Dear Neighbor,

There's a lot of discussion about what makes Massachusetts "competitive."  People in public life and in the media continue to assert that we have to cut taxes on the wealthy and corporations to stop their leaving for other states.

You may have read my previous newsletter about this.   Just this week, the Globe accused the legislature of "dithering," while the conference committee resolves important differences between the House and Senate versions.  At least they acknowledge that the House bill would phase in a billion dollars in tax cuts (= spending reductions).  (See end of newsletter for colleagues' comments about the reduction in short-term capital gains tax rate which the Globe supports.)

Do it yourself!

Dear Neighbors,

Most of my newsletters are on one topic, but every week we work on so many different issues.  I thought I'd share some of the highlights from last week as a example.  This of course doesn't include meetings, emails and calls with constituents and my staff. 

Dear Neighbors,

ICYMI, Eileen McEnneny of the Pioneer Institute wrote a response to my recent Globe letter about the flight of the millionaires.  See if you think she succeeded in actually refuting any of my points.  I don't.  

BUDGET SUMMARY

It's hard to write a summary of the $55.9 billion Senate budget.  It includes expansion of childcare funding, first steps toward free community college, and increased funding for the MBTA, thanks to $1 billion in revenue from the Fair Share Amendment.   

Thanks to Laura Gomez Arango, my communications director, and Matt Hartman, my chief of staff, for a comprehensive press release you can read here.  It's really worth at least skimming, for information on the many programs constituents asked me to prioritize, including local programs and Fair Share commitments.  But you've told me to keep newsletters shorter.

Dear Neighbors,

I'll write soon about some of our successful priorities in the Senate budget.  Today I want to draw your attention to a few times in the four days of the budget process when debate was particularly interesting.  I feel very fortunate to serve with such smart and passionate colleagues, and thought you might like to hear some of our conversation.

Dear Neighbors,

Thursday night, the Senate finished our debate on the budget.  I'll write about that next week.  But now, save June 10 for our first Salad Party

For many, many years, I invited friends, neighbors, and supporters to our home for a soup party. 

In 2020, Cambridge CoHousing invited us to have the party there, shortly before the pandemic.  In 2021, we gathered online, and I shared some of our traditional Soup Party recipes.  

In 2023, friends at Cornerstone Cohousing in Cambridge have invited us to have the party there.  It will be mostly outside, weather permitting, so we've changed the time to June, and the menu to salads.

Dear Neighbor,

So many people have commented about my past four newsletters* about proposed tax cuts vs. services!   I haven't had time to respond to all of them or pick a few to highlight.  Most comments have been positive, and others told me why they disagreed.  Thank you to all! 

It's budget and hearing season, so we're very very busy.  Last week saw the release of the Senate Ways and Means budget proposal.  My staff and I filed 28 amendments.  This week we're responding to cosponsorship requests and advocating with Senate Ways and Means.  I also chaired an Elder Affairs hearing, hosted a briefing on wrongful convictions, and testified on our bill to support parents running for public office.  Next week will be our Senate budget debate all week, and sometimes all night.

This newsletter is mostly about a bill to provide significant property tax relief to older homeowners, but doesn't reduce revenue for either the state or local government.  Then there are a couple of updates about the real numbers on population change: it's not what the Pioneer Institute, the  Herald and other commentators think!

This is the fourth of my short-form newsletters on proposed tax cuts.  Earlier, I asked:
Vox Populi?  What do polls say?
Cui bono?  Who will benefit?
Caveat Emptor?  Buyer beware of the results 

Today I ask:

Quo Vadis? or the flight of the millionaires

Thanks to all who have responded about questions in the first two newsletters about tax cuts: Vox Populi and Cui Bono?.   I'll report on some of your responses, including ones about today's newsletter, soon.  This time, I suggest:

Caveat Emptor!

One of the main reasons given for cutting taxes is that we have a surplus.

See, for example, the way Priorities for Progress framed its polling question:

This is the second short newsletter in a short series about the tax cut proposals now being considered in the legislature.  The last newsletter compared polls with opposite results, asking which, if either, represented Vox Populi.  Thanks to those of you responded to the question!   I'll try to share some responses soon.  

Last year, Gov. Baker proposed tax cuts totaling $700 million. The House and Senate each proposed a tax cut package of around $500 million.  But we never reached agreement, after discovering that a 1986 law required returning $3 billion to taxpayers because of a "surplus."  (More on the surplus soon.)

This is my first shortish newsletter looking at proposed tax cuts and reforms.  It includes some questions on which I'd like your thoughts.  So RSVP!

The budget debate this year has started with the question of how much revenue will be available.  Governor Maura Healey has proposed a budget based on a number of tax cuts, reducing some budget items to allow for those cuts.  The total budget would increase slightly after adjusting for inflation, because of expected higher tax revenue.

Today is Equal Pay Day, a date that symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.   The Wage Equity Now (WEN) coalition held a briefing about two new bills that continue to address the pay gap.  (Here are the Telegram and Gazette's and  MassLive's report on the briefing.)

Keep reading to learn about our 2016 bill, progress since then, remaining problems, the new bills announced at the briefing, other solutions, and Fred Small's 59 Cents song.

We are mourning the death and celebrating the life of an extraordinary, inspiring leader, Alice Wolf.

Long before I met Alice, I heard about her courageous, progressive leadership as a Cambridge School Committee member, city councilor and mayor.  She fought for many issues that were extremely controversial at the time - and won.