* The content of this story was taken directly from a Febuary 26, 2010 State House New Service story.

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. Avi Green, executive director of Mass Vote and Juan Leyton, executive director of Neighbor to Neighbor, on Friday organized a political committee under the moniker "Committee for a Stronger Commonwealth," with the state political finance office. "Both of the questions would really hurt state revenues at a moment when we desperately need critical government services," Green told the News Service. The committee's formation allows them to mobilize financial support to counter efforts by proponents who say the sales tax must be cut to put money back in the pockets of working families. He declined to describe a fundraising strategy and called it "early" to figure out where his base of support might lie. However, he said, forming a committee would help to keep pace with backers of the ballot questions. "I believe it's the Boy Scouts' motto that says be prepared," he said. Green pointed to the 2008 election when voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal - spearheaded by Libertarian Carla Howell, who now leads the sales tax rollback campaign - to phase out the state income tax.

"Two of every three voters in Massachusetts said we do need a government to do the things we do together as a community," Green said. A Suffolk University/7NEWS poll released Friday showed public support for both ballot questions, 49-44 for the sales tax reduction and 54-39 for eliminating the new sales tax on alcohol.

 * The content of this story was taken directly from a Febuary 26, 2010 State House New Service story.