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< 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

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< 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 Ahead of Labor Day, 80 Mass. Labor Unions Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education Sep 1, 2022 Unions Representing Nearly Half a Million Workers Join Growing Coalition Supporting Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners on November Ballot BOSTON – Ahead of Labor Day weekend, 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 80 labor unions from across the state. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “Union members across Massachusetts are voting Yes on Question 1 in November because we work hard and pay our fair share, and it’s time for the very rich to pay their fair share too,” said Steven Tolman, President of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “Question 1 would constitutionally dedicate $2 billion every year to fixing our roads, bridges, schools, colleges, and transit infrastructure, and only those making more than $1 million a year would pay a penny more. That’s a win for working people, and a win for Massachusetts.” The 80 labor unions collectively represent nearly half a million workers across Massachusetts, including teachers, bus and truck drivers, nurses, carpenters, educators, grocery workers, custodians, healthcare workers, paraprofessionals, electricians, property service workers, plumbers, school counselors, human service workers, roofers, and many more. “Tens of thousands of educators all across Massachusetts are voting Yes on Question 1 — and organizing our neighbors to vote Yes — because we know that Question 1 will make our tax system fairer and generate billions of dollars for our public schools and colleges," said Max Page, President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. "States that invest in basic public goods like transportation and public education have stronger economies, and Question 1 will help us build a healthy economy that works for everyone. As we recover from the pandemic, Massachusetts students need smaller class sizes and more one-on-one instruction from fairly-paid educators. Our public colleges need to be more affordable, so that future generations aren't forced to take on debt to receive a degree. Question 1 will deliver better schools and more affordable public colleges, and only the very rich who earn more than a million dollars a year will pay for it.” “As a caregiver, I have seen firsthand how COVID has created more barriers for working families to get ahead, while the super-rich get richer,” said Paulena Bergeron, a 1199SEIU member and personal care attendant from Springfield. “To change this inequity, our vision for the future must be greater than the past. And that starts with the Fair Share Amendment. Question 1 invests in us and the communities we live in and care for. I’m voting Yes on 1 to help create a Massachusetts that works for all.” “Our students are facing incredible challenges right now, and Question 1 is a once-in-a- generation chance to make our schools better," said AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos. "Teachers and students have worked incredibly hard over the last few years, while the super rich kept getting richer and richer. With Question 1, those who earn more than a million dollars annually will finally pay their fair share, and our students will have better-funded schools from K-12, and access to affordable public college when they graduate.” “As nurses, whether it be those working in school health offices, hospital emergency departments, community health centers or mental health facilities, we see the impacts of growing economic inequality on the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our society, and as such, we believe it is time for the super rich in our society to bear an equal burden and to pay their fair share for the good of all, which is why we have endorsed this initiative,” said Katie Murphy, RN, a frontline critical care nurse and president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. “Massachusetts Building Trades Unions are proud to endorse the Fair Share Amendment to ensure all Massachusetts residents pay their Fair Share and in the process, create jobs and development in transportation and education across the Commonwealth,” said Frank Callahan, President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions. “Working people know that better schools and reliable roads and bridges are the best way to grow our economy and make it work for everyone – that’s why we’re supporting Question 1,” said Peter MacKinnon, President of SEIU Local 509. “99 percent of us won’t pay anything more, but we’ll all benefit when our kids have more teachers, our roads have fewer potholes, and our tax system is fairer.” The labor unions 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, and 10 transportation advocacy organizations, as well as more than 50 businesses across the state. 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. The full list of endorsing labor unions is below, and a full list of organizations that have endorsed Question 1 is available at fairsharema.com/endorsements. 