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< Back 50+ Massachusetts Businesses Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education ​ Aug 23, 2022 Small Business Owners Join Growing Coalition Supporting Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners on November Ballot BOSTON – The campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education, today announced the endorsement of more than 50 businesses from across the state. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “It’s been a tough couple of years for small businesses, but Question 1 gives me hope. Small businesses like mine wouldn’t pay a penny more, and we’ll benefit from better schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transportation,” said Valery Joseph, owner of La Perle Restaurant in Everett . “Transportation is one of the biggest challenges my employees face, and better roads and transit will make a big difference as I work to hire and retain workers in the future.” The businesses include restaurants, bookstores, farms, barber shops, breweries, and retailers from across Massachusetts, in communities such as Adams, Amherst, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Grafton, Malden, New Bedford, North Adams, Northampton, Pittsfield, Shelburne, Somerville, and Worcester. “Successful businesses know that investing in your workforce is a key to future success, and the same is true for Massachusetts,” said Jen Benson, President of the Alliance for Business Leadership . “Investing in our schools and colleges to prepare a well-educated workforce, and building a more reliable transportation system to get employees to work and goods to market, is the best way to strengthen and grow Massachusetts’ economy. That’s why the Alliance for Business Leadership, representing business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals from across the state, is supporting Question 1 in November.” “I work hard running my business, and I pay my fair share in taxes. It’s frustrating that the super-rich pay less of their income in taxes than the rest of us,” said Matthew Glidden, owner of KrafTea Kombucha in Worcester . “Question 1 will fix our unfair tax system and make sure the super rich – those who earn more than $1 million in a single year – pay their fair share to help grow our economy and make it work for everyone. That’s good for my business, and for everyone in Massachusetts.” Opponents of Question 1 are trying to scare business owners and mislead voters by claiming that it is a tax on businesses, but that’s not true. The Fair Share Amendment 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 all business owners in Massachusetts have taxable personal income over $1 million that would be subject to the Fair Share Amendment. “It is completely disingenuous to say that Question 1 would hurt small and family-owned businesses — our business is both small and family owned, and if we made a million dollars a year from it we would be happy to pay an extra tax bill on the excess,” said David Sandberg, owner of Porter Square Books in Cambridge . “Business owners who make more than a million dollars in a single year are not ‘small,’ they are wealthy, and usually the reason their businesses can be so successful is that they live in a state where they can have an educated, competitive workforce. Having a small extra tax on such large incomes will enable Massachusetts to continue to grow and attract the type of people that can make all of our businesses more successful.” The endorsing businesses join more than 300 organizations and thousands of activists across the state who are working together to pass Question 1 on the ballot. The campaign previously announced 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 , and 18 education and youth advocacy organizations . After years of grassroots advocacy, the state Legislature voted in June 2021 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot, where it is now set to be decided on by the voters as Question 1. “I’ve spent the last few weeks reaching out to businesses across the state to talk about Question 1. When business owners learn that only people who earn more than $1 million in annual personal income would pay more, and that all the funds would be constitutionally dedicated to our local schools, roads, colleges, and transit, they’re excited to vote YES,” said Gerly Adrien, Small Business Director for Fair Share for Massachusetts and the owner of Tipping Cow Ice Cream in Somerville . “As more business owners learn about how Question 1 would help improve our schools and roads with a fairer tax system, we expect this list to grow even more.” The full list of endorsing businesses is below and can be found at https://www.fairsharema.com/local-businesses . 40 South St. Vintage, Boston Acorn Business Advisor, Grafton All She Wrote Books, Somerville Amherst Books, Amherst Apex Noire, Boston Asamass Trading, Worcester Bedlam Book Cafe, Worcester Belltower Records, North Adams Boston Black News, Boston Brewer Banner, New Bedford Brothers Kafe Kreyol, Everett Cambridge Local First, Cambridge Cambridge Naturals, Cambridge Caravan Kitchen, Northampton 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 Flint Fruit and Variety, Fall River Foxtrot Farm LLC, Shelburne Hartley's Original Pork Pies, Fall River Henna Inspired, Malden House of Art and Craft, Boston KrafTea Kombucha, Worcester La Perle Restaurant, Everett Leise Jones Photography, Boston Micky's Hair Design, Everett N.P. Hayes LLC, New Bedford Neighborhood Produce, Somerville New Bedford Noodle Bowl, New Bedford Panda's Playcare Family Childcare, Boston Peace Train Tees, Pittsfield 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 Sanctum Folklorica, New Bedford Simple Gifts Farm, Amherst 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 Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Previous Next

