Today's poll: Should online retailers have to collect the Massachusetts sales tax from customers?
04.06.2011 | HOLYOKE - A young man sits on a bench at South Street Plaza early Wednesday morning.The Forecast
Looking toward the much warmer days of summer: the first Mountain Park concert of the 2011 season has been announced, Donnie Moorhouse notes. Alison Krauss and Union Station are scheduled for July 24.
This summer's live music docket is already getting crowded with quality shows, with Dinosaur Jr at the Calvin on June 21, Wilco's Solid Sound Festival at MassMoca June 24-26, and a Green River Festival lineup that includes Emmylou Harris, Old 97's and homegrown talent like Seth Glier and the Alchemystics.
Today we'll see clouds gathering through the afternoon, with a chance of showers after 3 p.m. High should be around 55, according to the National Weather Service.
There's a chance of snow showers between 2 and 9 a.m. Thursday, but "little or no" accumulation is expected.
Today's Poll
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts this week is lobbying for legislation that would require online retailers to collect the state sales tax from customers.
Brick-and-mortar retailers in Massachusetts say that having to levy the sales tax puts them at a competitive disadvantage with online retailers. For customers, of course, online shopping offers the dual savings of sales tax and "shoe leather" costs like travel time and gas money.
Some projections estimate the state will lose $335 million in revenue by not receiving sales tax from online purchases.
What do you think -- should online retailers have to collect the Massachusetts sales tax from customers? Vote in our poll, and check back tomorrow for the results.
Tuesday's results: Yesterday, we asked, "Will Springfield's Union Station renovation project be complete by the end of 2015?" Not a single person voted. No kidding, 0% chose "no," and 0% chose "yes."
Tuesday's Top 5
The top 5 headlines on MassLive.com on April 6 were:
- Onyx Fusion Bar and Restaurant closes doors at Springfield riverfront
- Stanley Peczka, 78, of Ludlow arrested at Springfield YMCA, charged with fondling a minor
- Springfield police arrest 2 city men on heroin charges
- West Springfield police charge 20-year-old Springfield resident Miguel Huertas with unarmed robbery of elderly woman, attempting to grab officer's firearm
- Hodgkins family puts Williamsburg land up for sale
Quote of the Day
“You need people who can work more independently than they used to and you need people who can do more complex work.”
— Andre Mayer, senior vice president for communications and research at Associated Industries of Massachusetts, on the results of a survey showing fifty-two percent of responding employers said they are having trouble filling available jobs either because applicants don’t have the required skills or are reluctant to give up unemployment benefits. Read Jim Kinney's article here.