1199SEIU 32BJ SEIU AFGE Local 3258 AFT Amesbury Local 1033 AFT Local 1340 Chelsea Teachers Union AFT Maintainers Local 6350 AFT Massachusetts American Postal Workers Union Andover Education Association Arlington Education Association ATU Local 1037 Ayer Shirley Regional Education Association, Inc. Berkshire Labor Assembly WMALF Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589 Boston Teachers Union Cambridge Education Association Central Massachusetts AFL-CIO Central Labor Council CWA D1 Eastern Millwright Regional Council Fall River Educators Association Greater Boston Labor Council Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council Groton Dunstable Educators Association Harvard Teachers Association Hatfield Teaching Association Haverhill Education Association IBEW Local 103 IBEW Local 223 International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4 IUE-CWA 201 IUPAT DC35 LiUNA! Local 175 Lynn Teachers Union, Local 1037 Malden Education Association Massachusetts AFL-CIO Massachusetts Building Trades Unions Massachusetts Library Staff Association Massachusetts Nurses Association Massachusetts Society of Professors Massachusetts Teachers Association Mendon Upton Regional Teachers Association Merrimack Valley Central Labor Council Merrimack Valley Educators Bargaining Council New Bedford Educators Association Norfolk County Central Labor Council North Adams Teachers Association North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Local 339 North Shore Labor Council Pittsfield Educational Administrators' Association Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 534 Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 12 Plymouth Bristol Central Labor Council Professional Staff Union/MTA/NEA Rockland Education Association Roofers and Slaters Local 248 Roofers Local 33 Salem Teachers Union SEIU CIR SEIU Community Action SEIU Local 509 SEIU Local 888 SEIU Massachusetts State Council Sheet Metal Air Rail Transportation Union Sheet Metal Workers Local 17 Somerville Educators Union Southeastern Massachusetts Building Trades Council Springfield Federation of Paraprofessionals Teamsters Local 122 Tewksbury Teachers Association UAW Region 9A UFCW Local 1459 Union 38 Educators Association United Educators of Pittsfield United Steelworkers District 4 United Teachers of Lowell Wakefield Education Association Westborough Education Association Western Mass Area Labor Federation Previous Next

< Back Viewpoint: A business leader urges 'yes' on ballot Question 1 Mohamad Ali Oct 21, 2022 This November, Massachusetts voters will consider the Fair Share Amendment through ballot Question 1: a proposed tax on incomes over $1 million to fund education and transportation. As CEO of a Massachusetts technology company with thousands of employees, I see this proposed amendment as an opportunity to increase our state’s talent pool, improve the transportation system our workers depend on, and distribute the tax burden more fairly. Approval of Question 1 would create an additional 4% tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million, and constitutionally dedicate the funds to education and transportation. It seeks to address two problems that have bedeviled Massachusetts for years: our regressive tax structure and the resulting inadequate investment in education and transportation. Question 1’s proposed adjustment to our tax system would more fairly distribute the costs of critical public services. Today, someone making under $20,000 pays about 10% of their income in state and local taxes, including income, sales, excise, and real estate taxes. Most people in the middle class pay 8% to 9%. But those earning more than $1 million a year pay an average of just 6.8%. Unlike Massachusetts, most states have a graduated income tax, where rates increase as income increases. Our current tax system disproportionately burdens low- and middle-income people. With Question 1, the highest-income earners will pay a share of their income toward state and local taxes that is closer to the share of income that others pay, approximately 8.7%. Question 1 is a chance to balance the scales and ensure that the most fortunate among us pay our fair share to invest in the underpinnings of a strong state economy. In Massachusetts, we have both some of the best school systems and some of the worst. Public schools in Boston, Lawrence, and Springfield are woefully inadequate, in part because they need to deal with the effects of poverty on their students. We can’t just wish them better. It will require real money to fix them. Having gone through public schools in another state, I know that good public schools help move low-income students towards a better life. We are failing many Massachusetts students today, and that ends up costing all of us.If we truly want to support diversity, equity, and inclusion, investing in improving our public schools in poor communities — which are often racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse — is one of the best ways to do so. And that’s not just the right thing to do; it’s good for business and good for our economy, which depends on a well-educated workforce. In addition to a strong public education system, businesses in Massachusetts also rely on a functioning transportation system to get employees to work and goods to market. Additional funding will help repair our state’s backlog of crumbling roads and public transportation infrastructure. With Question 1 approved, Massachusetts would still have a top tax rate lower than New York, California, New Jersey, Hawaii, Oregon, Iowa, and Minnesota, and similar to the top rates in DC, Maryland, and Vermont. Numerous studies show that these places have not experienced negative economic effects from out-migration of multi-millionaires. In fact, they have been able to invest in public goods like education and transportation that strengthen their economies.This amendment will increase fairness; strengthen the foundations of our economy, including our workforce; and benefit communities across the state. In the long run, this will benefit all of us. Mohamad Ali is the Chief Executive Officer of IDG. Previous Next

