“I am a public political figure seeking employment from fellow taxpayers, so this is a matter of public political transparency.”



The Berkshire Eagle published a front-page story today on the issue of tax transparency, noting that Green-Rainbow Party candidates in local legislative races – Mark Miller and I in the 3rd and 4th Berkshire Districts respectively – are the only ones following Jill Stein’s lead in releasing their tax returns for public review.  My campaign had issued a statement the day before announcing the release of my tax returns, including the joint state tax return that I file with my husband.

The Berkshire Eagle story today – May 26, 2010:

the link is no longer active but the image below is a scan from the front page that day



My campaign statement from May 24, 2010.

Property taxes are presently relied upon to fund more than for what they were designed to fund.  Usually, property taxes are more of a tax burden to lower and middle income residents, contributing thus to the overall unfairness in the tax system.  Although the larger issue of tax fairness needs to be addressed by the legislature by finding broader more progressive tax solutions, I wonder if there is an opportunity for towns and cities to make local property taxes more progressive.

The Pittsfield Municipal Airport is situated within the 4th Berkshire District, where I am a candidate for the November 2, 2010 election for State Representative.  The Pittfield City Council is preparing to vote on whether or not to approve an initial $6 million package for the airport improvement and expansion project, $1 million of which will be paid by city taxpayers. Ultimately city taxpayers are projected to pay $3 million of the total costs.  An additional $13.4 million total in public funds are part of the investment, with the FAA contributing another $6 million.

The environmental impact of this project would be serious, while the economic development argument has been flimsy, in my opinion.

It’s called Tax Fairness.

State House News reported on May 11, 2010 that  Rep. Jay Kaufman, who chairs the Joint Revenue Committee, said he “hoped to pursue comprehensive reform” to the state tax code next session.   My election to represent the Fourth Berkshire District will help Rep. Kaufman’s hope to become a reality.  Incumbents have been mostly silent – and therefore complicit – on the matter of unfair regressive taxation.

Tax Fairness is another reason for the voters in the  Fourth Berkshire District to elect the Green-Rainbow slate of candidates whom they will see on the ballot this November.

AT THE STATE HOUSE

Our Senators’ and Representatives’ voting records are public, but the web site of the Massachusetts legislature does not provide them easily and quickly (an understatement).  One source has told me that a way to obtain voting records that are not reported in the media is to travel to the State House and ask the Clerk of the respective chamber for a paper copy of the vote!

The State House web site is not very helpful.  Here is the answer to the Frequently Asked Question of how to find out how your legislature voted:

Roll Call votes are recorded in the journal … If the journal you need is not available [on the web site], then copies of the corrected proofs of the journals are available about two weeks after the day of the session and can be obtained from:

The Legislative Document Room

Room 428

State House

Boston, MA 02133

(617) 722-2860

The Document Room does not have a mail facility, so please send them a self-addressed stamped envelope with your request.

Also, the Clerks of each branch maintain a book of all the roll call votes recorded in a legislative session. That book is available for viewing within their offices. The Senate Clerk is located in Room 335 in the State House, the House Clerk in Room 145 of the State House.

When I am elected to represent the Fourth Berkshire District, I’ll make it a priority to have a voting record link on the front page of the web site that can be indexed by date, subject, bill number, and representative.  I will also publish my votes on my own site.  This information should be available within minutes of a vote being recorded.

My election to State Legislature in November of this year as a Green-Rainbow  candidate will greatly advance the prospects for single payer health care in  Massachusetts and in the United States.

(Update: July 7, a non-binding policy question on single payer health care will be on the Nov 2 ballot in the 4th Berkshire District.  Read more…)

There are many groups advocating for single payer, but they often focus their efforts on lobbying incumbents to co-sponsor a bill, or they focus on educating a few candidates seeking the few open seats that arise.   They are not making progress.  We are further than ever away from the kind of health care security that citizens in most other advanced democracies enjoy.

