[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Without growth, the looming unfunded pension problem and the rest of the list swallows the state budget. No option but to both slash services and raise taxes. Massachusetts has the same problems but they are growing their way out of the worst of it. A 5% flat state income tax and Proposition 2 1/2 have constrained spending since the late-1970.

I do agree we need a flat tax, and a spending cap on government. We also need a per capita max ratio FTE government employee cap.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Moving companies have the best data. They have no "dog in the hunt". Just a business. Great data today in where people are fleeing and going in this terrific column. Most of it is here online. I read the full column in the actual paper an hour ago.

https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/covid-...e-saved-lives/

You must be kidding. As we discussed here before, the data from those moving companies is NOT accurate or comprehensive. It is based on very limited data from that particular company. Those companies are big movers and more expensive to use. Their data is skewed because they do a lot of high price corporate moves. Not everyone that moves uses a big moving company so the data they are using is VERY unreliable thus meaning the conclusions they draw are unreliable as well. Jay

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Without growth, the looming unfunded pension problem and the rest of the list swallows the state budget. No option but to both slash services and raise taxes. Massachusetts has the same problems but they are growing their way out of the worst of it. A 5% flat state income tax and Proposition 2 1/2 have constrained spending since the late-1970.

I don’t think that is correct. As I remember the pension problem in Connecticut most significantly impacts the State budget over the next few years but by 2030 it drops significantly as new state retirees are covered under more self funded retirement plans implemented in the 1990’s. The budgets of Malloy and Lamont get us over the worst of the pension hump so it’s impact will lessen in the coming years. This is part of the reason why our Rainy Day Fund is exploding with nearly $4 billion. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

You must be kidding. As we discussed here before, the data from those moving companies is NOT accurate or comprehensive. It is based on very limited data from that particular company. Those companies are big movers and more expensive to use. Their data is skewed because they do a lot of high price corporate moves. Not everyone that moves uses a big moving company so the data they are using is VERY unreliable thus meaning the conclusions they draw are unreliable as well. Jay

I disagree, as multi large national moving companies report. They know where their trucks are going. Million use them, as often the move is corp reimbursed. Even for lower level management, such as my godson who has moved 3 times, using them, reimbursed, early in his career. Dozens more like him at his 2 corps, so far, have been similarly reimbursed on moves.

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Moving companies have the best data. They have no "dog in the hunt". Just a business. Great data today in where people are fleeing and going in this terrific column. Most of it is here online. I read the full column in the actual paper an hour ago.

https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/covid-...e-saved-lives/

The article you link here has nothing to do with pensions so I’m not sure why you lumped with that comment.

First I’d like to point out that the New York Post is hardly the most objective of newspapers. This article is full of biased opinions rather than objective facts.

What the article fails to note is that New York was hit by the virus at the very beginning of the pandemic before masks and social distancing measures were implemented. The virus ran rampant for over a month back then causing thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands of sickenings. That makes a BIG difference in the total number of cases.

Today New York’s positivity rate, like Connecticut, is among the lowest in the country while states that did not implement shutdowns are among the highest. I think that speaks volumes about this and is certainly more objective and accurate than some “study” that lacks context. Jay

https://www.beckershospitalreview.co...s-july-14.html

[JayCT]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

I disagree, as multi large national moving companies report. They know where their trucks are going. Million use them, as often the move is corp reimbursed. Even for lower level management, such as my godson who has moved 3 times, using them, reimbursed, early in his career. Dozens more like him at his 2 corps, so far, have been similarly reimbursed on moves.

It’s obvious from this comment you do not understand statistics or objective and comprehensive analysis. This “study” fits your agenda so you are turning a blind eye to its obvious flaws. That’s very sad. Jay

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by JayCT

I encourage everyone to write their Legislators demanding they stop raising taxes already. I have. Jay

https://www.courant.com/business/hc-...oem-story.html

I consistently do, and also vote based on voting records -especially regarding tax policies and Business Unfriendliness policies (gov't only votes in liberal states unfriendly legislation for business, so I support via my vote those who oppose such measures).

[BobNJ1960]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Massachusetts had 42.3% GDP growth.

Any state w/o double digit growth after a lockdown year is doing poorly in that regard. Massachusetts has been well run most of the last decade, due to Charlie Baker. Great guy, smart, prudent.had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by BobNJ1960

Any state w/o double digit growth after a lockdown year is doing poorly in that regard. Massachusetts has been well run most of the last decade, due to Charlie Baker. Great guy, smart, prudent.had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago.

It’s more that a state constitution that only allows for a flat income tax plus the Proposition 2 1/2 ballot initiative that changed the state constitution to limit property taxes back in the late 1970s has always put budget constraints on the state and cities/towns. You can’t raise taxes just on rich people. At the local level, unions can’t just demand big raises and benefits increases because of Prop 2 1/2. The town has to vote for an override to raise taxes. That happens for schools and public safety buildings but it pretty much never happens for compensation increases. The state legislature is a democratic supermajority but it’s fairly fiscally responsible because of the flat tax. All their constituents scream at the hint of any tax hike.

It’s also more about local economic conditions than political leadership. The large concentration of top universities spawned a huge amount of high paying private sector jobs. It’s not anything the state is doing though the flat state income tax helps retain high income people a bit.

[Mike 75]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

It’s more that a state constitution that only allows for a flat income tax plus the Proposition 2 1/2 ballot initiative that changed the state constitution to limit property taxes back in the late 1970s has always put budget constraints on the state and cities/towns. You can’t raise taxes just on rich people. At the local level, unions can’t just demand big raises and benefits increases because of Prop 2 1/2. The town has to vote for an override to raise taxes. That happens for schools and public safety buildings but it pretty much never happens for compensation increases. The state legislature is a democratic supermajority but it’s fairly fiscally responsible because of the flat tax. All their constituents scream at the hint of any tax hike.

It’s also more about local economic conditions than political leadership. The large concentration of top universities spawned a huge amount of high paying private sector jobs. It’s not anything the state is doing though the flat state income tax helps retain high income people a bit.

So is there a prohibition like 2 1/2 on raising the state income tax? Because the initial CT income tax was a flat tax of 4% if I recall correctly, and we've seen plenty of increases in that rate since then, including making it progressive. Just wondering what makes Mass so different.

At this point, it doesn't seem like the CT income tax is about funding government, its about income redistribution. The state is swimming in money, revenue is through the roof, and the progressive Dems still want to raise taxes.