Efforts under way to defeat income tax ballot measure

By Scott Merzbach
Staff Writer

Published on September 05, 2008

AMHERST - Meetings to get residents involved in defeating a Nov. 4 ballot initiative that could eliminate the Massachusetts income tax are beginning to take place.

In Amherst, the first such event took place Aug. 22 at the Loose Goose Cafe. Others will occur throughout the four western-most counties in coming weeks.

Leo Maley, a union organizer for Amherst who is helping to spearhead the local efforts on behalf of the Vote No On Question 1 campaign, said the meeting was a way of getting people organized to work on the effort after Labor Day.

"The goal is to simply do some organizing and local efforts to generate opposition to question 1," Maley said.

Question 1 would eliminate the state income tax, which is estimated as supplying 40 percent, or $12. 7 billion, of all state revenue, according to information from the campaign's Web site, votenoquestion1.com

Coalition for Our Communities, an organization created by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, is calling the ballot initiative a reckless idea that would put education, health care, public safety and infrastructure at risk.

Supporters, though, have said it will give $3,700 back to each of 3.4 million workers in the state annually, and remove $11 billion from the state Legislature's coffers.

Led by Carla Howell and the Committee for Small Government, those who got the question on the ballot argue its passage would force streamlining of government and eliminate waste.

The Vote No on Question 1 campaign is identifying supporters through pledge cards and will begin planning public events and educational forms to inform voters on the question.

Pamela Schwartz, western regional director for the Coalition for Our Communities, said her organization hopes to react quickly to provide accurate information about the initiative and counter supporters' efforts to persuade voters.

Select Board member Diana Stein announced the first gathering at Loose Goose at a Select Board meeting because she is worried about what a vote for Question 1 would mean to Amherst.

"It's absolutely relevant to Amherst," Stein said. "The town could lose almost 40 percent of its income."

The University of Massachusetts would also be affected.

"This would have a devastating effect on things funded by the state directly, like UMass, but also on the towns," Maley said.

Representatives from UMass, as well as the League of Women Voters, are involved in local organization efforts. Another kickoff event in Amherst is slated for Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. at a location to be determined.

A similar measure on the 2002 ballot received 45 percent support from voters. Under state law, it could not be brought before voters again until two elections had passed.

"It's not a good vehicle for making a statement," Maley said. "It's something that goes into law and has an immediate effect."

A list of other local organizational meetings, including times and places, is available on the Vote no On Question 1's Web site.