The School Committee this week voted unanimously to oppose a ballot question in the November election that would repeal the state income tax. At the Aug. 25 open meeting, Harvard Teachers Association President Kathleen Doherty said that last spring HTA took a vote to stand against Question 1 (a referendum to repeal the state income tax) on the ballot this November. She asked that the School Committee discuss taking a similar action.
Doherty said the HTA sees public education as one of the biggest losers if Question 1 passes, and called its defeat vital to the health of Harvard’s schools.
Chairman Stu Sklar thanked Doherty for her statements and said that he had planned to discuss a stand against Question 1 and that he couldn’t have put it as eloquently as she. Subsequently, the committee voted unanimously to support opposition of Question 1, and expressed a desire to approach other town boards and get something in writing that reflects a united position.
Question 1 proposes to:
- Reduce the state personal income tax rate to 2.65 percent for all categories of taxable income for the tax year beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2009.
- Eliminate the tax for all tax years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2010
According to an account on Wikipedia.com, proponents of the change say that if the tax were eliminated, “three million Massachusetts taxpayers would receive an ‘average annual raise of $3,600 each’” and believe that it would make the state more attractive to businesses and workers. The account goes on to say, “Income tax receipts in Massachusetts account for 39 percent of overall state revenue. State legislators would still have $18 billion to spend, if the income tax is repealed.”
In March, Gov. Deval Patrick called the initiative “irresponsible” and said it would undermine essential services such as road repairs and school building. Opponents of the measure also believe it would deal a crippling blow to the state’s schools, which are already struggling to find ways to get more state aid for education.
