“When the Massachusetts state government wants to spend more money than it collects in taxes, how should it deal with the money gap? Raise taxes? Cut spending?”

• 12% answered, “raise taxes.”
• 71% responded, “cut state government spending.” (1)

Yet the Massachusetts legislature opposed voters — and raised taxes.

In May 2009, the Beacon Hill Institute released a study of the impact of raising the state sales tax from 5% to 6.25%.

Here’s what they found:

• This sales tax increase will drain $900 million in new taxes each year out of the pockets of consumers and the revenues of retail businesses.
• This sales tax hike will destroy 12,666 private sector jobs.
• This sales tax hike will create 6,579 NEW tax-funded government jobs.
• It will reduce Massachusetts private sector investment by $51 million.

Politicians are borrowing and spending money like there’s no tomorrow — and jacking up your taxes to pay for it.

But now — Massachusetts voters are fighting back! They formed the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes in late August of 2009 to put a citizen initiative to roll back the sales tax to 3% — and it’s headed for the 2010 ballot!

If TEA Parties and Town Hall Meetings reflect the mood of voters, the politicians may have finally gone too far.Maybe, just maybe, the people can finally stop Big Government politicians dead in their tracks and roll back taxes.

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(1) Poll of likely November 2008 Massachusetts registered voters conducted by Fabrizio, MaLaughlin & Associates.

Related posts:

1. An Open Letter to the Massachusetts State Legislature From Carla Howell and Michael Cloud, Sponsors of the 2008 Massachusetts End the Income Tax Ballot Initiative