State Sen: Sales And Alcohol Tax

As a way to inform our readers about the candidates, Patch asked the two candidates for State Senate five questions that focused on topics affecting Marblehead.

How would repealing the alcohol tax and reducing the sales tax from 6.25 percent to 3 percent (Questions 1 and 3 on the ballot) affect Marblehead and its businesses? Are you for or against these provisions?

Sen. Thomas McGee (D)

I oppose ballot questions 1 and 3. Massachusetts has some of the highest alcohol and drug abuse addiction in the country. The funds from this tax are dedicated to early intervention programs for at-risk youth, detoxification services and residential recovery programs.

Voting to repeal the tax would result in a $100 million cut to these substance abuse programs across the state. Every dollar of the tax goes to addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services; we need to continue to support these vital behavioral health programs.

Like the four candidates for governor and the nonpartisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, I oppose the passage of question 3. A rollback in the state's sales tax from 6.25% to 3% would result in a $2.5 billion loss to the commonwealth.

This coupled with the looming $2 billion deficit we face next year will result in a nearly $4.5 billion deficit. A rollback will result in 12% cuts to local aid across the district and increases in tolls and fares on the MBTA and commuter rail.

The state has already cut state spending in education, public safety, healthcare and human services by more than $2 billion since the 2009 fiscal year.

Christopher Dent (R)

I am in favor of both proposals. Reducing the sales and alcohol taxes will have an immediate and positive effect on the retail and hospitality sectors that form the foundation of Marblehead's commercial tax base.

The reduction in state tax revenue from these proposals could be offset by reductions in non-essential spending, including the repeal of the anti-privatization Pacheco Law that costs Massachusetts' taxpayers over $300M annually. The resulting increase in retail activity would also contribute to an offset of the revenue loss caused by the reduced tax rates.

Check Patch later for question 5 -  where the candidate stand on the regionalization of services