< Back Fair Share Amendment advocates rally at Berkshire Community College Josh Landes | WAMC Northeast Public Radio Apr 4, 2022 Supporters of a Massachusetts ballot question that would levy a new 4% tax on all income above $1 million to fund public education and infrastructure Josh Landes (Source / Original) / WAMC Berkshire County legislators John Barrett, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Smitty Pignatelli, and Adam Hinds attend the Fair Share Amendment rally at Berkshire Community College. Supporters of a Massachusetts ballot question that would levy a new 4% tax on all income above $1 million to fund public education and infrastructure held a rally in Pittsfield Monday. The event was held at Berkshire Community College by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, unions, and faith-based groups that has fought for the Fair Share Amendment since 2015. The group says the new surcharge would only impact 0.6% of Massachusetts households while bringing in around $2 billion a year. “If you're a small business owner and the small business earns more than a million dollars, this doesn't apply to that. It's if the individual in one year earns more than a million dollars, the amount above the million dollars gets that 4% surcharge," said 3rd Berkshire District State Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier. She says the measure would benefit public transit in western Massachusetts. “West-East rail is critically important for growing the Berkshires, the [regional transit authorities] are critically important, the economic development of this region, the Valley Flyer, the Berkshire Flyer- All these things we need to be connected by rail, that money is going to go to there,” said Farley-Bouvier. She was joined by fellow Democrat and State Senator Adam Hinds, who is also a candidate for lieutenant governor. “You've probably heard some of the numbers around how inequality has grown in Massachusetts in recent decades," said Hinds. "It's kind of this dynamic of, from World War II to the 70s, you kind of saw everyone heading on an upward trajectory together. And then in the 70s, that shifts, and the top 1%, the annual income is going up 10 times the rate of the bottom 99%. And that's a problem. That's a huge problem for a lot of reasons. One is because we know the impact of income inequality, and especially kids growing up in a low-income household, we know that that means their lifelong earnings are going to be lower than others, their educational attainment is impacted, their health outcomes are impacted. All because we let income inequality get out of hand.” “It should be a right of every resident of this commonwealth to be able to go to a public college and university and graduate debt free," said Massachusetts Teachers Association Vice President and UMass Amherst architecture professor Max Page. "Four miles away, Pittsfield High School, you go for free, as we all think we should. Between June of graduating and then three months later, come to Berkshire Community College and have to pay thousands of dollars of living and tuition and fees- It's just wrong,” Page said. “Our public colleges’ inadequate budgets forced them to engage in competition for funds. Could you ever imagine Harvard and Yale, or Williams College and Amherst College, having to argue for their operating budgets? Of course you can't," said former BCC coordinator of assessment and testing and adjunct psychology instructor Liz Recko-Morrison. “Our community colleges work doggedly to address the needs of first generation students, recent immigrants, the workforce, and those who may be trying to re-enter education by earning an alternative high school credential. I've seen the divisiveness that occurs when all the sectors of higher education, and really education as a whole, must fight to receive their share of inadequate funding. Our communities, our faculty and professional staff, but most of all, our students suffer.” In an interview with WAMC in March , Springfield Regional Chamber President Nancy Creed said the amendment would negatively impact small business owners. “Based on how they have created their organizations, so sole proprietors, S corps, those kind of small businesses are really the ones that are going to get hit with this tax and it's only because of the way they have organized their business," said Creed. "They are certainly not millionaires. So we really think this is more of a middle class tax than it is a wealthy tax.” The Pittsfield City Council endorsed the Fair Share Amendment in March . Voters will go to the polls to decide the measure on November 8th. Previous Next

