There’s no debate about it, Woonsocket, and many other distressed communities, are in trouble. However, while the residents wait for the General Assembly to vote on whether they can issue a supplemental tax bill, there are other measures on the calendar on Smith Hill that could also help the city’s already maxed-out taxpayers.
Tonight (Monday, May 14) at 5:30 pm in Cercle Laurier, 165 E. School St., residents can come learn how the tax equity bills, making their way through the House an Senate in the form of H-7729 and S-2622, can raise $131 milllion in revenue; and how that revenue should be targeted to providing relief to distressed cities and towns, like Woonsocket.
While our elected officials continue to give massive tax breaks to Rhode Island’s wealthiest citizens and corporations, and Woonsocket Rep. Jon Brien and Sen. Marc Cote defend these breaks, lower and middle income Rhode Islanders are struggling to feed their families.
It’s time for people making over $250K/year to pay their fair share and help the middle class–because a strong middle class means more spending and more jobs in local communities. Come to the meeting and help convince Rep. Brien and Sen. Cote top sign onto the tax equity bills, Woonsocket would greatly benefit by your actions.
This phrase gets tossed around a great deal, this “fair share,” but no one ever defines it. Thom, could you tell me what percentage of taxes someone should pay to be paying their “fair share”?
Tax Equity – what a joke, really. I agree in tax equity and fair – and to make it clear I’m not one of the rich people that keep being brought up when these conversations come up. Yes, tax equity for all Americans means a flat tax rate without any loopholes or deductions. We have 45% of the populations that doesn’t pay a dime in taxes in fact they actually get rebates (for what?) make flat and real and make everyone pay equitably. That is fair and equity for all.
We are not under taxed in this State or in this Country. We are simply over spending and continue to breed a population that is full of entitlements.
How does taxing the rich more prevent a rogue administrator from overspending his budget by $10 million? You’re assuming that raising taxes will solve bad government. Government suffers from gluttony. The more you feed it the more it wants.
This is a state that is run by lawyers who take care of the rich. Why do you think multi-millionaire John Kerry registers his yacht here? It s not because of the wonderful maintenance he gets, it’s the fact that he pays no taxes on it while there are many people relying on short term loans online. We do not have a state controlled by unions. Do you really think if we did we would have had pension reform? This General Assembly takes care of the rich. Rep. Jon Brien and Sen. Cote take care of the rich and not their constituents. Its no secret that the economy tanked after the Federal tax cuts and then locally when RI passed theirs in 2006. Wake up people, when you hurt the middle class you hurt the economy.