Search Results
97 items found for ""
- Buses and Trains | Fair Share Amendment
Buses and Trains Buses and Trains Our public transportation network is stuck in the last century, and many pieces of our public transportation infrastructure are in dire need of repair and replacement. At the MBTA, decades of underinvestment has resulted in staffing shortages, operations cuts, delayed repairs, and shuttered stations. These issues don’t only make it difficult or impossible to travel conveniently and reliably; they’re also causing major safety concerns. No one should have to fear for their safety getting on a bus or train, yet old and outdated infrastructure is responsible for dangerous mishaps more and more often. Regional transit authorities around the state need more funding to provide vital evening and Sunday service. Additional regional bus routes would move commuters from train stations to their jobs, reduce congestion, and help boost local economies. And expanding rail service throughout the state can help link residents of cities and towns across the Commonwealth to better jobs and more opportunity. To help combat climate change over the coming decades, we need to dramatically improve and expand our public transportation systems across the state. Transit needs to be sustainable and green, with widespread electrification to move away from gas and other pollutants. Bringing our transit networks into the 21st century will require funding—and Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, will provide it. Get the facts on what Question 1 means for racial and economic justice. READ THE RUNDOWN Help us make that Massachusetts a reality. JOIN US Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES
- Get the Facts: Local Businesses
Small and Local Businesses The Fair Share Amendment, Question 1 on the November ballot, is good for local businesses. Better preK-12 schools, colleges, transit, and roads help improve the economy for everyone. Local businesses in Massachusetts depend on a well-educated workforce, a reliable transportation system so employees and customers can get to their locations, and a strong economy. When the very rich pay their fair share, we can improve transportation and public education statewide—and that’s good for everyone. Only people who earn more than $1 million a year in personal income will be impacted by Question 1; 99% of us, including small businesses owners, won’t pay a penny more. And $2 billion a year, every year, in revenue for education and transportation will create better economic opportunities for Massachusetts residents and well-maintained transportation infrastructure. That will attract new businesses to Massachusetts and help existing businesses to grow and thrive. Leise Jones Photography, Boston Democracy Brewing, Boston Meet Cambridge Naturals, a proud endorser of Question 1! For Example: Donna Donna is the sole-owner of a construction firm with $3 million in annual revenue. The businesses’ costs in a typical year are $2.7 million, including payroll for 25 skilled employees trained at a local vocational school, rent, equipment, and other expenses. The company’s annual profit is $300,000 – which is passed through to Donna as the sole proprietor. She also receives a salary of $220,000 a year that – combined with the net income from the construction company – gives her an annual income of $520,000. Because she earns less than $1 million in personal income, Donna won’t pay any more under the Fair Share Amendment, but she and her business would benefit from the transportation infrastructure it will help fund, and the well-educated students it will help prepare for future jobs. And in the case of selling a business, you’d have to sell a business for much more than a million dollars to be affected by the Fair Share Amendment. When a business is sold, tax is paid only on the increase in the value of a business between when it was purchased and when it was sold—not its current valuation. Additionally, the seller can subtract many deductions from their taxes, including the cost of major investments like property or equipment. This all makes the likelihood that someone would be taxed more on a business sale of over $1 million extremely low. And if someone earns enough from selling a business to have more than a million dollars in annual income, they can afford to pay a little extra so that we’ll all benefit from a stronger economy. Have questions about the effects on local businesses of Question 1’s tax on annual personal income above $1 million? Read on. Question 1 adds a tax only on personal income over $1 million – business taxes would not increase. It doesn’t matter how much revenue or profit a business has: only business owners or shareholders who earn more than $1 million in personal income in a single year will pay more, regardless of their business’ revenues or profits. Less than 3 percent of businesses owners in Massachusetts have taxable personal income over $1 million that would be subject to the Fair Share Amendment. READ THE FAQ Get everything you need to know about exactly how to vote Yes on 1. HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 Meet the businesses moving Massachusetts forward. 