Question:
Where will we find $12.6 billion in waste to cut from this budget?
Answer:
Our current budget minus the income tax equals the 1999 state budget.
Here are a few examples of waste we can get rid of:
· $7 billion in refinancing cost for the Big Dig.
· $2.55 billion MORE added this year to the lucrative pensions for retired stategovernment employees - who get 2-3 times the retirement income you'll get if you're an average taxpayer. Government employees retire in their 40's 50's and early 60's - while you have to work until your late 60s.· $1 billion in tax subsidies to multi-billion dollar bio-tech pharmaceutical corporations.
· $2 billion in interest payments every year for unnecessary debt spending to fund road projects. Pay for roads with gasoline tax and auto registration fees, and there is no need to rack up debt. Liquidate some of the state's many financial slush funds to pay down debt and reduce interest payments.
· $138.7 million tax subsidy to millionaire movie stars and directors.
· Several billion dollars/year in excess government employee health care benefits. Bring their copays, deductibles and coverage in line with the average taxpayer.
· $60,000 to $70,000 a year paid to toll collectors - plus benefits, plus pensions. This is for UNSKILLED jobs – counting and making change. A job that can be done by public schools 5th graders, high school dropouts, people trying to get off welfare, or even mentally challenged individuals who want to be contributing members of society.
· Several hundred million dollars every year spent on unnecessary and overpriced public school construction. Example: $200 million high school in Newton, Massachusetts. A large fraction funded out of the state government budget.· Over $6 billion we could cut from the budget and give back to taxpayers by renegotiating the terms and money of government pensions for state government employees, city and town government employees, and public school teachers.
But that’s just the tip of the garbage heap. If the Massachusetts legislature will "Show Us the Tax Money" - open the Massachusetts state government books - as we requested in our 2/8/08 open letter to the state legislature, 3,400,000 taxpayers can be watchdogs to identify and remove the worst excesses and government waste.
We propose that the legislature publish the complete $47.3 billion Massachusetts budget – including all off-budget spending items - on a web site that is easily readable and easily searchable. Detail every check written by the state, to whom it is written and what it’s for. Just as they force you to do when you file a tax return.
Once we have a detailed budget, we cut government waste by prioritizing. Fund the essential services that people want and need the most. Clean the waste out of each department so taxpayers get the best price possible. Once essential services are funded, cut spending from the rest of the budget.
This will leave us with a lean, effective and efficient state government that serves the workers and taxpayers, not special interests. It will cost taxpayers a fraction of today’s Massachusetts government.
Because we will uncover much more waste than the $12 billion that the income tax funds, we can then cut the property tax and other taxes - in addition to ending the income tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Will Question 1 affect property taxes?
- How can we cut $12.6 billion in waste?
- How do the retirement Govt. and private companies compare?
- What are some of the other Mass taxes?
- What is Question 1?
- Which states do not have an income tax?
- How much $ will go back into my budget?
- Does Q1 go far enough?
- Who’s behind the No vote?
- Can we see the state government budget?
- Shouldn't we try transparency first?
- What is the real budget?
