Gloucester
It's like the story about a bride making her way down the aisle.
The impending disaster starts when she unconsciously steps on the front hem of her gown. With her next stride, she feels a tug. With all the eyes focused on her, she decides to proceed as though nothing's amiss and hope for the best.
Every time she takes a step, she treads on more material and has to crouch lower and lower in order to continue.
At a certain point she can't walk any farther.
Then it's time - past time - to address the problem. After she stops and pulls the skirt out from under, she can proceed.
When society's situation becomes intolerable, We the People must correct it.
The situation I'm referring to today is funding for basic public services.
When the state income tax was lowered by the Legislature after the Republican-sponsored referendum, those earning the most got the biggest break in terms of dollars. Those earning the least got the smallest break.
That's because our state income tax is based on a percentage of our earnings. The less you earn, the fewer dollars you pay in income tax. The more you earn, the more dollars you pay. (Unlike the federal "graduated" income tax, which is more progressive, our state uses a fixed percentage.)
You may remember that some Democrats warned that cutting the income tax would inevitably bring cuts in services. Republicans led voters to believe that we could reduce the income tax without cuts in service.
And what situation do we find ourselves in now?
Teachers are being laid off, forcing larger class sizes. Not good for the kids, because they learn best in smaller groups. But also counterproductive for our state's long-term fiscal health - businesses need well-educated employees and good schools for children.
The cost of attending college has escalated. Students are graduating with huge debts. With those big loans to pay off, graduates are bound to need the most lucrative work. It is increasingly difficult to fill high-skilled jobs that serve the public.
Effective crime prevention programs, such as drug treatment, have been cut. Community policing is harder to implement when police budgets are curtailed.
In many neighborhoods it takes longer for firefighters to arrive because of reduced staffing.
Roads are crumbling all over the state. We can't keep up even with potholes. Most bridge and dam maintenance is continually postponed.
Is this the kind of "commonwealth" We the People want?
Responsible analysts don't believe that our current fiscal problems are due primarily to waste. It's true there is room for greater efficiency in administering public services. But when budgets are cut to the bone and fewer personnel are overwhelmed with emergencies daily, it is extremely difficult to manage efficiently. Penny-wise and pound-foolish decisions abound.
Without an appropriate level of income taxation, property taxes must either increase further or public services must be cut further. Which do you prefer?
Currently there is no public discussion of raising income taxes even by a tenth of one percent, because it's considered to be too unpopular.
The problem with relying so heavily on property taxes is that they're not necessarily fair. When you buy a house, you figure out whether you can pay the mortgage and the property taxes; you should even assume some rise in tax. But if your income dips, or your neighborhood's property values increase substantially, you're stuck.
If we could raise the income tax rate a bit, there would be less pressure on property taxes to fund such a large slice of public services.
Those who earn little would hardly be affected by an increase in income tax rates, though they are hit very hard by fees.
Those in the middle would feel a slight pinch at the beginning, followed by an improvement in quality of life, reduction in fees and a gradual lessening of property taxes.
Those who earn a lot would be investing in improvements that benefit all, including their own families, and have plenty left over for both necessities and luxuries.
State aid to municipalities could increase, especially for education and public safety.
Infrastructure maintenance and improvement could resume.
Massachusetts would become more attractive to high-wage businesses.
Isn't it now time to look at fair and feasible ways to raise revenue that benefits our whole commonwealth? Then, starting with the new presidency in 2009, we can work on fairness at the national level.
Catherine Bayliss is chairwoman of the Gloucester Democratic City Committee and a member of the Democratic State Committee.