The people of MA voted overwhelmingly on bill to step down the MA state income tax from 5.95% to 5.0%... the legislature has gotten it down to 5.3% but they're freezing it there and they're in a bit of a bind... the state's budget is awful but if they raise taxes again it's in direct opposition to the will of the people.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the majority of the people who voted on the tax cut are the same people who whine about more money for after school programs, arts programs, more police, better roads, more teachers, more more more etc etc etc. Any modicum of economic sense people have goes right out the window when they step into a voting booth.

I voted for the bill, but not because I wanted lower taxes; because I knew an economic disaster was coming and we would have to raise money somehow. If we didnt get it through income tax, wed have to make it through sales tax, and that's fine by me. Well guess what? Now they're raising the sales tax.

Why am I not pissed? Well, we need to spend less. And maybe this will help. A sales tax is more fair than an income tax- tax the people who can afford it. There's no loophole for sales tax like there is for income tax, so in some ways this is MORE fair.

I think we should take it further, though- We already have made groceries and other living necessities exempt from sales tax, something I used to assume was true in all states till I learned its not. People say its confusing but it makes perfect sense to me- Everyone has to eat. Groceries are tax free. But going to a restaurant is a luxury, so prepared meals are taxed. This is really only confusing in one case I can think of- pour your own slurpee at 7-11 and its not taxed; but if someone pours it for you, it is.

Clothes are not taxed, either- up to a point. but there is a luxury tax on clothes. I think I had to pay tax for my leather jacket on the difference above $200 or so. so if it was a $300 jacket I payed tax on $100 of it. Why not institute a sliding tax for meals, too? McDonalds is taxed at 5%; Ruth's Chris is taxed at 10% and the Four Seasons is taxed at 15%. Obviously we wouldn't break it down like this but by a per capita dollar amount. Also, why do we charge an alcohol tax on a bottle of wine in a store but only a meal tax on a bottle of wine in a restaurant?

I'm not anti-tax, at all. But am pro-common sense. Id really like to see ALL gas taxes go to fixing roads, and nothing else. Registration fees go to funding the registry. Restaurant ermit fees go to health inspectors. T fares go to funding the T. And so on, and so on. It makes it a lot harder for politicians to hide where the money is going, and those who use X should pay for X, not X, Y and Z.

The only thing that ticks me off about all of this is that the meals tax and sales tax wont be a nice round 5% any more.