Advocates for voter participation and for low-income families are joining forces in an effort to defeat initiative petitions that would chop the state sales tax to 3 percent from 6.25 percent and repeal the new state sales tax on alcohol purchases.

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Whether to build casinos in Massachusetts is an issue that merits spirited debate. But casinos alone aren’t nearly enough to make up for the Commonwealth’s failure to grow jobs. Regardless of how the casino debate turns out, state policymakers should spend far more time and effort on reforms that will spur substantial long-term job growth.

"The economic impact of casinos in Massachusetts would be enormous. The casinos themselves, would pump millions of dollars into the economy from revenue sharing with the state. In addition, the people who gain jobs within the casinos would have more funds to spread throughout their communities."