< Back Fair Share Amendment Ballot Campaign Launches New TV Ad Focused on Retired Homeowner ​ Oct 14, 2022 Question 1 on the November Ballot Would Raise $2 Billion for Schools and Roads, Wouldn’t Affect Vast Majority of Home Sales BOSTON – The campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment today announced the launch of a new TV ad , part of an eight-figure TV ad campaign that is running through Election Day. The Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million, would raise billions of dollars that are constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education. It is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. Titled ‘ Retiree ,’ the new ad features John Lippitt, a Reading homeowner and retiree , explaining how “Question 1 raises $2 billion a year for public education and roads. It turns out, only people making over a million dollars a year will pay more, and it won’t impact our retirement savings. Even when we sell our house, we won’t have to pay more. I’m voting YES on Question 1.” A recent report from the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center found that even in Massachusetts’s hot housing market, only a tiny percentage of home sellers would see their taxable income rise above $1 million. Last year, only 895 homes, less than 1 percent of all home sales in the state, generated enough of a gain to be affected by Question 1. 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 deduct up to $500,000 from their taxes on the sale of their primary residence, and also deduct the entire cost of a renovated kitchen, an updated heating system, a new roof, or any other major improvements. Local data on home sales shows that in the majority of towns across the Commonwealth, not a single home was sold for a gain of $1 million or more. Only 22 towns had more than 10 sales yield a gain of $1.5 million or more, enough to be affected by Question 1 after deductions are taken. In John’s town of Reading, not a single home sold for that much of a gain. “As a retiree and homeowner, I know that Question 1 won't affect me and my wife when we sell our home. It makes me angry that the billionaire opponents of Question 1 are trying to scare us with misleading ads,” says Lippitt . “I’m supporting Question 1 because 99% of us, including home sellers and retirees, won’t pay more, but we'll all benefit from better roads and bridges, and our grandkids will enjoy better schools and affordable public college.” The new ad can be found here . Previous ‘Yes on 1’ TV ads can be found here , here , here , here , and here . Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 350 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 80 labor unions , 63 community organizing groups , 15 faith-based groups , more than 75 businesses , and more than 100 other social service and not-for-profit organizations focused on housing, education, transportation, public health, and the environment. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com. ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Previous Next

< Back Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee supports Fair Share Amendment Gazette Net | SCOTT MERZBACH May 6, 2022 The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the Fair Share Amendment... (Original / Source) Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee supports Fair Share Amendment AMHERST — A proposed constitutional amendment to apply a 4% tax on Massachusetts households earning more than $1 million annually, with the funds collected to be directed toward public education and transportation, is being endorsed by local school representatives. The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee, with members from Amherst, Pelham, Leverett and Shutesbury, on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the Fair Share Amendment, also sometimes referred to as the millionaires’ tax. If adopted by state voters at the election on Nov. 8, the measure would impose the new tax. The rest of the state’s taxpayers would continue to pay at the 5% tax rate. Amherst representative Peter Demling, who wrote the resolution, said he wants the committee to be on record as stating that schools, especially regional entities, don’t often get the resources they need. “This November is going to be an opportunity for school committees, cities and towns, teachers and teachers unions to support and unite over a common cause,” Demling said. The resolution states that students “deserve equal access to a high quality, well-rounded and well-staffed public education with a rich and varied academic curriculum, ample opportunity to explore the arts and athletics, and social-emotional resources to support their overall well-being” and that the four cents per $1 for money earned over $1 million “is fair, reasonable and long overdue.” Demling said schools across the state are often not able to meet their budgets due to shortfall in state revenues and the Legislature not providing the promised funds. If this amendment is adopted, though, there will be well over $1 billion in extra revenues for the state, with that money to be directed to education or infrastructure, such as roads and bridges. This could be most critical coming out of pandemic, Demling said, and follows the 2019 adoption of the Student Opportunity Act, though he said the focus of that was largely on low-income students, students of color and English learners. The resolution also quotes Merrie Najimy, the president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, who calls the amendment a “once-in-a-lifetime chance to create a Commonwealth where the great potential of all of our students is matched by resources that provide every young person the opportunity to flourish.” A similar endorsement of the Fair Share Amendment has been made by Leverett Town Meeting and the Leverett School Committee. Previous Next

