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< Back WAMC: Springfield City Council endorses Massachusetts ballot question on 'millionaire's tax' WAMC Northeast Public Radio Apr 7, 2022 The City Council in Springfield, Massachusetts has endorsed the so-called Fair Share Amendment that will be on the state election ballot this year. Resolution backing Fair Share Amendment passes unanimously The City Council in Springfield, Massachusetts has endorsed the so-called Fair Share Amendment that will be on the state election ballot this year. The vote puts the Councilors at odds with the local business community. The Springfield City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution supporting the question on the ballot that if approved by voters in November would amend the state constitution to add a 4 percent surtax on income that exceeds $1 million. City Councilor Jesse Lederman introduced the resolution. Urging his colleagues to support it, he said the additional tax money that would be collected by the state could be used to lower the costs to attend a four-year public college, improve road safety, build east-west passenger rail, and more. “These investments will take resources and we know working families are already being asked to pay too much and receive too little in return,” Lederman said. He said cities like Springfield have been short-changed when it comes to state spending on public resources. “At the same time, millionaires and billionaires continue to benefit from these same resources while enjoying record profits from our labor and expenses,” Lederman said. “It is time to balance the scales in the Commonwealth and ensure the wealthiest among us pay their fair share toward investing in the public resources that are foundational to the success of our communities.” The proposed amendment is the work of a coalition of labor unions, faith-based organizations and social-justice advocates that has campaigned for almost eight years to get it on the ballot. Business groups, for the most part, have lined up against it. A spokesperson for the campaign said five city councils and five school committees have passed resolutions of support with more in the works. The Pittsfield City Council voted last month to endorse it. Proponents tout the additional money as a boon for education and transportation. Opponents say the pitch is disingenuous because it is ultimately up to the state legislature to decide how tax revenue gets spent. In 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Revenue estimated the surtax would bring in an additional $2 billion annually. The proposed amendment includes an annual adjustment for inflation. During the public comment time at Monday’s City Council meeting, Jacqueline Velez, a mother of two and an organizer with Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, urged support for the resolution. “College could be a lot more affordable to my daughter, who recently made it to The National Honor Society and wants to pursue a four-year degree,” Valez said. “As a single mom, you can imagine how hard that is.” City Councilor Kateri Walsh said she supported the resolution because she was moved by what she heard during the public speak-out. “New revenues that would come in would improve the quality of life for so many people who work hard for the city of Springfield and don’t often get a return on what they do,” Walsh said. The Springfield Regional Chamber is among the business associations opposed to the ballot question. Chamber President Nancy Creed said it is bad public policy. “We want to make sure that does not pass,” Creed said. “To change the constitution is not how to change tax policy.” Past efforts to amend the state constitution to introduce a graduated income tax to Massachusetts have met with resounding defeat. Public opinion polls have shown strong support for this current initiative. Previous Next

< Back Environmental & Climate Organizations Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education Aug 1, 2022 Environmental Advocates 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 seven of the state’s leading environmental and climate organizations. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “Our public education and transportation system have been underfunded for far too long. The Fair Share Amendment will bring a permanent source of revenue for critical investments in these areas, particularly for historically underserved communities,” said Veena Dharmaraj, Director of Transportation at Massachusetts Sierra Club . “A safe, reliable, affordable, and electrified public transit system should not be a luxury for those that need it the most. Let’s get million-dollar-earners to pay their fair share for building a stronger Commonwealth.” The seven environmental and climate organizations collectively represent thousands of environmental advocates from across Massachusetts. “Our schools, roads and transit systems are all public goods, and they must be people-centered and fully-funded. Question 1 would fund these public goods by taxing people who earn more than $1 million dollars a year, not on the backs of those who can afford it least — environmental justice communities like Chelsea and East Boston,” said Maria Belen Power, Associate Executive Director of GreenRoots . “As we move towards a just recovery, we need the Fair Share Amendment: A new progressive source of revenue that centers working-class families across the state.” “350 Mass is fighting for environmental policy that will help lower greenhouse gas emissions and improve our planet. The Fair Share Amendment will generate an estimated $2 billion in revenue each year that will be used in part to improve our public transportation systems and create more opportunities for eco-friendly transit,” said Sylvia Parsons, Transportation Working Group Co-Chair at 350 Mass . “With better, more reliable public transportation, funded by Fair Share, more Massachusetts residents will be able to choose transit on their daily commutes or to get around town. By voting Yes on 1 this November, we’re promoting environmental justice for all across the Commonwealth.” “The impacts of the climate crisis are already here. To achieve a sustainable future for all children, we need a robust public transit system that is safe, reliable, and affordable,” said Mina Reddy, Co-Coordinator of the Mothers Out Front Massachusetts Leadership Team . “The revenue raised by passing Question 1 will bring that within reach – without placing the cost on those least able to pay.” “If public transit is better funded, we will all benefit from cleaner air and shorter commutes,” said Larry Chretien, Executive Director of the Green Energy Consumers Alliance . “That’s why the Green Energy Consumers Alliance supports the Fair Share Amendment.” The environmental and climate organizations join more than 215 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 , and 7 public health 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. The full list of endorsing environmental and climate organizations is below, and a full list of organizations that have endorsed Question 1 is available at fairsharema.com/endorsements . 