Author Archives: billmanzi

Municipal Bond Tax Exemption at Risk

There has been plenty of talk about “tax expenditures” at both the federal and state levels, with all tax breaks under heavy scrutiny. One that has received a little attention, but deserves some more discussion, is the municipal bond tax … Continue reading

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The Filibuster Blues

Republicans are screaming bloody murder over the potential rules changes on the filibuster being proposed in the U.S. Senate by Harry Reid and the Democrats. A look at the actual proposal shows that it honestly does not amount to a … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday Joe DiMaggio

One of the all time baseball greats was born on November 25th, 1914. DiMaggio broke the hearts of Red Sox fans for many years, and was one of the greatest players in baseball history. His marriage to Marilyn Monroe captivated … Continue reading

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Politics, Presidents, and Making the Wheel Turn

One new David Brooks column on Abraham Lincoln, and a review of Robert Caro’s LBJ books by Thomas Meaney, in “The Nation”, have made for some great Thanksgiving reading. Connected? I think so. Brooks, in his column, masterfully writes of … Continue reading

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Happy Thanksgiving!

A very Happy Thanksgiving to all! I hope you enjoy a wonderful day with family and friends. Would it be Thanksgiving without Arlo Guthrie and Alice’s Restaurant?

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Attack of the Pods

Please don’t ask why this post is here on a political web site! I just love coffee! Some interesting gift ideas. http://live.wsj.com/public/page/embed-3897AF15_BADE_47B4_AD77_1AD07FE15944.html

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Two Stepping to the Cliff

The issues involved in the so called “fiscal cliff” have been written about ad infinitum. With the first general meeting held at the White House and all coming out spouting optimistic platitudes the level of optimism has gone way up. … Continue reading

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New Transportation Taxes Coming.

With Massachusetts looking at mid year budget cuts due to missing it’s revenue benchmarks, and with transportation scheduled for review in the coming month(s), it appears likely that there will be a strong push by the Governor and the legislative … Continue reading

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No Massachusetts Tax Reductions on January 1, and…..

The relatively modest reduction in the state income tax rate scheduled to occur on January 1, from 5.25% to 5.2%, will not occur, as the financial yardsticks necessary for implementation have not been met. As you may recall voters opted … Continue reading

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Tax Expenditures in the News

What more exciting subject could there be besides “tax expenditures” to write about today? I can think of nothing else that I would rather do over this weekend than study the new report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation on Massachusetts … Continue reading

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