MASSterList: New public record rules from the Guv | Park, then pedal to work | Is an Internet sales tax inevitable? |

Friday, July 31, 2015

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By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) with Keith Regan

What's up today Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matt Beaton and Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Carol Sanchez attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a "first in the nation Park & Pedal Multimodal Commuting System," Christian Herter Park, 1255 Soldier's Field Road, Brighton, 8 am (See link to story below)... U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, and Representatives Katherine Clark and Joe Kennedy III award the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery to Watertown police officers Sergeant John MacLellan, Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese and Officer Joseph Reynolds, Watertown Police Department, 552 Main Street, Watertown, 1:30 pm... Gov. Baker joins Education Secretary Jim Peyser, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, and Labor and Workforce Secretary Ron Walker for a visit to Lawrence Community Works,168 Newbury Street, Lawrence, 1:45 pm. Weekend public affairs MASSterList is beginning a regular listing of the weekend public affairs programming on TV, radio, as well as live events. Send your listings to gdonnelly@massterlist.com. New England Cable News: This Week In Business, Sunday, Aug. 2, 12:30pm and 8pm Shirley Leung of the Boston Globe, Chris Dempsey of No Boston Olympics and Peter Howe of NECN talk about the dashing of Boston's 2024 Olympic Dreams. Plus, we've said no to the Olympics -- but in the process, have we learned about what we should be saying "yes" to? CEO Corner, Sunday Aug. 2, 8:30pm, also on NECN Fraser Cameron, CEO of Velcro Companies, will be the guest. Channel 7 -- WHDH: Urban Update, Sunday, Aug. 2, 11:30am Boston Herald columnist Kevin Peterson and Beverley Morgan-Welch, executive director of the Museum of African American History, will discuss the 50th anniversary of the 1965 voting rights act with host Byron Barnett. Evan Falchuk, former gubernatorial candidate, will stop by to talk about the end of Boston 2024. Finally, Barnett will discuss El Sistema, the musical program created in Venezuela, and its Summer Academy in Massachusetts.  Setting the stage for an Internet sales tax In the not too distant future, we'll look back fondly on the days we could buy stuff online without paying a sales tax. Congress is weighing a bill to allow states to collect sales tax from remote online sellers, and sooner or later the taxman will come to the Internet in full force. Remote sellers have avoided collecting and remitting the taxes based on the old-fashioned notion that a business without a physical presence in the state does not have to collect sales tax. When Congress enables states to collect online sales taxes (a concept that seems to have bipartisan support), you can bet Massachusetts will -- an estimated $150-200 million is at stake. And it seems only sensible that if a Massachusetts resident pays 6.25 percent sales tax for a golf club at Golfsmith down the street that he also pay the same tax rate for buying a club on eBay from a seller in Pasadena. The Senate wants the Department of Revenue to be ready to collect those taxes when state tax rates apply to all Internet sales. Republicans see it as setting the stage for a tax increase, although technically individuals are required to remit a "use" tax to the state when they buy online goods and aren't charged a sales tax. "The measure before us has the impact of a tax increase because things that aren't being taxed will be taxed. We should not be ceding to Congress tax decisions that rightly remain here in Massachusetts," Sen. Bruce Tarr, Senate minority leader, said in a statement. Massachusetts Amazon shoppers have been paying sales taxes for a few years after Amazon gained a physical presence in the Commonwealth following its purchase of robotics company Kiva Systems in 2012. Shira Schoenberg of MassLive has the story. http://bit.ly/1SQ5Dte Public records reform, insto-presto Gov. Baker has been paying attention to the fiasco that is the result of a wet noodle of a public records law, issuing an edict for the executive branch yesterday, a much needed set of rules for all agencies. The new policy speeds up the timeline for receiving public records, reduces costs, and requires agencies to designate a person to handle requests. Meanwhile, public records reform legislation is pending at the State House, and may get a vote in September. The Globe's Todd Wallack, who has led the charge among area journalists in exposing the weakness of the law, has the update. http://bit.ly/1IunWCP Venture capitalist comes to the T In a move that only a governor who used to dabble at a venture capital firm could make, Gov. Baker has brought on a veteran VC to share responsibility for running the MBTA. Brian Shortsleeve, who used to work at General Catalyst, where Baker briefly worked after his first run for governor, will oversee the finances at the T, and interim GM Frank DePaola will handle operations. Nicole Dungca has more in the Globe.http://bit.ly/1DT7KWc Wynn offers to subsidize Orange Line Steve Wynn is offering $7.5 million over 15 years to underwrite the cost of adding more trains to the MBTA's Orange Line during certain hours, the Globe's Jon Chesto reports. The subsidy, said to be the first of its kind for the T, was revealed in an environmental finding earlier this month, and a consultant for Wynn tells Chesto the extra trains will benefit businesses along the entire length of the Orange Line and shorten passenger wait times.The filing also said Wynn would pay for shuttle buses to take employees and gamblers to and from nearby T stops and that Wynn will fund a study to determine if it's feasible to build a pedestrian bridge over the Mystic River to the Assembly Square T stop. The improvements aren't likely to end debate over the traffic mess that critics say Wynn's proposal will create in Sullivan Square, which prompted the city of Boston to file suit against Wynn and the Mass Gaming Commission.  