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BARBARA ANDERSON has been a taxpayer activist since 1977, when she joined Massachusetts’ largest taxpayer group, Citizens for Limited Taxation (CLT), as a volunteer. In 1978, after the successful passage of California’s property tax limit Proposition 13, she was hired as a staffer to work on the Massachusetts’ version of the property tax revolt. In 1980, with Proposition 13 on the ballot, she became executive director, and led the successful campaign to make it Massachusetts law (see Proposition 2 ½, Wikipedia).

CLT had originally been founded by Edward F. King in 1974 to fight proposals for a graduated income tax. Massachusetts’ state constitution requires a flat-rate income tax rate. Liberal groups and politicians have tried over the years for an amendment allowing graduated rates; with Anderson as director, CLT successfully defeated this ballot question during their last effort, in 1994.

In 1995, Chip Ford joined associate director Chip Faulkner and Anderson as the third permanent CLT staffer, and in 2000 they passed a rollback of a “temporary” income tax rate increase left over from the 1989-90 Dukakis Administration. The rate was phased down from 5.85 to its traditional 5%, though the Legislature froze the rollback in 2002 and the rate is presently 5.25%.

Over the years, Anderson was a frequent guest on numerous talk shows, including a weekly spot as one of “The Governors” on the Jerry Williams show with Howie Carr then Bob Katzen.

She wrote a bi-weekly column for the Patriot Ledger from 1989-98, then became a weekly columnist for the Salem News, Eagle Tribune newspaper group in 1998. Her columns, covering most state and national political isssues, can be found on the CLT website www.cltg org.

Personal:

Born February 17, 1943, St. Mary’s, Pennsylvania

Attended Penn State University: Dubois Campus (five terms); Main Campus (one term)

U.S. Navy wife 1966-71:      New Jersey; Florida; California; Greece

Children: One son, twin grandchildren

Prior job experience: Lifeguard, swimming instructor — U.S. Navy Base,  Greece; Town of Danvers, MA; Danvers and Marblehead YMCA

Moved to Massachusetts in September, 1971: Member, Marblehead Finance Committee, 1978-81

Citizens for Limited Taxation 1977-2013

Appointments

1981:       Governor King's Commission on Restructuring State Government. 1997-98:  Governor Weld's Commission on Alternative Funding for Education.

1998:       Governor Cellucci's Transition Team for Economic and Fiscal policy..

2002-13:  National Taxpayers Union Board of Directors

1999:        Recipient of 4th LifetimeTaxfighter award from Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Assn.