Sales Tax Initiative is on November 2 Ballot in Massachusetts

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Just Received: Official Massachusetts Government Notification that Our Initiative to Roll Back the Sales Tax from 6.25% to 3% is on the November 2, 2010 Ballot


Our July 13th Mail Contained Our Official, Legal Notice from the Massachusetts State Government:

Dear Ms. Howell:

I am writing to you as the first of the original ten signers of an initiative petition for a law entitled "The 3% Sales Tax Relief Act."

As you are aware, 11,099 certified signatures are required for this second and final signature drive to qualify an initiative petition for a law to be printed on the ballot.

I am pleased to inform you that, of the signatures you turned in to this Office on or before July 7, 2010, 13,900 certified signatures have been allowed.

Therefore, the initiative petition will be printed on the November 2, 2010, state election ballot as required by the Constitution.

Very truly yours,

Michelle K. Tassinari
Director/Legal Counsel
Elections Division

(edited for clarity)

[libertybrewcity]

Here is a summary. I believe there have been three other previously but they all failed.. The income tax ballot iniative failed miserably in 2008..

Summary:

This proposed law would reduce the state sales and use tax rates (which were 6.25% as of September 2009) to 2.5% as of January 1, 2011. It would make the same reduction in the rate used to determine the amount to be deposited with the state Commissioner of Revenue by non-resident building contractors as security for the payment of sales and use tax on tangible personal property used in carrying out their contracts.
The proposed law provides that if the 2.5% rates would not produce enough revenues to satisfy any lawful pledge of sales and use tax revenues in connection with any bond, note, or other contractual obligation, then the rates would instead be reduced to the lowest level allowed by law.
The proposed law would not affect the collection of moneys due the Commonwealth for sales, storage, use or other consumption of tangible personal property or services occurring before January 1, 2011.
The proposed law states that if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect.

[libertybrewcity]

There is another one on the ballot that would eliminate the sales tax on alcohol which currently stands at 6.25 percent raised from 5% recently. It seems to have support but that has been declining over the past few months.

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Massachusetts_No_Sales_Tax_for_Alcohol_Initiative_ (2010)