A PROMISE TO KEEP: 5%
A Ballot Committee of
Citizens for Limited Taxation & Government
PO Box 408 * Peabody, MA 01960
Phone:(617) 248-0022 * E-Mail: cltg@cltg.org
Visit our web-page at: http://cltg.org
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*** Promise Update ***
Saturday, February 21, 1998

Greetings!

First, some housekeeping. Note our new e-mail address above (cltg@cltg.org) and the new address of our still-under-reconstruction web-page: http://cltg.org

Bob and Karen Powell, Springfield volunteers who’ve hosted our web-page for the past couple of years, will continue to administer it—at least until I get up to speed with the technology and can help. They’re in the process of transferring it from their account to our new domain name, so please be patient.

Next, our challenge to restore some 2,000 signatures that *should have been* certified by the city and town clerks but *weren’t* continues. To keep you informed of its progress, today’s news release follows.

Chip Ford—
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NEWS RELEASE
February 20, 1998

Contact: Chip Ford - (978) 538-3900
Barbara Anderson - (617) 248-0022

PROMISE PETITION IN HOUSE

The Promise to Keep: 5% initiative petition has been sent to the Clerk of the House of Representatives by the Secretary of State, and will now proceed to a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Taxation and a constitutionally-mandated legislative vote by the first Wednesday in May.

Justice of the Superior Court Allan van Gestel signed a preliminary injunction on February 17 ordering the petition to be submitted "forthwith" to the Clerk, along with a cover letter informing the Clerk "that litigation is presently pending which will determine whether the Petition contains the requisite number of signatures."

Promise staff and volunteers have found over 2,000 registered Massachusetts voters whose signatures on the petitions were not certified by local registrars of voters; we need less than 400 of those to be accepted by the Court during its hearing. The Teachers Union, in its determination to keep Massachusetts voters from deciding the question in November, will of course challenge those signatures and attempt to remove more signatures than the state Ballot Law Commission removed last month. We expect that the Teachers will fail.

The Promise petition rolls back the state income tax rate from 5.95 to 5 percent over three years, beginning in 1999. The Legislature promised when the rate was increased in 1989 that the increase would be temporary. So far, the Legislature has not kept its word. We look forward to the public hearing and required House vote on this promise.

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You can e-mail A Promise to Keep: 5% at --> cltg@cltg.org
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