PAYING ATTENTION!

Click the Devil to
Return to Main Page

<<<<<<Back to Archives

Valley Lawmakers Oppose Tax Break For Elderly

The House of Representatives effectively killed a tax break for senior citizens by sending a tax break measure to the Committee on Taxation for "study." State Reps Dave Torissi, Jose Santiago and Barry Finegold all voted to kill the tax break for seniors by voting "yes" on an amendment to kill the bill in subcommittee.

House Bill 4100 would have increased the income tax exemption for individuals over 65 years of age from $700 to $1200.

For the life of me, I cannot understand the thinking of our legislators. Torrisi, Finegold and Santiago should be ashamed of themselves especially when each of them touts themselves as advocates for the elderly when they are running for office.

Coincidentally, Finegold and Torrisi both support spending upwards of 25 million dollars of our tax money to give to politicians to run their campaigns. They have no problem with that cost to the taxpayers but when it comes to seniors, suddenly, they concerned about cost. The tax exemption for senior citizens doesn’t need to be studied. It needs to be approved.

Most senior citizens are on a fixed income. As their taxes and the cost of living goes up, their social security does not. They deserve a tax break and our lawmakers have a responsibility to give it to them.

I am so tired of hearing how our local lawmakers "love" the elderly. I am tired of hearing their promises to be advocates for seniors when election time rolls around, only to have them vote against tax breaks for them when no one is looking.

Let this be a warning to Reps., Torrisi, Santiago, and Finegold. This November they all come up for reelection. And I will personally make sure the senior citizens in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover get a complete list of al their votes pertaining elderly issues. I think many will be shocked.

There is no excuse for opposing a tax break for seniors. There is no need to have the taxation committee "study" the issue when everyone knows that a move to "study" means the bill is now effectively dead. I propose to all of my readers that you pay very close attention to your State Reps. And when they ask you for a vote this November, ask them point blank, "why did you vote against a tax break for the elderly?" When they give you the Democrat party line that they had to see what it would cost and the issue needed to be "studied" ask them why they weren’t so concerned about the cost of spending 25 million dollars on campaign finance reform which would give our tax money to politicians so they can run their campaigns.

It is disgraceful when a politician talks out of both sides of his mouth. But it is unforgivable when they take the side of party politicians over needy senior citizens in their district. Don’t let them get away with it, folks. It’s your money and it should be going to seniors before it goes to politicians to run their campaign.