The thinking behind the design of the Freedom Trail is attributed to William Schofield, a former travel writer for the Boston Herald. This historic attraction literally lays out Boston’s colonial history before you on the very streets where the city’s most transformative events unfolded several hundred years ago. These were arduous and challenging times and living under the yoke of an oppressive foreign monarchy would eventually prove too much to bear and, thus, a revolution was born.Ĭomprised of 16 places of interest, each one a milestone in the evolution of Boston from English colony to independence, the Freedom Trail is an essential component of any trip to Boston. Most of the population subsisted as farmers, the drinking water was unsafe, medicine was still in the Dark Ages, and the average lifespan was just shy of 40 years. This building practice was abolished toward the advent of the 1700s due to the susceptibility of fire. Before they were built by stone or brick masonry, homes were small, dank, drafty and made entirely of wood. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.For the average Bostonian, life in the New England colonies during the 17th century was, as you might’ve guessed, not exactly one of ease and leisure. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at for further information. Though that too could change if Referendum N passes and finally Referendum O would make it harder to amend the constitution via the ballot but make it even easier to change laws.Ĭopyright © 2008 NPR. Then again, Colorado doesn't allow saloons. Colorado's Referendum L would lower the age for serving in the state legislature to 21, that's just old enough to drink at saloons - saloons defined as bars without food service. Wade by defining a person as, quote, any human being from the moment of fertilization.
One would largely ban affirmative action. In Colorado alone, there are 14 measures. Iowa may change its ban against voting by an idiot or an insane person to instead bar a person adjudged mentally incompetent to vote. Arizona and Florida also vote on gay marriage bans. In the mix, a California proposition boosting law enforcement spending and another banning gay marriage. NORRIS: There are dozens of other initiatives facing voters this year. For NPR News, I'm Curt Nickisch in Boston. The more nerve-racking the economy gets, the more likely Massachusetts residents will vote themselves a tax cut. NICKISCH: Both sides expect the vote to be close, and they agree. NORRIS: Teddy Kennedy, John Kerry of Massachusetts voting to repeal the income tax, says if you can do it in Massachusetts, you can do it anywhere. Grover Norquist is a Massachusetts native who now heads Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington lobby group. But the anti-tax movement nationally hopes to score a symbolic victory here that could spark similar measures in other states. Truth be told, the state now ranks closer to the middle of the pack when it comes to the personal tax burden. NICKISCH: That's the type of talk that earned the state the reputation of Taxachusetts back in the '70s and '80s. It costs a lot of money to run government.
We're not going to have any more to pay taxes. Already some government officials are threatening to raise property and sales taxes if the income tax is repealed. If it passes, he says, state services would go to pot. NICKISCH: Steve Crawford is spokesman for a group of unions that consider the ballot measure fiscal insanity. NORRIS: We understand that people are having a tough time, and times are tough but there's no question it will make it worse. That's about 40 percent of its current budget.
It would also cut $12 billion in funding to the state. NICKISCH: If the ballot measure passes, voters like Nilsson would get to keep the 5.3 percent of their income that they pay to Massachusetts each year. In one way, we could provide assistance to him that we might not otherwise be able to provide him.
NORRIS: We could use that money very nicely. Nilsson thinks there's plenty of waste in state government to put money back in their hands. Her husband is in the next room, in a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis. The freelance musician is worried about getting work as the economy sours. NICKISCH: Kristina Nilsson is playing that violin. What started as a small libertarian effort is getting a boost from all the melancholy economic news. Curt Nickisch reports from member station WBUR in Boston.ĬURT NICKISCH: It could be the biggest tax revolt here since the Boston Tea Party. The biggest ballot measure by far is the one in Massachusetts, where voters could choose to nix the state personal income tax altogether. This November, seven states will vote on whether to cut taxes.