Tired of Roadblocks? I am

On a recent Monday evening, I listened to two of our local state representatives talk about school funding. The two Representatives, Rep. Nangle and Rep. Golden, do not support updates to the Commonwealth's Foundation formula. While recognizing that the formula is out of date, their objection appears to be in how to pay for increased funding for schools.

As I understand it, there are many areas of Commonwealth's budget in need of increased funding. Transportation. Infrastructure. I would fully agree that these areas - a quite a few more - are in need of increased funding. Which is why I was surprised to learn how much the state income tax rate has been lowered over the years.

The Commonwealth has gradually lowered to income tax rate from 5.95% to where it currently sits at 5.05%. (This posting from Citizens for Limited Taxation shows the timeline of tax increases and decreases beginning with the Dukakis administration.) That last percentage, however, is not where it will land as the income tax rate will again lower in 2020 - this time to 5%. Massachusetts, unlike the federal government, applies this flat rate across all income levels. This post from MassLive tells about continued efforts to reduce the income tax rate in 2019.

Does this collision between the need for funding to increase and the pandering to taxpayers seem