Unintended Consequences

Our freshman State Representative voted again with the House leadership, (H 2840), this time to start the process of exempting seniors from future proposition 2½ over rides. I’m sure Paul’s intention was to simply provide relief for seniors from rising property taxes. A noble idea but one with unintended consequences, or at least I hope they were unintended. If this now passes the Senate, the increasing property taxes will put even more pressure on working families already being squeezed by higher prices at the grocery store, gas station and everywhere else.

Fast forward 10 to 15 years when the baby boomers, the largest tax paying block, start becoming seniors and falling into this "relief" category. The result; the pressure on working families will become insurmountable.

Even worse, this policy eliminates the balance seniors provided against property tax increases. With seniors voting in mass "for" overrides, because they are no longer subject to the tax increase themselves, we can expect larger and more frequent tax increases being proposed and passed. The protection Proposition 2½ has provided from even higher property taxes, if that can be imagined, will become a thing of the past. The unintended consequence of passing this ill thought out bill, will be runaway property taxes that are already squeezing hard working families to the breaking point.

Hopefully there is still time to call Senator Walsh and ask her to vote for working families and vote "No" on this bill. Working families of Massachusetts and this district need property tax relief as much as seniors. I’m sure Paul McMurtry’s intentions were admirable but someone has to start representing the silent majority of working families in our district. The consequences of "Feel Good" legislation is, too often, more than working families can afford.

Doug Obey
Westwood