40 South St. Vintage, Boston Acorn Business Advisor, Grafton Adeline's Hair Salon, Everett All She Wrote Books, Somerville Almquist & Associates, Somerville Amalgamated Bank, Boston Amherst Books, Amherst Apex Noire, Boston Asamass Trading, Worcester Avest Home Repair and Painting, Cambridge Bedlam Book Cafe, Worcester Belltower Records, North Adams Boston Black News, Boston Bread + Roses Bookshop and Cafe, Hyannis Brewer Banner, New Bedford Brothers Kafe Kreyol, Everett Cafe Beirut, Jamaica Plain Cambridge Local First, Cambridge Cambridge Naturals, Cambridge Caravan Kitchen, Northampton Center Goods, Lexington Ceramica Paint Studio, Stoneham Chill Out First Class Limo Service Inc, Everett Chuck Talley Illustrations, New Bedford Coffee Liberation Front, Adams Democracy Brewing, Boston dNB Craft Kitchen, New Bedford Fairhaven Yacht, Fairhaven Fiore's Bakery, Jamaica Plain Flint Fruit and Variety, Fall River Foxtrot Farm LLC, Shelburne Greenfield Solar, Greenfield Hartley's Original Pork Pies, Fall River Henna Inspired, Malden Herrera's Mexican Grill, Boston Hope and Feathers Framing, Amherst House of Art and Craft, Boston Irving House at Harvard, Cambridge Katiejobelle’s Gifts, Randolph Katy Rogers Photography, Everett Kitchenwitch, Jamaica Plain KrafTea Kombucha, Worcester Kusiak Music, Arlington La Perle Restaurant, Everett Leise Jones Photography, Boston Mechanica, Newburyport Micky's Hair Design, Everett Montague Village Store, Montague Monumental Market, Jamaica Plain MVP Barber Shop, Jamaica Plain N.P. Hayes LLC, New Bedford Nadia Colburn: Align Your Story, Cambridge Neighborhood Produce, Somerville Nifty Nate's, Hyannis Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley Panda's Playcare Family Childcare, Boston Papercuts Bookshop, Boston Peace Train Tees, Pittsfield Pikliz International Kitchen, Somerville Porter Square Books, Cambridge Punk Rock Aerobics, Boston Purveyor of the Unnecessary & the Irresistible, Boston Radio Concorde, Boston Red Sun Press, Boston Rosaline's Skin Care & Spa, Brookline Rosetta Languages, Malden Said & Done Tattoo, Jamaica Plain Sanctum Folklorica, New Bedford Simple Gifts Farm, Amherst Stand Up 8 Dance Studio, Malden Talk of the Town Barber, Fall River Teletronics Broadway, Everett The Island, Malden Tibari Travel, Everett Tipping Cow Ice Cream, Somerville TL6 The Gallery, New Bedford Tony's Barber Shop, Malden Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy, Malden Question 1 benefits local businesses. More than MA business owners have endorsed the Fair Share Amendment. 80 These 50 businesses join support from 63 community organizing groups 26 housing and community development organizations 28 social service providers 15 faith-based groups 7 public health organizations 7 environmental and climate organizations 10 transportation advocacy organizations 18 education and youth advocacy organizations Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy Malden Want to volunteer? GET INVOLVED Pledge to vote YES on 1: PLEDGE
- Economic and Racial Justice | Fair Share Amendment
Economic and Racial Justice The Fair Share Amendment — Question 1 on the November ballot — would provide the resources necessary to invest in equally high-quality educations for all students, equitable transportation infrastructure that links residents to education and job opportunities, and public higher education that doesn’t bury students in debt. For years, Massachusetts’ communities of color have been harmed by inequitable and inadequate access to transportation and public education. Our city school districts, which educate the vast majority of students of color and low-income students, have been systematically underfunded for decades. Decades of housing discrimination and the legacy of redlining and ‘urban renewal’ policies have resulted in Black and brown residents having less access to high-quality public transportation options. Our public higher education system is increasingly out of reach to Black and brown students who don’t benefit from generational transfers of wealth. Question 1 will require the very rich to pay slightly more — just 4¢ more on each dollar after their first $1 million in a single year — and constitutionally guarantee that every dollar raised from the new tax goes to transportation and public education. Improving our schools, roads, and public transportation is a step forward for economic and racial justice — and Question 1 raises the money to make it a reality. Hear from our community. Get the facts on what Question 1 means for public higher education. READ THE RUNDOWN Help us make that Massachusetts a reality. JOIN US Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES
- Contact | Fair Share Amendment
Need to get in touch? General Inquiries info@fairsharema.com | Steve Crawford | steve@crawfordstrategies.com Andrew Farnitano | andrew@crawfordstrategies.com Media and Press Organizing Lillian Lanier | Field Director lillian@fairsharema.com Election Day is November 8, 2022. REGISTER TO VOTE
- FAQs | Fair Share Amendment