350 Mass Conservation Law Foundation Green Energy Consumers Alliance GreenRoots Mothers Out Front Massachusetts Our Climate Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter 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, colleges, 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 15 Faith-Based Groups from Across Massachusetts Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education Jul 18, 2022 Religious Leaders 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 15 faith-based groups from across the state. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “As an organization, we believe in equal access to opportunity, and this is exactly what the Fair Share Amendment is working towards: more equitable systems of transportation and education to benefit every Massachusetts resident,” said Rev. Edwin Johnson of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Dorchester, a member of Prophetic Resistance Boston and the Massachusetts Communities Action Network . “Passing the Fair Share Amendment is the greatest way to guarantee all of our public schools are properly funded and our public transportation system works for everyone, ensuring Massachusetts remains a state that serves in the best interest of us all.” The 15 faith-based groups represent religious congregations and clergy from across Massachusetts, and include statewide organizations as well as groups from Boston, Framingham, Sharon, Worcester, the North Shore, the Pioneer Valley, and Southeastern Massachusetts. “People of faith, who hold that moral and spiritual traditions are fundamental to civil society, believe that sharing what we have is not a choice but a responsibility. Regular giving, whether tithing our income or leaving the corners or our fields free for the taking, lies at the core of Jewish teachings,” said Rabbi Barbara Penzner, a member of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action Advisory Committee and Rabbinic Advisory to the New England Jewish Labor Committee . “The Fair Share Amendment creates the opportunity to fulfill that obligation in a simple and just framework. It is based on this incontestable truth: for any one of us to thrive, we must ensure that everyone thrives.” “UU Mass Action, as a faith-based community organization working with frontline partner organizations, has witnessed the growing economic disparities and the impacts on our education and transportation systems,” said Rev. Jo Murphy, Executive Director of Unitarian Universalist Mass Action . “For this reason, and as Unitarian Universalists who see economic justice as a core principle and part of our communal thriving, we support the Fair Share Amendment and truly see it as crucial to our economy and a sustainable way to recover from COVID.” “We believe that God wants a world with liberation for all. Yet, that is not the world we live in,” said Rev. Arrington Chambliss, Executive Director of Episcopal City Mission . “Our current tax system privileges the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. This unfair tax system has exacerbated the racial wealth gap in Massachusetts throughout the pandemic. Now is the time to take action and bring forth a more just tax system. Please join Episcopal City Mission in voting Yes on 1.” The faith-based groups join more than 215 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 , and 28 social service providers . 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 faith-based groups is below, and a full list of organizations that have endorsed Question 1 is available at fairsharema.com/endorsements . Black Ministerial Alliance/Boston Ten Point Coalition Brockton Interfaith Community Episcopal City Mission Essex County Community Organization Greater Framingham Community Church Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action Massachusetts Communities Action Network New England Jewish Labor Committee Pioneer Valley Project Prophetic Resistance Boston Sharon Interfaith Action Unitarian Universalist Association United Interfaith Action of Southeastern MA (UIA) UU Mass Action Worcester Interfaith 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 dedicate the funds raised to 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. ### 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. Learn more at FairShareMA.com. Image by John Phelan, CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Previous Next

< Back Congressman Jim McGovern Launches Canvass for Question 1 in Worcester Oct 15, 2022 Congressman McGovern Joins Local Supporters of Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners to Invest in Transportation and Public Education Worcester, Mass. – Congressman Jim McGovern today joined supporters of the Fair Share Amendment at IBEW Local 96 in Worcester 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. “Question 1 is a real opportunity to improve roads, bridges, and schools throughout Massachusetts for decades to come,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “By ensuring that the rich pay their fair share in taxes, passing Question 1 will help us give K-12 students the support they need to get back on track, repair crumbling infrastructure, and make our public colleges more affordable. Question 1 is a win for the middle class, and a win for Massachusetts.” At Saturday’s canvass kick-off, Congressman McGovern and local campaign supporters spoke to volunteers about their support for the Fair Share Amendment. Then, canvassers headed out to speak to Worcester 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

