A new “millionaire’s tax” in Massachusetts was expected to generate $1 billion in revenue last year to help pay for public education, infrastructure, and early childcare programs, but projections were a bit off, according to a fresh state analysis.

The state Department of Revenue estimated late last week that the Fair Share Amendment, which requires people with incomes over $1 million, to pay a 4% annual surtax, will add $1.5 billion to state coffers this fiscal year, which ends in June—surpassing expectations.

Universal free school meals, much-needed improvements to an aging public transportation system, and tuition-free education for community college students are just some of the programs Massachusetts’ wealthiest residents have helped pay for after voters approved the law in 2022 amid growing calls across the United States to tax the richest households and corporations.

  • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
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    6 months ago

    It’s basic economics … if you pay to have healthy children … they’ll grow to to be healthy adults.

    Healthy children are cheaper to take care of than unhealthy adults.

    It doesn’t matter if you are conservative or liberal or even socially minded or libertarian… if you don’t take care of your children and everyone else’s children, they’ll all grow up to be everyone’s problem for decades to come.

    • Infinite@lemmy.zip
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      6 months ago

      Basic logic with a side of math? Many conservatives’ only weakness! 😵

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Oh, but I was told the rich would just move if they were taxed! You mean to tell me rich people in Massachusetts don’t want to give up their mansions on Martha’s Vineyard and their luxury apartments in Boston?

  • OpenPassageways@lemmy.zip
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    6 months ago

    The fear mongering and misinformation in the campaign against this ballot initiative was ridiculous. Opponents tried to take advantage of ignorance about how marginal taxes work.

    If you sell your house for $1,000,010.00, under this new law you pay an extra 40 cents on top of what you’d have normally paid.

    • WeeSheep@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Wow. Clearly theft. Taxation if theft. Let the children die and leave the potholes in front of my burning house.

  • LanternEverywhere@kbin.social
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    6 months ago

    But but but conservatives said that if you raise taxes on the wealthy then they’ll just move away and we’ll wind up with even less! Could the conservatives have been wrong?!? Does it actually turn out that wealthy people can afford to live wherever they like even if that area is more expensive to live in?!!? Impossible!!!

    /s

  • sbv@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    The amendment was narrowly passed via a statewide ballot initiative in 2022 despite claims by opponents that it would force wealthy residents and businesses to leave the state.

    Props for getting it passed.

    • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      Thank you. I was stoked to vote for it, and very happy to see it pass. That said, there was a truly silly amount of misinformation that the opponents were running. At one point I got fed up with their bullshit propaganda texts and just responded by trolling them back. I know it’s a bot, but it was cathartic.

      • blazeknave@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Lol look at the downvotes. The sad part was writing it in Foghorn Leghorn’s voice in my head, I thought it was obvious bc “people don’t really say things like this” oh well. I’m def not on Lemmy for karma haha