Last modified: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 2:38 AM EDT Frustration behind call for income tax repeal BY NAOKO YOSHIDA FOR THE SUN CHRONICLE When constituents tell state Rep. Betty Poirier they plan to vote for the repeal of the state's income tax, she hears mainly frustration in their voices. "They just say to me 'I'm going to vote to get rid of the income tax. Then you guys can figure out what you're going to do,'" the North Attleboro Republican said. "They are just very upset because their financial limits have been reached." Other area lawmakers are also aware of the frustration behind Question 1 on the November ballot. If approved by state voters, taxpayers would be freed of a 5.3 percent tax on their income - and the state would lose about 40 percent of its revenue. That would mean a $12 billion cut for a $28 billion budget this year. State Rep. Jay Barrows, R-Mansfield, believes many voters are angry with the unkept promises by state officials that an 0.75 percent surcharge added to the state's 5 percent income tax in the late 1980s would be temporary. Although the rate decreased to the current 5.3 percent two years ago, the Democrat-controlled Legislature has balked at lowering it more. "Legislators have made a promise years ago that the increase was only temporary," Barrows said. "Had we kept our promise to lower it back to 5 percent, probably we would never have seen this ballot question." Barrows also cited Gov. Deval Patrick's undelivered pledge to lower property tax two years ago. "I think it frustrates the taxpayers," he said. "People understand that it might be a way to send a message loud and clear to the government to say 'We had enough. Where's my tax relief?' " Along with Barrows, state Rep. Richard J. Ross, R-Wrentham, supports lowering the income tax rate to 5 percent. "That's the initiative we've always brought back as a caucus, and supported as a rollback," Ross said. However, it is hard when the Legislature passes a bigger budget that demands all possible resources, including additional taxes imposed on cigarettes this year. "We just need to meddle within our needs," Ross said. "That's the message taxpayers want to convey. As a minority party member, that's the message I want to convey." The income tax repeal was placed on the ballot by the Committee for Small Government, led by Libertarian activist Carla Howell. "The essential services of government will not be affected at all," Howell said. "Ending the income tax will simply require the Legislature to cut government waste." She listed examples of "waste," including overspending on the Big Dig, police details, the Quinn bill, the police career incentive program that gives salary increases to officers with degrees in law enforcement or criminal justice and government workers going on disability, such as a Boston firefighter who trained for a body-building contest after claiming he had a bad back. "When the government opens its books and shows us how our tax dollars are being spent, we find much more than $12 billion we can cut from the state budget," said Howell. However, many area legislators are fearful of what a $12 billion cut would mean to local public schools, public safety, higher education and the whole health care system. "I think it would be devastating. I think it needs to be defeated," said Rep. Steven D'Amico, D-Seekonk, who notes the disrepair of the state's roads and bridges as one of the many problems that need funding. "The aid to cities and towns would be cut or eliminated, which would force up property taxes," he said. "This is not a responsible thing to do." Rep. Louis L. Kafka, D-Sharon, expressed his opposition, too. "I think across the board, it will have a major effect on services, from pre-school to golden age," he said. Barrows also worries about the impact of a repeal, particularly in the case of state funding for local education. "State aid is critical, like Chapter 70 money is critical to support our schools," he said. "It's economic down times, but a great deal of burden has been put on communities." The Attleboro Education Association said the state aid to public schools account for almost 50 percent of school funding. In fiscal year 2009, Attleboro will receive about $30 million from the state. In 2003, when $2 million was cut from the state aid package to Attleboro, it resulted in 33 jobs lost in the Attleboro public schools. State Sen. James E. Timilty, D-Walpole, sees cutting the tax rate to 5 percent as a reasonable alternative. "It's a measured approach. You'd be able to see the fallout of what will happen," Timilty said. "However, to go to zero percent, we would have seismic consequences."