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< 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

< Back A yes vote on Question 1 will expand opportunities for everyone By Elizabeth Warren and Ayanna Pressley Oct 25, 2022 The state would have more resources to support public schools, make public colleges affordable, and upgrade public transportation systems. When we think about the future of Massachusetts, we dream of a state where families can thrive. The Commonwealth is filled with resources and opportunities, but for far too long, deep inequities and disparities have persisted. For years, the wealthiest 1 percent have paid a smaller share of their income in local and state taxes than everyone else, preventing the state from making the investments needed to build opportunity for everyone in all of our communities. But this November we have the opportunity to change the status quo. Question 1 on the November ballot is the Fair Share Amendment, a chance to make sure everyone pays their fair share in taxes. And when everyone chips in equitably, the state will have more resources to support public schools, make public colleges affordable, and upgrade public transportation infrastructure. We encourage everyone to vote yes on Question 1. Students and their families are still reeling from the coronavirus pandemic. Schools are finally open, but students, parents, and teachers need more opportunities for individualized support systems, better school buildings, and more wraparound services, especially for mental and emotional health. The Fair Share Amendment will mean more funding for public schools to address long-standing barriers to learning. Our transportation systems, from roads and bridges to the woeful MBTA, are suffering from years of neglect. Road congestion and outdated, diesel-powered buses are literally choking our Commonwealth, and public transit remains unreliable, unaffordable, and inaccessible for too many residents. Voting yes on Question 1 will allow us to repair and replace crumbling physical infrastructure and move us toward a clean, efficient, accessible future. Passing the Fair Share Amendment will also help create more pathways for young people to realize good-paying jobs and success in life, from vocational and technical education to affordable public college that doesn’t bury them in debt. Question 1 is simple: It would create an additional 4 percent tax on the portion of an individual’s annual income above $1 million, and constitutionally dedicate the funds to transportation and public education.The first $1 million of a person’s earnings wouldn’t be affected by this measure. Only the million-and-first dollar is taxed, and then at just an additional four cents on every dollar over a million. Who will pay the most? A full 70 percent of the funds raised would come from those earning more than $5 million a year. Expanding opportunities for people to learn, grow, and thrive is essential to the future of our Commonwealth. That means boosting the chances for children in small towns with small tax bases to get a first-rate education. That means reducing air pollution from cars and bus fumes that are concentrated in communities of color. That means telling every person — not just the wealthy ones — that we’ll invest in their education after high school so that they can develop skills and certifications to build a prosperous future. Even though 99 percent of people in Massachusetts won’t pay a penny more under Question 1, a few billionaires are spending a lot of money to confuse voters. So let’s clear up a few things: Small-business owners wouldn’t be affected by this tax unless their business generates more than $1 million in profit. Last year, less than 1 percent of homes in Massachusetts sold for enough of a gain to be affected by Question 1. Since Question 1 would be written into the state constitution, the state would be constitutionally required to spend this new money on transportation and public education. That spending requirement would be constitutionally protected and could only be undone by the people of Massachusetts, not lawmakers. By funding public schools, colleges, and transportation systems, the Fair Share Amendment will help build greater opportunity in every community in Massachusetts. Our current tax system is unjust and inequitable; those at the very top can afford to pay a little more to help build an economy and a Commonwealth that is safer, more sustainable, and works better for everyone. This November, the choice belongs to voters. We have the chance to say, loud and clear, that we value our young people, we support all of our communities, and that everyone — including the multimillionaires and billionaires — should pay their fair share. Elizabeth Warren is a US senator from Massachusetts, and US Representative Ayanna Pressley represents the Massachusetts Seventh Congressional District. Previous Next

< 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 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 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

< Back Fair Share for Massachusetts canvasses in Northampton Addie Patterson and Olivia Hickey | Western Mass News Jul 18, 2022 ​ NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) -Fair Share for Massachusetts gathered to canvass Sunday at Pulaski Park in Northampton. The group went door-to-door to spread the word about the November 8th ballot initiative. President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, Max Page, explained what exactly the Fair Share Amendment is and how it would affect our schools. “What it would do is make our tax system fair by asking the wealthiest, the very wealthiest people who make over a million dollars a year, pay a little bit more with all the proceeds, up to two billion dollars a year, going to public schools, public higher education, roads, bridges and public transportation.” Max also said the initiative will help move Massachusetts towards debt-free higher education. The group plans on canvassing throughout the region in the coming weeks. Copyright 2022. Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved. Image by AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Previous Next