< Back 63 Community Organizing Groups from Across Massachusetts Endorse Fair Share Amendment to Invest in Transportation and Public Education Jun 27, 2022 BOSTON – Fair Share for Massachusetts, 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 63 community organizing groups from across the state. BOSTON – Fair Share for Massachusetts, 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 63 community organizing groups from across the state. “As a parent, I want my daughter to have great public schools and a well-rounded education. As a Quincy resident, I see how crumbling roads and the underfunded MBTA are creating unnecessary challenges for my neighbors. And as a community advocate, I've talked to so many people throughout Massachusetts who are struggling to get by, while the super rich get even richer,” said Lily Huang, Co-Director of Mass. Jobs with Justice . “The Fair Share Amendment will help improve our schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and transit, and only the very rich will pay more. Massachusetts communities desperately need a steady investment in this vital infrastructure so that families can live and work – not just surviving day by day, but flourishing as we invest in ourselves.” The 63 community organizing groups include statewide organizations focused on economic opportunity, immigrant rights, and racial justice; regional community groups covering Franklin County, the Merrimack Valley, the Mystic Valley, the South Shore, the Upper Cape, and Western Mass; and local community groups from cities and towns including Acton, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Cambridge, Concord, Dedham, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Needham, Northampton, Norwood, Watertown, Westford, Westwood, and Woburn. “The Massachusetts economy is working great for those at the top, but in the South Coast, working people are really struggling. Our region constantly gets the short end of the stick, while the rich just keep getting richer,” said Dax Crocker, a Program Coordinator for the Coalition for Social Justice . “With the Fair Share Amendment, 99% of us won't pay more, and we'll all benefit from fewer potholes on our roads, more resources for our public schools, better bus service in our communities, and lower tuitions at our public colleges. That's a win-win for the South Coast, and a win-win for Massachusetts.” “When we table for the Fair Share Amendment in Dedham, Westwood, and Norwood, we're delighted by the nearly unanimous support for the proposed tax on multi-millionaires to fund transportation and public education," said Leslie Greffenius, a member of the Steering Committee for Neponset Valley Progressives . "People in our neighborhoods are excited that the Fair Share Amendment's passage will raise the funds we need to equalize educational opportunities and repair and electrify our public transportation infrastructure.” “Passing the Fair Share Amendment would make a meaningful step toward racial equity in our community by directly supporting the families who need it the most,” said Natalia Restrepo, Civic Engagement Coordinator for La Colaborativa and a mother of 2 from Chelsea . “This amendment will not only have a direct impact on the wellbeing of our community today, but will pay dividends for years to come by giving our families the tools and support they need to make meaningful progress in their lives. From the roads that bring our families to work to the schools that nurture our children, the Fair Share Amendment offers an immediate opportunity to build the capacity of the Chelsea community to continue to grow and thrive.” “I am delighted the SJC saw through the plaintiffs' flimsy argument and removed the last roadblock to putting this important measure on the ballot. It's been a long time coming!,” said Jeanne Kempthorne, chair of the Berkshires Fair Share Committee and member of the leadership of Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts . “Cities and towns from Williamstown to Lee in the Berkshires have endorsed the Fair Share Amendment because voters know how much we need this funding to improve public education, repair roads and bridges, and make sustained investments in public transit. And they know that in a commonwealth, those that have more should contribute more.” “Mass-Care: the Massachusetts Campaign for Single Payer Health Care supports the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign’s historic thrust to make multimillionaires pay taxes at a higher rate for education and transportation,” said Jon Weissman, Co-Chair of Mass-Care . “The people are the source of those multimillions and the people should share in them.” “Progressive WROX/ROZ is a proud supporter of the Fair Share Amendment,” said Nina Lev of Progressive WROX/ROZ . “We have been talking to our neighbors at the farmers' market and other community events and finding widespread support for this plan to use taxes from those who have done extremely well in the current economy to fund education and transportation. Both are in need of funding and contribute greatly to the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents.” The community organizing groups join more than 215 organizations and thousands of activists across the state who are working together to win the Fair Share Amendment on the ballot. 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. The full list of endorsing community organizing groups is below, and a full list of all the organizations that have endorsed the Fair Share Amendment is available at fairsharema.com/endorsements . Previous Next

