1

KEITH

McCORMIC

BOSTON - The Republican vying for incumbent Stanley Rosenberg's state Senate seat Saturday urged a rally of anti-tax supporters to end the state income tax, saying a vote against the tax is a vote for the people of the state.

"If you have any decency, any warmth in your heart, any shred of human kindness left in your soul, vote yes on Question 1," Keith McCormic, a Greenfield resident, told some 150 people at Faneuil Hall.

McCormic said that the state government, which he called "An inhuman bureaucracy carved from cold, unfeeling stone," is addicted to tax dollars. The only way to halt its spending, he said, would be to pass ballot Question 1.

Rosenberg, an Amherst Democrat, opposes Question 1.

The referendum question would phase out state income tax by Jan. 1, 2010. McCormic said the proposal would put money back into the hands those who will spend it more responsibly. "Ten dollars in the hands of dedicated caregiver will buy more nutritious food than $50 of government spending," he said.

McCormic, voice wavering and arms waving, invoked his experience as a special education teacher in Holyoke.

"I have seen the faces of those children," said the candidate. "I have seen the scars of misguided public assistance in their eyes, etched into their souls. The government did that to them. Your government did that with your money."

Although, state officials say Question 1 would eliminate 40 percent of budget revenues, anti-tax advocates like McCormic claim the amount lost would be 27 percent.

In an interview before the rally, McCormic cited the difference as a result of what he called the "hidden budget," which includes funds, appropriations and other money spent by the government that is not listed in the state's operational budget. Those in favor of a repeal consider the state budget to be around $20 billion higher than the $28.2 billion that the state quotes.

Rosenberg said in a phone interview during the rally the money spent in the alleged "hidden budgets" comes from sources like federal reimbursements and Lottery proceeds that were created to fund that specific purpose, and that virtually none of it came from taxpayers.

"They absolutely do not understand the budget," Rosenberg said. "The math just simply does not add up."

Since about half of the state budget goes to local aid and health care, Rosenberg said that either one of those areas would need to be cut. If not, much or the rest of the budget would be in jeopardy.

State Rep. Ellen Story, D- Amherst, also said in a phone interview she was concerned about what would happen to services if Question 1 were to pass.

"Even people who are in favor of smaller government need police protection and fire protection and roads and bridges, not to mention schools and everything else that is paid for by our tax money," she said.