by Michael Graham
DNN Staff - EXCLUSIVE!
Monday, Mar. 8, 2010
The headline from ABC News said it all:
“What Taxes Will States Turn to Next? From ‘Sin Taxes’ to Complete Tax Overhauls, Cash-Strapped States Are Desperate for More Revenue.’ ”
“Desperate” is right. This ABC story reported increased state cigarette taxes, sales taxes and liquor taxes - and that was just Massachusetts.
Just kidding, just kidding. Massachusetts didn’t raise all those taxes just last year. No, it took our governor three years to increase them all. And now what is Deval Patrick doing? Trying to raise your sugar taxes.
And that’s when he’s not sneaking in the brand-new $5 “Talk to the RMV” tax.“Customers were to incur the new $5 fee if they sp0ke with an RMV representative on the phone or go in to one of the 30 branches” for most license and registration renewals, the Herald reported recently.
It was a plan to punish you pathetic little taxpayers for daring to speak to a “public servant” at the RMV.
Hey, don’t you know they’ve got better things to do?
If you didn’t know about this new fee, don’t feel bad. You’re not supposed to. The Herald also found an internal memo revealing that the RMV intentionally avoided publicizing the new costs. “Customer advertising . . . will not include the administrative fee separately, but rather the stated renewal or duplicate fee will be listed as $5 greater,” RMV management wrote.
And why should they tell us? To Patrick, you’re just the chump who gets stuck with the check. In fact, now that Patrick’s Registry chief has moved the Framingham office to the Mass. Pike, many Metrowesters have to pay a toll for the privilege of driving to the RMV to pay this higher fee.
And that toll, of course, is already higher than it was when Patrick took office.
But have no fear. There were so many complaints, Patrick had to do an about face to take back his $5 fee immediately. Oh, it wasn't his fault. It was his administration's fault at the RMV who thought it was the necessary thing to do for whatever reasons.
But bottom line, it's pay, pay, pay. That is Patrick’s plan for your life, because Beacon Hill is going to spend, spend, spend. There are no other options. Just seven months ago, Patrick signed a $27 billion budget. Six months later, he proposed a $28.2 billion one - up more than a billion bucks, or an increase of 4.5 percent.
Did you get a 4.5 percent pay hike last year? Or the year before? No. Actually there’s a near-record chance you got laid off or took a job that paid less than you used to earn.
Patrick and Co. don’t care. You’re still gonna pay more.
Every other day, it seems this newspaper’s front page features yet another story of yet another government official running yet another scam to pocket your money. Cops earning $200K sipping coffee at detail duty. City workers who perform marriages and pocket the fees. Court officials who personally benefit when a citizen makes bail.
Is there any good news? Yes. Patrick’s approval ratings are even lower than Barack Obama’s. He’s in a neck-and-neck race with Charlie Baker, even with the distraction of third-wheel Tim Cahill in the mix.
Which means there’s a very good chance that abused Massachusetts taxpayers will be celebrating November’s election by popping the cork on the bubbly and lighting a Red Auerbach victory stogie.
Unfortunately, that champagne will cost more because of Patrick’s new tax on liquor (we now pay sales taxes on the excise tax included in the price of booze). And if Patrick gets his way, the price of that cigar will double when he raises the tax to 110 percent.
Perhaps that’s Patrick’s sneaky re-election plan: Might as well keep him because we won’t be able to afford to celebrate getting rid of him.
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