Mayors’ Coalition supports Muni Partnership proposal
I got a letter today from Mayor Thomas G. Ambrosino of Revere, Chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors’ Coalition, urging support for Deval Patrick’s Municipal Partnership legislation. I already support it, as I think we need something to help cities and towns now and also to start to break our dependence on the property tax to fund local programs, especially schools. The Mayors are calling for supporters to be vocal and proactive by calling legislators, radio talk shows, talking to neighbors, etc. Supporters can also rally at the State House with the Governor, legislators and municipal leaders on Thursday, June 21, at 1:00 pm.
I am impressed by the effort of the Mayors’ Coalition to rally supporters around this initiative; but the letter was obviously geared toward supporters. Convincing others, including some of our lawmakers, of the importance of passing this legislation as well as working to reform our tax system altogether is more difficult. For that, I refer you to a recent editorial in the Lowell Sun by Bentley Adjunct Professor of Economics John Edward of Chelmsford. Edward is reframing the 
debate on taxes from “how much?” to “how do we pay taxes?” and “who pays?” Edward tackles the subject in a calm and logical fashion, breaking down the misconceptions about taxes being inherently evil and looking for the real problems in the system. For instance, he points out that while Massahcusetts has a high tax rate, our tax burden is actually 31st in the country when taxes are looked at as a percentage of personal income. As he says,
“Taxes may seem as if they are high in Massachusetts, because we, on average, make a lot of money.”
He then quotes Barbara Anderson, noted opponent of taxes and government, whose retort to this point has been that it is “little comfort to those of us who do not have high personal incomes.”
Here is where Edward takes it to another level:
“On this point, she is right on the money. Although our average income level is quite high, there is wide disparity in income. Inequality in massachusetts, like the rest of the nation is quite severe and is steadily getting worse. If you are struggling to make ends meet– and many are–then accepting and paying higher taxes is difficult.”
He goes on to point out that he finds it
ironic that many of the anti-tax crusaders are obstructionists when it comes to doing something about making taxes fairer.
He gives some examples of the unfairness of our current tax system, he asks us to ’separate arguments over how much we tax from arguments about whome we tax’ and he sums up the current situation as follows:
In Massachusetts, we have a very regressive tax system. What this means is that when all state and local taxes are factored in, the poorest families in the state pay a tax rate relative to income that is roughly twice as high as that paid by the wealthiest families. Addressing the questions of how we tax and who pays would offer considerably more comfort to those without high personal incomes.”
I am looking forward to reading more from this clever, progressive thinker.