Frequently Asked Questions Jump to a category: 1. What is the Fair Share Amendment? 2. Who will pay? Who will benefit? 3. Why is the Fair Share Amendment fair? 4. Looking for more on real estate and local business? What is the Fair Share Amendment? Who will pay? Who will benefit? Who will pay? Who will benefit? Why Question 1 is fair: Why is Question 1 fair? Looking for more on real estate and local business? Homeowners, Real Estate, Small Business FAQ. Get everything you need to know about exactly how to vote Yes on 1. HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 Alan Lauren MORE STORIES
- Roads and Bridges | Fair Share Amendment
Roads and Bridges Our crumbling infrastructure is costing you money, and it’s holding our entire economy back. The potholes in Massachusetts roads cost the average driver more than $600 a year. Some roads and potholes haven’t been fixed or repaved in years. It’s not just inconvenient: it’s expensive and preventable. Right now, hundreds of bridges in Massachusetts are so badly damaged they cannot safely support vehicles. This is a real problem: you can’t just go around a bridge that’s out of commission. People commuting to work, traveling to see friends, or buying groceries need to cross these bridges—they’re critical for getting to where we need to go. Ten million vehicles travel over structurally deficient bridges in Massachusetts every single day. What’s more, our under-maintained transportation system is bad for public safety: closed bridges, detours, and dangerously unmaintained roads contribute to slower response times for emergency vehicles and personnel. This is not only unsafe and unsustainable — it’s unacceptable. Business-backed groups say nearly $43 billion in transportation projects across the state are currently unfunded, further crippling our state’s infrastructure and transit systems. This has serious impacts on quality of life, economic growth, and climate resiliency. When we can’t get around, we don’t have as many job opportunities, can’t see our friends and family, and can’t make it to vital errands or health care appointments. Deteriorating roads and unreliable public transportation also make it harder to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and keep our communities safe. It’s clear we need to do something about our crumbling roads and bridges. We need a permanent, sustainable source of funding to ensure they’re safe and well-maintained. With $2 billion a year from the Fair Share Amendment, we can improve our transportation systems across the state so all of our roads and bridges are safe and all of us can get where we’re going. Get the facts on what Question 1 means for buses, trains, and public transportation. READ THE RUNDOWN Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES
- Fair Share Amendment | A Fair Tax System in Massachusetts
November 9, 2022: Question 1 passes. The Fair Share Amendment is in the Massachusetts constitution. Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, PASSED on the statewide ballot November 8th, 2022. This ballot question is our chance to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share in taxes. This is how we build an economy that works for everyone. Question 1 is a win-win for Massachusetts. And it passed. Why the Fair Share Amendment About Question 1 Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, would create a 4% tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and require – in the state constitution – that the funds be spent only on transportation and public education. With Question 1, the top 1% of Massachusetts residents — those making over $1 million a year — would pay their fair share in taxes. 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And because Question 1 will be written directly into the state constitution, the money would be constitutionally required to go only to transportation and public education. That means $2 billion a year, every year, for better roads, safer bridges, reliable public transportation, and public schools from pre-K through college. On November 8, vote YES on 1. LEARN MORE READ THE AMENDMENT November 9, 2022: Question 1 passes. The Fair Share Amendment is in the Massachusetts constitution. Get everything you need to know about exactly how to vote Yes on 1. HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 Election Day is November 8, 2022. To vote Yes on 1, you have to be registered to vote by October 29. CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 Meet Question 1 supporters: Local Businesses Communities People SHARE YOURS Our stories are the most powerful tool we have to win the Fair Share Amendment. We're sharing our stories for a fair Massachusetts. Find out why others are all in for the Fair Share Amendment and share your own. Take action for a fairer Massachusetts JOIN US RECENT CANVASSES The Fair Share Campaign has already reached over a million voters across Massachusetts! Every week we talk to voters in cities and towns statewide: . SOMERVILLE NEW BEDFORD SPRINGFIELD BOSTON VOLUNTEER WITH US Follow the movement: Paid for Fair Share Massachusetts. Top donors include Massachusetts Teachers Association, National Education Association, Sixteen Thirty Fund, 1199 SEIU, and American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts AFL-CIO. For more information visit mass.gov/ocpf.