< Back Marcus Harris Account Director This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. info@mysite.com 123-456-7890

< Back Kelly Parker HR Representative This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. info@mysite.com 123-456-7890

< Back iBerkshires: Pittsfield City Council Supports the Fair Share Amendment IBerkshires: Brittany Polito Mar 23, 2022 The City Council on Tuesday voted to endorse a resolution supporting the Fair Share Amendment, which imposes a 4 percent surcharge on earnings past the first $1 million to support transportation and education. Pittsfield City Council Supports the Fair Share Amendment (Source \ Original) By Brittany Polito iBerkshires Staff 07:35PM / Wednesday, March 23, 2022 Print Story | Email Story PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council on Tuesday voted to endorse a resolution supporting the Fair Share Amendment, which imposes a 4 percent surcharge on earnings past the first $1 million to support transportation and education. The amendment, which is expected to generate about $2 billion yearly, will be on the ballot for state voters in November. Frank Farkas of the Berkshire Democratic Brigades presented the resolution to the council. "I'm part of a group called the Berkshire Fair Share Committee, which has been speaking out about the need to pass the Fair Share Amendment this coming November, and has in the process gathered over 60 signatories representing every ward in Pittsfield in support of the fair share resolution you will be considering tonight," he explained. "Surprisingly, a lot of people have not yet heard of the Fair Share Amendment and those who have only the vaguest notion of what it promises to deliver to the commonwealth so let's work hard to make the case and bring fair share to people's attentions." Farkas added that it is a "golden opportunity" to put the commonwealth on a more stable and sustainable footing. He outlined the underfunded areas that could be greatly aided by the funds including the restoration of crumbling roads and bridges and bringing down the cost f community colleges. The Fair Share Amendment does all of this without asking 99 percent of the state to sacrifice more economically, Farkas said, and accomplishes that by introducing an element of progressive taxation in the state that has a flat tax rate despite its reputation as the "cradle of democracy." A number of residents spoke in support of the resolution during open microphone. Former educator and current member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority Advisory Board Sheila Irvin said she has seen the effects of budget shortfalls and discontinued grants in the consistency of educational programming as well as the inadequacy of federal funding to meet the transportation needs for local municipalities. She pointed to State Auditor Suzanne Bump's October 2021 report, Public Infrastructure in Western Massachusetts: A Critical Need for Regional Investment and Revitalization , which indicates that Western Mass communities don't have the tools to develop needed public infrastructure and recommends an increase in Chapter 90 funding. "At a time when the cost of driving and maintaining automobiles is becoming prohibitive for many in our community, we need funds to creatively expand models of public transportation," Irvin said. Ward 2 Councilor Charles Kronick was the lone vote in opposition of supporting the resolution because he questioned if it was fair and if the funds would actually reach Western Mass. "Is it good policy in general, when wanting to raise public money to find a demographic that you think ought to pay it?" he said. Kronick also expressed that he believes there are under 20 people who make over $1 million per year and rhetorically asked if the money would largely be spent in Boston. The Boston Globe reported in 2020 that there were 18,205 millionaires in the state by income, up 12.5 percent from the year before. There were 25 in Williamstown and 21 in Pittsfield filing for 2016, according to data from the state Department of Revenue, and Boston had the highest at 2,158. Councilor at Large Peter White spoke in support of the Fair Share Amendment. "This is a way that we could bring in more money for education, for infrastructure for transportation without directly taxing, I think, most of our citizens," he said. Farkas also reported that there will be a Berkshire Fair Share kickoff on April 4 at Berkshire Community College. Previous Next