My election will be a more powerful boost to the cause than would be the garnering of even twenty more co-sponsors to the bill.  History has shown that co-sponsorhip is not enough; leaders must be vocal and strong because the opponents are vocal and strong.  Most of the so-called “supporters” of single payer health care are silent on the issue, except for when they’re asking for votes.

The incumbent State Representative whom I am challenging in the 4th Berkshire District, William “Smitty” Pignatelli (D) – joined five other members of the Economic Development Committee in not casting a vote either FOR or AGAINST the casino bill today, according to the State House News Service.  The 12-2-5-1 vote advances the bill with a “favorable recommendation” from the committee.

I am against casinos.  So is the Berkshire Eagle, according to an editorial today:

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/…

I would have voted against the bill.  I look forward to hearing my opponent’s reason for being mum on this issue when votes were cast today.

I support an effective public transportation system centered on the residential, employment, and business corridors of Berkshire County.  Employers tell me that for many workers and job-seekers, reliance on a private automobile and the lack of other options prevents people from gaining employment, getting to work, and can cause disruption other workers’ schedules when something goes wrong.  Individuals tell me that for many of them a private automobile is a major debt-inducing financial burden.  We all know that encouraging use of public transportation is good for the environment and for lowering our carbon footprint.

Clearly, Americans are re-thinking their relationship with the car.  It’s seldom as advertised.

Two years ago my husband and I went from being a two-car family to a one-car family.  Our local public transportation network allowed us to do that.  As I began using the system regularly I applied to the Lenox Select Committee, which then appointed me to represent the town on the system’s board.  This system, the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority, will benefit from a study conducted last year by the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, which advised it on developing revised routes and schedules in order transport residents and visitors to employment, business, cultural, and retail centers – where they needed to go and when they needed to go there.  This study was long overdue because employment, shopping, and residential patterns had shifted considerably since the last comprehensive analysis of the system.

The study and planning is only the beginning.  The funding ahd legislative championing makes it happen.

A public transportation network is a key infrastructure component for healthy, green, and forward-looking communities.  When elected to the 4th Berkshire District State Representative seat this year, I will be a loud and strong advocate for public transportation.

For more information on my campaign, please visit:

http://www.scottlaugenour.org

“Take care of your people and your people will take care of the business and its customers.”

Bill Marriott and his son are examples of very successful big businessmen.   I did not always agree with their politics, but I did observe the wisdom of the words above that were regularly imparted on their management team, of which I was a part for over twenty years.  My belief in the necessity of a strong public sector is grounded in a similar belief:  if society fairly funds and administers a quality social infrastructure for its people, then the businesses and other institutions that rely on a healthy and  enterprising people will be lifted and will thrive.

(Addtional information added on July 20, 2010 – please see the comments below.)

Speaking as a Green-Rainbow candidate for the Fourth Berkshire District State Representative seat, I am opposed to the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act as it was amended and passed by the Massachusetts Senate on February 4.  The bill opens the door to the Commonwealth overruling the decisions of local officials, even in communities that have a green vision for energy and have demonstrated progress and results.

While there is a need to reform the permitting process for wind and other alternative sources of energy, the first decisions on how a community will reduce its carbon footprint and promote energy alternatives must come from the local community itself.  There are many towns in the 4th Berkshire District working diligently and establishing solid programs with town departments, residents, and local businesses to support alternative energy and to reduce the community’s carbon footprint.

The Commonwealth should be charged with setting overall “green energy” goals and with providing a framework for communities to develop their own ways of meeting the goals.  Those communities that take the initiative to meet their goal should be given control over how this is done.  I will be eager to work with all communities in the 4th Berkshire District to support each community’s efforts to develop alternative energy and conservation programs that work for the community and that contribute to overall Commonwealth goals.

If a community fails to act pro-actively on its own initiative, the door should be open for the Commonwealth to expedite local permitting of projects that will promote alternative energy, and thus play a larger more active role in how green energy goals are met in that particular community.

However, as long as a community has documented a commitment to green energy and is demonstrating real progress and results towards the goals, the community should be allowed to follow current law in the issuance of permits to wind energy developers.