Rep. Dwyer Votes "No" on Tax Increases

“No” to tax increases

Last week, the leadership of the House and Senate released their proposal to address our transportation funding and debt needs. This proposal would include a 3 cent/gallon increase in the gas tax, $1.00/pack increase in the cigarette tax, taxing smokeless tobacco and cigars at the same rate as cigarettes and removing the sales tax exemption for computer/software services in an effort to raise around $500 million in new revenue.

A recent article by Beacon Hill Roll Call printed in the Daily Times Chronicle Monday evening indicated that I had voted “to advance” the House tax proposal. However, that vote took place to allow the proposal to be debated on the floor, as all proposals before the Legislature should be.

Yesterday, the House debated and voted on the proposal. I want to make it very clear that I agree that our transportation system is broken. However, I voted consistently yesterday to not raise any taxes. Ultimately, the proposal was passed by a vote of 97 YEAS to 55 NAYS and sent to the Senate for their consideration.

In an effort to offer an alternative, I supported an amendment that included a tax amnesty program that would have collected approximately $500 million proposed in back taxes and I also supported an amendment that would have exempted municipalities from the gas tax as a way of creating more local aid.

An overwhelming majority of my constituents who have reached out to me have stated they do not support raising taxes because they are sick and tired of reading in the newspapers about malfeasance and waste in the way in which their government is operating. I can honestly say that I agree wholeheartedly.

I strongly believe that the more prudent approach would be to work on meaningful reforms that could in fact realize cost savings that could be used to meet the $500 million proposed transportation fixes without raising taxes. I know how the cliché of “reform before revenue” is criticized in certain circles but I ask this simple question; how can we ask the taxpayers to fund investments in transportation when we have crime lab scandals, abuse in our welfare system, and story after story of the lack of efficiency in government without reforming those issues? The taxpayers deserve better.

Summary of Key Roll Call Votes

Amendment #33             Removing the 3 cent gas tax increase from the bill

-          Amendment was defeated 103-48

-          I voted to remove the gas tax from the bill because it will negatively impact consumers, small businesses, and will increase the price of all goods that are shipped across the country, most important of those being food.

Amendment #35             Removing Consumer Price Index from the gas tax

-          Amendment was defeated 95-53

-          I voted to remove the Consumer Price Index from the gas tax to prevent the gas tax from reaching much higher levels as the consumer price index rises.

Amendment #36             Exempts municipalities from the gas tax

-          Amendment was further amended to be sent to study, effectively killing the amendment, 108-42

-          I voted against sending the amendment to study because I strongly believes that we should exempt cities and towns from having to pay the gas tax. This would have been another form of local aid that could have helped cities and towns.

Amendment #45             Removing the software tax from the bill

-          Amendment was defeated 97-54

-          I voted to remove the software tax because it will negatively impact small businesses, entrepreneurs, restaurants that utilize advanced software for payroll and taking orders, and high-tech companies that come to Massachusetts to innovate our economy

Amendment #46             Removing the higher tax on utility companies from the bill

-          Amendment was defeated 106-45

-          I voted to remove the higher tax on utility companies because it will be ultimately handed right down to the consumer on utility bills.

Amendment #55             Removing the cigarette tax increase from the bill

-          Amendment was defeated 104-47

-          I believe that there should be sustainable taxes on cigarettes and those taxes should be equally placed on smokeless tobacco products. However, this tax proposal would generate revenue that would be placed into the general fund to be used for transportation financing when the more sound use of this revenue source should be public health, wellness, and preventive health measures such as tobacco cessation. It should not be used to help fund our transportation.

Amendment #56             Tax Amnesty Program to Raise  Approximately $500 million

-          Amendment was further amended to be sent to study, effectively killing the amendment, 118-30

-          I voted against the further study, strongly believing that the Tax Amnesty program would be a sound approach at gaining one-time revenue to dedicate to transportation debt and operating deficits

Amendment #64             Sunsets the indexing of the gas tax to the CPI  after FY2018

-          Amendment was defeated, 107-42

-          I voted to sunset the indexing of the gas tax by the Consumer Price Index after the previous amendment to remove the gas tax increase from the bill was defeated. This amendment would have prevented indexed increases of the gas tax after FY2018.

Final Vote on the Bill to send proposal to the Senate for their consideration

-          The bill was passed 97-55

-          I voted against the tax proposal in its entirety

Office Hours:

Due to the Patriots Day holiday on Monday, office hours will be held Tuesday, April 16^th from 1:30-2:30 at Woburn Senior Center and from 3:00-4:00pm at Woburn City Hall in the Committee Room. If you are unable to attend office hours and need assistance, please contact my office at 617-722-2220.