Posted on 05/01/2002 5:46:48 AM PDT by Lance Romance
Pols hit tax snag
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House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran's tax-hike train unexpectedly stalled yesterday as rank-and-file lawmakers could not agree over which levies to raise. The House had been set to begin the tax-hike debate today, but Finneran abruptly pushed the meatiest issues - namely, freezing the voter-approved income tax cut - back another day. The balk came after a private caucus in which rank-and-file lawmakers were unable to agree on anything except that the cigarette tax should be ratcheted up. ``The leadership isn't in disarray,'' said Rep. Kevin Fitzgerald (D-Boston). ``There's a disconnect between (members') priorities and how much they cost, and how much they're willing to raise in taxes.'' Lawmakers aren't anywhere near Finneran's $1 billion in new taxes, given that the overwhelming majority entered office during the economic boom and still resist unfamiliar spending cuts and tax hikes. And most are so focused on restoring massive cuts to schools, mental health and retardation services, that they're ignoring other programs, said Fitzgerald, a floor division leader who's been polling members. Finneran wants lawmakers to ferment for another day - and perhaps come around to a higher tax-hike dollar figure, Fitzgerald said. ``We've got to let this sink in with people,'' Fitzgerald said. ``We might act differently if we give people a chance to think about it.'' At the caucus, Finneran presented lawmakers with a package that would raise $1 billion by freezing the income tax rollback, hiking the cigarette tax and reinstating taxes on capital gains. Those three options garnered the most support during a weekend poll of House members, but the only one that's a ``lay-up'' is a cigarette tax hike on the order of 50 cents to $1, said Taxation Committee Chairman Paul Casey (D-Winchester). A majority supports freezing the income tax at its current 5.3 percent rate, but many still disagree over whether to tie the tax rate to economic indicators, earmark the money for favored programs like education aid, or even hike the rate to 5.6 percent, Casey said. A visibly frustrated Finneran emerged from the hour-long caucus, telling the Herald that the House was in ``continued conversations'' but that ``no closure'' appeared on the immediate horizon. ``Things are very fluid,'' Finneran said. As to whether the income tax issue would be resolved this week, he said: ``It's hard to say.'' Late last night, Finneran's inner circle began another round of polling members, presenting them with a specific list of options. Lawmakers were being asked their appetite for hiking taxes on: cigarettes, capital gains, charitable deductions, personal exemptions, and sales and meals. As consensus remains elusive, Finneran's lieutenants say they've all but given up on finding a veto-proof two-thirds ``super-majority'' on anything but the cigarette tax. ``Ultimately, I think we're just going to have to go with a majority, and not worry about what the governor's going to do, or the Senate's going to do,'' Casey said. But acting Gov. Jane M. Swift telegraphed that lawmakers had better worry about her. Swift, who has thrown the tax debate into disarray by sending mixed signals about where she stands, repeated her public mantra yesterday that she won't ``negotiate through the media.'' But a senior adviser said Swift would ``absolutely'' veto a tax package that weighed in at $1 billion - especially since lawmakers are giving short shrift to her other revenue-generating proposals. ``We do not need a billion (in new taxes),'' the adviser said. ``Yeah, she's willing to do it (raise taxes). But she's just not going to do it for the hell of it unless there's a sensible package.'' While Swift kept a stiff upper lip, House Republicans went on the offensive. Minority Leader Francis L. Marini attacked Finneran's tax-hike plan, accusing the speaker of trying to ``take advantage'' of a bad situation to help shape his ``legacy.'' ``Everything he's done has been to magnify the crisis,'' Marini said. ``He's generating permanent new taxes on the backs of the people of Massachusetts so he can say he saved us when he's gone.'' The tiny GOP caucus submitted a tax-free alternative budget, which restores about $1.2 billion through casinos, a tax amnesty and spending an extra $146 million of the state's tobacco settlement money. Meanwhile, outside the State House, huge crowds of advocates massed to protest Finneran's proposed $1.5 billion in program cuts that fall heavily on education, human services and health care. Public health workers carried magic-marker inscribed signs reading ``You get raises. We lose our jobs,'' and ``Cut the pork not critical services.'' ``What are these people supposed to do?'' said Vicki Allen, waving her hand at a sea of mentally and physically challenged protesters on Beacon Hill. ``I don't know what we will do.'' Compounding budget woes was news that April state tax collections were down 13 percent from this time last year. Although he characterized it as a ``big falloff from last year,'' Administration and Finance Secretary Kevin Sullivan said that the state could make up the $3 million shortfall in May and June.
by Elisabeth J. Beardsley and Karen E. Crummy
Wednesday, May 1, 2002
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Thank God I moved away. Child molesting homosexual priests, high taxes and no guns. It's a wonder anybody lives in that hell hole.
Child molesting homosexual priests, high taxes, drunken women-killing, baby-sitter raping, girl-disabling Kennedys and no guns.
Why are smokers being victimized, vilified, and taxed up to 87% on a legal item.
Why do smokers CONTINUE to let this happen?
Is the ANYTHING else that has as high, or higher, a percentage of the cost as taxes than cigarettes anymore?
The smokers in that state, and any other that wants to soak the smokers, should immediately stop buying cigarettes there and start buying them over the Internet from an American Indian reservation, like this one. That way the greedy snobs in the state legislature will not only lose the extra $5/carton that they want to make smokers pay, but they will lose the $5/carton that they are already getting. Hit them where it hurts....in the treasury! Even if you buy from a site that charges for shipping and the shipping is almost as much as the tax savings, do it anyway just for spite. Spite seems to be the level of discourse that they understand.
Revolution #9, the Beatles
Jesus Christ, they just keep pushing us taxpayers up here. Pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing . . .
I wonder how much of this is due to people finding new ways of getting their cigarettes.
And once again the quote, "Democracy - the tyranny of the majority over the minority".
My problem isn't taxing a product. My problem is taxing a particular group of people for the good of all the people. And doing it in such a way as to imply they deserve it!
These, of course, are the same people demanding people have a right to die, just not slowly.
F Massachusetts.
Because we are a minority and the powers that be only like us for one thing - our money.
Did nobody have an "appetite" for cutting expenditures...???
In some states, maybe. But not in Texas. The carton prices quoted on that internet site were $3-5 higher than the over-the-counter price in Texas.
Which means the Texas prices must be $8-10 lower than the prices in Massachusetts.
Hell, lobsters might even be cheaper in Texas than in Massachusetts...
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