MassBudget: How Business Taxes in MA Compare to Other States -- and Context

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. How Business Taxes in MA Compare to Other States-- and Context  A wide variety of factors influence where businesses locate and whether they thrive in a given state. These factors include the quality of a state's infrastructure, the skills of its workforce, the proximity to materials and customers, and the overall quality of life available to employees. Tax policy also plays a role, though not a primary one. This is not surprising given that state and local taxes account for as little as two percent of total business costs for the average corporation operating in the U.S. There is strong evidence that the most important factor influencing the strength of a state economy is the level of education of the workforce. When comparing business taxes among the 50 states it is important to consider the entire tax system in each state. Some states collect more revenue from businesses through the property taxes (typically a local tax), while other states rely more heavily on corporate income taxes, gross receipts and excise taxes, or general sales taxes (typically state-level taxes). An apples-to-apples comparison of total business tax levels in different states therefore must account for all of the ways that state and local governments collect taxes from businesses. It should also account for the size of a state's economy. The Council on State Taxation (COST) is a nonprofit trade association consisting of more than 600 multistate corporations engaged in interstate and international business that produces an annual report examining the taxation of businesses in each state. The report accounts for all state and local taxes and finds that Massachusetts is a relatively low tax state for business: business taxes as a percent of total state economic output (Gross State Product) are lower in Massachusetts than in 38 states and higher than just 11. MassBudget's fact sheet How Do Massachusetts Business Taxes Compare to Other States? examines the findings of this report and related data. To read the full report, please click HERE. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108 MassBudget: How Business Taxes in MA Compare to Other States -- and Context

FSPA To Present 'How To Audition' Workshop

Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) Director Raye Lynn Mercer will lead a How to Audition Workshop on Saturday, September 26 from 3-4:30 p.m. in the school’s Recital Hall at 38 Main Street in downtown Franklin. The workshop is open to the community. 

Students and parents are invited to learn about the audition process in an entertaining and interactive format, with demonstrations and time for questions. The workshop will explore what to expect, ways to prepare, and how to make a positive impression at any audition. Recommended for all beginner and intermediate performers, the session is beneficial at many stages of the process, whether students are preparing for a first audition or seeking to raise the level of their audition presentation.

Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA)

Founded by Mercer in 1985, the Franklin School for the Performing Arts celebrates 30 years of quality arts education in music, dance and drama. The school’s alumni credits include Broadway, national Broadway tours, American Idol, cruise line casts, film, television and regional theater. Broadway In Boston has cast FSPA students in the Boston run of national tours of Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Showboat.

Mercer and her FSPA staff annually prepare high school seniors for college and conservatory auditions, with placement at such prestigious programs as Baldwin Wallace University, Berklee College of Music, Boston Conservatory, Boston University, Carnegie Mellon University, Eastman School of Music, Elon University, Emerson College, Hartt School of Music, Ithaca College, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, NYU-Tisch School of the Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, Oklahoma City University, Pace University, Pennsylvania State University, Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (London), Syracuse University, and University of Miami (Frost School of Music).

The workshop fee is $20 per person or $30 for student and parent, with a cost of $5 for each additional child or family member. To register, call FSPA at (508) 528-8668 or visit the main office at 38 Main Street.

In the News: GMO food labeling law, Tri-County kids group, cub scouting registration, Solar Challenge extended

Before eating an ear of sweet corn on the cob or opening a package of cookies from the grocery store, do you want to know if it contains genetically modified organisms? 

With science now allowing for crops to be genetically manipulated to better tolerate herbicides and produce their own insecticides, a growing group of advocates and legislators want to let consumers know if there are GMOs in their food. 

The group Citizens for GMO Labeling is gearing up for a big hearing at the Statehouse next Tuesday on a bill that 75 percent of the Legislature is co-sponsoring.

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150916/NEWS/150917086/1994/NEWS

The Tri-County Regional Children’s Center, 147 Pond St., seeks to fill openings in its weekly toddler playgroup. 

The Toddler Program is open to children who are between 18 months and 30 months by Oct. 1. 

Sessions are held on Mondays from 9:15 to 10:45 a.m. Parents or caregivers are required to stay during the toddler session. The cost of the Toddler Program is $8 per week.

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150916/NEWS/150916839/1994/NEWS

Franklin Cub Scouts are now accepting registration for the 2015-2016 school year. Cub Scouts is for boys grades 1-5. 

A registration event to learn more about scouting and join in on some scouting activities is set for Saturday, Sept. 19, 2-4 p.m., at the King Street baseball field in Franklin. 

