As a USG retiree living in Virgnia, I hope it passes. It is a win-win solution. Virginia keeps more retirees in state and the individual retains more of their own money, which can be spent on the local economy. In addition to the states above, there are others, i.e., Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming, that don't have state income taxes. Other states provide partial breaks for government retirees.
Twenty-seven states with an income tax exempt Social Security benefits from taxation. The 27 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. Wisconsin will also fully exempt Social Security benefits from taxation beginning in tax year 2008.
If it passes, the retirement income of EVERYONE, not just government workers, should be exempted. Why should government workers be treated better than the people who pay their salaries - and their retirement benefits?
Twenty-seven states with an income tax exempt Social Security benefits from taxation....
In Massachusetts public employees collect retirement at a rate of 80 percent of the average of their highest three paid years. The ordinary dreaded private sector worker gets social security benefits in the order of about twenty percent or less of their highest earnings.
Once again public workers show their selfish interest all the while claiming they did their work for the good of others. Public worker pension systems are nothing like social security. My social security payments are used to fund disability programs for alcoholics, drug users, fake injuries, and so on. Try using public employee pension programs for some of these and then hear the crying from government workers.