City Council discusses tax increases; sign-holding candidate forced to take sign down
By adamg - 7/29/09 - 4:20 pm
The Boston City Council discussed Mayor Menino's proposal to raise local meals and hotel-room taxes, but took no action on the plan so that its Committee on Government Operations can hold a hearing in August - standard procedure under council rules for new business.
Menino has proposed a 0.75% meals tax - on top of the 6.25% state tax going into effect on Saturday - and an increase of 2 percentage points in the current tax on hotel rooms. The council's Committee on Government Operations will host a hearing in early to mid August.
During the council discussion today, at-large candidate Doug Bennett, stood up behind councilors with a large "No New Taxes Mayor!" sign. Bennett argues with unemployment near 10%, now is the worst time to be raising any taxes.
On noticing the sign, council President Mike Ross "recessed the meeting and asked him to take the sign down," Reuben Kantor, Ross's chief of staff said. "So he did, and left." Bennett says he was kicked out; Kantor says he was simply asked to take the sign down.
Comments
Meals tax 0.75%, not 0.25%, in Mayor's proposal
By anon (not verified) - 7/29/09 - 5:06 pm
Isn't the Mayor's proposal to have a 0.75% meals tax (on top of 6.25% sales tax), not 0.25% meals tax? Follow your links above...
.25% or .75%?
By Stevil - 7/29/09 - 5:39 pm
Adam - do you have a source for the 0.25% or is that a typo?
thanks
0.75
By adamg - 7/29/09 - 6:31 pm
Dumb typo on my part. Sorry, fixed.
Bennett's antics...
By Council Staffer (not verified) - 7/29/09 - 6:19 pm
Bennett's antics are entertaining, but they make a mockery of our proceedings and the institution Bennett seeks to serve on. Then again this type of erratic behavior doesn't seem to be new for him. Turns out he was kicked off a committee by his former colleagues on the Nantucket Board of Selectman for the same stuff: http://www.nantucketindependent.com/News/2005/1221/Front_Page/0001.html
did he upset you soon-to-be-ex Council Staffer?
By obi juan (not verified) - 7/29/09 - 7:37 pm
Bennett is the best. He is listening to what the people want and acting on it. Go Bennett go!
I guess I didn't even really know you
By Dan Farnkoff - 7/29/09 - 8:22 pm
couldn't hold a sign at a city council meeting. It doesn't fall under "petitioning the government for a redress of grievances" or "free speech" or anything? What about at a public hearing- can you hold a sign there? I can understand a prohibition on talking out of turn, but I'm not sure how much a small sign would really disrupt the proceedings. Unfortunately, not all of us can afford to take our representatives on golf trips to bend their ears.
Over 225 people have already watched Bennett's Anti-Tax Protest
By Over 225 people have watched this (not verified) - 7/30/09 - 12:23 am
Over 225 people have already watched Bennett's Anti-Tax Protest
Rickroll
By Kaz - 7/30/09 - 12:34 am
Over 23 million have seen Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up".
A) I doubt all of those people are 80's pop fans.
B) Your pal, Doug, has a long way to go.
C) Go astroturf somewhere else.
I was one of those
By neilv - 7/30/09 - 9:08 am
And the stunt just contributed to my already unfavorable impression of Bennett's intellect.
One thing you can do, Dan...
By Sox Fan (not verified) - 7/30/09 - 10:09 am
...is actually show up to the Council hearing and testify in public, on camera. I would think that somehow that would actually have more of an impact than setting up a YouTube video.
Also, does anyone wonder why the video stops before there's any evidence shown of him being kicked out as he claims? You'd think if his big martyrdom moment is being kicked out, he'd actually have shown that occurring.
Forcing the Council to defer their decision to raise taxes...
By Bennett was obviously effective (not verified) - 7/30/09 - 11:05 am
Forcing the Council to defer action on raising taxes was actually pretty effective.
Except they didn't
By adamg - 7/30/09 - 11:13 am
I've changed the post headline because the Council ALWAYS defers new business to committees. Had nothing to do with Doug's sign.
Make that "routine" business
By adamg - 7/30/09 - 11:36 am
The council can always declare an emergency and vote on something right away, but they didn't do that here.
Bennett is a troll, last
By cscott - 7/30/09 - 9:58 am
Bennett is a troll, last time I dared to post a comment about him he created a sock puppet account and published my full name and age in his rant. I bet he's doing the same thing in this thread.