An Open Letter emailed April 28, 2010 to Representative Richard Ross via his campaign web site for State Senate
Rep. Ross is running for State Senate in the Special Election on May 11, 2010 for the Bristol, Norfolk, Middlesex District
Dear Representative Ross,
As you know, there is a ballot initiative to roll back the sales tax to 3% expected to be on the November 2nd ballot this year.
Both the intent of this initiative, and the actual impact it will have, is in line with your stated purposes for running for state senate: create jobs, “foster economic growth in Massachusetts” and fight “against wasteful spending.”
The measure cuts a mere $2.34 billion from total state spending of $51.8 billion – a 4.5% reduction, which is a fraction of what many taxpayers have had to cut from the family budget.
The average Massachusetts voter believes that 41% of state government spending is waste – over $20 billion. This measure cuts a mere 1/10th of that waste.
As head of the Alliance to Roll Back Taxes, sponsor of this initiative, and as a voter in your senate district, I and our supporters would like to know if you support this sales tax roll back measure, by which we mean:
1. Will you vote to roll back the sales tax to 3% on November 2nd, 2010?
2. Do you urge others to vote for it?
3. Whether you are elected to the senate or remain in the house, will you work for and vote to reduce total state spending by at least $2.34 billion from its current level?
Just to be clear, what we mean by this is you will vote against any bill that leaves more than $49.4 billion in total state spending (on and off-budget) so that we can reduce current spending by at least $2.34 billion — and return the savings to taxpayers in the form of a sales tax cut to 3%.
I note that rolling back state spending to $49.4 billion or less puts it at the level it was in fiscal year 2009. Not exactly ancient history! There are tens of thousands of workers in Massachusetts who have been looking for a job since then and have been unable to find one – forcing them to cut their family budgets by 50% or more.
Your offer to provide a prompt response to questions at your web site is appreciated. Please reply to all 3 of these questions as soon as possible. Thank you.
cheers,
Carla Howell
Chair, Alliance to Roll Back Taxes
www.RollBackTaxes.com
P.S. If you have any question about whether total state spending is $51.8 billion, visit our web page here to see how Charlie Baker, Republican governor candidate and former Secretary of Administration and Finance under Governors Bill Weld and Paul Cellucci, exposed this $51.8 billion figure.
Note: According to Ballotpedia, Rep Ross ended up opposing ballot Question 3.
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