourself to whatever your fellow state citizens vote for.

Thats part of the problem! The pinkos vote in the socialists, but when THEIR taxes get raised, they move on to the next state over and repeat the same mistake! E.g., California -> Colorado, Maryland/DC->Virginia, NJ->PA, MA->NH, MI->OH, etc.