Massachusetts legislators are among the hardest-working in the country. They labor away tirelessly, day in and day out, searching for new things to pass laws about. Hardly a day goes by that they don’t find something new to either tax or outlaw.
But perhaps they are working too hard. According to a recent Boston Herald investigation, six Massachusetts legislators were too gosh-darn busy passing new taxes that they didn’t have time to pay their own taxes.
But they come by it honestly. A few years ago, when Rose Kennedy, the matriarch of the family, died, the family managed to get her estate probated in Florida, where the family maintains a home, and where inheritance taxes are far less troublesome. Never mind that Mrs. Kennedy hadn’t left her Massachusetts home in several years, and under both Massachusetts and Florida laws she had no right to claim Florida residency. In her heart, she knew she was a Floridian, and her family made sure her wishes were followed.
And there’s another Massachusetts state senator, Dianne Wilkerson, who was convicted of failing to file her income taxes for several years. She served a sentence under “house arrest,” where it is hoped that she was prohibited from voting for yet more taxes for her to avoid.
Tell me again how wonderful it is when one party completely dominates a state.
J.
Tell me how wonderful it is when one party dominates the federal government…
Mantis, please note my use of the word “completely.” Here are the stats for Democrats in Massachusetts:
U.S. Senate: 2/2 100%
U.S. House: 10/10 100%
Governor: 0/1 0%
State Senate: 34/40 85%
State House: 137/160 86%
Now, would you like to compare that with the Republicans in the federal government?
I thought not.
J.
You’re like the news guy on WAAF who reads the Herald out loud on the radio for his broadcast.
Jay, stop attacking DEMOCRACY. I might hate the other side but if people want them in, despite their pathetic records, then that’s what they GET. If you’re pissed, advocate a change in thesystem, and tell us what that is instead.
Come down to Texas son, leave those northerners to their fate.
You would think the people of Mass would have figured out what the problem is by now. The GOP is effectively dead as far as Massachussette’s is concerned.
I agree with Rob. The voters got what they asked for.
Back in the late 70’s, Texas elected its first Republican governor since Reconstruction. Four years later, they decided they needed a Democrat back in office. (not for any logical reason mind you) so they elected one.
The man proceeded to get a law passed that…*GASP*…said that kids had to pass their classes to participate in high school sports. The lynch mobs were unable to get to him before the next election, so the voters brought back the Republican.
Sometimes, you get exactly what you pay for.
“You would think the people of Mass would have figured out what the problem is by now”
The few that do — about 20,000 a year — cross the border to N.H.
JFK is not the only disingenuous politican in Mass. Interesting.
My father was part of the young republicans in Mass. It is pretty funny to hear him go on about the problems and B.S. they had to deal with concerning the Kennedy’s. I love hearing him go off on Teddy. We moved out because of the taxes. We had a large business,property,house..the whole thing. Dad finally got fed up with the whole bunch of them and sold his half of the business and moved to Fla.
“gosh darn?” Love it. Mass isn’t the only state to pick on, you know, Jay? I know it’s nickname is “taxachusetts” but, I also know other states are the same way. You should check into it sometime. I think you like to pick on Massachusetts because it’s the state that’s right underneath us. And they aren’t the only state that probates in another state, where people don’t pay their taxes or are completely dominated by one party. I dare you to find others. 🙂 Truly, I dare you to find another state like Massachusetts so you can pick on them, too, and not just MA. It is getting tiring.
Cindy
Now now Cindy, let’s not be too sensitive. As a Massachusetts Republican and former member of the Massachusetts House (in the mid-80’s, when only one or two reps would get caught not filing), I do not feel that Jay is “picking on” Massachusetts. Further, I do not get tired of him or anyone else holding this (or any) legislature up to ridicule.
I encourage everyone to click the link to the story and read the utterly idiotic statements made by the recalcitrant representatives. They are mindbogglinly fatuous!
One more point of interest:
There is a provision of the Internal Revenue Code that provides all state legislators with a tax deduction for each day that their legislature is sitting in formal session. In most states, legislative sessions run for two, three, four, maybe five months. In Massachusetts, the legislative sessions typically expire with the clock at the end of the year. Effectively, this means that 100% of the legislative salary (base pay of $54,000) is TAX FREE.