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Divide the people and raise taxes

Feb 6th, 2008 by Taylor Armerding

Newton state Rep. Ruth Balser’s bill to exempt senior citizens from the impact of Proposition 2 1/2 overrides (something she has tried before) is not only a very bad idea. It is transparently disingenuous. It’s not about helping seniors, who already have more than enough help available to them if they really can’t pay their taxes. It’s just about trying to get them to stay home on election days, so more overrides will pass.
And that makes it both divisive and profoundly undemocratic - things you’d think a Democrat would oppose.
Balser has said in the past that part of the motivation for her bill is the fact that many property owners with children in the schools are willing to vote for higher taxes, while seniors with no children of school age are not. Take this to its logical conclusion, and what she’s saying is that only those with a direct interest in a service, and who will vote the way she wants, should be voting. She wants to bribe those who might be opposed to stay home. How about she file a bill that says only those who vote in favor of a tax increase have to pay for it?
The result, if her bill passes, of course, will be a benefit to one group of taxpayers at the expense of others, many of whom are surely struggling as much or more than seniors are to pay their taxes. And that is supposed to promote community? It promotes division.
Also what happened to the big Democratic ideal that everybody should vote? If Republicans were out there deliberately trying to suppress voting, you’d hear the screams from one end of the state to the other.

Posted in Local politics, Massachusetts politics, Municipal meltdown, Taylor Armerding | Comments

  • jacrlsn
    As usual. Mr Amerding, I couldn't agree more. I like the way you get to the heart of the matter.
  • seamus o
    wow thanks for telling me about this rep, I checked out her record and she seems really great.
    If what you say is really her intent it would go suggest that she has had a catharsis of sorts, no more the bleeding heart liberal, now the ruthless politician, ah darn it I probably found her to late...
  • bilge rat
    While I can understand Ms. Balser wanting to help the senior citizens, that is the wrong way to go about it.

    There are many property tax abatements available to seniors, however they aren't well publicized, for obvious reasons. Unless you go directly to your local city or town hall and ask, the information is not forthcoming. For example, if a senior citizen is declared legally blind, the tax abatement goes up on a yearly basis. There are abatements for widows, veterans, and widows of veterans, to name a few.

    Maybe the seniors should go live in Costa Rica. I heard it's cheaper there...... ;-)
  • michael cook
    Touche BR.
    It used to be when i first bought there a decade ago but, despite what Coldwell Banker and Century 21 tell people in their on line, email advertising about Costa Rica, there's nothing cheap about it anymore.

    It's the same everywhere, once a place gets discovered, whether it's Newburyport or Costa Rica, it generally gets ruined and way over priced.
  • bilge rat
    Newburyport and Costa Rica?
    Now that's a comparison I never would've thought of!!
    Have a great weekend!
    :-)
  • bilge rat
    You're right about Costa Rica not being cheap anymore, Michael.
    When I was in travel, pre-9/11, Costa Rica was just becoming noticed.
    Even at that time, there were unbelievable eco-travel deals to visit Costa. Beautiful, full service lodges in the rainforest, for literally dollars a day.
    Not anymore, though, from what I understand.
    Same with Belize. I used to get a kick out of people when I would recommend Belize or Costa for eco travel and price. People would look at me like I had two heads....
    "Belize? I never heard of it. Is it new?"
    duh....
    ;-)
  • michael cook
    I know EXACTLY what you mean.
    Putting all our domestic political differences aside, when i bought my land in Costa Rica a decade ago, for 6300 bucks, I had howler monkeys and grand macaws all around my property.
    Not anymore. Coldwell Banker and Century 21 have swept in and the land on the road where my place is is now selling for more than 100K.
    I suppose I should be happy about that, except that all the clear cutting is destroying the very beauty, flora and fauna that made Costa Rica so special in the first place.
    I don't know what the answer is any more.
    Ah well, what's a bleeding heart liberal and jungle preservationist to do?
    LOL
  • Harry Birmingham
    Bilge Rat , If you could want a poinyful laugh go back to Illegal Immigration and read #33.
  • Harry Birmingham
    Bilge Rat , If you could want a pointful laugh go back to Illegal Immigration and read #33.
  • bilge rat
    Can we have a more lighthearted topic to discuss, just for a little while?
    I need a break from all this political discourse!
    I'm burnt out already, and we're no where NEAR the election!!
    Sorry, all, I'm having a Monday morning breakdown!
    :-)

    How 'bout those Celtics?
  • Uncle Bunky
    Thers nothing democractin knowing you paid taxes on your paycheck to pay your mortgage. then you pay taxes again for sleeping in the house and eating in it. Then you drive to the gas station to pay taxes on your fuel. Then the you drive to the coffe shop to pay taxes on your cup of coffe. Both the fuel and the coffe were taxed because the fuel gets taxed to deliver the goods. Then the drivers also were taxed for working. There is to much tax on one thing or a dollar there has to be give and take. Trash fees illegal fuel tax is driving up the cost of food. And well all of that drives up city and town budgets and cost of living in turn drives up cost of living combined with crime high insuance rates and crumbling roads and not deporting illegals while big business continues to destroy many peoples heritage. We are doomed.
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