< Back Attleboro Sun Chronicle: A 'Yes' on Question 1 will benefit most The Editorial Board Oct 27, 2022 ​ Taxing Massachusetts workers earning more than $1 million at a higher rate will affect very few and harm almost none of them. But it will benefit virtually everyone in the state. That’s why we strongly endorse a “Yes” on Question 1 for the election that ends Nov. 8. Massachusetts has a flat tax system and currently taxes all income levels at the same rate: 5%. The referendum would amend the state constitution to introduce an additional 4% surtax on anyone’s income above $1 million. The United States has a progressive tax system, and Massachusetts would join 34 other states if Question 1 is adopted. Only six other states have a flat tax. A study from Tufts University’s Center for State Policy Analysis said that the change would generate about $1.3 billion of revenue in 2023 and would apply to about 0.6% of households in the state. That’s less than 16,000 of the Bay State’s approximately 2.54 million households. There are some “one-time millionaires” who will be affected, and the opposition — which includes Gillette Stadium owner Robert Kraft, who contributed $1 million to the cause — has tried to sway the public by generating sympathy for those individuals. For instance, if you bought a home years ago for $300,000 and it sold today for $1.8 million after broker fees are paid, you still would not pay the surtax. When it comes to home or property sales, the tax only applies to the capital gains, $1.5 million. And couples have a $500,000 exemption for property sales. Even that scenario would be rare. In 2021, only 2 percent of Massachusetts home sales resulted in capital gains of more than $1 million, according to a state analysis. The opposition has also overstated the impact on small business owners who sell and are counting on it for a retirement nest egg. If the owner has capital gains of $2 million, the tax bill will rise from $100,000 to $140,000. Most of us would be happy with that remaining nest egg. Another argument against Question 1 is that the state is sitting on a huge surplus and doesn’t need the money. But a good chunk of that money is expected to be returned to inflation-strapped taxpayers. And if we know one thing about Massachusetts politics, it’s that the state won’t have plenty of money for too long. Approving this referendum will lock in another revenue source while affecting very few wallets. The people of Massachusetts do need help now, however, and that’s the biggest reason we urge your support. Revenue from the surtax is earmarked for education and transportation, and while there is some question whether the Legislature can spend elsewhere, we doubt lawmakers will override the will of voters, at least initially. The surtax targets Massachusetts two greatest needs: Improving our schools and our transportation infrastructure. As the shocking drop in test scores indicates, students were seriously set back by the pandemic. Teachers need help getting kids back on track, and they need it quickly. And anyone who drives our pothole-filled streets or is detoured by a bridge closing or depends on the MBTA to get to work understands the need to improve our transportation. Better schools and better transportation help everyone. Question 1 provides an opportunity to improve the lives of all Bay Staters while only asking a little more from our most affluent residents. We urge you to vote “Yes.” Previous Next

< Back Ashley Amerson Product Manager This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. info@mysite.com 123-456-7890

< Back Letter: Vote for the Fair Share Amendment Liz Recko-Morrison and Brian P. Morrison | The Berkshire Eagle Jul 7, 2022 ​ To the editor: This November, we will have the opportunity to vote on the Fair Share Amendment. If passed, this constitutional amendment will provide a new and much needed source of funding for education and infrastructure in Massachusetts. This revenue will come from a new tax of 4 percent on earned income over $1 million. While this levy will affect only the top 1 percent of our residents, it will positively impact all of us by generating $2 billion yearly to strengthen the entire education system and provide funds for needed infrastructure projects. Education in Massachusetts is currently a study in contrasts. Some districts can provide incredible opportunities for their students while others struggle to fund even basic services. The funds the FSA would secure can begin to address these inequities. Massachusetts educators and families can revitalize and reimagine their schools to better prepare all students for the future. In public higher education, this extra revenue can begin to address years of underfunding the system. For the first time in a generation, students of all income levels could attend college debt-free. Throughout the whole of the educational system, staffing issues can be addressed so that all learners have access to teachers, support staff, student services personnel and ancillary providers to meet their diverse needs. Our future workforce depends upon everyone receiving a quality education. The FSA will also provide funds for building and maintaining the infrastructure, including public transportation. Massachusetts roads and bridges have been neglected for far too long. Projects are backlogged, and communities endure delays to obtain funding. Imagine what it would be like to see a bridge repaired within a year rather than several years. Transit authorities struggle to procure and service buses and trains that will provide environmentally sustainable transportation. The additional money that the FSA will provide can mitigate some of these issues as well. The FSA will deliver needed funds for pre-K through higher education. It will also allow our commonwealth to tend to long neglected infrastructure problems. Its provision will not raise taxes at all for most of us. Yes, it will require those with income above $1 million to pay an additional four cents for each dollar above that lofty level. Those pennies will change lives in Massachusetts; please join us in voting for the Fair Share Amendment. Image of the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority in Pittsfield, MA by David Wilson via https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwilson1949/14115509932/ Previous Next

