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< Back Yes on 1 Campaign Responds to New Poll Showing Voters Demand Investments in Transportation Infrastructure ​ Oct 20, 2022 2nd Poll This Week Showing Strong Support for Question 1 Among Voters BOSTON – Supporters of Question 1, the proposed ‘Fair Share Amendment’ that would tax incomes above $1 million and raise billions of dollars that are constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education, today responded to a new poll showing strong support from voters for investments in the state’s transportation infrastructure. The poll of 987 likely voters in the November general election, conducted by the MassINC Polling Group, found that 66 percent of voters think improving the condition of highways, roads, and bridges should be a top priority for the next Governor, while 59 percent think improving existing public transportation like trains, subways, and buses should be a top priority. “Massachusetts voters are demanding improvements to our roads, bridges, and public transportation, and Question 1 provides a clear way to pay for them,’ said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani. “There’s no shortage of need for investment in our state’s transportation infrastructure. We need to fix potholes on our local roads, repair the state’s 644 structurally deficient bridges, and upgrade MBTA trains, tracks, and stations.” The poll also found that 78 percent of voters rate the condition of transportation in Massachusetts either fair or poor, while only 21 percent rate it good or excellent. The MassINC Polling Group poll measured support for Question 1 among voters, and found 59 percent support for Question 1, compared to 31 percent opposition. On Tuesday, a Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC10 Boston/Telemundo poll of Massachusetts voters found 58 percent support for Question 1, compared to 37 percent opposition. “Voters are supporting Question 1 because they recognize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our schools and fix our transportation infrastructure,” said Mariani. “Question 1 will generate $2 billion a year to invest in transportation and public education, and only the very rich who make more than $1 million a year will pay more.” A recent Yes on Question 1 ad, titled ‘ Crews ,’ featured Jimmy Marenghi, an operating engineer and member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4, explaining how “Too many of our roads and bridges are downright dangerous to drive on. Question 1 brings in $2 billion a year so we can repair them.” An August report from the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center found that Massachusetts has 644 structurally deficient bridges, and that 1 in 9 bridge crossings in the state occur on a structurally deficient bridge. Only 25% of the state’s bridges are graded in ‘good’ condition. And according to the American Society of Civil Engineers, 25% of Massachusetts’ roads are in poor condition, and the average driver pays $620 per year in extra costs caused by driving on our substandard roadways. 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 500 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 87 labor unions ; 72 community organizing groups ; 18 faith-based groups ; more than 75 businesses ; 64 city councils, select boards, and school committees ; 89 local Democratic town and ward committees ; and 115 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

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< Back Yes on 1 Campaign Responds to New Report Showing Less Than 1 Percent of Seniors Will Pay Fair Share Tax ​ Oct 17, 2022 Analysis of IRS Data Shows Only a Tiny Percentage of Retirees Have Annual Taxable Income of More Than $1 Million BOSTON – A new report from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, based on Massachusetts taxpayer data from the IRS, proves conclusively that less than 1 percent of seniors will pay more in taxes if Question 1 on the November ballot is approved by voters. The campaign working to pass Question 1, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million that would raise billions of dollars that are constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education, released the following statement in response: “This report irrefutably confirms that the vast majority of Massachusetts seniors won’t pay a single cent more with Question 1,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani . “Not when they take money from their retirement savings, and not when they sell their home. Only the richest 1 percent in our state will pay more, and we’ll all benefit from better roads and schools, for us and for future generations.” Last week, the Yes on 1 campaign launched a new TV ad featuring 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.” “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,” said Lippitt at the time. “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 Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center report found that: Only 0.8 percent of Massachusetts taxpayers aged 60 and older have an annual income of $1 million or more, high enough to be affected by Question 1. Less than 1 percent of Massachusetts tax filers receiving taxable distributions from individual retirement accounts had taxable income that totaled over $1 million. Just over half of one percent of Massachusetts tax filers with income from taxable pensions or annuities had taxable income that totaled over $1 million. Even seniors with high wealth generally have much lower annual incomes than their wealth. Question 1 only affects personal income over $1 million in a single year, not wealth held in a retirement account or other assets. Another recent report 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. 