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

< Back 50+ Massachusetts Businesses Endorse Question 1 to Improve Transportation and Public Education ​ Aug 23, 2022 Small Business Owners Join Growing Coalition Supporting Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners on November Ballot BOSTON – The campaign working to pass the Fair Share Amendment, the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education, today announced the endorsement of more than 50 businesses from across the state. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. “It’s been a tough couple of years for small businesses, but Question 1 gives me hope. Small businesses like mine wouldn’t pay a penny more, and we’ll benefit from better schools, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transportation,” said Valery Joseph, owner of La Perle Restaurant in Everett . “Transportation is one of the biggest challenges my employees face, and better roads and transit will make a big difference as I work to hire and retain workers in the future.” The businesses include restaurants, bookstores, farms, barber shops, breweries, and retailers from across Massachusetts, in communities such as Adams, Amherst, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, Fairhaven, Fall River, Grafton, Malden, New Bedford, North Adams, Northampton, Pittsfield, Shelburne, Somerville, and Worcester. “Successful businesses know that investing in your workforce is a key to future success, and the same is true for Massachusetts,” said Jen Benson, President of the Alliance for Business Leadership . “Investing in our schools and colleges to prepare a well-educated workforce, and building a more reliable transportation system to get employees to work and goods to market, is the best way to strengthen and grow Massachusetts’ economy. That’s why the Alliance for Business Leadership, representing business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals from across the state, is supporting Question 1 in November.” “I work hard running my business, and I pay my fair share in taxes. It’s frustrating that the super-rich pay less of their income in taxes than the rest of us,” said Matthew Glidden, owner of KrafTea Kombucha in Worcester . “Question 1 will fix our unfair tax system and make sure the super rich – those who earn more than $1 million in a single year – pay their fair share to help grow our economy and make it work for everyone. That’s good for my business, and for everyone in Massachusetts.” Opponents of Question 1 are trying to scare business owners and mislead voters by claiming that it is a tax on businesses, but that’s not true. The Fair Share Amendment adds a tax only on personal income over $1 million – business taxes would not increase. It doesn’t matter how much revenue or profit a business has: only business owners or shareholders who earn more than $1 million in personal income in a single year will pay more, regardless of their business’ revenues or profits. Less than 3 percent of all business owners in Massachusetts have taxable personal income over $1 million that would be subject to the Fair Share Amendment. “It is completely disingenuous to say that Question 1 would hurt small and family-owned businesses — our business is both small and family owned, and if we made a million dollars a year from it we would be happy to pay an extra tax bill on the excess,” said David Sandberg, owner of Porter Square Books in Cambridge . “Business owners who make more than a million dollars in a single year are not ‘small,’ they are wealthy, and usually the reason their businesses can be so successful is that they live in a state where they can have an educated, competitive workforce. Having a small extra tax on such large incomes will enable Massachusetts to continue to grow and attract the type of people that can make all of our businesses more successful.” The endorsing businesses join more than 300 organizations and thousands of activists across the state who are working together to pass Question 1 on the ballot. The campaign previously announced support from 63 community organizing groups , 26 housing and community development organizations , 28 social service providers , 15 faith-based groups , 7 public health organizations , 7 environmental and climate organizations , 10 transportation advocacy organizations , and 18 education and youth advocacy organizations . After years of grassroots advocacy, the state Legislature voted in June 2021 to place the Fair Share Amendment on the November 2022 statewide ballot, where it is now set to be decided on by the voters as Question 1. “I’ve spent the last few weeks reaching out to businesses across the state to talk about Question 1. When business owners learn that only people who earn more than $1 million in annual personal income would pay more, and that all the funds would be constitutionally dedicated to our local schools, roads, colleges, and transit, they’re excited to vote YES,” said Gerly Adrien, Small Business Director for Fair Share for Massachusetts and the owner of Tipping Cow Ice Cream in Somerville . “As more business owners learn about how Question 1 would help improve our schools and roads with a fairer tax system, we expect this list to grow even more.” The full list of endorsing businesses is below and can be found at https://www.fairsharema.com/local-businesses . 40 South St. Vintage, Boston Acorn Business Advisor, Grafton All She Wrote Books, Somerville Amherst Books, Amherst Apex Noire, Boston Asamass Trading, Worcester Bedlam Book Cafe, Worcester Belltower Records, North Adams Boston Black News, Boston Brewer Banner, New Bedford Brothers Kafe Kreyol, Everett Cambridge Local First, Cambridge Cambridge Naturals, Cambridge Caravan Kitchen, Northampton Chill Out First Class Limo Service Inc, Everett Chuck Talley Illustrations, New Bedford Coffee Liberation Front, Adams Democracy Brewing, Boston dNB Craft Kitchen, New Bedford Fairhaven Yacht, Fairhaven Flint Fruit and Variety, Fall River Foxtrot Farm LLC, Shelburne Hartley's Original Pork Pies, Fall River Henna Inspired, Malden House of Art and Craft, Boston KrafTea Kombucha, Worcester La Perle Restaurant, Everett Leise Jones Photography, Boston Micky's Hair Design, Everett N.P. Hayes LLC, New Bedford Neighborhood Produce, Somerville New Bedford Noodle Bowl, New Bedford Panda's Playcare Family Childcare, Boston Peace Train Tees, Pittsfield Porter Square Books, Cambridge Punk Rock Aerobics, Boston Purveyor of the Unnecessary & the Irresistible, Boston Radio Concorde, Boston Red Sun Press, Boston Rosaline's Skin Care & Spa, Brookline Rosetta Languages, Malden Sanctum Folklorica, New Bedford Simple Gifts Farm, Amherst Talk of the Town Barber, Fall River Teletronics Broadway, Everett The Island, Malden Tibari Travel, Everett Tipping Cow Ice Cream, Somerville TL6 The Gallery, New Bedford Tony's Barber Shop, Malden Wah Lum Kung Fu & Tai Chi Academy, Malden Background on Question 1: the Fair Share Amendment The Fair Share Amendment – Question 1 on the November ballot – will allow Massachusetts to improve our transportation and public education systems by making the very rich pay their fair share. Question 1 would create a 4 percent tax on the portion of a person’s annual income above $1 million and constitutionally dedicate the funds to be spent on transportation and public education. Only people who earn more than $1 million annually will be impacted; 99% of us won’t pay a penny more. And we’ll all benefit from better schools, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com ### The Fair Share for Massachusetts campaign is led by Raise Up Massachusetts, a coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions committed to building an economy that invests in families, gives everyone the opportunity to succeed, and creates broadly shared prosperity. Since our coalition came together in 2013, we have nearly doubled wages for hundreds of thousands of working people by winning two increases in the state’s minimum wage, won best-in-the-nation earned sick time and paid family and medical leave benefits for workers and their families, and started to build an economy that works for all of us, not just those at the top. Previous Next

