Question 1--my answer (YES)

Should we roll back the tax on the sale of alcohol on package stores?

Obviously I am biased, but being in the middle of the state our customers do not drive out of state to avoid this tax.  In other words, if this was rolled back, we would not directly benefit.   I can tell you, however, about stores on the border of New Hampshire that have seen their sales drop 40% since this tax has been implemented.    It is not just the New Hampshire border, but the Rhode Island and Connecticut borders as well, that have seen their businesses drop.   The rumors of Yankee Spirits sales in Attleboro and Sturbridge during the recent sales tax holidays, even half true, were beyond belief.

The role of government is not to create jobs, but to create an environment that enables the private sector to flourish and create jobs, which then leads to those people with the jobs investiing their money back into their local economy and then the multiplier effect kicks in.    The fact that this tax has put businesses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts at a competitive disadvantage to surrounding states is reason enough to roll back this tax.

I have read, however, many editorials that explain how this tax goes to help people who have a dependency on alcohol.    I say don't all taxes start that way?  The fuel tax initially was suppose to go back into our infrastructure, has that happened?   Remember how the settlement with the major cigarette companies was suppose to go to help encourage people to stop smoking?   All taxes start based on a good reason, but they all end up in the General Fund.

Vote "yes" on Question 1 to put businesses that have chosen to do business in Massachusetts on a level playing field with surrounding states.  More importantly I believe that monies in the hands of the citizens that are actually paying these taxes do more for our economy to stimulate the economy, then to give these monies to the government.