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 500 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 87 labor unions ; 72 community organizing groups ; 18 faith-based groups ; more than 75 businesses ; 62 city councils, select boards, and school committees ; 89 local Democratic town and ward committees ; and 115 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 Climate reasons for supporting the Fair Share Amendment ELIZABETH MARCUS | CONRAD WILLEMAN | Newburyport May 6, 2022 Our greatest challenge in the 21st century is climate change mitigation... Climate reasons for supporting the Fair Share Amendment (Orginal / Source) Our greatest challenge in the 21st century is climate change mitigation. In Massachusetts the largest sector of greenhouses gas emissions (42%) is transportation. Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily come from burning fossil fuels in our cars, trucks, and heavy duty vehicles. The Fair Share Amendment will provide new revenue to allow substantial investment in transportation and public education in Massachusetts. These investments will make it easier for us to kick our fossil fuel dependence by providing safer options for pedestrians and cyclists as well as speedy, affordable, regular, reliable and convenient public transportation. It is estimated that the Fair Share Amendment will generate approximately $1.5 billion dollars in new revenue by taxing income (not assets) in excess of $1,000,000 per year at a rate of 4%. It is estimated that it will apply to only 0.5% of Massachusetts taxpayers. This group currently pays a lower portion of their income in state and local taxes than any other income group in the state. The Fair Share Amendment will be on the ballot in November 2022. We ask that the Newburyport City Council pass a municipal resolution supporting the Fair Share Amendment to the Massachusetts State Constitution. Previous Next

< Back 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 Nov 1, 2022 Question 1 on the November 8 Ballot Would Help Improve Schools, Repair Roads and Bridges, and Make Our Tax System Fairer BOSTON – Supporters of Question 1, the Fair Share Amendment, today announced the launch of a new TV ad featuring ten campaign supporters speaking about why they support Question 1, 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. “We’ve been blown away by the grassroots support for Question 1 from tens of thousands of parents, educators, workers, small business owners, retirees, and other neighbors who want to improve our schools, fix our roads and bridges, and make our tax system fairer,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Field Director Lillian Lanier. “So we gave ten of them the chance to be in this ad, and share with voters across the state why they’re supporting Question 1.” Over the last few months, Yes on 1 campaign supporters have knocked on the doors of more than 350,000 voters, and called more than 850,000 voters, to talk about the benefits of Question 1. “At the doors and on the phones, our volunteers explain how the 99 percent of us who make less than $1 million a year won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll all benefit from better schools and colleges, and safer transportation infrastructure,” Lanier continued. “With one week until Election Day, we’re going to keep talking to as many voters as we can about this once-in-a- generation opportunity for Massachusetts to make things better.” Titled ‘Village,’ the new ad features parents from Quincy, Plymouth, and Chelsea, teachers from New Bedford and Hyde Park, an operating engineer from Canton, a healthcare worker from Jamaica Plain, an electrician from Duxbury, a Boston brewery owner, and a retiree from Reading, all speaking about their support for Question 1. “Question 1 makes things fairer,” says Jamaica Plain healthcare worker Mary Brown. “And only the super-rich pay for it,” says Canton operating engineer Jimmy Marenghi. “It raises $2 billion a year,” says New Bedford public school teacher Cynthia Roy. “That money is constitutionally guaranteed to go to public education, roads, and bridges,” says Duxbury electrician Dave Mastrangelo. “Question 1 holds politicians accountable, so they can’t spend the money anywhere else,” says Hyde Park public school teacher Alison Doherty. “It’s true: the richest one percent pay a lower share in taxes than the rest of us,” says Quincy parent Liz Speakman. “I’m voting Yes on Question 1 so all of our families can thrive.” The new ad can be found here. Previous ‘Yes on 1’ TV ads can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. The Question 1 supporters featured in this ad are available to speak to media about their support for the campaign. Please contact Andrew Farnitano at 925-917-1354 or andrew@crawfordstrategies.com to set up an interview. 