Where’s the Plan? (Part II)

The housing market may be in a slump, but the Boston Globe reports that many Massachusetts homeowners are about to get hit with higher property tax bills anyway. Based on a review of the new rates cities and towns have filed with the Department of Revenue’s Division of Local Services, the Globe has identified a disturbing trend: property values are falling but, with few exceptions, the taxes paid by homeowners are going up.

So, we have to ask Governor Patrick, who campaigned on a promise to end the “shell game” of high property taxes: Where is your plan to provide some relief to struggling Massachusetts’ homeowners?

After two years in office, Patrick’s plan for dealing with high property taxes essentially boils down to one thing: raising taxes, including the meals tax, hotel tax and a host of other taxes. That’s not real relief; all it means is that, one way or another, government will be reaching deeper into residents’ pockets, at a time when they can least afford it.