Thursday, October 30, 2014

Voices of Franklin: Sean Slater - Vote YES Ballot Question 1

From Sean P Slater:
Vote YES on question 1. This should pass because all it requires is the ability to use common sense, something that unfortunately is in short supply on Beacon Hill. Any rational citizen of this Commonwealth understands that this bill in its purest form, is taxation without representation. We pay about 27 cents per gallon, the 3rd highest in the nation. Our legislators do not pay out of their own pocket for gas, we buy their gas. They now want to impose a gas tax which will be permanently tied to inflation, and they want to do this every year without a vote. If you want to introduce new taxes you should have to vote on it, period. If this does not pass think of the precedent it would set. There would be no accountability on how are future tax dollars are allocated and the automatic increase process would be repeated to include our property, excise and income taxes. 
We have had a surplus in this state for the last two years to the tune of about $625 - $690 million. This state spent about $675K last year on highway maintenance, while the national average was about $160K. We do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem. The TV ads and articles might be trying to deploy scare tactics by crying poor mouth but the facts contradict that message completely. The last time the gas tax was raised, how many of those dollars, as a percentage do you think went to road and bridge repair? Twenty percent? Fifteen percent? If we give these elected officials a free pass to ignore the will of the people on voting, do you honestly think there will be any accountability on where these dollars are spent? 
Vote for common sense and We The People. Vote YES on Question 1.
bandstand on the Franklin Town Common
bandstand on the Franklin Town Common

You can find all the details on the ballot questions for this election in the 2014 Election Collection  here:  http://www.franklinmatters.org/2014/10/november-4th-election-collection.html

If you are a Franklin resident and would like to share a position on one of the ballot questions, send me an email (shersteve @ gmail dot com)


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