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Why casinos or higher taxes? Why not both?

Dec 8th, 2009 by Taylor Armerding

There was our former governor, Michael Dukakis, arguing this week against allowing casinos in Massachusetts. Yeah, he made passing reference to the moral case – we don’t need more addiction – but his real pitch was that the state could get the additional money it needs by repealing “worthless” tax exemptions. That’s some serious rhetorical gymnastics. “Repealing tax exemptions” really means “raising taxes.” And how can they be worthless if the ex-gov thinks they’ll bring in $2 billion?
But I wouldn’t bet on either or. I’m betting on both. As the State House News Service reports, Senate President Therese Murray has said that casinos are “inevitable.” And Rep. Jay Kaufman, D-Lexington, says the Legislature’s Revenue Committee is studying the existing tax incentives, and finding little or no rationale for many of them.
Coming soon. More opportunities than ever, close to home, to lose more of your “hard-earned” money. And higher taxes too. That’s the really safe bet.

Posted in Massachusetts politics, Taylor Armerding | View Comments

  • tomdelaney

    A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a compass, a slide-rule and a calculator. At a morning press conference, the Attorney General said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-Gebra movement.

    He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction.

    'Al-Gebra is a problem for us', the Attorney General said. 'They derive solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in search of absolute values.' They use secret code names like 'X' and 'Y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns', but we have determined that they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country.

    As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle'.
    When asked to comment on the arrest, President Obama said, 'If God had wanted us to have better weapons of math instruction, he would have given us more fingers and toes.' White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more intelligent or profound statement by the President.

    It is believed that the Nobel Prize for Physiques will follow—-

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