No taxation without representation

The students of Frontier Regional make a compelling argument to lower the voting age to 16. Actuarially speaking, a 16-year-old has a far greater stake in the decisions made by our elected officials than a 60-year-old does.

There is another compelling argument to be made for lowering the voting age: the age of employment in Massachusetts is 14 — four years below the voting age of 18. If you work, taxes are deducted from your paycheck.

So from the age of 14 to the age of 18, Massachusetts workers are subject to taxation without representation. Speaking strictly in terms of our principles as a republic, then, either the voting age should be 14 or workers under the voting age should not be subject to payroll or income tax.

Matteo Pangallo

Shutesbury