The Issues
- Taxes:
We are over taxed!!! Politicians on Beacon Hill say there is a revenue problem, but we know they have a spending problem. Hardworking families and small business owners have been tightening their belts to stay within their own budgets and Boston should too!!
In addition to their spending problem, they have really bad ideas.
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- Bad Idea #1: increasing the states sales tax 25%
This hurts families, seniors on a fixed income, small business owners, and consumers in general. Now more
than ever people need to keep the money they have earned to take care of their own families and
balance their household budgets, NOT balance the State's budget!
"Balance the budget with reform, not with more taxes!"
I support the ballot initiative to lower the state sales tax to 3%
I support rolling the income tax back to 5% from 5.3% as well (the people demanded
this years ago and it was part of my campaign platform when I ran in 2004).
- Bad Idea #2: having taxpayers foot the bill to house the homeless in local hotels at a
cost of $2,500 dollars a month.
Is your mortgage or rent $2,500 dollars a month? Neither is mine!!!
It makes no sense.
Adding insult to injury, West Springfield taxpayers are paying around $200,000 dollars a year to bus the
children at these welfare hotels to the school district of their choosing. This amounts to an additional
TAX on the residents.
Our police and fire departments are also affected by this policy with increased calls to respond to
various disturbances. It is estimated that 340 homeless families are housed in area
hotels throughout western Massachusetts (117 in West Springfield alone).
10% are from out of state that moved here to take advantage of our states liberal policy
and they were never required to prove their last place of residency.
A better idea: The Department of Housing and Community Development should outline a
plan that would allow landlords and property management companies across the Commonwealth, with vacant apartments,
to participate in a program that would transition families from hotels to apartments.
The program would be capped at $800 a month (depending on the size of apartment).
This proposal would allow 3 to 4 families to be housed for the price we are currently paying to house 1 family
in a hotel.
This would save taxpayers millions of dollars, provide better living conditions (especially families with small
children), ease the burden on our police & fire departments, and provide an immediate reduction in tax dollars
we are spending to bus children to school districts outside of West Springfield.
See recent news on "Housing the Homeless"
Chicopee and Springfield are also dealing with similar issues.
Contact me for a detailed analysis of the true costs of housing the homeless and
my suggestions on how it could be done much more economically.
- Bad Idea #3: the TAXES and FEES that are yet to come unless fiscal watchdogs are in
Boston to protect the taxpayer.
Governor Deval Patrick has proposed having a chip implanted in the windshield of your car or Fast Lane
Pass or even your license plate that would allow your mileage to be tracked by a state agency for the sole
purpose of taxing you for every mile that you drive.
(I would never support that!!!)
The Governor is still eyeing an increase in the gas tax, instate tuition for illegal immigrants and
increased fees for your car inspections. The state also wants you to pay more if you drive a truck
or an SUV. If these proposals are enacted you can expect to have a lot less money in your pocket to
balance your own budget at home or at your business.
TAXING AND SPENDING IS NOT THE ANSWER!
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- Jobs:
Our economy is in tough shape, the unemployment rate is at a 35 year high, and instead of enacting
policies to help grow the economy the politicians in Boston have done just the opposite.
Businesses need tax relief, and instead they got tax increases and more regulations.
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How can a business grow and employ more people when they have less money to invest
in their businesses? Not only does this hurt the business community, it hurts you if your looking for a job.
- The 25% increase in the states sales tax is killing business and costing jobs, especially if your
business is located along the border of Connecticut or New Hampshire.
Connecticut’s sales tax rate is lower than in Massachusetts and New Hampshire does not have a sales tax.
This drives Massachusetts shoppers across the border to make their purchases.
The New Hampshire legislature said “The Massachusetts state sales tax increase of
25% is the best stimulus package they could have hoped for.”
- Massachusetts is not business friendly: businesses across the country are looking to relocate
to any state that offers lower taxes and less regulation so they can be more competitive, unfortunately
Massachusetts is not high on their list.
300,000 people have lost their jobs in Massachusetts, state government should be
bending over backwards to attract those businesses here to get our economy and our residents working again.
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- Wasteful Government Spending:
Real pension reform is a must! Excessive salaries and pension
packages are costing taxpayers millions!
There are countless examples of these abuses (too numerous to mention here) so I have provided links
for you to read and educate yourself on why REAL PENSION REFORM IS NEEDED!
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