daves

Person #870: 11 Posts

Recommended: 4 times

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  1. Pension Fund and Symbolic Acts (2 Replies)

    The Commonwealth’s pension funds are not a piggy bank for pet projects or a vehicle for symbolic acts. These funds are necessary to meet huge obligations that we have collectively incurred to state and municipal employees, obligations that must be paid.

    I can see the merit in not having our pension funds invest in certain industries: tobacco comes to mind, for example. However, if the legislature starts playing the role of amateur investment manager, the costs to the Commonwealth could be huge. A shortfall in pension returns will require added investment in the funds from general revenues, to the detriment of other programs. This is playing with fire. Massachusetts pension funds are already underfunded. The government has a fiduciary duty to the taxpayers and to the beneficiaries of the pension plans to manage the funds so as to to pay off the obligations in full.

    Biblical quotes are nice (and to some people, inspirational), but they are not a substitute for a well thought out plan. There are more direct and effective ways of dealing with climate change: this bill is a symbolic act, and little more.

    daves   @   May 12, 2013 at 13:20 EST

  2. True (0 Replies)

    I don’t get it either. Is it arrogance? Human error? Who knows? I just don’t believe it’s a big conspiracy. Maybe they need a copy of Black’s Law Dictionary.

    daves   @   Apr 14, 2013 at 20:30 EST

  3. Yawn (4 Replies)

    The involuntary removal of Stearns was reported by the Globe on March 14, March 18, and March 26.

    Nothing to see here. Move on.

    daves   @   Apr 13, 2013 at 09:55 EST

  4. They can and are (0 Replies)

    If a non profit holds commercial property, that property can be taxed by the assessors in the city or town where the property is located.

    daves   @   Mar 23, 2013 at 19:49 EST

  5. The nominee (1 Reply)

    The nominee has a name: Robert Ullmann. I know him well. He is an accomplished attorney and would make a fine judge. To call him “unethical” is simply wrong.

    daves   @   Mar 15, 2013 at 21:00 EST

  6. The rest of the article (0 Replies)

    Americans saw their income drop so dramatically in January that it marked the deepest one-month decline in 20 years.

    Personal income decreased by $505.5 billion in January, or 3.6%, compared to December (on a seasonally adjusted and annualized basis). That’s the most dramatic decline since January 1993, according to the Commerce Department.

    It’s something of a combination of one-time events, though.

    Monthly income was unusually high in December because companies paid out early dividends to avoid upcoming tax hikes. Companies like Wal-Mart (WMT, Fortune 500), Oracle (ORCL, Fortune 500), and Costco Wholesale Corp paid special dividends to their shareholders at the end of 2012, instead of waiting until 2013.

    In doing so, they helped their high-income shareholders (individuals earning at least $400,000 a year, or married couples earning $450,000) avoid paying higher taxes on their gains. In their last-minute fiscal cliff deal, lawmakers decided to raise dividend tax rates for high-income households from 15% to 20%.

    The payroll tax cut’s expiration also played a role in January’s drop, because most workers have to pay 2 percentage points more in taxes this year. The Commerce Department’s “personal income” calculation subtracts out individuals’ contributions to government social insurance programs like Social Security, which are funded by the payroll tax.

    Excluding those special factors, the Commerce Department estimates that after-tax income actually increased 0.3% in January.
    - See more at: http://money.cnn.com/2013/03/01/news/economy/income-spending-saving/#sthash.5rntzfYA.dpuf

    daves   @   Mar 2, 2013 at 14:00 EST

  7. Here you go (1 Reply)

    Governor Tarkin: The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away forever.
    General Tagge: But that’s impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?
    Governor Tarkin: The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.

    daves   @   Feb 9, 2013 at 18:22 EST

  8. Sheila Burgess, perhaps? (0 Replies)

    n/t

    daves   @   Jan 5, 2013 at 10:27 EST

  9. Incoherent (2 Replies)

    Can someone please translate this post into English? No, on second thought, don’t bother.

    Kids, let this be a lesson to you. Don’t drink and blog.

    daves   @   Dec 19, 2012 at 20:48 EST

  10. Gail is Awesome (1 Reply)

    The column was fine. I saw her appear as a guest on a late night talk show. The first words out of her mouth: “I don’t think I ever mentioned that Mitt Romney drove to Canada . . ” etc. Hilarious.

    daves   @   Dec 2, 2012 at 11:40 EST

  11. Sent to Study (0 Replies)

    Both the Senate and House version were sent to study. I think this means its dead and would need to be refiled.

    daves   @   Nov 24, 2012 at 15:09 EST

  12. Essentially, we have one (1 Reply)

    What do you think is happening to Upper Crust? Anyone have stock in Enron? How about the original General Motors? All gone.

    daves   @   Nov 22, 2012 at 13:17 EST

  13. Creditors and Workers (1 Reply)

    Failure to pay wages is already a crime under Massachusetts law. Creditors will include small businesses that provide supplies, food, and other items in the ordinary course. And by the way, if the suppliers “knew what they were getting into” didn’t the employees know that also?

    daves   @   Nov 21, 2012 at 13:46 EST

  14. This Story is Not Over (0 Replies)

    Now that the company is bankruptcy, the insiders may be in for a surprise. Federal bankruptcy law allows the bankruptcy estate to recover payments made to insiders (such as owners, managers and their family members) during a one year period prior to bankruptcy. The recovered funds are distributed in accordance with the plan of liquidation, but unsecured creditors and employees will get some of the proceeds. Unpaid taxes come first.

    I can assure you that the unsecured creditors and bankruptcy trustee can be very aggressive in going after insiders. It may not be as satisfying as jail time, but there will be consequences.

    daves   @   Nov 21, 2012 at 11:41 EST

  15. I'm Confused By this Thread (1 Reply)

    You state that you don’t believe the thesis that market power is an important driver of total cost. Then you conclude by saying, “its the prices, stupid!” Prices are the whole point of the market power thesis–that certain providers have market power, which enables them to obtain higher prices that are not explained by other factors.

    daves   @   Jul 21, 2012 at 10:15 EST

  16. They should last longer than that . . . (0 Replies)

    have you tried returning them to the retailer?

    daves   @   Jul 16, 2012 at 20:47 EST

  17. Mistake (1 Reply)

    The first question that most people will ask: what is the text of your amendment? If your answer is “we don’t know” it makes the whole enterprise look silly.

    An amendment that strips corporations and associations of all speech and due process rights would be a colossal error. Do you really intend to strip first amendment protections from newspapers?

    daves   @   Jun 18, 2012 at 20:13 EST

  18. What is the proposed amendment? (1 Reply)

    The text of the amendment is not disclosed in the linked page. Thanks

    daves   @   Jun 15, 2012 at 21:50 EST

  19. Another reason . . . (0 Replies)

    See the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Hurley v. Irish American Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Group of Boston, 515 U.S. 557 (1995).

    daves   @   Mar 18, 2012 at 10:49 EST

  20. Some Disturbing Facts Here (1 Reply)

    Based on its corporate documents, the foundation should be registered with the AG’s Division of Public Charities and file annual financial reports. This appears to be an unregistered charity closely tied to a state legislator that accepts donations from persons seeking permits from the Commonwealth. If you contacted the Division, they would tell you that lots of small charities have not registered. The circumstances here raise at least the appearance of impropriety, and the AG should make this charity register.

    As Amber has pointed out (more than once? one hundred times?) the legislature is exempt from the Public Records Law. This is another example illustrating why the exemption should be eliminated.

    daves   @   Mar 17, 2012 at 13:59 EST