This presentation is about talking on a person-to-person level about the safe, healthy, and vibrant, communities that we all want, the public structures that we build and maintain to make them that way, and how to talk to your friends and neighbors about the funding that helps us maintain those public structures.

1. Plain Talk:
Talking to Your Friends and
Neighbors About the
State Budget
Taxes on the Table

2. What Do You Value in Your Community?

3. Public Structures
Sta
bs
Residents
bi li
Jo
ty
Courts
State
Police
Parks
Elderly
Sales Medical
Public Support
Tax Care Corporations
ty Schools
S afe Alcohol
Public and Drug
Transport Treatment Em
y pl
Fees S afet oy Corp.
and ns Highways ee
lth ctio s Excise
Hea spe Tax
In
General
Fund Personal
Property Income
Tax Tax

4. Total Revenues
Funding for State & Local Public Structures
FY09 Total State & Local Revenue Sources ~ $38.9 Billion
Miscellaneous Taxes Gas Tax
2% 2%
Corporate Taxes
4%
Sales Tax Income Tax
13% 33%
Federal Contributions
18%
Property Tax
All FY2009 Consensus Tax Figures, 28%
except levied 2008 Property Taxes.

5. How Did We Get Here?
26,000
24,000
22,000
20,000
18,000
16,000
14,000
12,000
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Actual Tax Revenue 3 pct. Avg. Real Annual Rev Growth Est. Tax Revenue w/o Tax Changes

6. Bringing Revenue Cuts Home
Two Adults, Monthly
Two Costs What would you do if your
Children family lost 15% of its
Housing $1,304
income?
Child Care $1,490
Food $718
Transportation $142
Health Care $387 • Make cuts to your
Miscellaneous $404 household budget?
Taxes $996
• Get another job?
Self-Sufficiency Wage
Hourly/Adult $14.70
• Dip into your savings?
Monthly $5175.00
Annually $62,095.00

7. Cuts – From FY 2009 to FY 2010
• Education
– K-12 Education -4.96%
– Public Higher Education -16.60%
• Environment & Recreation
– Environmental Protection -14.35%
• Health Care
– Children’s Mental Health -5.25%
– Public Health -14.29%
*Change from FY09 GAA to FY10 GAA

8. Possible Tax Changes on the Table
(in Millions) Effect of Budgeted
1% Increase or FY10 Change
Eliminated Exemption
Income $2,140
Sales $800 ~ $759
Statewide Meals $125 (included in sales)
Statewide Hotels $24
Local Options $86 - $409 Varies
Candy & Soda $70
Alcohol $80 ~ $79
Film Credit
~ $25
(Salaries over $2M)
Excise on Satellite
~ $26
Broadcast

9. What Do I Do Now?

10. Contact Your Legislators!
SENATE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
Governor
House & Senate
Conference Committee
Full Ways
Senate and
Means
Ways
Full
and
Chamber
Means

11. Contact Your Legislators!
Sample Script:
[Introduction:] Hello Senator Tolman. My name is Harmony
Blakeway, and I am one of your Allston Constituents.
[Value & Problem:] I know that you believe that we are all
safer when we are protected from toxic contaminants. I am
concerned that the cuts to our state’s Environmental
Protection funding are putting all of us at risk.
[Solution:] I understand that we can only maintain our public
structures – that we have worked for decades to build – if they
receive adequate funding.
[Request:] I urge you to support an adequate, balanced tax
package that both addresses our structural deficit and
stabilizes the public programs that we depend on!

12. Appendix

13. Asking Anybody for Anything
Your All-Purpose Fill-In-The-Blanks Rap Guide
• I know you agree that ____________________ .
(The shared values)
• _______ are in crisis because_____.
(The problem)
• You care because _________.
(The link between shared values and personal
experience).
• We know that_______________ would begin to fix it.
(The solution)
• You can help by ________________.
(The action request)