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 500 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 87 labor unions; 72 community organizing groups; 18 faith-based groups; more than 100 businesses; 64 city councils, select boards, and school committees; 89 local Democratic town and ward committees; and 115 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 100+ Massachusetts Businesses Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education ​ Oct 26, 2022 100+ Massachusetts Businesses Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education BOSTON – Supporters of Question 1, the proposed ‘Fair Share Amendment,’ today announced the endorsement of more than 100 businesses from across the state. “I’ve researched Question 1, and here’s what I found: it would increase funding for our schools and roads, and small businesses like mine wouldn’t pay a penny more,” said Steysy Clark, owner of House of Art and Craft, a home goods business in Brighton and Randolph. “As a business owner, I know how important public schools and transportation are for a strong economy. Question 1 is a clear win for small businesses.” The businesses include restaurants, bookstores, farms, barber shops, breweries, retailers, hotels, solar installers, banks, home repair contractors, record stores, salons, bike shops, pet groomers, and other businesses from across Massachusetts, in communities such as Adams, Amherst, Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Framingham, Grafton, Greenfield, Hyannis, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Montague, Newburyport, New Bedford, North Adams, Northampton, Pittsfield, Randolph, Shelburne, Somerville, South Hadley, Springfield, Stoneham, Woburn, and Worcester. “Over the past few months, more than 100 businesses across the state have joined together in support of Question 1,” said Gerly Adrien, Business Director of Fair Share for Massachusetts & owner of Tipping Cow Ice Cream in Somerville and Boston. “The billionaires and corporate lobbyists who oppose Question 1 have spent millions trying to scare business owners and mislead voters by claiming that it is a tax on businesses, but that’s not true. The 100-plus business owners supporting Question 1 understand that it will help our businesses, and make our economy stronger.” The Fair Share Amendment adds a tax only on personal income over $1 million – business taxes would not increase, and Question 1 doesn’t apply to any business’s revenues. The only individuals who will pay more, including business owners or shareholders, are those who earn more than $1 million in personal income in a single year, 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. A new report from the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center, released on Monday, found that “very few small businesses ever would sell for amounts that would require the sellers to pay any Fair Share tax on the proceeds from the sale.” “For me, Question 1 means better roads and public transportation to help my employees get to and from work,” said Matthew Gray, owner of Neighborhood Produce, a grocery store in Somerville. “It means better schools and colleges so that we have a well-trained workforce in the future. And it means only the super-rich will be asked to pay more, not small businesses like mine. That’s an opportunity I can get behind.” 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 Adeline's Hair Salon, Everett Adorn Me Africa, Somerville All She Wrote Books, Somerville Almquist & Associates, Somerville Amalgamated Bank, Boston Amantolli, Somerville Amherst Books, Amherst Apex Noire, Boston Asamass Trading, Worcester Avest Home Repair and Painting, Cambridge Bedlam Book Cafe, Worcester Belltower Records, North Adams Bicycle Belle, Somerville 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 Cincon Group, Boston Chill Out First Class Limo Service Inc, Everett Chuck Talley Illustrations, New Bedford Coffee Liberation Front, Adams Cookie Time Bakery, Arlington Crawford Strategies, Arlington Democracy Brewing, Boston dNB Craft Kitchen, New Bedford Fairhaven Yacht, Fairhaven Field First LLC, Boston Fiore's Bakery, Jamaica Plain Flint Fruit and Variety, Fall River Foxtrot Farm LLC, Shelburne Greenfield Solar, Greenfield Hair at Little Hollow, Somerville Hair by Christine, Somerville Hair Passion Salon, Medford 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 If Wishes Were Horses, Amherst Irving House at Harvard, Cambridge Juguitos, Springfield 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 Like A Phoenix Behavioral Health, Woburn Maxima Book Center, Lexington Maxima Gift Center, Arlington Mechanica, Newburyport Micky's Hair Design, Everett Montague Bookmill, Montague 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 Quiet Moon Postpartum Care, Belmont Radio Concorde, Boston Rebel Rebel, Somerville 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 SKM Collection, Framingham Somerville Grooves, Somerville Stand Up 8 Dance Studio, Malden Stinky's Kittens and Doggies Too, Somerville 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 Vanda's Salon, Framingham Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy, Malden #MAPoli Strategies, Boston 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 500 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 87 labor unions ; 72 community organizing groups ; 18 faith-based groups ; more than 100 