In poll, edge goes to sales tax cut (in MA)

Boston Globe ^ | September 27, 2010 | Alan Wirzbicki

[reaganaut1]

Massachusetts voters are deeply split over a November ballot question that would slash the state sales tax, a new Globe poll indicates, with a narrow plurality of those surveyed saying they favor the proposal.

Forty-six percent of likely voters said they support Question 3, to cut the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 3 percent, while 43 percent said they were opposed and the rest undecided. The difference is within the poll’s margin of error.

The tax cut proposal, which would slice $2.5 billion from the state budget, has alarmed Beacon Hill and is opposed by all three major gubernatorial candidates, although all three say they would honor the tax cut if it is backed by a majority of voters.

Critics say it would have a devastating impact on the state by leading to massive layoffs and deep cuts to education, local aid, and law enforcement.

Also on the ballot this fall is a measure that would exempt alcohol from the sales tax. It is opposed by half of likely voters, the Globe poll found. Fifty percent said they were against it, and 36 percent said they were in favor.

Both issues will be on the Nov. 2 ballot, with a “no’’ vote preserving the tax rates at their current levels and a “yes’’ vote cutting them.

A broad coalition of opponents, including unions, business groups, and most of the state’s political leadership, has mobilized in favor of a “no’’ vote against the tax cuts in Question 3, amassing a $1.3 million war chest to defeat the measure. The “yes’’ campaign is led by Carla Howell, a libertarian activist who organized the signature drive to place the question on the ballot.

[from occupied ga]

Critics say it would have a devastating impact on the state by leading to massive layoffs and deep cuts to education, local aid, and law enforcement.

They say this like it would be a bad thing for deep cuts in these areas to occur.

[trisham]

But..the unions are against it.

[rhombus]

Also on the ballot this fall is a measure that would exempt alcohol from the sales tax. It is opposed by half of likely voters, the Globe poll found. Fifty percent said they were against it, and 36 percent said they were in favor.

No doubt this is opposed by the New Hampshire Liquor Authority as well.

[Alberta's Child]

I suspect one of the driving forces behind this whole thing is that MA loses a lot of sales tax revenue when people cross the border into New Hampshire to shop.

I'm not a fan of taxation in any form, but I recognize that one positive attribute of a sales tax is that it is regressive in nature -- which means it is paid by almost everyone at some point.

[pabianice]

This is the Boston Globe Workers Circle. Double the reported spread. Yes ahead by 6.

[Gay State Conservative]

In the coming days Coupe Deval & Friends will import every wheelchair bound person within 500 miles to demonstrate on the State House steps shouting “cut the sales tax and watch them die”...as they've done so many times before.I fear that like on past occasions they'll succeed this time as well.I know I sound like a Gloomy Gus but when you've lived here as long as I have you come to expect the worst...just by habit.

[IC Ken]

People in Mass go to New Hampshire for large purchases where there is No sales tax

[Bob Buchholz]

I don’t know how it works in NH but they put a sales tax on liquor here in NC a couple of years ago.

The price on liquor is already about 50% taxes and they keep raising them on a yearly basis. So we are now paying taxes on our taxes and when they raise the liquor tax a buck nobody thinks about the fact that they also raised the tax by the amount of the sales tax as well. For some reason I object to paying taxes on my taxes.

[Grumplestiltskin]

The interesting thing about this poll is that fully 43% of the citizens are opposed to cutting their taxes, along with another 11% who can’t seem to make up their minds.

In previous postings in other topics I’ve written of a growing cohort of Americans who embrace the concept of “The New Plantation”, where their needs are provided by the “new Massa” of government, so long as they surrender their freedoms. One need only to look at these poll results to realize that we are getting very close to some areas of the country where that is the prevalent way of thought.

Folks (even the folks here) tend to have short memories. Don’t you recall how it was only a few election cycles back where there was a ballot proposition in Massachusetts to repeal the state’s income tax?

How did that go?

Need I even ask?

[libertarian27]

Questions: #1 - #2 - #3
Vote: Yes - Yes - Yes

Just Say YES

[raccoonradio]

<<there was a ballot proposition in Massachusetts to repeal the state’s income tax?

I think that lost 70-30 after a campaign came out saying police, fire, teachers, etc would all lose their jobs,
elder services would be greatly cut, etc. On election night when I mentioned this I said, “(But) this is Massachusetts.
We’re stupid.” 2006 I think.

Then again if it does pass the legislature could repeal it
easily. That happened to some tax cuts and the death penalty
vote, IIRC.