Small Business Owners, Menino, Skeptical Of Patrick's Proposed Income Tax Hike
BOSTON (CBS) - Gov. Deval Patrick is rallying activists to lobby for the major income tax increase he's proposed instead of settling for the lesser revenues of the legislature's gas and cigarette tax hikes.
Across town in Jamaica Plain, a panel of female business owners met with Mayor Tom Menino and Sen. Elizabeth Warren to discuss dwindling federal aid to small business.
But while they're with the governor on the need for adequate public services, their views on the tax policy debate are notably diverse.
And even the mayor, always on the lookout for new revenue, is skeptical of the governor's plan.
"I'd rather see some other ways of doing it. The gas tax might be it. There's a new proposal on the gas tax which makes a lot of sense to me, it's not an overbearing tax," Menino said.
The House has fast-tracked their tax plan and could vote on it as early as Monday.
If that holds true, Patrick has little time to generate politically potent push back of the plan.