businesses ; 64 city councils, select boards, and school committees ; 89 local Democratic town and ward committees ; and 115 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 More Than 500 Organizations Across MA Support Question 1 to Improve Schools & Roads with Tax on Million-Dollar Earners ​ Oct 19, 2022 As Voting Begins, New Poll Shows 58% of Voters Supporting Question 1 BOSTON – As voters begin casting their mail-in ballots this week, and in-person early voting begins over the weekend, more than 500 organizations across the state are united in supporting Question 1, the proposed ‘Fair Share Amendment’ that would tax incomes above $1 million and raise billions of dollars that are constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education. And in a sign of the continued momentum for Question 1, a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC10 Boston/Telemundo poll of Massachusetts voters found 58 percent support for Question 1, compared to 37 percent opposition. “Tens of thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 500 organizations across the state are all working together to pass Question 1 in November,” said Lillian Lanier, Field Director for Fair Share for Massachusetts. “We’re supporting Question 1 because we know it will help improve our schools and transportation infrastructure, and only the very rich will pay more. A few billionaires are trying to mislead voters about what Question 1 does, but our grassroots supporters are having thousands of conversations every day to combat their misinformation.” The Yes on Question 1 campaign has been endorsed by 87 labor unions; 72 community organizing groups; 18 faith-based groups; more than 75 businesses; 64 city councils, select boards, and school committees; 89 local Democratic town and ward committees; and 115 other social service and not-for-profit organizations focused on housing, education, transportation, public health, and the environment. A full list of the 500+ organizations supporting Question 1 can be found here . Supporters of Question 1 call the Amendment an opportunity for Massachusetts to improve our schools and colleges, fix our roads and bridges, create jobs, and boost our economy, all without 99% of taxpayers paying a single cent more. “Question 1 is a chance to make things better,” says New Bedford public school teacher Cynthia Roy in one of the campaign’s ads. “It raises $2 billion a year, constitutionally dedicated to public education and transportation, so we can end the teacher shortage, hire more counselors, and provide better support for students.” “[Question 1] creates thousands of new jobs at the same time,” says Canton operating engineer Jimmy Marenghi in another ad. “And only the super rich pay for it, not families like mine. Opponents of Question 1, funded by a few billionaire CEOs who don’t want to pay their fair share in taxes, are trying to scare seniors and small business owners about the effects of Question 1, but the facts are clear. Question 1 is a tax on personal income over $1 million – business taxes would not be affected, and Question 1 doesn’t apply to any business’s revenues. Less than 3 percent of businesses owners in Massachusetts have taxable personal income over $1 million that would be subject to Question 1, and many of them are primarily investors or shareholders, not people running a business day-to-day. “If a business is generating more than a million dollars in personal profit for the owner, even after they deduct all their business expenses, let’s be real: it’s not a small business, and that super-rich business owner can afford to pay their fair share in taxes,” says Gerly Adrien, Business Director of Fair Share for Massachusetts & owner of Tipping Cow Ice Cream in Somerville and Boston. "Question 1 wouldn't make small businesses like ours pay a single penny more. But every business in Massachusetts will benefit when we have a more reliable transportation system to get our customers in the door and our employees to and from work," says Karsen Eckweiler, co-owner of Democracy Brewing in Boston . "We'll all benefit from better schools and colleges that prepare a well-educated workforce. And anyone who makes more than a million dollars in a single year can easily afford to pay a little more — just four cents on every dollar from their second million, and everything above it — to help build a stronger economy for all of us." And research from the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, based on Massachusetts taxpayer data from the IRS, proves conclusively that less than 1 percent of seniors will pay more in taxes if Question 1 on the November ballot is approved, including when they sell their homes. “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 John Lippitt, a Reading homeowner and retiree. “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.” 