YES on 3 is a Great Deal for Cities and Towns – and You!

The opponents of Question 3 are threatening that, if it passed, the legislature would  be forced to cut subsidies to local cities and towns. This is merely a scare tactic to get you to vote No — and to take attention away from the tens of billions of dollars in government waste, overspending and sweetheart deals that are rampant in state spending.

But what if they did cut local aid? How would your town – and your family – fare?

Most local aid goes to the cities, not the towns. The cities spend the most on schools (over $20,000 per student per year) yet have the worst schools. Throwing money at these city schools has utterly failed to lift them from their abysmally low graduation rates (56%!).

But let’s pretend for the moment that the money is well-spent.

Would it be a good deal for the residents of cities and towns to accept a reduction in state aid – and to reap the benefits of a 3% sales tax?

You bet!

Consider Boston, which gets more subsidies from the state than any other municipality.

According to the opponents of Question 3, Boston would lose $49 million in local aid if Question 3 passes.

Let’s pretend for a moment that this claim is true. Let’s also assume that all of it would be made up for with increased property taxes and that any necessary overrides would pass to allow it.

What would be the impact on the people of Boston?

• $49 million less for Boston government

• $231 million given back to the taxpayers of Boston by rolling back the sales tax to 3% (based on $355 average per capita savings times 650,000 residents)

In other words, the citizens of Boston would be ahead $182 million with a 3% sales tax. Almost FIVE TIMES better off than with today’s 6.25% sales tax!

That’s just Boston. Most towns would stand to benefit even more from a 3% sales tax.

If the state’s mayors really cared about the people of their cities – rather than their political pals – they’d want a state tax rollback passed every year!