This November 4th is about more than Barack Obama and John McCain. It’s even about more than Joe Biden and Sarah Palin! Here in Massachusetts, we are dealing with three interesting ballot initiatives. Today I am working on a show about “Question One,” one particularly interesting question Bay Staters will face in less than a month.
What IS Question One, you might ask?
Spearheaded by Carla Howell and the Committee for Small Government, the ‘Vote YES’ on Question One campaign advocates a complete repeal of the state income tax. This is a BIG deal. There are states that have this legislation already (nine to be exact), allocating other state revenue to pay for services such as police, fire, and maintenance of roads. Opponents of ‘Question One,’ of which there are many, claim that cities and towns would be hardest hit by the elimination of a state income tax. They claim that property taxes would inevitably be raised, hitting middle and lower-income citizens. Carla Howell and those in her camp explain that there is significant wasteful spending within the state budget and it is time to trim, trim, trim (and reach out to the private sector).
I am wrapping my head around this complex issue, speaking to those on both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns and trying to put together a balanced yet engaging show. The key is to make sure voters are informed and aware of the choices they face this year at their polling places.
This show will air live on Friday, October 17th from 1-2pm. Keep checking the blog for updates on guests and other news.
For more information on Carla Howell’s ‘Vote Yes’ Campaign: www.smallgovernmentact.org
For more inforamtion on the ‘Vote No’ Campaign: www.votenoquestion1.com