< Back Greenfield Recorder: Supports Fair Share Amendment Virginia (Jinx) Hastings Mar 31, 2022 Many high income households have paid less (percentage-wise) than most of us pay in state and federal Taxes. Supports Fair Share Amendment (Source / original) Math lesson. A million in seconds is about 12 days. A billion in seconds is about 32 years. Massachusetts has approximately 20,000 households earning over a million dollars and 34 billionaires. Please consider voting for the Fair Share Amendment in Massachusetts in November. Many high income households have paid less (percentage-wise) than most of us pay in state and federal Taxes. The Fair Share Amendment would be a change in our Massachusetts Constitution to create a 4% increase in taxes for people earning over one million dollars annually. This revenue would be spent on education and maintenance of public roads, bridges and transportation. Do the math. Four percent of a million dollar income (or more) is _____, then multiply by 20,000-plus high income earners in Massachusetts, then, add the billionaires income. The wealthiest in our commonwealth can easily afford to pay more, the payback in education and infrastructure is a benefit to all. Virginia (Jinx) Hastings Previous Next

Resources Most Home Sales Will Not Likely Lead to Fair Share Tax Payments La-Brina Almeida, MassBudget READ THE REPORT “Millionaire Tax” Would Make Massachusetts Tax System Fairer Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT BAY STATE BILLIONAIRES: Massachusetts billionaires’ wealth surges 46 percent during the pandemic Chuck Collins and Omar Ocampo, Institute for Policy Studies READ THE REPORT With “Millionaire Tax,” Massachusetts’ Top Tax Rate Would Compare Well to Top Rates in Other States Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT A “Millionaire Tax” Would Advance Racial Justice in Massachusetts Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT The Fair Share Amendment Helps Small Businesses Phineas Baxandall, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Most Home Sales Will Not Likely Lead to Fair Share Tax Payments La-Brina Almeida, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Fair Share Tax on Incomes Over $1 Million Would Generate at Least $2 Billion a Year Kurt Wise, MassBudget READ THE REPORT The Three E’s: Greater Transportation Funding Can Improve the Economy, Equity, and Environment Phineas Baxandall, MassBudget READ THE REPORT A Bridge Too Far: Sagging Investment Leaves 644 Massachusetts Bridges Structurally Deficient Hallah Elbeleidy and Phineas Baxandall, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Massachusetts Infrastructure Report Card American Society of Civil Engineers READ THE REPORT Ready to Move in Massachusetts: A Blueprint for Delivering Major Transportation Projects Through the Biden Infrastructure Plan Tom Ryan, A Better City READ THE REPORT A Millionaire Tax is Necessary to Advance Critical Education Investments in Massachusetts Colin Jones, MassBudget READ THE REPORT Public Higher Education: Underfunded, Unaffordable, & Unfair Bahar Akman Imboden, Hildreth Institute READ THE REPORT Massachusetts’ Disinvestment in Higher Education: A Closer Look at State Aid, Tuition Rates, and Student Debt Hildreth Institute READ THE REPORT An Economic Analysis of Investment in Public Higher Education in Massachusetts Michael Ash and Shouvik Chakraborty READ THE REPORT COVID-19 Pandemic, Economic Recovery and the Need for Student Debt Cancellation in Massachusetts Anastasia C. Wilson READ THE REPORT The number of million-dollar earners in Mass. is soaring — here’s where they live Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe READ THE REPORT These Mass. towns have the most million-dollar earners Boston25 READ THE REPORT

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The Fair Share Amendment on the November ballot will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their Fair Share in taxes. Why Fair Share The case for the Fair Share Amendment The Breakdown The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November ballot. It 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% 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. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will pay more; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transportation. That's why so many people across Massachusetts are coming together to vote YES on 1: because with Question 1, we all win. As we recover from COVID, we need to make sure our public schools have everything they need for students to thrive. We need to end the educator and counselor shortages so that every student has the support they need. We need to help students get back on track from COVID disruptions and ensure that all students have access to a complete, well-rounded education. We need to repair our state’s backlog of hundreds of neglected and structurally dangerous bridges, roads, and trains. We need to make our public colleges affordable again so students can graduate without taking on enormous debt. And we need to increase access to vocational education as we rebuild our economy for working families. If we don’t address these problems now, they’ll only hold back our economy and hurt working families. It’s time for the very rich to pay their fair share so we can recover from the pandemic and rebuild a Massachusetts economy that’s stronger than ever. The bottom line: the Fair Share Amendment would only raise taxes on the top 1% of Massachusetts residents—those who earn more than a million dollars in a single year. It will make our tax system fairer while generating $2 billion a year, every year, that is constitutionally dedicated to transportation and public education. That’s why the Fair Share Amendment is