[Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory ballotquestions?

[BillCunningham]

Yep, progressive income tax has to be taken up separately in large part because of the constitutional factor. 

Local income tax isn't prohibited but I guess it would require a State enabling act. To make enabling easier we would want a permanent local option law in place. Ditto other local laws we favor, like police review boards or rent control. 

I wouldn't want to add local income to local property tax and wind up with both. But many cities and counties in the US already do just that.

And for sure, we wouldn't want to impose it on localities, but rather make it available at local option. One size doesn't fit all here.

The property tax is a very large, regressive tax (I know some tax experts dispute this. It believe it also encourages reckless development patterns from a Green-Rainbow standpoint—Henry George notwithstanding. 

Thus I propose we should float the idea of a local option for replacing the property tax with the income tax as the basis of local revenues. In any case I doubt WE will effectively oppose the anti-income tax ballot question by just saying "no."


-----Original Message-----
>From: Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com
>Sent: Mar 31, 2008 3:28 PM
>To: etwee at earthlink.net, platform at green-rainbow.org, statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>Subject: Re: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory ballotquestions?
>
>Bill - an actual progressive income tax, as you know would require a 
>consitutional amendment - is a local income tax prohibited in law somewhere?   I know 
>that municipalities would freak out that people will move across the the next 
>town if they implimented such a thing - but obviously it would be much fairer 
>even for raising the same amounto f taxes... Grace
>In a message dated 3/31/08 3:16:43 PM, etwee at earthlink.net writes:
>
>
>> We should definitely look at it. I would like to see a permanent local 
>> option to ABOLISH residential property taxes with an income tax substitution; 
>> separately the Statewide income tax reform should be made progressive.
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> >From: Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com
>> >Sent: Mar 31, 2008 12:28 PM
>> >To: etwee at earthlink.net, Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com, platform at green-rainbow.org, 
>> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>> >Subject: Re: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory 
>> ballotquestions?
>> >
>> >I actually filed legislation to increase incoem tax and give property tax
>> >relief so if we think that is the right formula there is legislation 
>> sitting in a
>> >committee somewhere.
>> >
>> >as for the initiative petition, any initiative petition that has funding
>> >impacts has to be approved by the legislators after it is passed so,yeah, 
>> this
>> >would be relevant...   Thanks, Grace
>> >In a message dated 3/31/08 11:48:57 AM, etwee at earthlink.net writes:
>> >
>> >
>> >> Grace,
>> >>
>> >> The district advisory questions are in the form of "instructions" for the
>> >> state legislators concerned. Should the binding tax question pass, what 
>> could
>> >> the legislators do about it?
>> >>
>> >> To counteract the income tax abolitionists, we need a tax program of our
>> >> own. My favorite is abolition of the residential property tax and its
>> >> REPLACEMENT by a local income tax. (We have talked about this in 
>> Cambridge electoral
>> >> campaigns.)
>> >>
>> >> As the economy shakes down and particularly in housing, people will bve
>> >> desperate for relief. The libertarians may get more traction for the 
>> income tax
>> >> question under these conditions. We have to insist on the income tax more 
>> than
>> >> ever because of the crisis, renew the argument for making it progressive
>> >> (the Dems abandoned that after 1994), and go after the property tax 
>> instead. I
>> >> think that will make sense to a lot of people.
>> >>
>> >> Linking in the property tax makes the connection with our the housing
>> >> priority, and may help us formulate a tax "instruction" or advisory that
>> >> legislators could cope with....
>> >>
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> >From: Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com
>> >> >Sent: Mar 31, 2008 10:49 AM
>> >> >To: etwee at earthlink.net, Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com, 
>> platform at green-rainbow.org,
>> >> statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>> >> >Subject: Re: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory
>> >> ballotquestions?
>> >> >
>> >> >Bill - I know Merelice was seeking a question through our new coalition 
>> on
>> >> >the sub-rpime lending crisis - but I am wondering about a question to
>> >> address
>> >> >the problems underlying this binding ballot question on a complete 
>> repeal
>> >> of the
>> >> >income tax which will be on the November ballot statewide...
>> >> >
>> >> >Thanks, Grace
>> >> >In a message dated 3/31/08 10:16:20 AM, etwee at earthlink.net writes:
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >> I could work on one, especially if it's about housing issues. There
>> >> should
>> >> >> be a buck-stops-here party contact for this project?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I'm sure the details have already been discussed, and correct me if 
>> I'm
>> >> >> wrong:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 200 valid signatures will place a question in a state rep district,
>> >> around
>> >> >> three times that for a state senate district. Sigs must be submitted 
>> to
>> >> local
>> >> >> election officials by the first week in July.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> After drafting a text it's a good idea to submit it to the AG's office
>> >> for
>> >> >> vetting. Not required but fends off legal challenges. Two I worked on 
>> in
>> >> 2006
>> >> >> were submitted in early April. Vetting and rewrite might take a week 
>> or
>> >> two.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> The State limits advisory questions per district per election. No more
>> >> than
>> >> >> three can appear and they are placed as they are submitted to the
>> >> Elections
>> >> >> Division, Secertary of the Commonwealth.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> In other words, the sooner, the better.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> >> >From: Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com
>> >> >> >Sent: Mar 31, 2008 9:44 AM
>> >> >> >To: platform at green-rainbow.org, statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
>> >> >> >Subject: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory 
>> ballot 
>> >>  
>> >> >> questions?
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >Hi, Jill & John Andrews & whoever else might know about this - It has
>> >> >> become
>> >> >> >apparent that some advisory questions are being formulated.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >as was decided at the last statecom meeting and Merelice has reminded
>> >> us,
>> >> >> >advisory ballot questions content was to be created and vetted by the
>> >> >> platform
>> >> >> >committee.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >However, no language for questions has been posted or discussed on 
>> this
>> >> >> list
>> >> >> >serv.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >Can the possible topics please be posted so we can begin this
>> >> discussion?  
>> >> >> >Thanks, Grace
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> >**************
>> >> >> >Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video
>> >> >> >on AOL Home.
>> >> >> >     
>> >> >> >(http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&
>> >> >> ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
>> >> >> >_______________________________________________
>> >> >> >Platform mailing list
>> >> >> >Platform at green-rainbow.org
>> >> >> >http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Bill Cunningham
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >**************
>> >> >Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
>> >> >Home.
>> >> >      (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&
>> >> >ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> Bill Cunningham
>> >> _______________________________________________
>> >> Platform mailing list
>> >> Platform at green-rainbow.org
>> >> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >**************
>> >Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL
>> >Home.
>> >      (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&
>> >ncid=aolhom00030000000001)
>> 
>> 
>> Bill Cunningham
>> 
>
>
>
>
>**************
>Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL 
>Home.
>      (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15&
>ncid=aolhom00030000000001)


Bill Cunningham