massachusetts

417 – Remembering the Battles of Lexington and Concord

Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Most of us who grew up here in America learned about the battles of Lexington and Concorde from this Longfellow poem. Who does not remember, “One if by land, and two if by sea;” or Paul Revere’s cries of “The British are coming! The British are coming!”?

The part is most of the stories we have heard are not true. Whether poetic license or outright propaganda has been lost to history. However, the story behind those battles is not only well worth the telling, but of great importance to anyone today who still claims the title American.

394 – Placing Politics Above Children?

Studies show that the best outcomes for children is to live in a home with their married parents. If the world were perfect, then all children would have that chance. But the world isn’t perfect, and either by accident or as the consequences of the actions of adults, children will be in need of people to step in for their parents. In our modern society, the role of finding homes for these children has been filled by the state government. What happens when those government entities place politics above the needs of their charges? A recent case in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts deals with that very topic. Plaintiffs Michael and Catherine Burke claim that the State of Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF) discriminated against them in their application to become foster parents for religious reasons. When I looked at the case what I saw wasn’t so much religious discrimination, but DCF placing political viewpoints above not only the Constitution of Massachusetts, but what is best for the children in their care.

357 – Municipal Theft

We’re all familiar with the fact that our property is taxed. And if you don’t pay your taxes, it’s going to cost you. But how far can a city, town, or any government agency go to collect your taxes?

In 2014, after several personal and business issued, Alan DiPietro purchased some property straddling Stow and Bolton, MA for the purpose of raising alpacas. What ensued was several years of battle between Mr. DiPietro and the town of Bolton over his use of his own land. While what was described in Mr. DiPietro’s law suit was pretty terrible, I want to focus on the foreclosure of the property.

243 – Massachusetts v. New Hampshire Interstate Income Tax Suit

New Hampshire actually sued Massachusetts back in October, 2020, but with all that has been going on, it didn’t float to the top of my list. Now, at this point, I thought it would be a good time to take a break from our regular government insanity and look at something a little closer to home. This is not just for those in New Hampshire though, because this case has implications for every small business owner in America.

When New Hampshire originally sued Massachusetts, it seemed it was only about collecting income tax from non-residents. After I looked at the complaint though, I think we should make the exact same argument about interstate sales taxes as well.