Gas tax group joins effort to block public Olympic funds

http://www.wcvb.com/money/gas-tax-group-joins-effort-to-block-public-olympic-funds/33738006

Boston selected in January as U.S. bid city for the 2024 Olympics

Gas tax group joins effort to block public Olympic funds
7:35 PM EDT Jun 23, 2015

BOSTON —The group behind a ballot question that repealed a law linking increases in the state's gasoline tax to inflation is now lending its muscle to an effort to block taxpayer funding of the Olympics if Boston is chosen to host the 2024 Summer Games.

The organization announced Tuesday that it was teaming with Evan Falchuk, leader of the United Independent Party, to put the Olympics question on the November 2016 ballot.

Known last year as Yes on 1, the group persuaded voters to repeal a 2013 law that automatically tied future gas tax increases to increases in inflation. It succeeded despite being heavily outspent by supporters of the indexing law.

Falchuk opposed the group's repeal initiative. Falchuk, then a candidate for governor, argued that the extra money from the gas tax was needed to help repair the state's crumbling roads and bridges.