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. For supporters, Question 1 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fund our public schools and colleges and repair our roads, bridges, and transit, all by making the very rich pay their fair share in state taxes. “When I go door to door talking to voters about Question 1, I’m joined by educators, parents, and school staff who want our schools to have adequate staffing to give students one-on-one attention and help them recover from learning loss,” said Liz Speakman, a Quincy parent. “I’m joined by drivers who want to see the potholes on our main streets fixed, bus riders who are worried about the state of our public transportation infrastructure, and students who want to get a public college degree without taking on enormous debt. That’s who our campaign is, and I know that when working people join together and have conversations with our neighbors, we can overcome the scare tactics of a few billionaires.” 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 500 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1. Our campaign has been endorsed by 87 labor unions ; 72 community organizing groups ; 18 faith-based groups ; more than 75 businesses ; 64 city councils, select boards, and school committees ; 89 local Democratic town and ward committees ; and 115 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 Should millionaires be taxed at a higher rate? Massachusetts voters to decide this fall Elizabeth Hopkins | Boston 25 News Jul 18, 2022 ​ Many Massachusetts taxpayers might be in line for a tax cut as legislators think about how to handle a large revenue surplus. One group of taxpayers might still be on the hook for hike, however. This fall, voters will determine whether people who make more than a million dollars should be taxed at a higher rate. It’s a proposed tax hike that elicits two very different perspectives. “We’re an incredibly wealthy commonwealth, but that wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few,” said Jaron Mariani, campaign manager for Fair Share for Massachusetts, the group sponsoring the amendment “Folks are having a difficult time, they don’t need to be taxed more right now,” rebutted Dan Cence, spokesperson for Coalition to Stop the Tax Hike Amendment. Voters will be asked to vote on a constitutional amendment this fall that would continue to tax income up to one million dollars at 5% while adding a levy of 4% on anything more than that. The funds generated, possibly up to $2 billion, would be earmarked for education and transportation. Mariani said, “It’s 99.6% of us that don’t take home a million dollars in income. It’s only .4% of the commonwealth that takes home over a million dollars in income.” He dismisses the idea businesses will flee the state if the so-called “Millionaire’s Tax” passes in November. “For businesses, what’s attractive is a highly educated workforce and a reliable transit system that gets people to and from your business, and your employees home from your business.” Cence countered “that what happened was you get unintended consequences when things are crafted a certain way, and we have that here.” He says a home seller reaping a large windfall, or a small business owner, could get caught paying the sur-tax. He believes this amendment also reinforces the negative impression that we live in “Taxachusetts.” “We feel that many people move to New Hampshire, redomicile, and move to other locations and stop the economic impact and economic growth here in Massachusetts. Without question that will happen every single year.” Powerful groups are already lining up on both sides of this issue. For example, the Massachusetts Teachers Association is backing the amendment while the Massachusetts High Technology Council is opposing it. Previous Next

< Back At least 13 municipal boards now back millionaires tax Meg McIntyre | Boston Business Journal Jul 14, 2022 Voters are set to consider the surtax on the statewide ballot in November after state legislators opted to put the question to residents during a Constitutional Convention last summer. The Amesbury City Council has become the latest municipal body to have endorsed the Fair Share Amendment, a proposed constitutional amendment that would levy a 4 percentage point surtax on household income above $1 million per year. Voters are set to consider the surtax on the statewide ballot in November after state legislators opted to put the question to residents during a Constitutional Convention last summer. Amesbury councilors unanimously approved a resolution supporting the proposed surtax late last month, the Newburyport News reported . City Councilor Adrienne Lennon called the amendment an "obvious opportunity" for wealthy investors to support other residents at a time when local budgets are strained. "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," Lennon said at the panel's June 28 meeting. By the News Service's count, at least 13 municipal bodies have publicly supported the amendment so far, including in Amesbury, Amherst, Cambridge, Dalton, Lee, Lynn, Medford, New Bedford, Newburyport, North Adams, Pittsfield, Springfield and Worcester. The proposal has also been backed by 26 housing and community development groups that declared their support for the measure last week. It has drawn opposition from groups such as the Massachusetts High Technology Council, Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, the Massachusetts chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, the Pioneer Institute and the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. Previous Next

