BOSTON – A petition drive for a Fair Share tax, being called a “millionaires’ tax,” to go on the 2017 ballot is ramping up statewide.
The petition is in support of an additional four percent state income tax on annual taxable income in excess of $1 million dollars. Revenues from this tax would be used only for public education, public colleges and universities, and the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges, and public transportation. The proposed amendment would apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2019. This summer, the attorney general ruled the proposal and summary met the constitutional rules for amending the constitution.
Jon Weissman, coordinator of the western Mass. coalition collecting signatures, said the proposal requires a constitutional amendment, which must pass through two constitutional conventions and receive the support of 25 percent of the legislators in each before a referendum can go to the public.
Weissman said there has been a gradual loss of investment in education and transportation systems, including roads, in Massachusetts. He said that one percent of the population in the state controls 95 percent of personal wealth and assets. This tax could realize $1.3 billion in revenue to the state for transportation and education.
The amendment petition must be signed by a minimum of 64,750 certified voters. No more than one-quarter of the certified signatures (16,188) may come from any one county. Sixty-three thousand voters have already signed. The goal is 120,000 signatures, according to Weissman.
“This particular proposal has struck a nerve with people on the left and right,” he said. “We have to turn in these signatures by Nov. 18 for certification.”
Local officials must complete their certification by Nov. 30, and certified signatures must be filed with the Secretary of the Commonwealth no later than 5 pm Dec. 2.
One of the people in Westfield collecting signatures is Steve Dondley, who is running for City Council. On his Facebook page, Dondley posted the following rationale:
“Some people have asked me, `doesn’t this penalize success?’ But the fact is, regular folks like you and me pay a 50 percent larger share of our income to run local and state government than the very rich. If there is anyone getting penalized under the current tax structure, it’s working people.
“How is this possible?
“Well, if you totaled the taxes paid by the top one percent including state sales tax, state income tax and property taxes, it would work out to six percent of their annual income. By contrast, the rest of us, on average, pay nine percent of our incomes to sales, income, and property taxes. So we are actually carrying more of the burden than the very wealthy.
“If this proposal passes, it will increase the wealthy’s share of state and local taxes from six percent to eight percent. So this proposal will go a long way to restoring fairness to the tax structure.
“It’s important to note that the proposed tax actually affects less than one percent of the Commonwealth’s population. There are about 144,000 families that earn more than $1 million per year.”
Weissman said there has not as yet been a lot of opposition to the petition drive.
“I think the theory is, let’s wait and see if they can get their signatures. Let’s wait and see what happens next year at the convention. Let’s lobby quietly against the 25 percent support needed.”
He said the petition drive is a project of Raise Up Mass, “who brought us the minimum wage hike, and earned sick time last year.” He said the coalition is “relatively” optimistic about their chances.
“Even if we get stymied, we’re still going to get a graduated income tax,” Weissman said.
