Another way that Massachusetts’ millionaire tax is making MA more affordable for ordinary people: one of the many things funded by this revenue is universal free school meals, which it turns out, also brings down price pressures on retail groceries.

What happens when high schoolers are given unconditional $50 per week for 40 weeks? Better reading improvement than control group. Absent 2 days less for semester. Most spending on food & transportation. 47% of funds saved. prnewswire.com/news-releases/…

US employers & federal govt devote over 1.5% of GDP to promote contributions to retirement saving. New dataset shows incentives benefit white workers & those w richer parents more than similar-income Black or Hispanic coworkers or from lower income familes nber.org/papers/w32843

NIMBYism runs deep. Project 2025 states, “a conservative Administration should oppose any efforts to weaken single-family zoning.”

Troubling connection between sports betting and the wealth gap. Study finds financially strained households reduce their savings and investment and spend a greater portion of their income on sports betting commonwealthbeacon.org/gambling/sport… via @cwbeacon

California’s decade-long effort to legalize ADUs offers lessons for other US states on the unique facial advantages and limitations for solving deep housing problems, from ⁦Jenny Schuetz⁩ brookings.edu/articles/calif…

Massachusetts will have closed 3 prisons over two years (Walpole, Concord & now Bridgewater). How do we recognize and celebrate these major strides toward a better world? What's even an apt analogy? Closing leper colonies & dismantling the gallows?

Troubling article on how "asset management funds" increasingly control social infrastructure, oriented toward extracting profits from areas like hospitals, housing, and public water jacobin.com/2023/05/our-li…

Good news that Biden administration efforts have perhaps inched down multinational corporations claiming their profits were generated by their activity in tax havens like the Bahamas. States can fight offshore tax dodging with worldwide combined reporting. cbpp.org/research/state…

Undocumented immigrants pay substantial amounts toward the funding of public infrastructure, institutions, and services. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in taxes at the federal, state, and local levels. itep.org/undocumented-i…

Arkansas bans nearly all abortions, calling itself a "pro-life" state. It has the nation’s highest maternal mortality rate. One of the highest infant mortality rates. It's one of two states that cut off Medicaid to mothers 60 days after giving birth. How is this "pro-life"?

Making me proud to be a ⁦Wesleyan University⁩ alum. “I don’t expect agreement, but I do trust that our disagreements can lead to learning.” nytimes.com/2024/09/02/opi…

Fair Share amendment is working as intended commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/fair-s… via @cwbeacon Jason Lewis Rep. Jim O'Day

I've read much recent hand wringing about transit fare evasion eroding a sense of public order & calling for more $ spent on enforcement. In MA, most regional transit & 3 Boston bus lines have completely eliminated this problem -- by eliminating fares & focusing on better service

The free ride is rolling on, as SRTA will collect no bus fares for another year. What else is the state “millionaire’s tax” buying? southcoasttoday.com/story/news/202…

How different does the housing supply-demand story look if supply is measured by square feet?

In terms of federal assistance programs, the EITC and Child Tax Credit refundable tax credits are work horses lifting millions above the poverty line cbpp.org/economic-assis…

In only eight states do federal funds comprise a smaller portion of state revenue than in Massachusetts. pewtrusts.org/en/research-an…

Middle class people already pay sorts on unrealized capital gains on their homes and retirement assets. The rich avoid on their types of assets. mailchi.mp/cbpp/with-nort…

Likelihood of Student Loan Debt By Race and Gender public.tableau.com/views/Likeliho…