Barbara Wolf: Infuriating surplus

Regarding the May 10 Under the Dome feature “Understanding a surplus”: According to legislative officials, one of the reasons for the state’s budget surplus is “reduced refunds to taxpayers” – an interesting euphemism for tax hikes.

Our refund from last year turned into our owing almost $2,000 this year. Our accountant verified our calculation that our state income taxes increased by 73 percent over last year.

Seniors, small businesses, those with large medical expenses and the working poor bore the brunt of the tax increases. Being socked with a huge tax increase after hearing about tax cuts for months is infuriating; targeting those least able to absorb the increased cost is unconscionable; listening to self-congratulatory comments from the governor and state legislature is disgusting.

This story was originally published May 18, 2015 at 5:15 PM with the headline "Barbara Wolf: Infuriating surplus."