Dear Billy T and Somerville Speakup Line,
Hello Somerville Homeowners,
For a change good news from Cambridge the City Councilors voted down the first right of refusal proposal bill submitted by the State Representative Provost from Somerville. This was done because homeowners from the city of Cambridge converged on City Hall Tuesday night along with many contacting the Councilors and saying no. Keep government out of private business.
Although it does not apply to me its another example for those naysayers that if you become invovled in an issue you can cause an impact.
Back to the transfer tax, entry fee or exit fee. Somerville homeowners along with everyone in the State of Massachusetts contact your State Senator, State Representatives, Speaker of the House and Senate tell them STOP the TRANSFER TAX.
The plan by our elected officials is to get it adopted at the State level with very vague language allowing each city or town to implement it in their own way. WHY SHOULD TAX PAYING HOMEOWNERS be subject to another TAX when they sell their home because this City has allowed affordable housing to go south. It was not the home owned occupied properties that caused the condo conversion boom, we were not the cause of the delay to change the zoning to preserve residential neighborhoods from being over developed.
Many of us have been here when this fine community was referred as Scummerville we never left, we have paid our taxes, we have contributed to our community in many ways. We supported all the neighborhood restaurants, local bars, fruit markets, corner stores, barber shops and hair dressers, bakeries, tailers, laundry mats, doctors and dentist offices, that were all owned by our families, friends and neighbors. The BS about shop local we have been doing it for long before it has since been reinvented.
Don’t give the hard working middle class that have lived here, shopped here, raised their families here, educated our kids here, attended church here, another kick in the ass when and if they go.
Our so called million dollar home when sold and everyone gets their piece amounts to very little when a family of four or so siblings share their portion, the state takes their piece, the realtor or attorney gets their part very little left.
Somerville homeowners should not have to pay anything more than we have already. Its time for fiscal responsibility and the developers to pay the way.
SOMERVILLE HOMEOWNERS AND NEW BUYERS UNITE resist the tax and protect our rights tell the elected officials HELL NO.
John L. Sullivan