Politicians can't put the Massachusetts Budget Together Again

by harringtola | March 10, 2009 at 08:32 pm

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Like Humpty Dumpty, it is broken. With all the the kings horses and all the kings men they still can't put it together again. I am not saying it is all this House or this Governor who created it however it appears that they continue to play the same old broken record with no new ideas. The options are as they have been for years, raise the income tax, raise the gas tax, raise the sales tax or add fees to drive on roads or go through tunnels or over bridges, which is just another way to create a tax without calling it a tax.

BOSTON -- House lawmakers, grappling with deepening deficits, are weighing a range of tax hikes -- including increases to the state's gas, sales and income taxes.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo warned of a possible $3-$4 billion deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and said everything is under consideration.

Among those ideas is Gov. Deval Patrick's proposed 19 cent gas tax increase and sales tax increases for candy, soda and alcohol.

Other ideas raised during a closed-door caucus included broader hikes in the sales tax and an increase in the income tax rate from 5.3 percent to 5.4 percent -- although there appears to be little support for any income tax hike.

DeLeo said the revenue downturn could last for the next three fiscal years.

I think that until the state Senate and the Governor come up with some new and creative and fresh ideas we will continue to struggle and argue in Massachusetts about how to fix the broken budget. And all the while our infrastructure will continue to deteriorate.

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