Boston —   People of diverse faiths and social justice organizations rallied on Copley Square calling on candidates, once elected, to address the issue of poverty in America. Approximately 85 to 100 people gathered as part of the national Fighting Poverty with Faith week of action, held September 11-17, said Margie Klein, coordinator of Moishe /Kavod House.

The group urged Massachusetts voters to reject ballot question No. 1, which would repeal the state income tax. They say it would result in cutting essential state services to the most vulnerable citizens.

Michael Widmer, president of the business-backed Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, has said that “eliminating the income tax would deal an $11 billion blow to the state, with ripple effects throughout state government,” according to Ballotpedia.org.

The initiative, also known as State Income Tax Repeal, will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in Massachusetts.

The official proponent of the measure is the Committee for Small Government, chaired by Michael Cloud and Carla Howell.

“The idea here is to stop being on the defensive in fighting against big government and to start taking the political offensive,” Howell said.

State government spending and taxes have doubled in the last 14 years, she states in the Committee for Small Government website.

“Your local taxes doubled too. It’s coming out of your paycheck, and our neighbor’s paychecks,” states Howell. “Ending the income tax in Massachusetts will give you and 3 million other taxpayers back an average of over $3,600 every year. This increase in your take-home paycheck means more family money to spend, save, and invest. And, statewide, it will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs.”

If the measure passes, it will end the state's current 5.3 percent income tax on wages, interest, dividends and capital gains. If that happens, Massachusetts will join Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming in not taxing income. Two other states, New Hampshire and Tennessee, have an income tax, but only on interest and dividends, according to the Ballotpedia.org.

Among the organizations joining Wednesday’s rally were the Righteous Indignation Project, the Muslim American Society, Moshe/Kavod House, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Massachusetts Board of Rabbis, Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action, the Labor Guild of the Archdioceses and others.