Five things to know today.
Five Things You Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Today is Monday, April 15. Here are 5 things you need to know:
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Ken Gordon explains why he voted in favor of the Massachusetts House transportation finance bill.
The Massachusetts House approved a transportation finance bill that will raise about $500 million in new taxes, according to Boston.com. 21st Middlesex District State Rep Kenneth Gordon voted in favor of the bill. The House voted 97 to 55 to approve the bill Monday after debating for about 10 hours, Boston.com said. Gov. Deval Patrick had put forward his own bill that called for nearly $2 billion in new revenue, including a hike in the state income tax, to pay for investments in transportation and education, Boston.com said. The alternative of Patrick's bill, which would have been a bigger tax increase than what the state representatives approved was a big reason Gordon voted to approve the bill, he told Patch in an interview. "I heard …
Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?
Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …
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Money would help pay to improve transportation system and education in the commonwealth.
Governor Deval Patrick is expected to propose $1 billion in new taxes to help pay to improve the state’s transportation system and expand early education programs, reported The Boston Globe. Patrick is expected to announce the plan at his State of the Commonwealth speech Wednesday night. The plan is to increase the state income tax from 5.25 percent to 5.66 percent, which would raise $1 billion. Patrick’s plan would also need to raise other taxes and fees to pay for the spending increases of $1.5 billion next year and $2 billion annually after that, according to The Globe. What do you think of the governor's proposal? Do you support raising taxes to fund these programs?
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7:07 pm on Wednesday, January 16, 2013
I deleted a comment from this post for a language issue. If the commenter would like to re-post without the inappropriate language that would be fine. The comment was fine otherwise. more ›
Selectmen debated the balance between raising taxes on residents and businesses and came to a compromise.
The Burlington Board of Selectmen set the FY13 tax rates during last night's meeting. Burlington has a split tax rate, meaning the rates are different for residential properties and CIP (Commercial, Industrial, Personal Property) properties. In FY12, the residential tax rate was 11.55 (meaning residents pay $11.55 per $1,000 of residential value) and the CIP rate was 31.70. The rates were set to meet the town's FY12 budget of $85,141,212. The board had a few options, presented by Town Appraiser/Assistant Assessor James Doherty, Town Accountant Paul Sagarino, Jr and Burlington Treasurer/Collector Brian Curtin. In the end the selectmen voted 3-1 to go with Option A. There were only four selectmen voting because Chairman of the Board Ralph …
12:00 pm on Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Lets stop spending in Burlington so that real estate tax increases will not be needed for at least one year. Taxes go up every year and it has been many years since no real estate increase was necessary. Where does all the money go from the meal tax, which I understand brings in over one million a year! Gary B. Kasky TMM Precinct 6 more ›
A tax on cigarettes and junk food aims to raise money for state and make residents healthier.
Under a proposal by Gov. Deval Patrick, "sin taxes" on cigarettes will increase and new sales taxes on candy and soda will be put into place. Patrick is proposing the increase as a way to raise $260 million in new revenues for the state budget, according to an Associated Press article on Wednesday. Under the plan, the cigarette tax will be increased from $2.51 per pack to $3.01 per pack - an increase of 50 cents. The plan will also ask to impose the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on candy and soda — both items are currently exempt from the tax — and expand the state’s bottle deposit law to include bottled water, sports drinks and other beverages, the Associated Press reported. The plan would also double the taxes paid on other tobacco …
Sunny day, tax assistance and a drug prevention seminar
"Five Things You Need to Know Today" is a Patch column that provides readers with essential, daily information at a glance. Check back later for more, and let us know what you think of the feature in the comments section. Today is Tuesday, March 29. Here are 5 things you need to know: For more things to do today, check out our Events page.
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Confused by all those new child tax credits? Here's a basic guide to 2010 tax filing for new parents.
I have to start this week’s column with a disclaimer: I am not an accountant. Despite my business degree, tax accounting is not one of my skills. It mostly just lowered my grade-point average. Still, I might be the perfect person to write this article. Because, hey, if I can understand it, you’ll be fine. If you became a new parent in 2010, you’re in for some new terms on that tax form and possibly some good news. I’ve had at least three of my accountant friends refer to my daughter as my “little tax deduction.” You may put in more thought on your tax preparation this year, but chances are good that you’ll see a bigger number on that refund check. Sounds good to me. So what do you need to know? Here’s my layman’s attempt at explaining …
J. Parker
2:30 pm on Thursday, April 11, 2013
If it was " VERY far from a perfect bill", why vote for it at all ? Why not set it aside until it's 'more' perfect? Cigarettes are always taxed and are now $10.00 a pack ! Most people have quit, so where is there enough revenue? Is this just more punishment for smokers who are usually the poorest among us? And gas; another punishment. Take the bus everybody, and forget about going to the beach ! … more ›