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January 21, 2019
Page One Story

Paying for growth: Tax breaks central to Central Mass. economic development

Grant Welker

Communities have often used tax deals to help companies in what officials say is the most important tool they can use in economic development.

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    Calm under pressure

    Back on Jan. 6, my wife and I were in her delivery room, surrounded by about a dozen medical professionals, who seemingly appeared out of thin air, ready to perform emergency surgery.

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    Tax breaks are a short-term win

    It's easy to vilify businesses for taking tax breaks from local governments, even if they are bringing in jobs and investment

  • Shop Talk
    Shop Talk

    The new Vision

    After slowly taking over more responsibilities from founder Laura DiBenedetto for 2.5 years, Julia Becker Collins in December assumed control at Vision Advertising, two months after it moved from Worcester to Westborough.

  • Advice
    Advice

    101: Hire better

    Susan Shalhoub

    Here are some expert tips on creating job ads, screening applicants and interviewing candidates, to help ensure whoever you welcome onboard will be the best fit possible – and save you time as well.

  • Editorial
    Editorial

    Oxford's Russian non-oligarch

    Valentin Gapontsev, the founder and CEO of Oxford laser manufacturer IPG Photonics, sued the U.S. Treasury in December over his listing as a Russian oligarch.

  • Advice
    Advice

    10 Things I Know About ... Retaining staff in the service industry

    Sell a good product. Make sure the product your employee is trying to sell is reputable, this makes her/his job easy.

  • Opinion
    Opinion

    Feds must focus on trade, infrastructure

    James T. Brett

    As the 116th Congress commences this month, it does so with a daunting to-do list. Most urgently, leaders on Capitol Hill must come to an agreement with the president to end the shutdown.

WBJ Web Partners

Today's Poll

How would you grade Gov. Maura Healey’s support of Central Massachusetts businesses in her tenure thus far?
Poll Description

More than one year has passed since Gov. Maura Healey was sworn in as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts. Since then, Healey has spoken extensively about her commitment to attracting, retaining, and growing business in the state. To accomplish that goal, Healey and her administration have proposed and enacted several initiatives, including granting Central Massachusetts manufacturing businesses $600,000, allocating $458,000 to businesses training the disabled workforce, and most notably, filing the $3.5-billion Mass Leads Act aimed at bolstering the state’s life sciences, climatetech, and applied artificial intelligence industries. 

At the same time, the Central Massachusetts Business Confidence Index dropped to 45.9 in April, the second lowest score in the index's history, reflecting declined views regarding the region's economic outlook.

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