Ballot Question 1

This November's elections will be historic, for the nation and our state.  On Massachusetts' ballot is Question 1, which would repeal the personal income tax.  Currently, income tax provides for 40% of the state's budget.  Should this 40% no longer be available, the state would be faced with drastic funding cuts for services including education, public safety, health and emergency care, infrastructure, and arts and culture.

Before voting, please consider the impact Arts and Culture have on our community.  According to the Massachusetts Cultural Council's website:

Annually, MA cultural non-profits provide 37,000 jobs, collect and pay $6.6 million in state sales taxes, and have a total economic impact of over $4.2 billion.

Nearly 95% of MA voters see the arts as a basic part of a child's education, as basic as English and Math.

Students highly engaged in the arts do better in school and are more involved in their communities.  

Workers trained in the arts and culture drive MA's leading industries, including software development, telecommunications, and new media industries.

Among the most disadvantaged neighborhoods, those with high levels of cultural participation are more likely to have low rates of juvenile delinquency and truancy.

Please investigate the impact of arts and culture on our state by visiting:

Massachusetts Cultural Council

Massachusetts Advocates for the Arts, Sciences and Humanities

The Boston Foundation

New England Foundation for the Arts