MA Ballot Questions Nov 4!!

palindrome

palindrome

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2006
Messages
2,266
Reaction score
117
What is the general opinion/outlook for the 3 Ballot questions coming soon?

Question 1: Abolish the state income tax.
Question 2: Decriminalize Marijuana.
Question 3: Ban Greyhound racing.

Personally, I am voting yes on all three.

For question 1, I feel it is more of a statement to the state government that the people are sick of wasteful spending. I doubt even if it does pass that the income tax will be abolished.

For question 2, It just makes more sense to me to have less strict rules for less than an ounce of Marijuana from both an economical perspective, as well as a personal perspective (if you know what i mean!!!)

Question 3, i just have no interest in greyhound racing so this doesn't really effect me. I am all for humane treatment of animals though.



No need to say what you are voting for either!
 
1) no
2) yes
3) yes

I hope Mass. does for marijuana what it has done for gay marriage.
 
Last edited:
palindrome, what do you think are the most obvious examples of government waste in Massachusetts?
 
1) no
2) yes
3) yes

Abolishing the income tax will just raise taxes on everything else.
 
I know, especially in hard economic times, that people don't want to get taxed but eliminating the income tax will seriously hurt the state and in return people will see their roads, schools, and police protection erode.
 
yigal said:
palindrome, what do you think are the most obvious examples of government waste in Massachusetts?
Click to expand...

Deval's wife's assistant.

Seriously though it is all the little things that add up. Up until a few days ago we were the only state in the country to require police details. Also, why are toll collectors making 50k+ and why is the MTA not folded into Mass Highway yet? How about the $8B in debt the MBTA is, yet management saw themselves fit for a raise (albeit it was rescinded under political pressure.)

I don't honestly expect, nor actually want the income tax to disappear. I just want to use question 1 as a chance to send the state a message that spending needs to be cut in some areas. The state rainy day fund will only last so long.
 
1) No - wasteful spending, wasteful schplending...taking money away from the state in these economic times is a baaaaaad idea.

2) Yes - the Dutch are happy, no?

3) No - has there been any research done showing that greyhound racing is more inhumane and unacceptable than, say, horse racing? I'm all for humane treatment of animals, so I'll gladly change my vote.
 
lexicon506 said:
3) ...has there been any research done showing that greyhound racing is more inhumane and unacceptable than, say, horse racing?
Click to expand...

Horses aren't euthanized with the frequency that dogs are. The sport is self-regulated, not governed by the Animal Welfare Act. My dad managed security at Wonderland in the 70's, after retiring from the State Police. Maybe it's because I was a kid, but seeing those dogs in crates was a bummer -- I've been against it since.
 
1 - No, cutting income tax revenues during an incipient recession is a stupid idea
2 - Yes, except we should go further and downright legalize the stuff, sell it in licensed liquor stores
3 - Yes, encourage urban redevelopment at Wonderland
 
I can't vote yet, but...
Yes - as palindrome said, nothing's really going to happen (Legislature regularly ignores the wishes of the people in ballot questions) and it will send a message
Yes - personal benefit
No - I don't care about animals, and this is hypocricy...either ban all (including eating meat, horse racing, animal creulty, etc...) or ban none, the sport is dying anyway, it will shut down in 10 years without any prodding
 
On 1, I would caution against a yes vote to "send a message" to the legislature. It will be the wrong message heard by the wrong people (Carla Howell..blegh). If you want to consolidate agencies to eliminate waste, you should lobby for a more narrowly tailored referendum question in the next election cycle.

3) No - has there been any research done showing that greyhound racing is more inhumane and unacceptable than, say, horse racing? I'm all for humane treatment of animals, so I'll gladly change my vote.
Click to expand...

No - I don't care about animals, and this is hypocricy...either ban all (including eating meat, horse racing, animal creulty, etc...) or ban none, the sport is dying anyway, it will shut down in 10 years without any prodding
Click to expand...

The logic here is off. If you care about humane treatment, vote yes, if not, vote no. The fact that horse racing isn't up for a vote shouldn't mean you vote for the continuation of dog racing if you believe that it's wrong...why punish dogs (if you believe they are being punished) because the lobby against horse racing has less political clout and couldn't put up a referendum? If anything, a vote against dog racing would probably build momentum for a total ban on animal misuse.
 
Yes- The constitution prior to the 16th amendment was crafted to keep taxes, unrelated to trade, at a local level to keep government as small and directly responsible to the public as possible. By eliminating the income tax and shifting to (what will likely be significantly higher, but probably less than what most people pay currently in income tax) local property taxes, individual politicians would be far more responsible. It's a lot harder to tax and spend foolishly without repercussions, when those are being taxed live near door to the person whom is determining the spending.

A shift to property taxes would also encourage better land use, denser development, and less far flung single family McMansion's down private ways. No municipality in its right mind would allow that type of development any longer once they have to completely foot the bill for maintaining the roads and utilities.

Yes- If it were completely legalized the draw as an anti-establishment thing would be gone and law enforcement would have less to worry about. Use would decline amongst everyone except the artsy or hippie set, and they would be likely so stoned that no one would ever see them in public. As a bonus the anti-tobacco class action lawyers would have a field day shaking down a pot industry and making it ever bit as troublesome as everyday cigarettes.

Yes- I've seen too many abused greyhounds
 
czsz said:
On 1, I would caution against a yes vote to "send a message" to the legislature. It will be the wrong message heard by the wrong people (Carla Howell..blegh). If you want to consolidate agencies to eliminate waste, you should lobby for a more narrowly tailored referendum question in the next election cycle.





The logic here is off. If you care about humane treatment, vote yes, if not, vote no. The fact that horse racing isn't up for a vote shouldn't mean you vote for the continuation of dog racing if you believe that it's wrong...why punish dogs (if you believe they are being punished) because the lobby against horse racing has less political clout and couldn't put up a referendum? If anything, a vote against dog racing would probably build momentum for a total ban on animal misuse.
Click to expand...

I don't care about humane treatment. And believe me, dogs can go to much worse places than racetracks.
 
L10709032-2.jpg
 
I don't care about humane treatment. And believe me, dogs can go to much worse places than racetracks.
Click to expand...

Right...I was only responding to your "hypocrisy" argument. If you don't care about the dogs, the answer is pretty clear.
 
I've been to restaurants where dogs were on the menu...sorry if my blunt reply offended you tobyjug. I don't think we should classify some animals as more special than others (except of course if they're endangered or threatened), dogs are mostly great pets but they can also be racers and food and I don't really have a problem with different "uses" for a beloved species of animals. Does anyone really think horse racing will be banned in the medium-term future? I'd say no, so it is hypocricy. The effects of banning dog racing in stimulating banning horse racing will be minimal. It simply has too large a fan base.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top