Worcester Business Journal

20 Worcester Business Journal • July 18, 2016 www.wbjournal.com Join the WBJ's LinkedIn discussion group by scanning the code to the left on your smartphone. To scan the code, you need the NeoReader. Visit get.neoreader.com to download it onto your phone. Want to participate in the conversation? F L A S H P O L L T A L K B A C K NON-COMPETE CLAUSES The state legislature is looking to restrict the use of non-compete clauses that some say hurt the high-tech industry and are being used more broadly than they should, thus restricting the ability of employees' to advance themselves. "I am a consultant who encounters non-compete clauses all the time. I rarely work with Massachusetts companies because they have such restrictive clauses that I could never sign them. It is ironic that, though I live near Worcester, I do most of my work for firms in other parts of the U.S. or in the [European Union], due to the idiotic attitudes of non-compete in the state." Anonymous poll commenter ALCOHOL DISPUTE Gov. Charlie Baker has taken the unusual step of intervening on behalf of a single business owner, Nashoba Valley Winery, in an ongoing dispute with regulators. "The law is the law is the LAW and even though Nashoba has been getting away with this for 16 years it is not up to the attorney general to look the other way when a law is not being followed. It is up to the legislature to change the law." Facebook commenter Nancy Smith Do you think that happy hour should be reinstated in the Bay State? Reinstate happy hour A n amendment to the House version of Gov. Charlie Baker's municipal government reform bill would essentially reinstate happy hour in Massachusetts. The Municipal Millennials Amendment would allow liquor-license holders to sell beer, wine and other alcohol at a discounted price as long as they are listed at a discounted price at least 3 week days between Sunday to Wednesday. This would, in effect, bring back happy hour, which was outlawed in the state in 1984. An overwhelming majority of WBJ readers supported the measure. COMMENTS: A report from the Worcester Regional Research Bureau recommends the city raise parking rates. The city manages 4,685 parking spaces, and although in fiscal 2015 it generated $3.67 million in revenue, nearly all of it was spent on the expenses of running the parking operations. To fund a centralized division that could theoretically better manage and maintain parking, WRRB recommends raising the parking rates and doing away with special parking rate deals for large organizations. In WBJ's weekly poll, readers overwhelming voted against any parking rate increases. Don't raise Worcester parking prices Do you support raising the cost of parking in Worcester? COMMENTS: Yes. Those using the facilities should be paying for infrastructure maintenance and improvements. No. We need to encourage businesses to move downtown, not push them out with higher rates. 42% Yes. It is an effective way to get people out to restaurants during slow times. 45% "If the business owners and the customers think this is of value, then the state should support it." Yes. Massachusetts is one of only a few states that doesn't allow happy hour. 32% "I feel it encourages drinking and driving." "Worcester needs available, inexpensive parking so employees and visitors will come. A small increase is needed to cover operating costs, but not to fund a new city parking division." No. The danger of over-indulging during happy hour is too dangerous. No. The financial benefit has not been proven to outweigh the potential public safety costs. No. Raising prices will discourage people from visiting downtown. 35% 14% 9% 5% 18% "Worcester parking facilities are in deplorable condition. There should be no increase in fees until after facilities are upgraded." "It is a necessary evil. Compared to the parking rates in Boston, rates in Worcester are a steal!" Yes. The city should not be giving deals to large organizations for downtown parking. "Businesses today are already over-regulated, especially in Mass."

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