http://bit.ly/1JzrkwU  Track operator eyes Suffolk Downs  Meanwhile, some potentially good news for Boston area resort casino license runner-up Suffolk Downs and fans of live horse racing. According to the Globe, the Stronach Group, which operates a number of race tracks nationally, including Pimlico, would be interested in bringing live racing back to the track. "Boston is a very lucrative market and we're interested," said Tim Ritvo, the firm's COO. "We're open to anything, but it seems like a stretch to get it done immediately." One possible hurdle for live racing: Suffolk is already doing a brisk business with video simulcasts, the Globe says, thanks to an update to state law that allows them to simulcast year-round by offering just a single day of live racing annually. http://bit.ly/1I6NnsC Obama taps Scott for Transportation Board - will Republicans object? On the hottest day of the year, a refreshing reminder of one of the harshest winters in memory: President Obama Thursday nominated former MBTA General Manager Beverly Scott to a seat on the National Transportation Safety Board. But the Herald reports that at least one Republican lawmaker is already questioning the move, citing Scott's troubled tenure atop the T. Scott, who announced she would resign in February amid signs she would be ousted after the T melted down in the face of a series of winter storms, is in line to earn $155,000 a year if the Senate confirms her appointment. http://bit.ly/1gsWBGR  Holyoke Election All about V-Word (Hint: it's Not Voters)  Holyoke's city election in November promises to be a barn-burner, with close to 50 candidates stepping forward to vie for mayor, city council and school board seats. But more than three months before election day, the campaign already has a controversy reaching well beyond the Paper City. According to MassLive, it all began last month, when the City Council underwent sensitivity training. Shortly afterward, Mike Franco -- a candidate for an at-large seat on the council -- took his criticisms to social media, calling the training "iron-fisted indoctrination" and writing: "Jossie wants all of us to hold hands and talk about her vagina. I say, no thank you." Jossie is Ward 4 City Councilor Jossie M. Valentin, who Franco complains staged a Spanish-language version of "The Vagina Monologues" in a city park near a war memorial. "I am not the one who wants to continue to talk about genitalia. I'm a private and modest person believe it or not," Franco said Thursday, as the fallout from the comments grew to include other candidates choosing sides and making statements of their own. "Franco owes the voters -- especially women -- an explanation as to what his intent was with these posts and comments," Valentin told MassLive in response. The controversy has become a cause celebre to some on social media, helping extend the story's reach. Earlier in the week, the Mayor of Salem, Kim Driscoll, said she would be donating $100 to Valentin's re-election campaign. http://bit.ly/1DeMYoY  Also, speaking of Holyoke, read Matt Szafranski's take in Western Mass Politics & Insight on what promises to be a very crowded race for city council. http://bit.ly/1KF182G New commuting option: Park&Pedal Park your car, then hop on a bike to pedal into the city. That's the idea behind what is being termed the first "park and pedal" program in the nation. State officials will join David Montague of Montague Corp., a bicycle design co., to inaugurate the program today at Christian Herter Park along Soldier's Field Road in Brighton. Montague has personally done the park and bike for years, and convinced state officials to scale a program. Other Park&Pedal lots include: Franklin Park and Tenean Beach in Boston, Arsenal Project in Watertown, Daly Rink In Newton, Mystic River Reservation in Medford and Cronin Rink in Revere. Marie Szaniszlo of the Herald has the story.  http://bit.ly/1VRa8rC How to reach me and MASSterList Nothing makes me happier than comments, tips, suggestions. Also, opinion articles also will be considered. Please don't hesitate to weigh in on what we're missing and where we should look. Reach me atgdonnelly@massterlist.com or on Twitter @geodonnelly. TODAY'S TOP STORIES State headlines  Wynn aims to be first company to subsidize MBTA operations with Orange Line plans - The Boston Globe House Restores Millions To Budget Vetoed By Baker Wynn's T offer could sweeten casino deal  A former General Catalyst venture capitalist is the MBTA's new chief business guy - Boston Business Journal Boston 2024: The Winners and Losers Massachusetts AG reaches settlement with two for-profit schools - Boston Business Journal Obama nominates ex-MBTA chief Beverly Scott for NTSB post - Boston Business Journal Massachusetts Senate directs state to be ready to collect Internet sales tax MassDOT announces leadership shakeup at MBTA - The Boston Globe Governor Baker makes an Olympic joke. Too soon? - The Boston Globe Boston 2024 donors disappointed in outcome but don't regret writing checks for Olympic bid - The Boston Globe Baker announces new rules for handling Massachusetts public records requests - The Boston Globe National race track operator expresses interest in Suffolk Downs - The Boston Globe Local headlines   Budget vetoes could affect funding for New Bedford-Fall River bus expansion  More riverfront growth coming to Haverhill With bill, DiZoglio hopes to make public housing safer - Eagle-Tribune: News Pilgrim operator fails drug test - News - capecodtimes.com - Hyannis, MA Plymouth Housing Authority director promises 'no action' against residents for using air conditioners at sweltering Southfield apartments Stoughton School Committee member suddenly resigns Former Brockton mayor Win Farwell enters council race Framingham: State Rep. Walsh throws support behind city movement Worcester seeking to build large-scale solar project atop landfill IOC defends demand for money There's trouble on the track to a seat on NTSB What happens now to Widett Circle? What can we salvage from the Olympic bid? - The Boston Globe Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll donating to Holyoke Councilor Jossie Valentin based on Mike Franco's 'vagina' criticism Marathon battle in Hopkinton over CVS plans - The Boston Globe Boston Public Market opens to lunchtime crowds - The Boston Globe