Kurt Wise
Senior Policy Analyst
Kurt Wise is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, focusing on tax policy.
Before joining MassBudget, Kurt worked as a policy analyst at the Maine Center for Economic Policy and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
In his twenties and early thirties, Kurt owned and operated a small, book wholesaling business. During that period, he also worked in cabinetry and construction, eventually designing and building his own, super-insulated home in the woods of Pelham, Massachusetts.
Kurt holds a master’s degree in Public Policy Analysis (MPP) from Duke University and a B.A. in Anthropology from UMass Amherst.
Recent
Possible Reforms to the Governor’s Tax Plan
To pay for significant new investments in education and transportation, the Governor has proposed a revenue package that eliminates a number of popular personal income tax exemption. It is possible to raise similar revenue—and increase tax fairness—without eliminating those exemptions.
Tax Policy Proposals in the Governor’s FY 2014 Budget
In his FY 2014 budget, the Governor funds new investments in education and transportation and reduces cuts to other programs using revenues generated through a series of changes to tax rates, income tax deductions, and business taxes.
Massachusetts Ranks 33rd in Taxes in FY 2009
On October 31 the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual update of State and Local Government Finances, providing national data for Fiscal Year 2009. The amount of state and local taxes paid in Massachusetts as a share of total personal income was 9.8 percent in FY 2009. By this measure, Massachusetts had lower taxes than 32 other states. Measuring taxes as a share of total personal income allows for a meaningful comparison among states.
