Not sure about you, but I haven't noticed that my paycheck is now a tad higher. Federal payroll tax reductions went into effect on Jan. 1, and the government actually hopes I don't really notice. The economic theory is that consumers are likely to spend incremental increases in their pay, whereas they are more likely to put into their savings accounts one-time stimulus checks. No doubt the payroll tax, while unnoticed to me, is quite substantial when considered across the entire population.
Small changes on Beacon Hill are similarly having a bigger impact. I had to park my car on Charles Street after work this week. Charles Street is not a residential parking zone, and the meters there extend to 8 p.m. (don't get me started on that fact), so I had to find quarters in my car to feed the meter. I noticed that each quarter doesn't go as far as it used to. One quarter now means 12 minutes; only a few weeks ago each quarter was worth 15 minutes. Three minutes per quarter lost. Again, over time, I am sure that means a lot more revenue for the city.
12 minutes per quarter, not 15
Cambridge Street, Boston
January 22, 2011
Around the corner on Cambridge Street, the Beacon Hill Anna's Taqueria has become one of the first stores in the chain to accept credit cards. As an Anna's aficionado knows, a trip to buy a burrito has always meant a trip to the ATM first, similar to the mental process ahead of visiting Giacomo's in the South End (which also is cash-only). Well, credit cards are now welcome at Anna's, at least on Beacon Hill. Just remember to pay the extra quarter into the parking meter.
A welcomed sign at Anna's Taqueria
Cambridge Street, Boston
January 22, 2011
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