- Public Higher Education | Fair Share Amendment
Public Schools: Colleges and Universities For too many college students, earning a diploma means going into thousands of dollars in debt, working full-time, and handling a full-time college course load. For decades, Massachusetts has been pulling resources out of our public colleges and universities. Now, tuitions and fees at those public colleges and universities are among the highest in the country, and students are struggling to pay for these rapidly increasing costs. College shouldn’t be only accessible for the rich: we need to re-invest in quality public higher education, so that middle- and working-class families in our state can once again afford to send their kids to college. A critical step toward social and economic mobility is increasingly out of reach for Latino and Black families in Massachusetts. Too many are forced to abandon their hope of a college degree — further exacerbating barriers people of color already face in higher education and in the workforce. In communities of color, only 36% of residents have a bachelor’s degree — compared to over 50% of residents in predominantly white communities. We need to make our community colleges and state universities affordable again so that every young person who wants a college education is not burdened with decades of debt. TODAY, we can pave a better path for the next generation of students. Get the facts on what Question 1 means for public education K-12. READ THE RUNDOWN Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES
- FYI: Real Estate
FYI: Real Estate Interested in how Question 1 affects selling homes? Here's what you should know: Question 1 will ensure that people who have over $1 million of personal taxable income in 1 year pay their fair share in taxes. How does that affect people who sell a house? The short answer is that almost no one who sells a house will be affected in any way. Last year, less than 1 percent of home sales in the state generated enough of a gain to be affected by Question 1. Just 895 homes out of 100,000 sold, to be exact. That's because it's the gain in value since the house was originally purchased, not the full sales price, that is subject to income tax. Plus, home sellers can take advantage of multiple tax deductions to reduce their income tax burden: Someone selling a home can deduct up to $500,000 from their taxes on the sale of their primary residence. They can also deduct the entire cost of a renovated kitchen, an updated heating system, a new roof, or any other major improvements they made to the home. With those deductions, in order for a home seller to actually have $1 million in taxable personal income from the sale of a home, they would need to sell the home for at least $1.5 million over the price they originally bought it for. Only people selling the very priciest homes in Massachusetts would see their incomes rise enough to pay a single penny more with the Fair Share Amendment. What’s more, many people are really struggling in MA—and they’re not the people selling $1 million homes. Question 1 will ensure those of us who are working hard to get by without making over $1 million a year have access to better roads, schools, colleges, and public transit. That’s what we’re fighting for. For more on home sales: READ THE STUDY Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES
- Public Schools: K-12 | Fair Share Amendment
Public Schools: K-12 With the Fair Share Amendment, we’ll have an additional $2 billion a year, every year, in badly needed long-term funding to get our public schools back on track and give students the resources they need. Across Massachusetts, our schools are facing shortages in educators and school counselors. We need to fill those gaps—and we need to pay those educators, counselors, and school staff the wages they deserve for the work they do. Young people are still struggling to recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic. They need smaller classes, social-emotional supports, extra tutoring, and additional counselors, nurses, and social workers to help them get back on track. But schools across Massachusetts are struggling just to provide basic resources, let alone everything that our students need right now. Far too many families can’t access high-quality preschool programs that support working parents and provide our youngest with a strong start. Our state’s high-quality vocational high schools have long waiting lists that lock out students who want a job training education, preventing young people from beginning the successful careers they choose. A well-rounded education that includes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), music, art, and athletics is essential for all students. But many schools are forced to cut these programs because they just don’t have the funding. The success of our entire economy depends on getting funds to underfunded schools. We can do that if we pass Question 1. It will bring new revenue to the state that is constitutionally guaranteed to go to education and transportation. We can end staff shortages, pay educators what they deserve, and ensure our students are thriving. Hear from educators: Get the facts on what Question 1 means for roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure. READ THE RUNDOWN Help us make that Massachusetts a reality. JOIN US Join the team: VOLUNTEER FIND AN EVENT GET UPDATES
- How to Vote Yes on Question 1 | Fair Share Amendment
How to Vote YES on 1 Election Day is November 8. You can vote by mail, vote early, or vote on Election Day: Tuesday, November 8. Here's everything you need to vote Yes on Question 1 on or before November 8. I'm going to.... VOTE BY MAIL VOTE EARLY VOTE ON NOV 8 Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION VOTING BY MAIL FOR QUESTION 1 Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION Put your mail-in ballot in the mail ASAP. It has to be postmarked by November 8 to count. Your ballot has to be postmarked by Election Day and received by the Elections Division by 5pm 3 days after Election Day to count. You can mail your ballot back using the envelope provided, deliver your ballot in person to your local election office, drop your ballot off at an early voting location during early voting hours, or drop your ballot into a drop box in your city or town. You can drop off your ballot at a dropbox—it has to be received by your local elections office by the time the polls close on November 8. FIND A BALLOT DROPBOX After you mail or drop off your ballot, you can track its progress and make sure it arrives. TRACK YOUR BALLOT VOTING EARLY IN PERSON FOR QUESTION 1 Early voting runs from October 22 to November 4. Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION You can go to your local early polling place in person to vote YES. FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE VOTING ON ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 8, FOR QUESTION 1 Polls are open 7am to 8pm on November 8. Make sure you're registered to vote in Massachusetts. CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION Find your polling place and vote YES by 8pm on November 8. FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE Vote Yes on 1 for a fairer Massachusetts.
