ICYMI: AFP Regional Director Ross Connolly in the Boston Globe
BOSTON, MA– Today, The Boston Globe published an op-ed penned by Americans for Prosperity New England Regional Director Ross Connolly and Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. The piece calls on legislators to strongly consider tax reform to ensure Massachusetts’ economy remains competitive.
The op-ed comes a day after Americans for Prosperity (AFP) launched a digital ad campaign targeting constituents in important senatorial districts across the Bay State to urge their senators to stand firm in support of tax relief as part of the discussions surrounding Governor Maura Healey’s tax proposal. The ads will run on Facebook, through the end of June.
AFP’s actions in Massachusetts this week mark the first of its efforts to expand its footprint across the Bay State. In March, the political advocacy group announced its largest expansion of grassroots effort to date to Reignite the American Dream across all 50 states and empower more Americans than ever before to get engaged in public policy debates and demand better from elected leaders.
READ THE FULL OP-ED HERE.
Excerpts from Op-ed:
Massachusetts is experiencing some of the highest outbound migration of any state. Only California, New York, and Illinois are losing people — and wealth — at a greater rate, according to a recent Pioneer Institute study.
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“Tax the rich” is a popular refrain in some political quarters. Unfortunately for Massachusetts, a lot of people being hit with these new taxes are not rich. But they are mobile. And they are fleeing Massachusetts in droves to states that won’t treat them like an ATM.
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The Legislature and Governor Maura Healey need to do something about this before it’s too late. For starters, the Senate needs to block the House proposal to turn the state tax rebate program into an income transfer program.
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Tax reform and reductions would likely help to slow the waterfall of residents leaving. Massachusetts has so much going for it, but people need to be able to afford to live here. After years of successfully fighting off the reputation of “Taxachusetts,” the past few years have seen a return to the bad old days.
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Watching our best and brightest leave for Florida, Texas, or New Hampshire is unsustainable. Lawmakers need to shift gears on tax policy immediately if they want to ensure that Massachusetts remains a place where residents can prosper and the economy remains competitive into the future.
AFP digital ads:
AFP petition to state senators:
Dear Senator:
Massachusetts is experiencing some of the highest outbound migration of any state. Only California, New York, and Illinois are losing people — and wealth — at a greater rate.
This record migration out of Massachusetts is being driven by uncompetitive tax environments. Bay Staters are fleeing high taxes and moving just over the border to income tax-free New Hampshire or south to Florida.
Costs are high for everyone due to inflation. Commonwealth families are looking to cut costs any way they can. It is time our legislators provide some relief from high taxes.
I urge you and your colleagues in the Senate to follow through with Governor Maura Healey’s proposal to raise the Estate tax threshold to $3 million, keep 62F a proportional tax rebate, and push for broad tax reform so ALL Bay Staters get relief.
Watching our best and brightest leave for Florida, Texas, or New Hampshire is unsustainable. We need to shift gears on tax policy right now if we want to ensure that Massachusetts remains a place where families can prosper, and the economy remains competitive into the future.
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