< Back Lawrence City Council Endorses Question 1 to Invest in Transportation and Public Education ​ Aug 3, 2022 Council Join Growing Coalition Supporting Fair Share Amendment Tax on Million-Dollar Earners on November Ballot Lawrence, Mass. – The Lawrence City Council last night passed a resolution in support of the Fair Share Amendment, joining other municipal leaders from across the state in backing the proposed state tax on incomes above $1 million which would raise billions of dollars to invest in transportation and public education. The Fair Share Amendment is Question 1 on the November statewide ballot. Supporters of the resolution spoke about how Question 1 would help Lawrence and all of Massachusetts by making our tax system fairer and constitutionally dedicating billions of dollars in new revenue for education and transportation investments. “Súper emocionada de ver presentado está resolución en apoyo en la Enmienda De Parte Justa, junto a mis colegas del concilio nosotros estamos comprometidos en crear mejores oportunidades para nuestras comunidades y esta propuesta de ley trae los recursos para invertir en educación, y la infraestructura de transportación para todos en Massachusetts,” said Lawrence City Councilor Celina Reyes . (Translation: “I’m super excited to see this resolution presented in support of the Fair Share Amendment, together with my council colleagues. We are committed to creating better opportunities for our communities and this bill brings the resources to invest in education and transportation infrastructure for all in Massachusetts.” “La enmendia de porcion justa es buena para nuestra ciudad porque va traer mucha oportunidad para inversiones en escuelas publicas y la infraestructura de nuestra ciudad,” said Altagracia Garcia, a Lawrence personal care attendant and member of 1199SEIU , who spoke at the Council meeting. (Translation: “The Fair Share Amendment is good for our city because it will bring a lot of opportunity for investments in public schools and the infrastructure of our city.") “In Massachusetts, it has never been clearer that we must invest significant resources into our transportation and education sectors across the state now. I applaud the Lawrence City Council for highlighting these critical funding priorities and calling for an improved, equitable, and safe transportation system and for youth state-wide to have access to an excellent education,” said Heather McMann, Executive Director of Groundwork Lawrence . (Translation: “En Massachusetts, nunca ha sido más claro que debemos invertir ahora recursos significativos en nuestros sectores de transporte y educación en todo el estado. Aplaudo al Concejo Municipal de Lawrence por resaltar estas prioridades críticas de fondos y pedir un sistema de transporte mejorado, equitativo y seguro y que los jóvenes de todo el estado tengan acceso a una educación excelente.”) The Lawrence City Council joins several dozen municipal elected bodies, including City Councils in Fall River, Holyoke, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, Newburyport, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester, along with more than 270 organizations and thousands of activists across the state who are working together to pass Question 1 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 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, colleges, roads, bridges, and public transportation. Learn more and get involved at FairShareMA.com. Image of Court House Downtown Historic District, Lawrence, MA by EraserGirl, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Previous Next

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

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

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