Massachusetts voters will get to decide four ballot questions today.
We say, keep it simple: vote No on all four of them.
Here’s why:
Question 1
What It Would Do: Would raise Massachusetts state income taxes on incomes of $1 million or more to 9 percent, from the current 5 percent for all incomes.
Yes Supporters Say: Rich should pay more. Extra money would go to transportation and public education, which could use more dough.
No Supporters Say: Flat tax is fair – rich already do pay more. State legislature won’t spend extra money on transportation and education.
Conservative Vote: No.
Why: Taxing million-dollar-plus incomes won’t just hurt millionaires. It will also hurt everybody else, by driving capital out of the state. Less investment will ensue. That means fewer jobs. Also: The problem with state government isn’t that it has too little money – the problem is that it has too much.
Question 2
What It Would Do: Would require dental insurance companies in Massachusetts to spend at least 83 percent of premiums from customers on patients’ expenses for dental care.
Yes Supporters Say: Would reduce dental insurance premiums by reducing the amount of money dental insurance companies spend on executives and unnecessary expenses.
No Supporters Say: Would decrease the profits of dental insurance companies, thereby making it harder to do business in the state, thereby resulting in fewer options for dental patients.
Conservative Vote: No
Why: You don’t have to like insurance companies – and who does? – to like options. If you want to lower dental costs – and who doesn’t? – support more competition and less regulation. Artificially limiting the profits of private companies always leads to fewer options and worse service.
Question 3
What It Would Do: Would expand the number of liquor licenses that any one retailer could own from nine to 18 — if the retailer already holds more than seven licenses. If a retailer doesn’t, then the retailer could own a maximum of seven licenses, down from nine licenses.
Yes Supporters Say: Would help businesses by allowing them to have more licenses.
No Supporters Say: Favors the alcohol industry and hurts small package stores.
Conservative Vote: No
Why: Liquor is one of the items in our economy that government should keep a tight leash on. Alcohol is a major problem in this country and almost no politicians are taking that problem seriously enough. The government should be putting forth policies that mitigate substance abuse, be it alcohol, tobacco, or drug use. Making alcohol more accessible is not a way to do it. Alcohol causes 140,000 premature deaths in the United States each year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. It fuels violence, crime, risky sexual behavior, and unsafe driving. Let’s not make the problem any worse.
Question 4
What It Would Do: Would uphold a law enacted by the Massachusetts legislature that makes illegal immigrants eligible for driver’s licenses come July 1, 2023.
Yes Supporters Say: It’s a pragmatic move to improve road safety. They say it will generate revenue for the state by selling licenses to illegal immigrants. They also argue that it will increase the number of illegal immigrants with car insurance and reduce hit-and-run accidents, and that illegal immigrants deserve to be able to drive to work or school legally.
No Supporters Say: It will increase illegal acts and make illegal immigrants eligible to vote.
Conservative Vote: No.
Why: Give illegal immigrants driver’s licenses and you’ll get more illegal immigrants. Making illegal immigrants eligible for driver’s licenses incentivizes illegal immigration. Illegal immigration depresses working-class wages, creates a fiscal burden for taxpayers, and increases global carbon emissions. We’re not seeing evidence of illegal immigrants voting in states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. Still, whether illegal immigrants end up voting or not, this is a bad idea. Anything that encourages illegal immigration should be rejected.
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