Understanding the Trends in Massachusetts’ Sin Tax Revenues
Sin Taxes, which are taxes on goods and services that are considered harmful or immoral, have brought in a significant amount of revenue for Massachusetts.
Entries by Matt Mulvey
Where Does Massachusetts’ Pension Money Go?
Billions of dollars went to retirees in 2023 from the state’s two largest pension funds. Not unexpectedly, the data show that the amount of money given to a specific retiree may depend on many factors outside of where the retiree used to work.
An Evaluation of 340B in Massachusetts
Despite the fact that the 340B Drug Pricing Program has expanded immensely in recent years, the amount of charity care that hospitals are providing has decreased. This points to several problems with the 340B program across the country and in Massachusetts, such as a lack of transparency and inaccessible care.
Disparities in LIHTC Data Illuminate Difficulties in Housing Production
While disparities in LIHTC awards and issuances are to be expected, the mismatch points to inhibitors of housing production that are outside the scope of the program’s impact.
Examining the New Massachusetts Estate Tax
The new Massachusetts estate tax may be correlated to lower estate tax revenues. However, the inclusion of out-of-state property in the estate tax calculation has brought about important legal questions.
Making Sense of Post-COVID Student Attendance Data in Massachusetts
The lockdowns and school closures that occurred in 2020 due to COVID-19 had quite an impact on student attendance. While absences increased substantially between 2019 and 2022, data shows that absences may be on their way to decreasing to pre-pandemic levels.
Examining the Academic Achievement Decline in New England Prior to COVID-19
COVID-19 was not the beginning of student performance declines in the United States. Academic achievement for students across the country began to drop-off following the widespread implementation of the Common Core curriculum in 2013. While declines have occurred across the country, New England has experienced a particularly sharp decrease in student achievement.
Puzzling “Relationship” Between Police Expenses and Crime Rates in Middlesex County
Some people may assume that there is a correlation between how much a town spends on their police and the crime rates in that town. But for certain towns in Middlesex County, there does not seem to be a clear connection between police expenses and crime rates. When stacked up against other towns in the county, there is a mismatch between how much money these towns spend on their police and their crime rates.