Here's a twist on the tax discussion...raise the taxes on those least able to pay (more) and who are currently paying the highest percentage of income in taxes.  This political platform may get a candidate more corporate contributions, but as we know, corporations aren't people and they don't vote.  Think about it...who earns the money that's not being contributed/taxed at the similar percentage of income basis to pay for the programs and services that we all depend and rely upon on a daily basis?

The moral argument would have been obvious before this polarized year. Nearly 90 percent of the families that paid no income tax make less than $40,000, most much less...At a time when high-income households are paying their lowest share of federal taxes in decades, when corporations frequently avoid paying any tax, it is clear who should bear a larger burden and who should not . [Full Editorial: The New York Times]

When faced with a potential $3 billion deficit in fiscal year 2003, the Massachusetts legislature took a balanced approach including approving a revenue package worth $1.1 billion.   Our current Senator Brown doesn't recall this bit of history, but we're hoping he takes this correct Mass model to Washington, DC for a balanced approach to addressing federal deficit.  Now, if only we could replicate this model for the Mass budget for fiscal year 2013.

“Every time we ran into a bump, no matter whether the year was ’01, ’02, ’03, or ’04, it was a combination of stuff,’’ recalls former House Speaker Tom Finneran, a fiscal conservative. “We would draw down the rainy day fund, we would do cuts, and we did revenue.’’  [Full Op-Ed: The Boston Globe]

With the economy not yet recovered, many around the country are concerned the outcome on the debt ceiling legislation will adversely affect states and cities that have already been struggling financially.

Tom Cochran, the executive director of the United States Conference of Mayors, said that the proposed cuts in the debt ceiling deal were “devastating” to cities...“They mean fewer cops, fewer firefighters and less money for job creation projects, housing and elderly care,” he said in a statement. “... We must close tax loopholes to the wealthy and corporations and look at other revenue adjustments. The focus now must be on investments for job creation because we can’t cut our way to economic prosperity.”  [Full Article: The New York Times]

Imagine if corporations invested in our communities, via taxes without legislative loopholes, how much more financially sound this country would be. Noble goal, indeed.

They are high-tech companies, financial players, and manufacturers. What they all have in common: They paid no federal income taxes last year, despite making millions of dollars in profits… They are beneficiaries of longtime tax breaks for corporations, tax specialists say, coupled in some cases with shorter-term tax benefits that lawmakers introduced in the past three years to help companies during the recession. Indeed, more than one-quarter of 112 profitable, publicly traded companies in the Commonwealth did not write checks to Uncle Sam for the 2010 tax year, according to a Globe review of tax data filed with regulators and compiled by Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ. [Full Article: Boston Globe]

The rally, organized by the South Shore Council of the progressive group MoveOn.org, took place outside the Fidelity Investments office next to South Shore Plaza. Targeted were major and profitable corporations that have taken advantage of tax breaks to pay little or no taxes. [Full Article: Patriot Ledger]

Melrose Mayor Robert J. Dolan is poised to be elected president of the Massachusetts Mayors' Association at the group's annual meeting Jan. 24. The association's nominating committee voted Dec. 10 to recommend him for the unpaid position… Among the changes Dolan will be promoting are proposals to close telecommunications tax loopholes; to allow cities and towns to design their healthcare plans without collective bargaining; and to allow a reduction in the level of union approval needed to join the state's health insurance system. He also plans to advocate for allowing cities and towns to adopt a local meals tax; to increase the allowable local hotel tax; to remove obstacles to regionalizing services; and to allow municipalities to require drug and alcohol tests for public safety personnel without collective bargaining. [Full Article: Boston Globe]

Who Benefits from Multi-million Dollar Tax Incentives to Local Filming?

Everyone likes to see their hometown on the big screen, and many states are competing to entice blockbusters with tax incentives, hoping to attract this relatively low-pollution, high-profile industry. The question is whether Massachusetts taxpayers are getting enough return on these investments.

What kind of government do we want and how do we pay for it?

Worcester Telegram and Gazette March 31 BOSTON—

Young advocates from Worcester joined peers from around the state yesterday in urging support for budget proposals from Gov. Deval L. Patrick to more than double funding for summer job programs and local efforts to curb youth gang activity and violence.........the Governor said the public should not view youth violence as a problem isolated in “bad neighborhoods” and not affecting “good neighborhoods. They are all our children,” he told about 200 people who attended the lobbying meeting. The state will pay more later if they do not help youth today, he said.Rev. Walter R. Tillman of Christ Baptist Church of Worcester said the governor’s comments were right in line with the work the interfaith group is doing in the state’s second-largest city.“The Governor’s commitment to the youth initiatives is very exciting to us. This is what we wanted to hear, that he is increasing funding for youth initiatives, because we believe that prevention is cost-effective for the future,” Rev. Tillman said. “Whether we live in Boston or Worcester, or in some of the suburban communities, these issues impact all of us.”

and then they went on to ask for the government program they thought was necessary .........

Governor Deval Patrick will propose a gradual reduction in the state's corporate tax rate from 9.5 percent to 8.3 percent when he unveils his budget next week, a bid to win business support and jumpstart his stalled plan to tighten what he calls corporate tax loopholes, administration sources said. The plan is an olive branch of sorts that Patrick is hoping will help revive a cornerstone of his legislative agenda that has failed to move in the face of strong opposition from the business community and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi.............. "We are in a year where it's clear there's no easy way to solve the budget crisis," said Noah Berger, executive director of the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. "And the idea that we continue to leave open half a billion dollars in corporate loopholes when there's a danger of cutting education or local aid or healthcare is increasingly difficult to defend.

We think the quote from Noah Berger in the next to the last paragraph should be the lead, because he articulates the "tough choice" the public and our elected and appointed policy makers face. How do we find the revenues to support the public structures that that enable our healthy communities to thrive?