< Back Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Teachers Union Leaders Launch Canvass for Question 1 in Dorchester ​ Oct 16, 2022 Congresswoman Pressley Joins Supporters of Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners to Invest in Transportation and Public Education BOSTON – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley today joined supporters of the Fair Share Amendment at the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester to kick off a door-to-door canvass for the proposed state tax on annual incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars that are constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “We know what is possible when we invest in our communities,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Question 1 will generate $2 billion a year in vital revenue to make our education and transportation systems more equitable, accessible, and affordable for everyone. How we choose to invest our resources is a reflection of our values, and I'm proud to stand with the organizers, advocates, and leaders committed to making good schools, affordable colleges, safe roads, and reliable public transportation a reality for every resident of Massachusetts.” At Sunday’s canvass kick-off, Congresswoman Pressley and campaign supporters, including NEA President Becky Pringle, Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page, Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang, and BPS student Khasim Saeed spoke to volunteers about their support for the Fair Share Amendment and the difference it would make for schools in Boston and throughout Massachusetts. “We all agree that every student deserves a well-resourced public school, where their potential isn’t limited by strained budgets or a shortage of teachers,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “But while working Bay Staters struggle to make ends meet, the rich are getting richer and multimillionaires aren’t paying their fair share to ensure Massachusetts students realize their dreams. I enthusiastically support ‘Yes on Question 1,’ because it’s time for Massachusetts multimillionaires to support the future of this commonwealth.” Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) President Max Page said educators are the most trusted and respected people in their communities on education issues. “Passing the Fair Share Amendment is the focus of intensifying MTA grassroots efforts, which draws support from our 115,000 members across the state,” said Page. “It’s a visionary and urgent proposal and educators are continuing to have those crucial one-on-one conversations with their colleagues, neighbors, friends and family about how a YES vote will mean a reliable source of funds for our public schools, colleges, and transportation systems.” “When Question 1 passes, we can make Massachusetts’s tax system fairer, create long-term investments that build our communities, and ensure broad prosperity for all,” added Page. “It’s a win-win.” “BTU is proud to endorse the Fair Share Amendment campaign because our students and communities deserve to access the high-quality public education and safe, reliable public transportation that this tax will fund,” said Boston Teachers Union President Jessica Tang. “Investments in our public schools and transportation are imperative to the Commonwealth’s ability to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and a fair share tax will help to give our students the social-emotional supports, modern school buildings, and smaller class sizes they need.” “Without proper funding we can’t have new and safe buildings for students to thrive in, or modern textbooks with proper knowledge and information, or reliable transportation to get to school,” said Khasim Saeed, a senior at Boston Community Leadership Academy. “By voting YES on Question 1, not only are you helping yourself but you’re also helping the future leaders of this country, with new textbooks, modernized buildings for all schools, and quicker and better transportation for all of the people of this city.” Melanie Allen, a Learning Specialist at the Rafael Hernández Dual Language K-8 School in Roxbury, described the many additional personnel her school has been able to hire using federal pandemic relief funds. “When you've been hustling as long as we have, this feels like a luxury. But it' not. It's the basics of what all kids need, but only some kids actually get," said Allen. "When those federal funds run out in two years, then what? Back to triage? No! We need to pass Question 1. No more one-time funding that runs out. No more running out on our kids. No more running out on our future." Then, canvassers headed out to speak to Boston voters about how the Fair Share Amendment would help improve our public schools and colleges and our roads, bridges, and public transportation infrastructure, all by making the very rich pay their fair share. 