I voted this afternoon for the FY2010 budget which passed with 110 votes in the House and 31 in the Senate, in both branches more than the 2/3 needed to override a possible veto.
Budget
budget and local aid updates, community preservation act, financial outlook, local aid policy, priorities/requests, resources, revenue, taxes
Reform before Revenue — Scheduling Difficulties
Perhaps the main things to underline at this stage are: (a) nothing at all is settled yet about the budget, reform or revenue; (b) all the major players endorse the principle of reform before revenue and are trying to do the right thing.
Voting for a sales tax increase
Even with the sales tax increase, the budget will sustain deep cuts and Massachusetts will have a roughly average tax burden compared to other states. The increase will fund local aid, Big Dig debt and limited restorations of key programs.
Fiscal 2010 Budget Priorities
Letter to Charlie Murphy, the Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, outlining my state budget priorities.
Income tax reform
A proposal to raise the personal income tax exemption and simultaneously raise the rate — so as to make the income tax more progressive — has merit, but it is not politically viable at this time.
Money Issues in 2009-2010
An outline of the financial issues that will be front and center throughout the coming legislative session.