[statecom-discuss] [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory ballotquestions?

Steven G. Randall chanrandall24 at comcast.net
Tue Apr 1 10:17:47 EDT 2008 

On Tax:

>From my point to view in Amherst, it would be hard to dispute the regressive 
nature of property tax--or it's plain largeness.  There seems to be a 
question of fairness also.  Why is it that owners of commercial retail space 
are exempt from paining property tax when their space is not being rented to 
a business?  I can't stop paying property tax on my condo when I'm on 
vacation?

When I lived in Philadelphia, there was a city income tax on both residents 
and those employed in the city.  It was not a very high tax, at the time, 
because so many were paying into it. A city/town income tax might have some 
small impact on suburban sprawl as well as being more progressive?  Should 
there also be a property tax, could this in theory be progressive also--with 
smaller properties below a certain valuation exempt?  Would this persuade 
some not to build McMansions, the house version of the SUV?  Could a 
progressive property tax be designed that provided for tax abatements for 
owners investing in solar and other green technologies?

Steve Randall
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "BillCunningham" <etwee at earthlink.net>
To: <Gracegrnrnbw at aol.com>; <platform at green-rainbow.org>; 
<statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org>
Sent: Monday, March 31, 2008 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Platform] Can the plaform committee consider advisory 
ballotquestions?


> 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
> _______________________________________________
> Platform mailing list
> Platform at green-rainbow.org
> http://www.green-rainbow.org/mailman/listinfo/platform
>

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