Did you know?
You know that proponents of any issue will select
the data that they think best supports their point of view.
Moving Newton Forward (with Fiscal Responsibility) is no exception!
We present data suggesting that while the City has
plenty of money, Newton households do not. Our data is organized under
the following headings:
National
State
Newton, General Spending
Newton, Education Spending
Newton Spending, Police, Fire, and DPW
Possible Newton Revenue Streams
Soliciting Contributions
National
Did you know that:
-
Real gross domestic
product — the output of goods and services produced by labor and
property located in the United States — decreased at an annual rate
of 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012? That is, from the
third quarter to the fourth quarter, GDP contracted, according to
the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis
at the US Department of Commerce.
- Unemployment remains a national problem? According to the American
Enterprise Institute, writing on February 2nd, 2013, “The
January jobs report provides a sober reminder that the US labor
market, while recovering, remains extraordinarily weak. The official
unemployment rate ticked up to 7.9% as 157,000 net new jobs were
created,
according to the Labor Department.
- The national debt set a record in 2012 by reaching $16 trillion? That’s
greater than the economic output of the entire country, according to
About.com, US Economy.
State
Did you know that:
-
Governor Deval Patrick recently proposed a $1.9 billion tax hike?
-
Our
state and local per capita tax burden is 4th highest in the nation?
With the Governor’s proposed income tax increase, our state income
tax alone could reach the highest in the nation relative to median
income, according to the MA
group Citizens for Limited Taxation.
-
Our state’s healthcare costs crowd out other public investments?
In 2000, healthcare spending consumed 23 percent of the state
budget.
In 2006, healthcare spending consumed 25 percent of the state
budget.
In 2013, healthcare spending will consume 41 percent of the state
budget, according to a January 24, 2013
Wall Street Journal
editorial.
Newton,
General Spending
Did you know that:
-
80 percent of Newton’s annual expenditures go to pay wages, salaries
and benefits for city workers?
- City revenue increased at least 35 percent
from 2004 to 2012, while Newton population declined 7 percent from
1960 to 2010, according to Newton Budgetary Basis financial reports
and the US Census Bureau?
- Pensions for Newton workers have increased 57
percent since 2004, according to Budgetary Basis financial reports?
- Newton debt service has increased 160 percent
since 2004, according to Budgetary Basis financial reports?
- Using "green" electricity will cost Newton $150,000 over three
years? “We are going to save about $100,000 a year for three years,"
[Newton’s Chief Financial Officer Maureen] Lemieux said. "If we had
bought brown energy, we would be saving about $150,000 a year for three years.
Newton,
Education Spending
Did you know that:
- Newton education spending is 57 percent of the
total 2013 city appropriations, whereas it was 54 percent of the
2001 appropriations, according to the Mayor’s Executive Summary for
the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget?
- Money is no guarantee of quality education?
States like Texas and Kentucky were within single digits of
Massachusetts reading and math test scores in 2011, but each
southern state spent less than $9,000 per student in 2009.
Massachusetts spent over $14,000 per student in 2009, according to
the 2011 “Nation’s Report Card,” issued by the U.S. Department of
Education.
-
Newton Public Schools’
Student/Staff Ratio decreased by 1 percent over the last six years,
according to the city’s Comprehensive Audited Financial
Reports?
Newton Spending, Police, Fire, and DPW
- Did you know that spending for Newton Police,
Fire, and public works accounts for only 15 percent of the City’s
budget?
Possible Newton Revenue Streams
Did you know that:
- Newton is currently educating 500 non-Newton residents, for whom we
pay the bulk of the cost? If the home towns and cities of these
non-resident students reimbursed us, Newton could save more than
$7 million annually.
-
The sale of naming rights by the Newton Schools Foundation to
individuals and businesses who want to name parts of our high
schools could raise more than
$6 million over three
years?
-
The Community Preservation Act (CPA) generates $3
million annually in tax income for the city? After 10 years
of CPA, is it time to apply these funds to infrastructure
improvements? (A referendum will be necessary to do that).
Solicit Contributions
Did you know that:
-
The Internal Revenue Service treats contributions to government like
those to charity? They are generally deductible from income taxes like
property taxes. But many people don't know this.
There are many people who would like to give the City more of their
money. Although the City makes it easy to pay taxes, it doesn't make it
easy to contribute additional amounts.
The City can include a
flier with tax bills explaining this and soliciting voluntary payments.
Since many residents don't pay their own tax bills, there should be a
coupon on the flier that could be returned along with a contribution.
The tax bill itself could contain a line on the payment stub for a
contribution, and a box could be added to the real estate tax payment
page on the City web site for voluntary contributions.