Jason Pramas Archives

TOWNIE: TAX DELINQUENT, TAX GIVEAWAY

Crutchfield sues Mass over online taxes, unions protest Siemens Online retailer tries to duck sales taxes For a long time, the internet was like the Wild West for online sales. Companies sold products to consumers all over the US, and the feds and many states were slow to

JASON PRAMAS November 2, 2017

TOWNIE: A WORM’S EYE VIEW OF THE MASS POWER STRUCTURE+

Students at rally at Boston City Hall by NewtonCourt (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons From the guy that brings you Apparent Horizon October 18, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS The rich and powerful interests that control Massachusetts politics and the state economy have their fingers in

JASON PRAMAS October 18, 2017

AMAZON OCTAGON

Mass pols stand ready to fight each other for the right to bribe a multinational October 10, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS At least 17 Massachusetts cities and towns are now preparing to do battle with each other—and hundreds more municipalities nationwide—for the dubious “honor” of “winning” the right to

JASON PRAMAS October 10, 2017

AN AMAZON NORTH ANDOVER DEAL?

Sketch of the Merrimack Valley Works plant at North Andover while under construction in 1955 Merrimack Valley pols courting the tech behemoth have forgotten recent history Sept 26, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS A couple of weeks ago, I criticized the possibility of an Amazon Boston deal—on the grounds that most

JASON PRAMAS September 26, 2017

STOP THE AMAZON BOSTON DEAL

Locals have until Oct 19 to say ‘No Public Bribes to Corporate Scofflaws’ Sept. 12, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS Fresh off of throwing tens of millions of dollars at General Electric, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker are now planning to enter the international horse race to convince

JASON PRAMAS September 12, 2017

REAL RIDESHARING

Evolving the way the world moves … beyond Uber (and Lyft) July 7, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS The following column was written as commentary for the July 2017 episode of the Beyond Boston monthly video news digest — produced by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and several area public access television stations.

JASON PRAMAS July 7, 2017

BATTLE OF THE NOOBS

Photo by Luke O’Neil ‘Boston Free Speech’ protesters and counter demonstrators both lose the day May 17, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS Last week’s right-wing Boston Free Speech protest at the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common did not require a response from the left wing. Let’s get that out of the way

JASON PRAMAS May 27, 2017

PROGRESSIVE CONFUSION

Only multiparty democracy will ensure that left policies are enacted in Mass May 10, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS There is a persistent myth that Massachusetts is a left-wing state. The basis of this demonstrably false conceit is that the Commonwealth has had a Democratic majority in its legislature for as

JASON PRAMAS May 10, 2017

WHEN SLOGANS REPLACE BIRTHRIGHTS

How corporate ed reform threatens democracy April 25, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS Over the last couple of decades, it has become fashionable for Americans to attack our public education system. Behind these attacks is that most un-American of attitudes: elitism. This is problematic for a number of reasons — the main

JASON PRAMAS April 25, 2017

A CONFERENCE ON SOCIALISM

Sherri Mitchell Questioning capitalism? Learn more about an increasingly popular alternative. April 19, 2017 BY JASON PRAMAS @JASONPRAMAS Last year, a Harvard University survey concluded that a majority of young Americans between 18 and 29 years old rejected capitalism, and fully one-third now support socialism as an alternative. Despite this

JASON PRAMAS April 19, 2017