ObamaCare To Tax Home Sales

"I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes." President Obama, September 12, 2008.

Beginning January 1, 2013, ObamaCare will impose a 3.8% Medicare tax on all unearned income, including the sale of single family homes, townhouses, co-ops, condominiums, and even rental income. In February 2010, 5.02 million homes were sold, according to the National Association of Realtors. On any given day, the sale of a house, townhome, condominium, co-op, or income from a rental property can push middle-class families over the $250,000 threshold and slam them with a new tax they cannot afford.

This new ObamaCare tax is the first time the government will apply a 3.8 percent tax on unearned income. This new tax on home sales and unearned income and other Medicare taxes raise taxes more than $210 million to pay for ObamaCare. The national Association of Realtors called this new Medicare tax on unearned income'destructive' and 'ill-advised' and warned that it would hurt job creation.

Jim Dixon's Rep Race Needs Your Help

Captain Jim Dixon a commercial airline pilot with American Airlines is running for State Representative in one of the two special elections currently under way for open seats to be filled on May 10th. The more local race is for the 10th Middlesex District seat which became open after then re-elected State Representative Koutoujian was named by Governor Patrick as the interim Sheriff of Middlesex County in January. Dixon, a first time candidate, who ran for the seat against the incumbent in November is making his second effort only months after knocking on doors in the district which includes Waltham, Newton and Watertown.

While four Democrats are beating themselves up in order to win their party primary in April, Jim will have the opportunity to sprint to the May 10th final election. Already volunteers from various local committees in our area have assisted in sending out fundraising letters and starting an effort of literature drops on doors in the district. Money for additional mailings and campaign materials are needed to combat the expected union onslaught and efforts from vested interests in order keep the seat from falling into Republican hands.

Captain Dixon was a special guest at the March 23rd Medford Republican City Committee meeting and was presented with the opportunity to express his concerns for the district and state. Chairman Bernie Green asked those present and is asking all the Ward Members in the city to make a donation of money and if they have the opportunity - volunteer in this special election by donating time such as making phone calls on his behalf from home. For more information you may call the campaign at (800) 582-5340 or visiting his website at http://www.jedixon.com/.

Officials question MBTA Report on Garage

While Medford City officials have worked for more than a decade to remove the MBTA garage from its current Salem Street location due to multiple complaints of noise and pollution from neighbors, a recent state report stating just the opposite has left many perplexed.

Recently a local group involved in transit issues discovered that Ms. Fichter of Mass DOT misrepresented the Haines Square issue in comments she submitted in the annual Green Line SIP report that was released in January. The citizen group submitted comments asking yet again, as city and local legislative officials have in the past, that the Haines Square car barn be moved out of the city as a substitution for the delay in the Green Line.

Ms. Fitchter, in a patronizing and condescending writing style responded with a false answer, stating that there was opposition to moving the Garage. That statement was included in the Mass DOR report. The falsified report has left some questioning whether officials from Mass DOT are working and acting in good faith when they discuss and report transit issues such as the proposed Green Line extension to officials and citizens in the area.

Click here to read full story.

Boston Municipal Research Bureau Report: School Employees 82% of Budget

The Boston Public Schools has a $821.4 million general fund budget that serves 56,742 students throughout 134 schools. This year 82% of the budget or $671.6 million will be spent on employee salaries and benefits. Salaries for teachers totals $399.2 million or 49% of the total budget BPS budget. In FY11, $9.1 million is expected to be paid for teacher step increases. Teacher health insurance is budgeted at $52.5 million while the BTU Health and Welfare Fund totals $8.4 million.

Click here to read more details of the BMRB report.

Next Medford RCC Meeting March 23rd

The next regular meeting of the Medford Republican City Committee will be held in the DelloRusso Meeting Room at the South Medford Fire Station, 1 Medford Street on Wednesday March 23rd at 7:00PM.

State Grant Builds Windmill that doesn't Churn

Just across from the Chelsea Creek sits a windmill intended to power an entire housing development that is stalled and appears not to have a future anytime soon. The electricity-generating machine doesn't appear to be working either since the blades sit idle.

The State invested $500,000 from the state's Renewable Energy Trust Fund that actually gets its money from a surcharge levied on electricity rate payers.

In fact, the only requirements included in the original Grant was for the designing and building of the windmill, and there were no stipulations that it ever had to work - let alone power the Green Economy.

Click here for the full Story.

Bad Idea - Questionable Motives

State Representative Bradley Jones (R-North Reading) and James Dwyer (D-Woburn) have introduced HR 1972, to move the Presidential Primary from February to June. The bill also moves the primary for other offices from September to June. The authors suggest that the state would save money by holding one primary instead of two.

The bill if enacted would not affect the deadline for Independant candidates, and the nominees of unqualified parties, to get on the ballot. That deadline would remain in July. The idea of a Massachusetts presidential primary that late in the year is completely new to the state. Massachusetts has held a presidential primary in every presidential election year starting in 1912, and it has always been in February, March or April.

According to sources, the idea has a problem because, no state is going to be allowed to hold September Primaries for federal office any longer, due to the law Congress passed telling states they must mail overseas absentee ballots at least 45 days before an election.

STATE LABOR DIRECTOR DECLARES WAR

Obviously, some folks in the Patrick Administration missed hearing about the drubbing Congressman Mike Capuano took for telling union protestors, "Every once in a while you need to get out on the streets and get a little bloody when necessary."

Because there was state Labor Director George Noel, a card carrying member of IBEW Local 1505, who makes $125,000 courtesy of the taxpayers, telling another union protest: "Make no mistake about it. We are at war."

Commenting on Noel's remarks, State GOP Chair Jennifer Nassour said: "Governor Patrick needs to explain why his labor director is at war with the taxpayers and whether he agrees. The Governor has stacked his administration with officials from organized labor and leaves the appearance that organized labor isn't just at the table, but sitting on both sides of the table. Forgive us for wondering whether Governor Patrick represents all people or just special interests like organized labor. This is more of the same and why the Governor failed to get 50% of the vote."

State Employee Perk: Free Tuition

It's a little known perk, the spouses of full-time state employees are entitled to free tuition at state-run Universities and Colleges. Full-time state workers also get the benefit, but it is the perk for their spouses that surprises many.

The decades old law allows employees and their spouses to attend all state-run schools except the Law and Medical Schools. State records show that 1,200 state employees took advantage of the program, along with 200 spouses of state workers. 'Team 5 Investigates' was unable to find a similiar program in another state.

It is revelations such as this, of unheard of benefits, that makes the average worker in the private sector want to do away with collective bargaining and binding arbitration for government employees. Some suggest that there should be full transparency for all employment agreements at the municipal and state level.