Hundreds rally to support gov tax reforms

BOSTON, Mass . (WWLP) -  

Beacon Hill lawmakers are cautious when it comes to Governor Deval Patrick’s tax reform proposals, but hundreds of the governor’s supporters came to the State House Tuesday to drum up enthusiasm for his vision. 

Folks from Holyoke social justice group, Neighbor To Neighbor, lobbied legislative aides to build support for Patrick’s $2 billion dollar education and transportation plan.  Birgenmina Perez of Holyoke hopes to see that money go toward pothole repairs in her community. 

“You know that’s ruin our cars and you know it’s something like that they have to be fixed,” said Perez.

Perez joined hundreds of others supporting the governor’s goals that require the state to raise revenue by increasing the state income tax and eliminating certain deductions.

“Lower income families will not feel the brunt, that the taxes will be paid by the people who can afford them …and not by the people like me who are making maybe 60,000 or something,” said John Bennett, the president of the Springfield chapter of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council.

Under Governor Patrick’s tax reform plan, if you make $62,000 dollars or less – about half the people in the state – you’ll pay the same or less in taxes.  If you make more, for instance, $100,000 dollars, your taxes will go up by as much as $400 dollars.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo said he’ll consider a smaller version of the governor’s tax plan, but the governor is working on getting the “full amount”.

“[DeLeo] has assured me that nothing is off the table and I appreciate that.  You know when I made this proposal I said at the outset that there was more than one way to accomplish these ends but we should agree that these are the right ends,” said Patrick.

Many lawmakers share the governor’s goals, but suggest finding a balance between eliminating wasteful spending and raising revenue.