The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce joined with different enterprise teams Tuesday in voicing their opposition to a poll query which can ask voters to alter the state’s structure in November to hike taxes on excessive incomes.
“One fundamental belief we have is that the process and the vehicle is wrong, in that this ballot question that the proponents in the Legislature have enabled to be brought to the public to ask for a vote to include a tax rate on a particular group of citizens that will be enshrined in the constitution of the commonwealth,” James Rooney, chamber president, informed the Herald.
The Pioneer Institute filed a lawsuit in March alleging that the 2022 poll query to tax the state’s millionaires is deceptive voters. On Tuesday the chamber, together with different enterprise teams, filed an amicus temporary with the courtroom saying they assist the Pioneer Institute’s swimsuit.
The poll query, proposing a so-called “millionaire’s tax” however formally titled the “Fair Share amendment,” would amend the state structure so as to add a 4% tax on incomes over $1 million in a given yr. Proponents say the funding raised can be earmarked for training and transportation spending.
Greg Sullivan, the creator of a white paper Pioneer revealed on the matter, argued that the query’s framing is deceptive. Rooney agreed.
“The question has to be clear, transparent and understandable so people know what they are voting for. One element of misinformation that is now in play is that if this question passes – the money will be spent on education and transportation. That’s not true, it’s the intent of the proponents, but the language cannot bind a future legislator to do that,” Rooney defined.
Beth Kontos, President of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, which helps the modification, mentioned college students want the cash the tax will generate.
“Massachusetts students are struggling to recover from the pandemic, drivers and bus riders all across the state are traveling on crumbling roads and bridges, and students at our public colleges are falling deeper into debt. With all the problems facing our economy, it’s upsetting that the top priority of these business groups is protecting the immense wealth of their CEOs and investors,” she mentioned in an emailed assertion.
Fair Share for MA, the group behind the poll query, says they aren’t asking for something anybody can’t afford.
“Asking those who make more than a million dollars in a single year to pay a little bit more, and dedicating the money to transportation and public education in the text of the state constitution, is the strongest possible way to provide more resources for the great schools and transportation infrastructure we need to make our economy work for everyone,” the group mentioned in a launch.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”