Lee holds again on communities bill

LEE – After two months of deliberation and waiting for public comment, the Lee Board of Selectmen has decided to table a resolution for the board to endorse the Campaign for Our Communities.

The Campaign for Our Communities is a coalition of more than 100 organizations that have banded together to support “An Act to Invest in Our Communities,” a tax reform plan.

This plan would raise additional revenue for government services by reforming Massachusetts’ income tax code.

This reform would result in a tax decrease for the bottom 40 percent of tax payers, taxes staying the same for the middle 20 percent and a tax increase for the top 40 percent, with most of that increase being felt in the upper portions of the top 20 percent.

A large number of the campaign’s supporters are labor unions, but municipal governments, such as the Cambridge City Council, the Boston City Council and the Springfield City Council have also signed on in support. Consumer groups such as the Boston Tenants Association and Health Care for All and political organizations, like the Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, are also supportive of the campaign.

Neil Clarke, a Lee resident and retired member of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, gave a detailed presentation on the campaign and the reasons for why it was started.

Mr. Clarke said, since the board of selectmen had first heard the proposal, the Lee School Committee voted to support the campaign. This vote was 5-1 with one absence.

“I couldn’t find any language [for a bill],” said Selectman Gordon Bailey, who said he’d waited until the night before the meeting to review the proposal but hadn’t been able to find specific legislation.

Mr. Clarke said a bill would be introduced in the new legislative session, although there had been another bill in the previous session.

“I really wish I could see language,” said Selectman Bailey, who was uncomfortable supporting the resolution without seeing how the revenue increases it was calling for would specifically be raised.

Mr. Bailey also expressed a degree of discomfort with what he perceived as earmarking the increased revenue for education.

“It looks like it was all educators that were behind it to this date,” said Selectman Bailey.

A list of the Campaign for Our Communities’ endorsers can be found on its website, and it includes a substantial number of organizations with no connection to education whatsoever.

“Until I find language that shows me what’s really going on, I’m hesitant to jump on board,” said Mr. Bailey, who nevertheless did not seem hostile to the proposal.

This was not the case for Selectman David Consolati.

“I don’t like the idea of the legislature sending us a notice to say these are the classes your kids are going to take in kindergarten,” said Selectman Consolati. “I also don’t think it’s the job of the Massachusetts Teachers Association to set up the tax code.”

After a short discussion the selectmen decided to table the vote on whether or not to endorse the bill.

Frank Consolati and William Navin then rose to speak against the board endorsing the campaign.

“They [the MTA] should worry about education, and let the guys we hire to send to Boston…let them worry about the taxation,” said Mr. Consolati.

“I don’t care what they promise us, we’re going to get more shaft,” said Mr. Navin.

“I look forward to trying to answer Gordon’s concerns,” said Mr. Clarke in comments to The Beacon.

Mr. Clarke also said, to his knowledge, the Campaign for Our Communities did not originate with the MTA.

“I would not say that this is part of an MTA plot to get money for teachers,” said Mr. Clarke, who reiterated again that there was no ear marking for education – or any other program – in the proposal.

Posted by Bera B. Dunau on August 30, 2012. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry