Yes on Question 1 — And Throw The Bums Out

I was recently involved in another blog debate, and thought it was worth passing on an excerpt from it, as it answers a recommendation from opponents of Question One: That instead of attempting to repeal the state income tax we elect new legislators who’ll recognize and address our concerns.

Their solution is, “Work the changes you want through the system.”  I asserted that here in “The Birthplace of Liberty” this is currently not possible.  An important part of this discussion follows:

“Chip, question: What are we going to do, if we pass this law and our political hacks refuse to innact [sic] it like they did before? Would the taxpayer be lawfully in the right to refuse to have any state tax withheld or not pay the taxes?

“This is not a democracy, we have a representative form of Government. Is there anything that says as a Representative they have to vote the will of the people? …”

I replied:

Nope, not a thing. Our legislators can do pretty much as they please — and they do. Our only recourse is to replace them when they run for reelection — but that’s near-impossible in Massachusetts. Many brave and dedicated souls have tried, but few have succeeded — so much so that fewer attempt this exercise in futility each election cycle.

Consider the following:

Our “full-time” legislators collect $58,000 a year base salary, taxpayer-funded of course. This is automatically adjusted every two years, so it might be higher now than when I last looked.

Our “full-time” legislators have been on vacation since the end of July, when they suspended formal sessions until after the election. They are “in the district” campaigning for reelection full time, at taxpayer-expense, especially if they are one of the few who have opposition.

Any challenger for an incumbent’s seat is working 9-5 to support their family, campaigning only in his or her free time.

Legislators begin the day after their election raising campaign funds for the next election — spend the next two years non-stop building up a campaign war-chest for their reelection campaign. Two years of fundraising, not to mention the advantage of “name recognition” over any upstart and insolent challenger two years down the road.

Challengers only begin to raise campaign expenses when they decide to run.

A specific case, state Senate President Therese Murray:

The Associated Press recently reported that, though unopposed in this upcoming election, she has accumulated $300,000 added to her campaign war-chest, just this year:

“Senate President Therese Murray is running unopposed in the primary and general elections, but still raked in more than $300,000 in campaign donations this year.

“The donations came from lawyers, CEO’s, union officials, mortgage bankers and homemakers. Most were from outside her Plymouth district, according to a review of campaign finance records.”

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/politics/view/2008_09_08_Senate_President_Therese_Murray__unopposed__but_raises__300_000/

When she was last challenged in 2004, by Republican novice Tim Duncan, out came the battalion of union thugs to threaten and intimidate his family, disrupt his fundraising event.

To read this citizen-challenger’s own personal account and see photos and a video of the confrontation, go to:

http://cltg.org/cltg/clt2004/04-05-25.htm

So, challenging and defeating a tax-borrow-and-spend legislator carries significant personal risk, along with massive disadvantages. And we wonder why so few choose to run for office against the entrenched?

The only solution is to vote out any incumbent who is not satisfying your view of how goverment should be, every time without exception, taking every opportunity whenever you find a challenger to that incumbent on your ballot. So far that has not worked either, though we have tried to assist the underdog heroes and heroines through CLT’s 2 1/2 PAC.

Over 34 years we’ve tried everything. Nothing has significantly changed The System here in Massachusetts — besides our Prop 2 1/2 — a political culture quite unique across the United States.

See:  http://cltg.org/cltg/clt2008/08-09-09nr.htm#memo

With passage of Question 1, at least voters will get the pols’ attention that we’re “mad as hell and not taking it any more.” If the pols give us the Beacon Hill middle finger salute once again, sooner or later voters will reach the necessary critical mass and throw the bums out. The question is, will that happen before the pols bankrupt the state and us taxpayers? Either or both are not too far off any more.

See: http://cltg.org/time_bomb.htm

Tags: Income Tax Repeal, Question 1, Question One

4 comments September 13th, 2008

The end is upon us — join the celebration!

The end is here.  The Legislature and governor are now confronted with the inevitable stark reality, on their watch:  The dissolution of state government. Due to their malfeasance and decades of incompetence, mismanagement, and arrogant overspending year after year that preceded them, the situation has reached critical mass.  The state is imploding under the weight of overspending and debt.  The preferred method, taxing their way out of self-imposed fiscal crisis after crisis, is virtually off the table this time.  The public mood is angry.  Very angry.  Across the board, in every demographic.  By huge margins.  [See the WBZ/Survey USA poll results]

With Question One, outright repeal of the income tax, hanging over their collective head like Damocles’ sword, the pols dare not make the wrong move — and they know it.  As the Eagle-Tribune editorial  [Jul. 20 - Big Dig debt means state must say 'No' to other plans] reiterates, the Patrick administration “insists new taxes or tolls are off the table right now.”  You bet they are, “right now.”  If Question One should fail, it won’t be “right now” any longer — it’ll be back to “Party time!” and business-as-usual with the pols for as long as they can get away with it.  That’ll require a massive tax increase quickly, to stretch the gravy train ride a bit longer.

This governor and this Legislature are the last ones standing in the game of political musical chairs — the losers.  There was always going to be some administration and some Legislature left holding the bag for decades of refusing to address the critically mounting crisis of overspending, and these are the ones it falls on.  The bill they’ve run up is due, and taxpayers are about to cut up the Beacon Hill credit card.

The end is here.  This was always the only way it could end, the only way it would.  For decades, if our money was available they spent it; if they didn’t take enough from us they simply took more under any guise or pretense.  With the foxes guarding the hen house, making the self-serving election rules and legislating obscene incumbent advantages, they virtually insured their permanent seats on Beacon Hill for as long as they wanted them — until a better, richer-paying opportunity opened in the public sector.  They lived and “performed” for their fat pensions and retirement benefits when the game was over for them.

It’s over now.  Passage of Question One assures that.  Oh sure, they might exert one last futile act of desperation and ignore the repeal to keep the gravy train from running off the tracks, but the public at last has had enough.  This won’t end with citizen apathy this time — each voter’s personal situation financially will see to that.  Just think, as voters go to the polls in November they’ll also be confronted by the winter season’s first home heating bills, expected to double over last year’s.  They’ll be in no mood for being suckered again to keep the carefree Beacon Hill fat cat lifestyle rolling.  It’ll get ugly this time — real ugly.  Political career-ending ugly.

Legislators know this too, for “right now.”  Join us in celebrating The End of State Government As We Know It.  Be part of bringing down this multi-tiered system of corruption, this long-evolved culture of cronyism, of government of, by, and for the insiders.  Vote YES on Question 1 and repeal the income tax — and vote against every tax-borrow-and-spend incumbent on the ballot who brought us to this point and the state to its knees.

Tags: fiscal crisis, income tax, Question 1, Question One, state budget

3 comments July 21st, 2008