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. < Back Fair Share Fellows Apply Now Massachusetts, USA Job Type Part Time About the Role 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. Requirements This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. About the Company About Fair Share for Massachusetts: The Fair Share Amendment is a ballot question that will be on the Massachusetts ballot November 8, 2022. It would create an additional tax of four percentage points on the portion of a person’ annual income above $1 million to help fund long-term investments in transportation and education. While the rich got richer during the COVID pandemic, working families and small businesses are still getting hit hard. As we come out of the pandemic, we need to make our tax system fairer in order to grow our economy and make it work for everyone. Apply Now

Education Spending Since 2022, the Fair Share Amendment has funded more than $3.5 billion in new spending on public education across Massachusetts. That includes everything from early education and child care to K-12 public schools and our public college and universities. Here’s how Fair Share is making a difference for public education: K-12 Public Schools Universal free school meals $419 million Fair Share funding reimburses local school districts for the cost of providing universal free school meals . Now, every child from Kindergarten to 12th grade, regardless of their income, can get a healthy breakfast and lunch at school – for free. As a result, Massachusetts families are saving $1,200 a year per child , and the number of Massachusetts public school students who are eating a healthy school breakfast and lunch has increased by 24.5% and 16%, respectively. School building improvements $270 million Fair Share funding has supported dozens of school building projects across Massachusetts, like a new high school in Lowell, and is now funding building improvements to support career technical education for students thoughout the Commonwealth. It’s also funding a new program to install or maintain clean energy infrastructure in K-12 public schools , which will help make our school buildings healthier for students. Clean energy retrofits will also reduce school districts’ energy costs, so that more money can be redirected to support student learning. Aid to local public schools $782.33 million Fair Share funding helps support local school districts across the state with higher minimum aid, regional school transportation costs, and special education circuit breaker reimbursements, ensuring that schools have more of the resources they need to keep up with rising costs and support all students. New education programs $128.02 million Fair Share funding has also supported new early literacy programs ($60.56 million); early college, workforce, technical and innovation pathway programs ($15.5 million); and the development of a statewide birth through higher education framework for mental and behavioral health ($5 million), among a myriad of other education investments. Public Colleges and Universities Tuition-free community college $287.5 million Thanks to Fair Share funding, Massachusetts’ 15 public community colleges are now free for students of any age and income . All students receive free tuition and fees, and lower-income students may qualify for up to $2,400/year to help cover the cost of books, supplies, and other costs of attending college. As a result, students are saving money, and Massachusetts has seen double-digit growth in community college enrollment , reversing a decade of declining enrollment. Affordable public colleges and universities Fair Share funding supports the MassGrant Plus scholarship program for students at any of the state’s 9 state universities or 4 University of Massachusetts undergraduate campuses. The program fully covers tuition, fees, and books for families making up to $85,000 a year, and covers up to 50% of tuition and fees for middle-income students. As a result, families are saving money, and enrollment at public four-year colleges in Massachusetts increased for the first time in a decade. $289 million New public higher education programs $85.5 million Fair Share funding has also supported an endowment match program for public colleges and universities ($55 million); and wraparound supports and services for public college students ($30.5 million). Public college campuses, buildings and infrastructure $207.67 million Fair Share funding has supported dozens of investments in buildings and physical infrastructure at public colleges and universities, including projects that advance decarbonization efforts, address deferred maintenance, and increase climate resilience. Projects funded by Fair Share include window resealing at Worcester State University, HVAC energy improvements at Mass College of Art and Design’s North Building, a geothermal heat pump replacement at Bunker Hill Community College, and window replacement at UMass Dartmouth’s Dion College of Nursing Building. Early Education and Childcare Early Education and Child Care Grants to child care providers $543 million Fair Share funding helps support the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grant program, which provides monthly grants to support early education and care providers’ day-to-day operational and workforce costs. 15,000 How many more licensed child care spots there are now compared to pre-pandemic, thanks to these grants and the stability they provide for child care providers Support for providers who enroll low-income children $360 million Fair Share funding has helped increase the rates the state pays to child care providers who enroll low-income children. Provider rates have increased by 8 to 34 percent , allowing child care providers to raise wages and better serve the children in their care. Expanded access to child care financial assistance $68.7 million Thanks to Fair Share, thousands of low-income families now have access to child care financial assistance that helps them pay for high-quality childcare, so they can go to work or school knowing that their children are being cared for. New early education programs $83.5 million Fair Share funding has also supported the expansion of pre-kindergarten or preschool opportunities ($26 million); salaries and benefits for early educators who serve low-income children ($25 million); capital improvements to build child care capacity ($25 million); and an early education and care educator loan forgiveness program ($7.5 million).

