Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | March 16, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 21 e Massachusetts public records law needs consequences V I E W P O I N T E D I T O R I A L B ack in 2018, WBJ News Editor Grant Welker, began asking 19 Central Mass. local governments to provide him with the tax breaks given to businesses since 1998. He called all the right people in the local governments and filed formal requests under the state Public Records Law. According to that law, local governments have 10 days to respond. Yet, it took six months for Welker to compile all the information he requested. During Sunshine Week, which runs from March 15-21, WBJ joins our fellow publications from the New England Newspaper & Press Association, along with the Boston Globe, to advocate for open government and the freedom of information principles, which have long made America one of the most open democracies on earth. While roadblocks and delays impeding access to records might spare a public official some embarrassment in the short term (or, more likely, a government worker's time and effort in responding to such requests), it isn't a healthy long-term practice for our society. Welker's investigation turned into the four-part Tax Breaks: Paying for Growth series in 2019. e stories showed tax-increment financing deals largely were successful in meeting the objectives of businesses and local governments, although 12% failed and some didn't have clear-cut goals to begin with. Welker discovered TIF deals typically went to larger companies with more financial resources and were more likely to be granted by local governments with higher commercial property tax rates. While public officials may become nervous when media organizations start filing records requests, the result of our series was an in-depth study of the taxing habits of key local governments, which gave our readers critical insights into the process as well as the return on investment of such incentives. Responding to record requests may prove somewhat burdensome, and officials oen need several reminders to fulfill more complex requests. ese days, our region and state have fewer reporters making records requests, as newsrooms across the country have been reduced. Members of the public may even have a harder time getting their records requests fulfilled, if nothing else for the simple fact they aren't doing so as part of a paying job and don't have full-time hours to do so. Massachusetts has a decent public records law, although legislators aren't subject to it and it lacks real teeth for enforcement, as there are few consequences when governments drag their feet. is is where the law needs to be changed. If the state wants to uphold its democratic ideals, then it needs to hold its ground on open records. In 2017, Massachusetts took a step in the right direction by limiting the amount governments could charge for public records and strengthened the power of the attorney general and secretary of state in enforcing the law. Still, there's little incentive to go through the arduous appeals process with the state in order to access public records. Making the enforcement of these efforts more direct will help provide a needed incentive for our governments to be more timely. The Worcester Business Journal welcomes letters to the editor and commentary submissions. Please send submissions to Brad Kane, editor, at bkane@wbjournal.com. A T H O U SA N D WO R D S B Y D O N L A N D G R E N W e future of work M id-sized businesses face tremendous opportunities, as well as challenges, as we look ahead in 2020. As a commercial banker here in Worcester, I work to keep my clients ahead of the latest trends and insights impacting their companies. As companies strive for growth, environmental, social and governance (ESG) is a must-have program and a factor increasingly influencing the bottom line. In today's competitive landscape, companies should embrace new big data-driven technologies, while actively preparing for risk. Big data can create a competitive threat or an opportunity in nearly every industry. Finally, the lines between human and machine work continue to blur – a trans- formation referred to as Industry 4.0. Here are insights my team at Bank of America will share with our clients this year. ESG: It matters Having a strong ESG program brings advantages, especial- ly as customers want to work with companies who live their purpose. Companies prioritizing ESG can increase their social impact and manage operational risk with customers, investors, employees and communities. Companies with effective ESG programs focus on factors identified as material to their unique culture. To build an au- thentic program, they should conduct assessments of priority factors among stakeholders and classify risks and opportuni- ties in a way going beyond just financial metrics. Big data is shaping the future Big data, including artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and 5G are allowing companies to realize untapped potential in efficiency, customer experience, talent and profitability. Business intelligence, predictive modeling and scenario analysis allow visibility into work streams, capi- tal cycles and customer behavioral patterns. is can help companies improve planning and forecasting models, reduce inventory costs and consider future headwinds. AI has become proficient in performing complex tasks and achieving accurate outcomes, allowing companies to design products focused on the needs of customers. However, these tools face increasing scrutiny regarding privacy, heighten the risk of cyberattacks, and may require firms to spend time and money on the influx of real-time data. Workforce of the future e emergence of big data has created huge demand for skilled workers, but low unemployment and a strong econo- my can make it difficult for companies to win that talent. Some companies are turning to non-traditional sources to find talent, such as directly from code academies or appren- ticeship programs. Others are paying for current employees to advance their education. Human resources departments are using big data not only to make more informed decisions about productivity, resource distribution, and recruiting needs and sources, but as a tool for engaging with employees on ESG, culture and training. Long-term sustainability and ethical impact are increasingly critical factors in attracting Millennial workers. John Pajka is a Bank of America vice president for business banking in Worcester. BY JOHN PAJKA Special to the Worcester Business Journal John Pajka W

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