The Opinionator

No On Question One

No On Question One

A nuclear bomb and two firecrackers.

The three statewide ballot questions we are facing this November 4 make up important parts of the state's business. They are far from equal in their consequences and cost to the quality of life here on the Cape. These three questions constitute a nuclear weapon and two firecrackers. This piece is about the potential nuclear destruction of Question One. The other two questions, regarding marijuana and dog racing will have marginal impacts no matter what happens, although there is strong feeling out there regarding them, pro and con.

 It defies imagination how Question One on the ballot November 4 is going to get any yes votes whatsoever except from the angriest and most disruptive and punitive of voters. Voting to eliminate the state income tax is like voting on not eating dinner any more.  No one is going to seriously do it.  I find it hard to believe that The Cape Cod Today poll on this question defeated it by a mere 56% to 44%.  Are there really so many people out there who want to kill the government? 

 Perhaps they don't understand that if the state income taxes vanish, so will 11 billion dollars of revenue, resulting in a combination of an increased sales tax, massive cuts and/or shifting of tax burdens from state incomes to the local property tax. (That should be easy, given how much we all love overrides.) It would be an unbelievable shift, an appalling testimony to the problems of government by referendum.  Referenda, when it comes to gauging public sentiment on an issue may have some value, but when it comes to formulation of law and tax policy there are some serious drawbacks to reducing important questions to simple black and white terms which can't help but miss all kinds of important details.

 Our embrace of the Constitution and its inclusion of fundamental values, principles and freedoms insured America would be a government of law and not men, thereby protecting the rights of the minority over sometimes the will of the majority.  The elimination of slavery, the women's right to vote movement, the civil rights agenda, became realities because of our Constitution's structure and flexibility.  These may not have received popular support when laws were enacted if these issues were subject to referendum.  

 Taxing policy should not be dictated by referendum either.   Our elected representatives should be accountable to insure the cost of governing today should be offset with revenues collected today to pay for such.  If they can't do that, they should be removed from office. 

This year in particular the cost of governing at the local and state level is exceeding tax receipts.   Nationwide, cities and towns are experiencing the perfect fiscal storm.  For the first time in thirty years, sales tax revenues, income tax revenues, and property tax revenues are less than last year.  Cutting state income tax revenues by an additional forty percent by referendum is similar to throwing kerosene on a burning building.   The fire may glow for a while, but the damage will be unimaginable.

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