XIARHOS ISSUES STATEMENT OPPOSING TAX INCREASES ON MASS FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES

May 27, 2020

BARNSTABLE – Steven Xiarhos, Republican candidate for State Representative in the 5^th Barnstable District, reiterated his opposition to state tax increases today in response to published reports that prominent economists are recommending tax hikes to balance the state budget this year:–

“I am strongly opposed to increasing taxes on Massachusetts residents and businesses.

While I acknowledge difficulties with our state’s finances due to COVID-19, the real hardship is being felt by Massachusetts residents coping with this crisis. I’ve seen that pain first-hand over the past few weeks as I’ve joined with other volunteers to provide meals to needy veterans and families across Cape Cod. The hardship is real.

With thousands of businesses shuttered for the past few months and millions of jobs lost nationwide, the biggest challenge we face isn’t at the state’s budget-writing table. It’s the pain being felt by families at kitchen tables across our state that we should be most worried about. While I am opposed to tax increases as a general matter, raising taxes on families and businesses at a time when so many of them are struggling to begin with would be a particularly bad move and I oppose it.

As our state begins to recover from COVID-19, let’s make sure egregious tax hikes aren’t sold to us as part of a ‘new normal’. As a State Representative, I will always make it a top priority to protect Massachusetts taxpayers from Beacon Hill money grabs.”

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