- News
Fair Share in the Press Nov 1, 2022 Boston Globe: Yes on Question 1 The proposed constitutional amendment would make the state’s income tax fairer than it is now. READ MORE Nov 1, 2022 Yes on 1 Launches New TV Ad Featuring Campaign Supporters: Parents, Teachers, Workers, Small Business Owner and Retiree Question 1 on the November 8 Ballot Would Help Improve Schools, Repair Roads and Bridges, and Make Our Tax System Fairer READ MORE Oct 27, 2022 Attleboro Sun Chronicle: A 'Yes' on Question 1 will benefit most READ MORE Oct 26, 2022 100+ Massachusetts Businesses Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education 100+ Massachusetts Businesses Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education READ MORE Oct 25, 2022 A yes vote on Question 1 will expand opportunities for everyone The state would have more resources to support public schools, make public colleges affordable, and upgrade public transportation systems. READ MORE Oct 25, 2022 Yes on 1 Launches New TV Ad Pushing Back on Deceptive Lies About Home Sales ‘No on 1’ Campaign Caught Lying About Home Sales; Less Than 1% Would Be Affected READ MORE Oct 24, 2022 Yes on 1 Demands TV Stations to Take Down Deceptive Opposition Ad That Lies About Home Sales Less Than 1% of Home Sales Would Be Affected by Question 1 READ MORE Oct 21, 2022 Berkshire Eagle: Yes on Question 1 READ MORE Oct 21, 2022 Viewpoint: A business leader urges 'yes' on ballot Question 1 READ MORE Oct 20, 2022 Yes on 1 Campaign Responds to New Poll Showing Voters Demand Investments in Transportation Infrastructure 2nd Poll This Week Showing Strong Support for Question 1 Among Voters READ MORE Oct 19, 2022 More Than 500 Organizations Across MA Support Question 1 to Improve Schools & Roads with Tax on Million-Dollar Earners As Voting Begins, New Poll Shows 58% of Voters Supporting Question 1 READ MORE Oct 18, 2022 Amesbury, Newburyport School Committees Join 50+ Communities Endorsing Question 1 to Improve Local Schools & Roads with Tax on Million-Dollar Earners READ MORE Oct 17, 2022 Yes on 1 Campaign Responds to New Report Showing Less Than 1 Percent of Seniors Will Pay Fair Share Tax Analysis of IRS Data Shows Only a Tiny Percentage of Retirees Have Annual Taxable Income of More Than $1 Million READ MORE Oct 16, 2022 Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Teachers Union Leaders Launch Canvass for Question 1 in Dorchester Congresswoman Pressley Joins Supporters of Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners to Invest in Transportation and Public Education READ MORE Oct 15, 2022 Congressman Jim McGovern Launches Canvass for Question 1 in Worcester Congressman McGovern Joins Local Supporters of Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners to Invest in Transportation and Public Education READ MORE Oct 14, 2022 Fair Share Amendment Ballot Campaign Launches New TV Ad Focused on Retired Homeowner Question 1 on the November Ballot Would Raise $2 Billion for Schools and Roads, Wouldn’t Affect Vast Majority of Home Sales READ MORE Oct 13, 2022 Yes on 1 Campaign: School Counselors’ Plea for Help Highlights Urgent Need for Fair Share Amendment to Fund K-12 Education Question 1 on the November Ballot Would Help Fund Schools, Colleges, Roads, Bridges & Transit READ MORE Oct 12, 2022 Fair Share Amendment Ballot Campaign Launches New TV Ad Focused on Roads & Bridges Question 1 on the November Ballot Would Help Repair State’s Crumbling Transportation Infrastructure READ MORE Oct 6, 2022 City Councils, Select Boards & School Committees in 50+ Communities Endorse Question 1 to Improve Local Roads & Schools with Tax on Million-Dollar Earners From Amesbury and Bridgewater to Windsor and Worcester, Question 1 Gaining Support from Communities Large and Small Across Massachusetts READ MORE Sep 30, 2022 Fair Share Amendment Ballot Campaign Launches Fourth TV Ad Question 1 on the November Ballot Is “Good for All Businesses, Big and Small” READ MORE