This is why the Reps passed the sales tax increase

From the MWDN:

This year, the state of Massachusetts is facing one of the most challenging budget years in history. The Legislature faces unprecedented and tremendously difficult choices in crafting its Fiscal Year 2010 budget. Steeply declining revenues resulting from the national recession have created a statewide deficit of nearly $2 billion, which will force reductions to nearly every state agency and program, and will lead to the elimination of many state programs. These cuts will affect every single family in the commonwealth, regardless of where they live.

The House of Representatives recently released its budget which is approximately $1.8 billion less than last year. This budget, if enacted as is, will slash local aid to cities and towns by nearly 30 percent, decimate health and human services, and allow commuters to be faced with steep toll hikes, fare increases, and service cuts which would have a devastating impact on the economy of the commonwealth. In addition, fees would increase for college students at our state and community colleges and the University of Massachusetts system, and those colleges and universities would be unable to provide the education that our students deserve. In addition, the local aid cuts would clearly affect the education that would be provided to our public school children in MetroWest, as well as such basic services as fire and police protection and local trash pickup.

Despite some reports to the contrary, the Massachusetts House of Representatives has already voted to reform our transportation system (which will include the elimination of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority), has already voted to reform our state pension system, and has already voted to tighten our ethics laws. Real reform is on the way. We expect these reform bills to be on the governor's desk for approval before the budget and the accompanying sales tax increase will be on his desk for approval. Every member of the MetroWest delegation was proud to vote for these necessary and long overdue changes in the way we conduct business in state government. However, these reforms are simply not enough to prevent the drastic cuts in the state budget with which we are currently faced.

Recently, we were forced to make the difficult decision whether or not to vote in favor of increasing the state sales tax by 1.25 cents. We are acutely aware and sensitive to the fact that families in the commonwealth are already struggling to make ends meet. Our families are no exception, and we face the same difficult circumstances that your families face. We expect that we will be taking an unpaid furlough in the next few weeks and will be contributing more to pay for our families' health insurance. Rightfully, no one wants to pay more and no one in the Legislature was happy about taking this vote at this time.

While we acknowledge that raising the sales tax is a dismal option among many dismal options, we cannot sit idly by while our cities and towns are struggling, our transportation infrastructure is crumbling, and while the Commonwealth's most vulnerable citizens are not receiving even the most basic care. With the $900 million generated annually by this modest increase, we will be able to devote $200 million to restore local aid, $300 million to stop Mass Pike toll increases and commuter rail fare hikes and service reductions, and $400 million for health and human services so that the disabled, mentally ill, and the elderly will receive fundamental supports. With this tax increase, the towns in MetroWest will receive millions of dollars in additional municipal aid, which will allow them to avert cuts in public education and public safety. After we voted for the sales tax increase, we were able to responsibly vote for these spending measures. We note that every member of the Massachusetts House, even those who voted against the sales tax increase, voted in favor of the spending restorations, because they knew that these restorations were necessary to prevent damage being done to our constituents. It was the only responsible vote to take.

Massachusetts' sales tax, even with the proposed increase, will still be comparable, and in many cases lower, than all of our neighboring states with the exception of New Hampshire: Connecticut has a 6 percent sales tax, Vermont has 6.05 percent, Rhode Island has 7 percent and New York has 8.25 percent. In fact, Massachusetts' sales tax burden with this increase will place us squarely in the middle of all 50 states. Unlike many other states, Massachusetts' sales tax includes exemptions on necessities such as food, clothing, gasoline, and home heating oil. These exemptions will remain in place despite the increase.

We struggled with this decision because we appreciate the effect that any tax increase would have on Massachusetts families. We carefully weighed those effects by considering the damage that would be done to our commonwealth by the cuts to human services, public education and public safety that will occur without the sales tax increase. This vote effectively kills consideration of any of the additional tax increase proposals such as the 19-cent gas tax increase, alcohol tax, and/or candy tax. We note that even with this increase in the sales tax, many significant and severe cuts will remain. In the end, our priority was to preserve our communities and protect the most vulnerable citizens of the commonwealth.

Submitted by MetroWest delegation members: Rep. Tom Conroy (D-Wayland), Rep. Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston), Rep. John Fernandes (D-Milford), Rep. Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough), Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick), Rep. Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley), Rep. Tom Sannicandro (D-Ashland), Rep. Pam Richardson (D-Framingham), Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton), Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow), Rep. Kay Khan (D-Newton) and Rep. Jennifer Benson (D-Lunenburg).