At 2 p.m. there will be a live entertainment event.

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150915/NEWS/150917474/1994/NEWS

Officials announced this week that the Franklin Solar Challenge had been extended for a month to encourage as many residents as possible to sign up for solar systems. 

The challenge's original deadline was Tuesday, but it has been extended until Oct. 15. 

Town Councilor Brett Feldman, who coordinates the challenge, said he felt it was appropriate to extend the program given the interest. 

"We still have people thinking over existing proposals, so we wanted to give them more time," he said. "Also, when you're near a deadline, you start to get new interest, so we wanted to accommodate that."

Continue to read the article online here (subscription may be required)
http://www.milforddailynews.com/article/20150916/NEWS/150916685/1994/NEWS

Franklin Solar Challenge: Program Extension!

Program Extended! You now have until Oct. 15th to receive the lowest tiered pricing in the Franklin Solar Challenge 47 Franklin residents are already saving approximately $2,350* off of the cost of their system at Tier 5 pricing. That means we have already contracted 381 kW. Let's keep it going and make it to Tier 6 (400 kW) Only 19 kW to go! *based on an average 5 kW system SolarFlair will donate a 5 kW system in Franklin when we reach Tier 6! Take advantage of tiered pricing while you still can! If you have already signed a contract remind your friends and neighbors of the deadline.  If you've already had a site assessment and are still considering solar energy, please contact your sales representative to get your questions answered and a contract signed by October 15! Residents in Franklin are already taking advantage and saving on prices 25-35% below market value! click here to sign up for a FREE site assessment SolarFlair Energy Inc 190 Pleasant Street Ashland, Massachusetts 01721 franklinsolar@solarflair.com 508-293-4293

Forward this email SolarFlair Energy Inc | 190 Pleasant Street | Ashland | MA | 01721

Partnership Networking Luncheon Friday - Sep 18th

Networking Luncheon Friday at 1 p.m.

The Franklin Downtown Partnership 
Networking Luncheon

Friday, September 18, at 1 p.m. at

Dean College's Smith Dining Center.

Enjoy good conversation, meet other professionals, and share ideas while sampling the delicious and affordable lunch offerings at the Smith Dining Center.

Please RSVP to event coordinators Dave Drucker, ddrucker@dean.edu, or Gary Donelan, gary.donelan@middlesexbank.com.

MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women - inaugural public hearing - Sep 30

The MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women (MWCSW) holds its inaugural public hearing on Wednesday, September 30th 2015, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., at Mass Bay Community College in the Framingham Auditorium, 19 Flagg Drive, Framingham.

The MWCSW invites all residents and community leaders to attend and speak about the issues facing women and girls in the MetroWest. "We need to hear first-hand about the concerns and challenges affecting the lives of these women and girls in the region. We want to discuss them as a community in order to begin to see a better way forward," said Denise Schultz, Chair, MWCSW.

MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women (MWCSW)

Oral and written testimony will be accepted. To submit testimony before the hearing, email the Commission at metrowestwomen@gmail.com. The MWCSW will report its findings and recommended solutions to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. 

The MetroWest Commission on the Status of Women was created through legislation sponsored by State Senator Karen Spilka and established on January 8, 2015. The MWCSW is comprised of nine volunteer Commissioners who are charged with identifying the challenges that women face in MetroWest communities and working at the local level to address these challenges.

For more information, email metrowestwomen@gmail.com or contact Denise Schultz, Chair, at 508-612-5950. Those planning to attend are encouraged to submit their testimony before the hearing. 

Testimony, comments, and RSVPs will be accepted on the Commission’s FaceBook page: www.facebook.com/MetrowestCommissionStatusWomen, via tweet @WomenMetroWest, or by email.

MassBudget: Licenses for Immigrant Drivers in Massachusetts

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. Licenses for Immigrant Drivers in Massachusetts  Aiming to improve public safety and allow more people to participate effectively in their economies, eleven states and D.C. currently provide drivers licenses for qualified residents regardless of immigration status. MassBudget's new factsheet Licenses for Immigrant Drivers in Massachusetts examines fiscal, economic and safety implications of expanding access to driver's licenses for immigrants who are currently ineligible to be licensed to drive in Massachusetts.  This fact sheet also examines implantation issues that have arisen in other states and describes how states have addressed challenges related to verifying the identity of people applying for licenses from a wide range of different countries. To read the full factsheet, please click HERE. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center | 15 Court Square | Suite 700 | Boston | MA | 02108