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Greetings!
We all want to live healthy, safe, and happy lives. We want to build opportunities for our families and neighbors to learn and grow and be productive. And we know that those opportunities are only possible with our combined support.
![Family Image [http://columbia.uwex.edu]](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs037/1101662827233/img/284.jpg?a=1103524704256)
But amidst an already uncertain fiscal future - combining a multi-billion dollar structural deficit, a nationwide economic downturn, the prospect of dwindling federal medicare and stimulus funds, and an increased reliance on the regressive property tax in our cities and towns - our state faces additional budget dangers - ones that we as consumers and as voters can have a direct effect on!
 Soonest to our door will be the "Sales Tax Holiday" working its way through the Senate to Governor Patrick's desk - a measure that critics say would not only eliminate significant tax receipts on August 14th & 15th, but for the months leading up to it as consumers push back purchases until the tax-free weekend. While this is not a sure thing - Patrick has said he will sign the bill only if our budget supports it - we could, as consumers, choose to not make our purchases that weekend. How does a statewide "Shop to Support Holiday" weekend sound?
And in November, we will see a number of important ballot questions that will affect all of our communities - including a proposal to cut our sales tax by more than half that "would cost the state up to $2.4 billion in annual revenue beginning Jan 1."
To learn more about how you can work with your friends and neighbors to shape our state's priorities - and how could we support them with stable, balanced, and adequate revenue reform, please contact me today!
Sincerely,
Yawu Miller
Project Manager, ONE Massachusetts
yawu@realclout.org | 617-275-2918
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REVENUE
By 2013, a fair, adequate, and stable tax system will be implemented.
It will raise sufficient revenue so that state and local governments
can fund the array of services needed. |
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Sales Tax
Sales tax question appears headed to Mass. ballot.
A proposal to cut the Massachusetts sales tax rate by more than half appears headed for the November ballot. Supporters of the question delivered nearly 14,000 signatures to the secretary of state's office on Wednesday -- more than the final 11,099 required to secure a spot on the ballot. The initiative would reduce the sales tax rate from 6.25 to 3 percent, a move that would cost the state up to $2.4 billion in annual revenue beginning Jan. 1. [Full Article: AP via Boston.com]
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Tax Collections Up
Mass. tax collections beat June expectations.
State officials say preliminary estimates of tax revenues for June are much better than they had predicted. Jay Gonzalez, the secretary of Administration and Finance, said Tuesday that tax collections for June are $138 million above the expectation of $1.9 billion. The revenue figures are also $67 million more than the year-to-date expectation of $18.46 billion. [Full Article: AP via Boston.com]
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Nationwide Financial Issues
States React to Financial Woes.
States around the country, including Massachusetts, are struggling to
balance their budgets and avoid deep cuts to programs and services as
the appetite in Washington to swoop to the rescue appears to be waning.
The $27.6 billion budget signed last week by Gov. Deval Patrick required the Democrat to not only approve unpopular cuts to local aid, but also an additional $372 million in program reductions and a further draw on the state's reserves that had previously been thought to be avoidable. [Full Article: Sentinel and Enterprise]
But Massachusetts is not the only state facing difficult decisions on what we need and value as a state, and how we are planning on funding those priorities - how much do we rely on cuts? How do you balance local, state-wide, and federal revenues? WHYY featured an interesting debate on states' financial woes from a nationwide perspective. [Full Conversation: WHYY Radio]
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CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
By 2013, the voice and input of the state's multi-racial, multi-ethnic communities will create a counterweight to the currently dominant voice and will be tangibly reflected in the public decision making process. |
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Legislative Deadline Looms
Advocates Making Final Push for Bills in Conference.
Massachusetts lawmakers are trying to forge agreements on bills
providing new management tools for cities and towns absorbing local aid
cuts, overhauling the way criminal records are
accessed and introducing major new forms of legalized gambling. A
disaster preparedness bill has been in conference since October but
appears to have dropped off the radar screens of legislative leaders.
Since late June, the House and Senate have agreed to
conference committee bills to ban texting while driving and fund state
government in fiscal 2011, both of which have since been signed into law
by Gov. Deval Patrick. A conference bill on kayak safety was accepted
Tuesday by the Senate and is pending before
the House. [State House News Service]
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Immigration
A Growing Coalition Sends Sign-on Letters.
Governor Patrick is to be commended for never, never, never giving up on making sure that legal immigrants were included in our state's commitment to universal health care by including a special section in his budget message asking the Legislature to protect the Commonwealth Bridge Program. A growing coalition of advocacy groups, legal services, unions, congregation-based organizations, and individuals are signing on to letters to Governor Patrick, Senate President Murray and House Speaker DeLeo. Please add your name or the name of your organization by sending an email to info@onemassachusetts.org or to any of the groups you may be
familiar with on this full list of organizations, and find sample "Thank you letters" to
the Governor and "Please support letters" to the Legislative leadership here.
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Community Conservation Efforts
Advocates Push for Stabilization in the Community Preservation Act.
According to The Putnam Conservation Institute, "CPA is an effective funding tool for communities to enhance recreation, affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space protection. SB 90 would stabilize state matching funds for CPA projects and would clarify the definitions of projects which qualify for CPA funding." The Community Preservation Coalition is urging folks statewide to contact their state representatives and senators before July 31-the sooner the
better! [More Information]
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Community Reform Efforts
Advocates Push for Municipal Health Insurance Reform.
A campaign by the Suburban Coalition is strongly urging the Legislature to take an active role in meaningful municipal health insurance reform; reform that allows municipalities to preserve services for taxpayers and that preserves both adequate, affordable health insurance and jobs for municipal employees. This legislative session concluded with no action on municipal health insurance reform. Municipalities still have no new tools available to help curb this ever-increasing cost. Instead, many communities must once again consider eliminating positions and cutting services. [Updates & Info]
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GOVERNMENT REFORM
By 2013, a transparent, accessible and accountable state and local
policy-making process will be in place. |
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Gift Ban Law.
Restaurants seek carveout from state's gift ban law.
Restaurateurs hurting for business in an unsettled economy and frustrated by lawmakers' willingness to exempt casinos from alcohol service limits are pleading with lawmakers to give them a break this week, over the objection of patient advocates. That break comes in the form of a House proposal to exempt restaurants from a 2008 state law that bars pharmaceutical companies from wining and dining doctors, which restaurants say has taken a bite out of their business in the two years since. [Full Article: SHNS via The Newton Tab]
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- July 19th - 29th - Statewide: Committee Against Repeal of the Alcohol Tax Regional Campaign Field Meetings. "At November 2nd's state election, the liquor industry will ask Massachusetts voters to repeal the sales tax on alcohol. This sales tax provides dedicated funding for substance abuse prevention, treatment and recovery services. Passage of the question would jeopardize funding of these programs." The Committee Against Repeal of the Alcohol Tax is hosting regional campaign meetings to inform you about the campaign and what YOU can do to help defeat the repeal:
- Monday, July 19 - WORCESTER
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
AdCare Hospital, 95 Lincoln Street
- Tuesday, July 20 - WEST SPRINGFIELD
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
AdCare Hospital, 117 Park Avenue (If parking lot is full, please park at neighboring Bickford's Restaurant) - Thursday, July 22 - BROCKTON
9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
High Point Treatment Center (Cafeteria), 10 Meadow Brook Road - Tuesday, July 27 - PEABODY
9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
CAB Health Recovery Services, Zero Centennial Drive - Thursday, July 29 - BOSTON
9:30 AM to 10:30 AM
AIDS Action, 75 Amory Street
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 Want more information on ONE Massachusetts and how you can get involved? Check out our: |
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