So Amazon, after lengthy negotiations, has finally agreed that it will collect and remit sales tax on items shipped to Massachusetts customers beginning late next year.  It has long been established that if a retailer maintains a "physical … [Read more...]

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) took his colleagues by surprise today when he announced that he is resigning from the US Senate to take over as president of the Heritage Foundation. This is good news on both fronts, IMHO.  Certainly, the … [Read more...]

Numerous sources are telling numerous news outlets (HuffPo apparently had it first) that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will name Elizabeth Warren to the Senate Banking Committee.  Needless to say, this is excellent, excellent news, for … [Read more...]

The conventional wisdom for years in Massachusetts has been that, in 1915, the people adopted Amendment Article 44 of the state Constitution which bars a graduated income tax.  Therefore, if you want to implement such a tax, you have to … [Read more...]

The 44th Article of Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution, ratified by the people in 1915, is the reason we can't have a graduated income tax in Massachusetts.  It reads, in pertinent part: Full power and authority are hereby given … [Read more...]

Yes, I know that most State House employees who just got a pay raise haven't had one in years, and don't make all that much money to begin with.  It's hard to begrudge someone making $35,000 a year a 3% pay raise when they haven't had one … [Read more...]

Seems an obvious fit, no? The Senate Democrats will have two open slots on the Banking Committee come 2013, with Senators Akaka and Kohl retiring. Elizabeth Warren knows a lot about banking, and she has a lot to say about it. The banks … [Read more...]

Here's a tasty debate topic: you know how the sales tax got hiked from 5% to 6.25% back in 2009, when the state was in the throes of the great recession?  Governor Patrick was, for a long time, very leery of going along with the hike, but … [Read more...]

So I've got jury duty today (Tuesday). On the one hand, jury duty can be a big pain; on the other, the jury system is in its way kind of awesome, and it only works if everyone participates. So I'm trundling up to Lowell bright and early, … [Read more...]