< Back Yes on 1 Demands TV Stations to Take Down Deceptive Opposition Ad That Lies About Home Sales Oct 24, 2022 Less Than 1% of Home Sales Would Be Affected by Question 1 BOSTON – Supporters of Question 1, the proposed ‘Fair Share Amendment,’ today demanded that local TV stations take down the inaccurate and deceptive new ad from the ‘No on Question 1’ campaign. This latest attack from billionaire-backed opponents of the constitutional amendment falsely claims that tens of thousands of home sales would be affected by Question 1. “The corporate lobbyists hired to protect the ultra-wealthy are lying to voters about how Question 1 would affect home sales,” said Fair Share for Massachusetts Campaign Manager Jeron Mariani. “They’re trailing badly in the polls and this is a blatant attempt to scare seniors. The truth is 99 percent of home sellers won’t pay a penny more under Question 1.” The ad from opponents claims that “Question 1 would nearly double the income tax rate on tens of thousands of Massachusetts residents and retirees when they sell their home.” That’s a lie. Last year, less than 1 percent of home sales in the state generated enough of a gain to be affected by Question 1. Just 895 homes, to be exact. Not “tens of thousands.” Today, the Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is sending a letter to the Boston TV stations that are airing these false ads, demanding that the false ad be immediately taken down. The letter states, “The ad purports to source the assertion to the Tufts University Center for State Policy Analysis, which published a report entitled 'Evaluating the Massachusetts Millionaires Tax.' But that report, unlike the advertisement, is based in fact. And it says nothing whatsoever about “tens of thousands” of Massachusetts home-sellers paying the 4% tax. Indeed, it says nothing about real estate sales at all. Instead, it indicates that in 2019, only 0.6% of the Commonwealth had more than $1 million in taxable income, amounting to 21,000 state tax payers.” “When a home is sold, only the gain in value, not the sale price, is subject to income tax. And no one pays taxes on the entire gain from selling their home” said Peter Enrich, emeritus professor at Northeastern University School of Law. “Home sellers’ gain is reduced to reflect, not only their original purchase price, but also the entire cost of a renovated kitchen, an updated heating system, a new roof, or any other improvements. They can also subtract closing costs, such as realtor commissions. In addition, they can exclude up to $500,000 from their gain on the sale of their primary residence.” After all available deductions, only a tiny percentage of home sellers would see their taxable income rise above $1 million. Last year, there were only 22 cities and towns in the entire state where more than 10 homes sold for a gain of $1.5 million or more, enough to be affected by Question 1 after deductions are taken. In 248 cities and towns, not a single home sold for a gain of $1.5 million or more. The average home that would be affected sold for a total of $3.78 million. “At MassBudget, we focus on what the data shows. And in this case, the potential impact on taxpayers who sell their homes is slim to none,” said La-Brina Almeida, a Policy Analyst at MassBudget who has extensively researched the effects of Question 1 on home sales. “Even in Massachusetts’ hot housing market of 2021 with many homes selling for over $1 million, less than 1% of homes in Massachusetts sold for enough to be affected by Question 1.” New filings with the state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance (OCPF) show that the No on 1 campaign has raised more than $13.6 million to run their misleading ads, with more than half of their money coming from just six of the wealthiest people in the state. Three Massachusetts billionaires avoided having their names appear in state campaign finance reports by funneling corporate cash to the political campaign. The rest of the campaign’s funding comes from a small number of other wealthy real estate and financial investors, some of whom gave through their companies instead of in their own names. “It makes me angry that the opponents of Question 1 are lying to retirees like me, trying to scare us with misleading ads,” said John Lippitt, a Reading homeowner and retiree who appeared in a recent Yes on 1 ad. “It’s one thing if you don’t think the very rich should pay more to improve our schools and colleges and our roads, bridges, and transit. But be honest about that, don’t try to hide behind misleading ads. The opponents of Question 1 need to stop lying to voters.” “As I went door to door this weekend talking to neighbors in Quincy and across the South Shore, my neighbors were concerned about struggling public schools and crumbling transportation infrastructure,” said Liz Speakman, a Quincy homeowner and parent. “The middle class is struggling to afford the basics while the super-rich are paying less of their income in taxes than the rest of us. Those are the real problems facing Massachusetts, and the billionaire backers of this dishonest ad should be ashamed of how they’re trying to scare voters.” 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 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