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 Push for millionaires' tax in Massachusetts ramps up Adam Reilly | WGBH May 11, 2022 The Fair Share Amendment, which is also referred to as the millionaires’ tax, will go before voters as a ballot question this fall... Push for millionaires' tax in Massachusetts ramps up (Original / Source) The campaign to change the Massachusetts Constitution to create a new surtax on income in excess of $1 million officially kicked off Wednesday, escalating an long-simmering battle that's been brewing since 2015. The Fair Share Amendment, which is also referred to as the millionaires’ tax, will go before voters as a ballot question this fall. If passed, it would impose an additional tax of 4% on income over the million-dollar mark. The ensuing revenue would be used to fund investments in transportation and education. Unlike many other states, Massachusetts currently taxes all income levels at the same 5% rate. Previous attempts to amend the constitution to create a graduated income tax have failed, most recently in 1994, when two-thirds of voters rejected the idea. In a Zoom kickoff event for the millionaires' tax, proponents indicated that they're likely to use the state's experience during the COVID-19 pandemic to make their case for taxing higher incomes at an increased rate. The Rev. Ann-Marie Illsley, a pastor at Christ Congregational Church in Brockton, praised the efforts of essential workers such as personal care attendants and grocery store employees during the pandemic, and cast passing the proposed amendment as a way to reward their sacrifices. "In the hardest moments of the pandemic, they stepped up to make sure that our communities had what they needed," Illsley said. "Our essential workers have been putting in their fair share, and they continue to. But these folks and their communities have needs also — needs for better-funded school systems and increased training opportunities, improved infrastructure." Worcester City Councilor Khrystian King said the amendment would raise approximately $1.3 billion by requiring the state's wealthiest residents to make a relatively small financial sacrifice. "You're talking about folks that make around $20,000 per week — per week, $20,000," King said. "Those folks are going to have to pay an additional $31 per week.” An analysis earlier this year by Tufts University's Center for State Policy Analysis also said the amendment would raise about $1.3 billion, and found that it would do so "in a highly progressive way likely to advance racial and economic equity." However, the analysis warned that there could be a "disproportionate effect on state coffers" if just a few of the state's wealthiest residents move out of the commonwealth to avoid a new surtax, and that the shift to hybrid and remote work could lead to more residents relocating than previously anticipated. The Coalition for a Strong Massachusetts Economy, which opposes the amendment, said people relocating is a likely outcome of the proposed tax hike. "Proponents of the measure claim that it will raise taxes only on Massachusetts’ highest earners," spokesperson Dan Cence said in a statement, "but in practice, the measure will damage our economy, threaten small business owners, harm retirees, and result in more lost jobs and more people leaving Massachusetts." Supporters of the proposed amendment had planned to place it before voters in 2018, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled at the time that the effort, which relied on the state's initiative-petition process, didn't meet specific constitutional requirements. In this electoral cycle, supporters circumvented a possible repeat challenge by using the referendum process, which is driven by legislative support rather than citizen signatures. In Constitutional Conventions in 2019 and 2021, the Massachusetts House and Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of advancing the measure to the ballot this year. Now, opponents are asking the Supreme Judicial Court to amend Attorney General Maura Healey's description of the proposed amendment to convey that the funds raised might not lead to the spending increases advocates promise . Andrew Farnitano, a spokesperson for Raise Up Massachusetts, which supports the amendment, insisted Wednesday that concern is misplaced. “Dedicating the funding from the Fair Share Amendment in the text of the constitution is the strongest possible way to ensure that it goes to transportation and public education,” he said. “That is an iron-clad dedication that the funds raised by this amendment must be spent on those two areas.” An Supreme Judicial Court ruling on the challenge to Healey's summary is expected in the coming weeks. When Farnitano was asked if the Legislature might diminish spending drawn from other sources if the amendment passes, leading to smaller-than-advertised new investments in education and transportation, he suggested that such maneuvering would be politically risky. "When you look at the words that they have said and the commitments they have laid out, it's clear that their intention is to spend more on education and transportation," Farnitano said. "And we will hold them to that." Toward the close of Wednesday's event, campaign manager Jeron Mariani acknowledged that supporters of the proposed amendment have already been campaigning for months. “We've been out there knocking on doors, open-air canvassing at rallies, making phone calls,” he said. "This is only going to continue," Mariani added. "And one way that we're continuing it is that this very weekend we're launching seven canvasses — seven different cities, all across the commonwealth.” Mariani also announced the launch of a new website, fairsharema.com, which he described as a "hub for how to get plugged into the campaign ... to be an active member of this movement." This story was updated to include a comment from the Coalition for a Strong Massachusetts Economy. Previous Next