True-Cream-3207 t1_j5p4177 wrote on January 24, 2023 at 4:18 PM

We could also talk about the layers upon layers of taxation, here. Like a goddamn onion people think it’s normal to pay sales tax on a car, then excise tax on top of it yearly, oh plus inspection requirements. Want to expand your house? That’ll cost you 50% more than in NH because of the vast amount of bullshit.

It’s staggering what folks accept as the norm down here. You are not getting a good return on the immense tax schemes that suck everyone dry. Look at the state of our actual schools (buildings), roads, the T, etc.

We also have a pretty big prison complex here, and a state police force that can’t seem to stop committing fraud and wasting taxpayer monies.

The entire economy of Boston was underpinned by subsidizing secondary education and the schools profited so much they bought half the damn land area and guess what? That means less taxes.

There’s a dire housing problem and the local / state government hasn’t acted to curb NIMBYism for decades. Directly hurting anyone not rich enough to own land here.

So let’s add on a few more passive taxes that folks won’t notice instead of using sound policies to foster affordable housing, mixed-use development, invest meaningfully in infrastructure and transit, and broaden the tax base.

When is it enough to demand some kind of accountability or real change?

I honestly think the incremental creep of mismanagement, taxation, and slapping band aids on core issues has people a bit deluded.

Boston and the surrounding area is great for white collar, high earners who own a home. For…. Everyone else? I’m not convinced.

The_Sloth_Racer OP t1_j5oseea wrote on January 24, 2023 at 3:02 PM

Reply to comment by scottieducati in My high school in Wilbraham, MA, got the 'Saturday Night Live' treatment due to lighting issue. The school has a server to control the lights with no manual override. The server got hacked and the school hasn't been able to turn off lights since 2021. Still not fixed. by The_Sloth_Racer

> We have more gun crimes and homicides than NH, VT, or ME per capita.

I wasn't talking about New England. I was comparing gun crimes in Mass/New England compared to the rest of the country, specifically states in the south and southwest like Texas.

> The list of debacles grows every year, we can start with the new MBTA cars.

Oh trust me, I agree with you on that. I know Mass has plenty of issues just like any other place. Mass has plenty of nepotism and that's the first thing that should be fixed. I've spent most of my life in Western Mass around Springfield and Northampton and have also lived in Worcester and on Cape and have seen how differently Western Mass gets treated. We still have some parts of the Berkshires without high-speed internet that Maura Healey finally said will be built but we'll see. I know Mass isn't the best state in the US but it definitely has many advantages over many other states. I know that if I lived in any other state I would be dead because I wouldn't be able to afford the medications that I have to take to stay alive. On MassHealth, I pay nothing for any medical care.

scottieducati t1_j5or16w wrote on January 24, 2023 at 2:53 PM

Reply to comment by The_Sloth_Racer in My high school in Wilbraham, MA, got the 'Saturday Night Live' treatment due to lighting issue. The school has a server to control the lights with no manual override. The server got hacked and the school hasn't been able to turn off lights since 2021. Still not fixed. by The_Sloth_Racer

What? We have more gun crimes and homicides than NH, VT, or ME per capita. Also not sure how that’s relevant to how things get purchased, built, and signed off on. The list of debacles grows every year, we can start with the new MBTA cars. The mere fact this has been unresolved for so long is a failure of management and leadership.

The_Sloth_Racer OP t1_j5oqxd4 wrote on January 24, 2023 at 2:52 PM

Reply to comment by scottieducati in My high school in Wilbraham, MA, got the 'Saturday Night Live' treatment due to lighting issue. The school has a server to control the lights with no manual override. The server got hacked and the school hasn't been able to turn off lights since 2021. Still not fixed. by The_Sloth_Racer

We might have some issues in Mass but I'll stay here where we have the best education/schools in the country, best hospitals and doctors, free healthcare through MassHealth for everyone (poor, disabled, elderly, etc.), and some of the best gun control laws which have resulted in the lowest gun deaths over the past 30 years.