crucial to our economy and our recovery from COVID-19: because it’s a win-win for all of us. Vote YES on 1 for a fair Massachusetts. Help us make that Massachusetts a reality. JOIN US The Breakdown The Amendment says... Article 44 of the Massachusetts Constitution is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph at the end thereof: To provide the resources for quality public education and affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation, all revenues received in accordance with this paragraph shall be expended, subject to appropriation, only for these purposes. In addition to the taxes on income otherwise authorized under this Article, there shall be an additional tax of 4 percent on that portion of annual taxable income in excess of $1,000,000 (one million dollars) reported on any return related to those taxes. To ensure that this additional tax continues to apply only to the commonwealth’s highest income taxpayers, this $1,000,000 (one million dollars) income level shall be adjusted annually to reflect any increases in the cost of living by the same method used for federal income tax brackets. This paragraph shall apply to all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2023. Read the Amendment Have questions about Question 1? Read the FAQ. FAQs Get everything you need to know about exactly how to vote Yes on 1. HOW TO VOTE YES ON 1 What this means... The Fair Share Amendment is a call for the richest Massachusetts residents to step up and pay their fair share in taxes. Our Commonwealth's economy is working great for those at the very top—now it's time for it to work for everyone. The Fair Share Amendment will require those making more than $1 million in a single year to pay their fair share in taxes—just 4¢ more on each dollar after their first million dollars a year. No one who makes under $1 million a year will pay a cent more. When millionaires and billionaires pay just 4¢ more on each dollar after $1 million, Massachusetts will raise $2 billion a year, every year, to invest in education and transportation. That $2 billion is constitutionally required to go only to education and transportation: our public schools from pre-K to college, roads, bridges, trains, and buses around the Commonwealth. With $2 billion a year, we can End the educator and counselor shortages in our schools Ensure all educators are paid the livable wages they deserve Give students, educators, and schools the resources they need Fix our crumbling bridges and pothole-filled roads Provide safe, reliable, and affordable public trains and buses statewide Ensure no one has to take on debt to get a college or vocational education. Vote YES on 1 to make that a reality. How will this impact Massachusetts? Will Fair Share improve education & transportation? I want to get involved! How can I help? READ THE BREAKDOWN READ THE FAQ JOIN US This November 8, we're coming together to vote YES on 1 and make the Massachusetts tax system fair. MORE STORIES JOIN US Join the movement for the Fair Share Amendment. JOIN US

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< Back New Report Shows That Question 1 Only Impacts Super-Rich Investors, Not 99% of Working People Jul 21, 2022 MassBudget Report Finds Most Surgeons, Dentists, Lawyers, and Programmers Wouldn’t Come Close to Paying More BOSTON – In response to a new report from the Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center which found that people working in the highest-earning professions in the state still earn much less than a million dollars a year, the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign today highlighted how Question 1 on the November ballot would require only the richest people in Massachusetts to pay more. “Question 1 would require those who earn more than $1 million in a single year to pay a little more, and constitutionally dedicate billions of dollars in new revenue to improving our schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and transit,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani . “This new data shows that even some of the highest-paid workers in the state, like surgeons, dentists, lawyers, and programmers, wouldn’t come close to paying more under Question 1. When we vote Yes on Question 1 in November, super-rich investors will pay their fair share in state taxes, while 99 percent of taxpayers – people who work for a living – won’t pay anything more.” The Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center report analyzed the most current federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data for Massachusetts, which tracks the average income received by workers in over 750 different occupational categories. They found that no occupation in Massachusetts has an average income anywhere near $1 million, with the highest paid occupations (radiologists, anesthesiologists, cardiologists and surgeons), all having average annual incomes between $300,000 and $350,000. The report also points out that Question 1 would affect fewer than 7 in every thousand households in Massachusetts: about 24,000 out of the more than 3.5 million households that file taxes in Massachusetts each year. Thousands of educators, workers, small business owners, parents, faith leaders, municipal officials, drivers and transit riders, and more than 215 organizations across the state are working together to pass Question 1 on the ballot through the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign. 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. 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 require – in the state constitution – that the funds be spent only 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