For those of us homeowners living here year-round and relying on short term rental income, a new state room occupancy tax of five per cent or six per cent can only come from one place, our pocket. Vacationers usually go for the better value so, with this new tax on us, their non-industry competitors, hotels and inns, will summarily be awarded a significant pricing advantage. And since the lodging industry has always had state and local taxes baked into their room rates and their business models already allow for it, this proposed tax creates a new burden selectively on homeowners who’ll have to cut rates to be competitive.

Unlike the lodging industry with their lobbyists, homeowners aren’t organized with a collective way to fightback. Undoubtedly, it’s for this lack of political clout we’re seeing the state grabbing for this new unguarded source of revenue. An organized opposition is needed. State lawmakers should be made to realize this is an unfair and unnecessary new burden on home owners, which includes many fixed income retirees. Contrary to the notion it only affects the tourists, who would scarcely notice the difference in cost, it would hurt the many of us who’ve depended on this source of income for years and planned our finances accordingly.

Steve Pogue
Edgartown