When I first read this editorial yesterday morning, I thought it was a late April fool’s joke! 

We’ve had a lot of great wins over the past several months, and it seems as though it’s brought out some angst from big government politicians and their allies. 

Tuesday’s Boston Globe ran an extraordinarily uninformed editorial attacking our organization. Major parts of this piece are inaccurate and untrue, both in the description of our position and on the facts pertaining to state campaign finance law. The editorial board never even bothered to contact our organization for clarification or with any questions when writing their opinion piece. 

As you know, MassFiscal has ardently supported many of the reforms the Baker administration has proposed over the years. However, the Governor’s current budget proposal included a 50% increase to the real estate excise tax—to fund climate change solutions—MassFiscal was quick to object. Our 501(c)3 sister organization, the Fiscal Alliance Foundation, even polled residents and found taxpayers were not supportive of this tax.

Since the poll was conducted, the legislature has named new chairs of the important Ways and Means Committee. This committee is tasked with adopting and advancing tax policy, including the Governor’s tax increase proposal. Now that the pieces are finally set, MassFiscal is pleased to announce that mailboxes across our state have started to fill up with our first educational mailer of 2019.  In all, tens of thousands of households across the Commonwealth are receiving our first mailer and many more are receiving its digital counterpart on their computers and phones. 

Sunshine Week is celebrating its 14th anniversary, across the country, Sunshine Week is marked by panel discussions, workshops, and other events about using and understanding the latest developments in freedom of information resources. Sunshine Week lasts seven days, but it's up to all of us to keep the sun shining on government all year.

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance has kicked off Sunshine Week 2019 with a video series highlighting issues of openness and transparency in the Massachusetts Legislature.