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Humason Opposed to Income Tax Repeal, Will Not Actively Campaign Against It

May 16th, 2008 | posted by Steve Dondley
Article summary

This November, Massachusetts citizens will likely have the opportunity to pull the trigger on themselves and vote to end taxation on wages, interest, dividends and capital gains in our state. If the measure passes, you can say goodbye to about 40% of the state's annual budget and to a huge chunk of funding for neighborhood schools, police and fire departments and other crucial services here in Westfield. The question is, where does Representative Humason stand on this measure?

I'm happy to report that Representative Humason does not support the ballot initiative. In fact, he told me in an email that an identical ballot measure in 2002 "would have had disastrous effect on state services."

But…

In 2002, the drive to repeal the income tax came alarmingly close to passing. Over 45% of voters supported it. This November, with citizens feeling more economic pain at the pump and supermarket checkout lines, it has a decent shot at winning approval. Those who understand the harmful consequences of repealing the income tax are going to need to step up and educate citizens why it's in their best interest to vote against the measure.

So I asked Representative Humason:

"Are you willing to publicly announce your opposition to the repeal of the income tax?"

he replied:

"I'm a public official.  All my positions are public.  I even write a weekly column so that my constituents will know my positions on the important matters of the day.  Regardless of whether you agree with me, at least I let people know how I feel.

Man, you really don't know me do you?  But let me be clear for you:  No. I will not be taking a leadership role in opposing the elimination of the income tax."

So our state rep intends to stay on the sidelines for a fight that could cripple Westfield's ability to deliver vital services to its residents. It's a shame and it demonstrates a real lack of leadership, in my opinion. If you see a catastrophe on the horizon, you do what you can to try to avoid it, especially if you are in a position to do something. As a legislator and a leader in the community, his opinion carries a good amount of weight. And as a Republican, Representative Humason has a lot of credibility with the kinds of voters who would likely vote in favor of this destructive measure.

So I'm going to continue to urge Representative Humason to become more active in the campaign against the repeal of the income tax. And if he doesn't, well, at least I have him on record here on this site stating that he does, in fact, oppose the measure.