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Is this good or bad for restaurants?

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Is this good or bad for restaurants?

The battle over how restaurant workers are paid moves to Beacon Hill today.

On one side is the labor group One Fair Wage, which is trying to eliminate the tipped wage in Massachusetts and about ten other states this year.

On the other side are most (but not all) restaurant operators who say the proposed ballot question would lead to higher menu prices and force many out of business.

"Credit card costs, food costs, inflation, energy, health care, everything goes up in operating a restaurant," Steve Clark, president of the Mass Restaurant Association tells State House News.

"This is just more and more cost increase shifted to a restaurant."

State law currently sets the minimum wage at $15 an hour, but tipped workers get a base wage — also known as a service rate — of $6.75 an hour, although they’re still paid $15 an hour when business is slow.

Only wait staff, bartenders and other front-of-the-house workers earn tips. By law, the tips you and I pay can't be shared with cooks, dishwashers, and other kitchen workers, even for take-out.

The ballot question, which will discussed at a public hearing today, would gradually increase the tipped wage over five years until it matches the minimum wage and then continue to rise as the minimum wage rises.

It would also allow tips to be shared with back-of-the-house workers.

A new poll touted by Mass Restaurants showed that 91% of tipped employees at Massachusetts restaurants believe they’ll earn less if tipped wages are eliminated, the BBJ reports.

Last week, the New York Times tried to find out how a 2022 decision to eliminate the tipped wage in Washington D.C. is playing out. But after interviewing more than 25 owners, chefs, workers, and diners, couldn't really reach any consensus. (free link).

118 Watertown small businesses would benefit from tax break 

Some of Watertown’s smallest businesses would get a tax break under a proposal headed to the city council.
 
The proposal, unanimously approved by the Budget and Fiscal Oversight Committee last night, would raise the business personal property exemption from $5,000 to $10,000. (The maximum allowed under state law.)
 
The change would presently benefit 118 small business owners.
 
Sounds great, right? It is. Sort of.
 
Giving a tax break to small businesses is always welcome. But the city won't be sacrificing any revenue under the plan. That's because lost revenue from those 118 businesses will be shifted in the form of an increase onto the backs of businesses with personal property taxes in excess of $10,000.
 
This comes just months after the council substantially shifted more of the property tax burden from residents to commercial property owners.
 
So while we support the move -- and encourage the council to vote yes -- be wary of anyone (or business coalition) claiming they’ve just scored a major win on behalf of Watertown's overall business climate. They didn't.

No more unexploded bombs found in the Charles

Well, this is a relief.

A State Police bomb squad searched the Charles River near the Kendrick Street bridge yesterday but did not find any more explosive devices in the river, reports Scott Souza at Patch.

Magnet fishers had found two unexploded devices in the river on the Needham-Newton line the prior week.

The first item was a military projectile believed to have been from World War I or II.  The second appeared to be a deteriorated bazooka round, possibly from the World War II era.

It's still not known how they ended up there.

State Police Lt. Sean Quirk tells WBZ-TV he wouldn't be surprised if divers detected additional ordnances.
 
"We are anticipating they'll be more, but as of now there's none," he said.

Today's grab bag 

  • The Newton City Council Zoning and Planning Committee approved an ordinance last night that would enter the city in the state’s Ten Communities pilot, requiring most new building construction and major renovations be all-electric. A full council vote comes next. 

 
  • Speaking of MBTA Communities, add Chelmsford to the list of municipalities looking to comply with the law by doing as little as possible. Instead of rezoning vacant parcels that might add new housing, the planning board is recommending locations that are already built out with condominium complexes new, reports Steve Adams at Banker & Tradesman.
 
  • Wellesley Climate Action Committee and partners will host a virtual webinar on heat pumps on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. Learn about rebates, tax credits, how to get started, and more.

  • The state House of Representatives passed legislation last week that included indefinite extensions of beer, wine, and cocktails to-go as well as outdoor dining. The bill will now move to the Senate.

  • Rockland Trust’s annual Small Business, Big Dream Contest is now accepting applications. This competition offers small business owners the chance to grow their enterprises with awards up to $20,000. Details

  • Nominations are now open for the ALX100 2024, the annual list from Amplify Latinx that honors 100 of the brightest Latine leaders from across Massachusetts.

  • Babson College’s Graduate Spring Career Fair is March 19 from 3 p.m. with the option to interview candidates afterward at 5 p.m. Companies must have either an open paid summer internship or a permanent full-time role in order to attend. Register or email questions

Campaign aims to nudge residents toward net zero 

The Healey-Driscoll administration is launching a $1 million public awareness campaign that aims to educate the public on how to reduce carbon emissions.

The Climate Action is for All of Us campaign provides information on electric vehicle adoption, residential solar programs, and other initiatives. Ads will run on billboards and buses across the state starting in April, reports CommonWealth Beacon.

Many eyes on Wellesley's Peisch right now

Alice Peisch

Wellesley state Rep. Alice Peisch has been picked by Speaker Ron Mariano to co-chair a special legislative committee taking testimony on the long list of ballot questions that could head before voters in November (Including the tipped wage question mentioned above). 

Those responsibilities used to be assigned to the relevant subject-area committees but Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka decided to break custom and form a committee to consider all the questions, with Peisch and Sen. Cindy Friedman of Arlington co-chairing it, according to CommonWealth Beacon. 

Peisch, one of Marino’s two assistant majority leaders, is also the point person for the House on the state shelter crisis, putting her in the middle of some of the more hotly contested issues right now on Beacon Hill.

Pike project gets big boost from Biden but we may need many years worth of Advil during construction 

Finally this morning, a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project in Allston appears to be in line for a big boost of federal cash, reports Chris Lisinski at State House News.

The I-90 Allston project calls for straightening and lowering to ground level the Massachusetts Turnpike as it passes between Boston University and the Charles River, creating a whole new neighborhood, complete with a new MBTA station, new access to the river, a new bike, and pedestrian bridge and four acres of parks.

The $335 million fed commitment requires construction to begin in 2027.

This is great news for our region.

But it will also be a significant years-long headache for those of us to the west traveling to Boston during construction. This is all the more reason why we need to also need state and federal funds for another long pending project: Creating accessible, two-way, commuter rail stations in Newton.


That’s what you need to know for today – National Working Moms Day – unless you need to know where you can put your experience transitioning to daylight savings time to work.
 
Make it a great day!
 
Greg Reibman (he, him)
President & CEO
617.244.1688

 
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