Aug 11, 2008 4:48 pm US/Eastern
Ballot Question Rattles Nerves On Beacon Hill
Ballot Question Would Repeal State's Income Tax
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Call it the perfect storm. The economy is hurting. People are fed up with high prices, and now Massachusetts voters can decide whether they want to repeal the state income tax.
It's known as Question 1 on the state ballot this fall. It's comes to voters from a small but determined group.
Truly a "David versus Goliath" and they have 12 weeks to get their message out.
These volunteers are working out of a Wayland home and they are busy trying to convince voters to repeal the state's 5.3 percent income tax.
That's what would happen if people vote "yes" on Question 1.
Carla Howell is a leader in the organization known as the Committee for Small Government.
"When we end the income tax in Massachusetts we will give back an average of $3,700 to three million four hundred thousand workers in Massachusetts," Howell said. "These people desperately need this money in their pocket."
It's not clear which way voters will go given the gloomy economic times.
In WBZ's exclusive Fast Track survey 500 people were asked, should Massachusetts continue to have a state income tax?
Forty-seven percent said "yes," while 45 percent said "no."
The Massachusetts Teachers Association and a long list of other groups will spend tens of millions of dollars convincing tax payers to vote "no".
These groups predict public education will be decimated without the state income tax and they say property taxes will sky rocket.
No one denies that if the measure passes it would essentially take a chain saw to state government.
It would strip the state of more than $12 billion from its current $27 billion budget.
The ballot initiative has the attention of Gov. Deval Patrick.
"Nobody likes paying taxes, nobody," Patrick said. "I don't like paying taxes, but I do think there is a price for civilization."
Patrick told reporters recently that citizens are already complaining about certain programs that he vetoed in this budget.
He then said this about the ballot question: "If you hated that veto…wait until the ballot initiative…you ain't seen nothing yet. That's 40 percent of state government."
If the voters say "yes" to repealing the state income tax, the rate would be sliced in half in 2009 and would be totally eliminated in 2010.
The same question was on the ballot in 2002 when the state's economy was much stronger and it still garnered 45 percent of the vote.
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