< Back WAMC: Springfield City Council backs higher tax on millionaires with ‘Fair Share Amendment’ Patrick Johnson | MassLive Apr 5, 2022 The City Council has unanimously endorsed the Fair Share Amendment, a referendum on the November ballot Original SPRINGFIELD — The City Council has unanimously endorsed the Fair Share Amendment, a referendum on the November ballot that seeks to raise money for public education and transportation by taxing millionaires and billionaires across the state. Councilors on Monday voted in favor of a resolution proposed by Councilor Jesse Lederman to endorse the referendum, which if approved by Massachusetts voters in November, would levy a tax of 4 percent on any income beyond $1 million. The estimated $2 billion annually would be used to supplement spending on public education, public colleges, and transportation issues across the state. Previous Next

< Back Amesbury City Council endorses Fair Share Amendment Jim Sullivan | The Daily News of Newburyport Jul 5, 2022 ​ AMESBURY — The city has been added to the list of Massachusetts municipalities endorsing the Fair Share Amendment ballot initiative. The state ballot question calls for assessing an additional 4% tax on incomes over $1 million if approved at the polls Nov. 8. The money raised from the additional surcharge would then be used to fund schools, roads and other infrastructure needs. Amesbury City Councilors Nicholas Wheeler, Adrienne Lennon, Anthony Rinaldi and Roger Deschenes sponsored a resolution in support of the ballot measure, which was approved unanimously after a first reading June 28. The Newburyport City Council voted 7-4 to endorse the Fair Share Amendment in May. Lennon said the city had gone through a very difficult budget cycle, especially for the public schools, and approval of the amendment could go a long way in relieving the financial pressure. The amendment is an “obvious opportunity” for the state’s wealthy investors to offer some assistance to the rest of the population, according to Lennon. “They do not live on their income, they live on the dividends of their income and it harms them in no way, whatsoever, to be contributing to the opportunities of the rest of the people of the commonwealth,” she said. Cindy Yetman, president of Amesbury Local 1033 of the American Federation of Teachers, appeared before the City Council on June 28 to request the resolution’s approval. Yetman said Friday she is very happy with the resolution and believes most, if not all, Massachusetts labor unions will eventually endorse the Fair Share Amendment. “Faith-based groups are endorsing it, community-based groups are endorsing it, and now municipalities are also endorsing it, one by one,” she said. Municipalities such as Amesbury are relying more on real estate property taxes to fund programs, Yetman said. She pointed out that the School Committee cut $477,589 from its proposed operating budget in the spring. “All the department heads in the city needed to tighten their belts this year, so we need relief. Passing the Fair Share Amendment will bring on approximately $2 billion in additional state revenue,” she said. “This is not going to affect 99.5% of the residents of Massachusetts. It is only going to ask a small group of residents to pay an additional 4% over each dollar earned over $1 million. So, that first $1 million has no additional tax. For each dollar after that, we are asking them to pay four cents.” The social/emotional needs of students have always been important but the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic have made them even more acute, according to Yetman. “We are finding from that experience that this year particularly was very challenging in terms of students adjusting back to face-to-face education,” she said. “We also need to get all of the students back to where they should be so additional resources are certainly needed now to be able to make sure that our students are in a place where they can learn best.” Yetman said Massachusetts residents can expect to see union members canvassing the state to drum up support for the amendment heading into the election. “Our next step will be a very broad campaign,” she said. “We will be knocking on doors and having meetings with community groups to inform our voters of the importance of the passage of the Fair Share Amendment. Because we do have an opposition that spins another tale about what it will bring and do,” she said. Image of Amesbury Town Hall by Fletcher6, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Previous Next