If you’re reading these in order, this post was probably unexpected. “He already said why he won’t vote for the other three – I guess he’s voting for Mihos.” Surprise! Not happening.
I came close to favoring Mihos. I’m enamored by his independance. He’s a former Republican, like me. He came to the conclusion, like I did, that the Republican party has too many problems in its platform to support. (Please note that I distinguish between the Republican party and specific Republican candidates. Just because someone is a Republican doesn’t mean they agree with everything in the platform.)
I would love to see someone independant succeed. I’d love to see the pork, the favoritism, the nepotism, and the back-slapping exposed and stopped. I’d love to see appointments based on merit and performance, not as payment for past favors. I think that the media would be forced, to some degree, stop talking about parties and talk more about issues. I’d love that too.
I also find Mihos to be a likeable person. I watched him at Arlington Town Day and he looked like he was having fun talking to voters. I have this theory that he’s made enough money to be happy and he knows it. He feels free to do things because he wants to. I think this story in the Globe captures what I’m trying to describe.
Unfortunately, it all falls apart when I read his positions. I don’t agree with public financing of elections. I don’t agree with his positions on immigration, private contracts by the state, or expanding housing subsidies. Most of all, I don’t agree with his “Proposition 1.” The central point of Proposition 1 is to cap your house’s assessment for property tax on the day that you buy your house. The benefit is that your property tax bill will be more predictable. There are several problems with the idea.
Mostly, it’s not fair. Picture two identical houses, next to each other, on the same street. One of them is paying $1000 in property taxes, the other is paying $2500. The difference? One house was bought in 1995 and the other was bought in 2005. New arrivals will have to pay more than their fair share of taxes. This policy would discourage people from moving to Massachusetts.  It will drive current residents who are looking for new homes to other New England states; they won’t want to pay the new-home penalty tax. It isn’t a solution to high property taxes. It just shifts the burden.
I admire his independance. I just wish I agreed with him more.