Recently, we have received “anonymous” mailings making patently false claims about Jamie Eldridge’s record. While one cannot be sure, his opponent, Steven Levy, has not publicly disowned the mailing and they reflect his campaign messages. In addition, we received additional mailings from Kurt Hayes suggesting that Jen Benson is an insider, favors tax increases, and will not fight for local aid. Nothing could be further from the truth.
What is truly unfortunate, though, is the use of oversimplification and misinformation to influence voters. Over the past 10 years it is our local property taxes that have risen, not our income tax rates. State government hasn’t asked for more, but local governments have suffered. Yes, over time, things do cost more and that includes public services. Through the efforts of Jamie Eldridge, Chapter 70 school funding formulas were adjusted to help local communities in our region and reduce our regressive property tax increases. And yes, Jamie supported expansion of healthcare coverage, a cost we as a state and a nation should shoulder, just as we shoulder Medicare and Social Security for our elders who gave our communities so much.
The Republican candidates seem to think that we can lower income taxes and not cut local aid. This is simply not possible. Sure, there is government waste—we’ve all seen it, yet we haven’t found one candidate who, when promising to eliminate it, has ever done so to the extent needed to fix the local aid gap. Any reduction in the income tax bill will come home to roost in the form of overrides—punishing our seniors and those least able to afford them. And again, the size of the income tax saving will be dwarfed by the local property tax increase.
Jamie Eldridge and Jen Benson understand these realities and support using income tax revenue so that we do not make even worse the unfairness of local property taxes.
I would encourage everyone to step back, consider the facts, not just read the sound bites, and support Jamie Eldridge and Jen Benson at the polls.
Bruce and Ellen Leicher
Warren Avenue
