TAX NEWS - JUNE 2010

US Tax: June 17 taxing issue - How do we pay for public service?

Rep. Jay Kaufman's award-winning public-policy forum, "Open House," celebrates its 15th anniversary with an in-depth look at taxes on Thursday, June 17, at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall, 1605 Mass. Ave., Lexington.

As the House chairman for the Legislature's Joint Committee on Revenue since being appointed by Speaker Robert DeLeo in 2009, Kaufman has had a bird's-eye view of the Commonwealth's entire taxation structure currently funding roughly a $28 billion budget. From that perspective, his committee holds hearings and decides on the 800-plus legislative proposals that add, reduce, or modify our current tax code. Among the questions to be up for public discourse are:

- Are there adequate and sustainable revenues?

- Are taxes fairly distributed?

- Is there a right formula for setting income and property tax rates?

- How important are sales and excise taxes?

- Do corporations pay enough? Should we close corporate loopholes?

- Should local communities have greater ability to garner tax revenue?

- Are alternative programs like casino gambling taxes worth the risk?

Open House was launched in 1995 to pro vide a forum for discussing the challenges and opportunities facing our community and Commonwealth.  Over its 15 years, Open House has addressed issues ranging from reinventing public education to gay marriage, property tax relief to campaign finance reform, the shrinking middle class to stem cell research, the nature of political leadership to the challenges of effecting fundamental change in a democracy.

In 1997, Open House received the prestigious Beacon Award, cable television's equivalent of an Emmy, as the nation's best government relations series.  The series was also named the best television series by Massachusetts Cable Television Commission. The series is produced through a partnership between Representative Kaufman and LexMedia, which records the forums for broadcast in Lexington, Arlington and Woburn.

The topic for the June 17 Open House involves taxes and public services, "How Do We Pay For Public Service: A Taxing Challenge."