Tag: Tom Benner
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SOMEONE'S GOTTA LOSE: Does the Mass. Lottery Target Poor People?
Tom Benner Spare Change News A public interest group believes state lotteries use marketing strategies to target low-income communities, where residents tend to spend a larger percentage of their incomes on lottery tickets than do the wealthier segments of society. But a public records request for the Massachusetts Lottery’s internal advertising documents so far has…
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SCN Interview with Harvard Economist Edward Glaeser
Edward Glaeser, an economics professor at Harvard University, recently sat down with Spare Change News editor Tom Benner to discuss his myth-shattering book about cities, “Triumph of the City: How Our Greatest Invention Makes Us Richer, Smarter, Greener, Healthier, and Happier.” SCN: Your book makes the case that cities make up America’s economic heartland, and…
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New Homeless Policy: Advocates Debate How Fast To Go
Tom Benner Spare Change News Under the state’s new Housing First initiative, called HomeBASE: • Families that face homelessness and are served with HomeBASE short-term rental assistance … will pay no more than 35% of their income toward rent and utilities when they are enrolled in the program. Families could also receive assistance of up…