First of all, the $3,700 is clearly presented by Carla Howell as an average — some people pay less and some pay more — this is not a false statement as said by Paula Wooley.

In addition, as much as all of us receive to get benefits, taxes like this are not fair to those young people who had to work hard to make it. If you think about it, if you claim 70,000 as your income, you pay about 3,700 in taxes — 70K is not that much if you just bought a house or are renting and have huge student loans to pay off. So yes, extra 3,700 helps.

In regard to services like trash removal, police etc. Frankly city-paid trash removal creates enormous amounts of waste and pollution because residents indiscriminately throw away EVERYTHING. It’s not uncommon to have furniture picked up from the curb or other large items that can be donated or recycled. If there was per bag or per pound charge, residents would recycle and donate more — and would that be such a bad thing?

Regarding city plowing and other ’services’. All these services are provided to us on a minimal basis. New Hampshire as a whole, which doesn’t have income tax and more snow, gets better plowing then most towns in Mass. And what about transportation — mass and Somerville roads are as bad as those of a 3 world nation and the public transportation system, especially the conditions on the T would be considered ‘not for human consumption’ in most developed nations.

And that is the key here, the Massachusetts goverments are eager to take and spend money without consideration for most individuals. City and state unions get huge salaries, ‘poor folk’ live in 400k condos given or rented to them by city or state governments, while those average folks, paying huge mortgages and student loans get nothing.

I’d rather pay nothing and get nothing, than pay 3,700 and get nothing.