October 22, 2025 • 38 mins
This week, the Cambridge City Council voted to raise the city’s commercial property tax rate by 22%. The move concerns many small local businesses, who are concerned about how they would absorb the higher tax load and stay afloat. How might Cambridge’s business landscape change because of this tax hike? We discussed this challenge for Cambridge businesses with Kari Kuezler, owner of Grendel’s Den and The Sea Hag, and we invited not just businesses to call in and share their thoughts but residents as well!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, there's some interesting developments in Cambridge. And I don't
want to suggest that what's going on in Cambridge is
the canary in the coal mine or the coal shaft,
but I think they might be. We are in a
situation here in Massachusetts where a lot of federal programs
(00:27):
are being cut, which is going to put increased pressure
on communities across Massachusetts. Massachusetts is not the favorite state
of the current administration. I think most of us realize that.
And there's all who are still in the middle now
going into the fourth week of the government shutdown, which, again,
(00:49):
without getting into who's at fault or whatever, that is
not good news for Massachusetts or communities in Massachusetts. And
Cambridge is starting to feel a problem of financial problems
and an article by Spencer Buell in The Boston Globe
Today talked about the irony of the beautiful weekend of
(01:11):
the Charles regard of the head of the Charles, where
local coffee shops you know, he writes, at local coffee
shops line stretched up the sidewalk, restaurants were packed, hotels booked.
Business was good, but storm clouds were approaching, and the
City Council on Monday night voted to raise the city's
commercial property tax rate by This is the words of
(01:34):
Spencer Buell of The Globe Staff by a STARTLINGK twenty two,
A move that will hit many smaller business is hard
and put new pressures pressure on a wealthy system city
accustomed to boom times to rethink either its generous spending
or who it asked to pay for it. I think
that that does really encapsulate the problem, and that problem
(01:56):
has landed at the door of a lot of people
in Cambridge, including my gune Carrie Coolsher. She's the owner
of Grendel's Den. I think everybody is familiar with Grendel's
Den and the c hag To, two locations in Cambridge
that have been very successful over the years. Carrie, this
this has to have hit you hard and other business
(02:19):
owners in Cambridge. You know, I'd like to hope you're
going to say, well, no, Dan, that's not true, but
I know it is true. What's the feeling in the
business community and again the small business community in Cambridge?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Hi, Dan, thank you so much for having me on,
and you know, it really is kind of a thing.
Where as you were mentioning, we are busily helping guests
who are flocking to our area for things like the
head of the Charles and the fall season, and it's
very busy right now. So this all arrived upon our
doorsteps when we're very very busy people as small business
(02:57):
owner as we just don't you know, we don't have
as a team that just sits thereh tracks legislation and taxes.
We're running our businesses, so we actually don't really have
had We haven't really had time to understand what the
impact of this is going to be, and many of
us aren't going to know until we get a bill
from our landlord next year. So what we are seeing
(03:17):
is a really big number and we are already operating
as the margins, and so we are very concerned that
this is going to pass through to all of the
small businesses in a way that's going to be financially challenging.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
So I know that just so people understand that, and
not everybody is a business owner, but everybody can understand
what business owners go through. You have a couple of
locations in Cambridge, you don't own the properties, no, but
you rent.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Correct we rent, and we've rented at the location at
Grendlston where we've been it for fifty five years. We've
been renting the whole time.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I think we could call you a long term tenant.
I think we call you a long term tenant. So
under the lease, the real estate taxes are picked up
by you as the as the renter.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yes, and we actually don't know what they are until
they send us a bill after the fact. So we
sign a lease and it could be five years, it
could be ten years. For a while, Grendels was operating
with a twenty year lease, which is crazy, but that's
how you stay in business for fifty five years. But we,
you know, we commit to a rent rate. And then
on top of that, every year they send you a
bill for all of their expenses, which include property tax, water,
(04:35):
sewer insurance, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Sure, and you do that willingly, now do you? I
don't know if Cambridge is on a fiscal year that
starts on July first, or like the federal government, the
fiscal year starts in October first. When do these tax
bills issue to the owners of the properties and when
(05:01):
did they in turn transfer them to you? Will they
start to issue as of January first. When when is
the when's the dreaded.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
They send some I think they send them and they
don't like Honestly, I don't even look. I get a
bill and start figuring out I'm gonna pay. Yeah, but
I usually get my bills sometime in the summer, like
either in the earliest, like early summer or late summer
from my landlords.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Okay, so you may be on whole amount, the whole
maybe on the July first fiscal fiscal year that starts,
so a fiscal we're now in what's called fiscal twenty six.
And I don't want to get into the weeds here.
So what are other business owners other business owners saying
about this? This is a big number. You told me
(05:47):
that you're paying. I think you said twelve dollars a
square foot for rent? Is that?
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:53):
And I mean I think that the what the city
is sort of laid out, as you know, kind of
the the effective rate is that you know, most people
are paying somewhere around twelve dollars square foot, and it's
going to go up to fourteen.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Now.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
It all depends on where you are and what kind
of sector you're in. So some sectors are going to
go up a lot more, and then some neighborhoods are
going to go up more. And what's crazy is that
it's due to a net drop in real estate value
in the order of like twelve or thirteen percent. And
(06:32):
the big losses came from very specific areas, which are big,
large development, office and lab properties that lost value. And
the people who are still who are the resilient ones
who are still you know, still holding value are the
(06:54):
small businesses who are doing retail and restaurants and hotels.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
What's going to be We're.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Being punished essentially for for ability to hang on well.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Realistically, Carrie, I assume what happens in those circumstances is
just as the landlord passes on the real estate bills
to his tenants and you have to pay more, that
is going to have to impact your customers because obviously
you you have to maintain uh some profit level.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
No, So I mean this is not something that's going
to change the prices. I mean, this is not going
to turn into prices.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I don't think how do you how do you absorb
how do you absorb this cost then without having an
impact on your your bottom line.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Well, when it comes to small businesses, we have much different.
We are not these sort of mercenary extractive operations that
come in and just come here to get you know,
a dollar for a dollar, you know, five dollars for
a dollar. We don't have a formula like that. We
have in it for the long haul. And so our
point is to you know, essentially attract the custom and
keep them forever and ideally stick around and continue to
(08:03):
serve them. So what we have to do is be
like good custodians of our client base and and you know,
deal with these costs and you know, make efficiencies and
make changes that make it possible for people to continue
to participate with their business because that connection is more
important than whatever dollar is here and there when it
(08:25):
comes to our relationship with our guest.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
So you're looking at which is which is what good
business owners do. You're looking at long term relationships, not
you know, your your every quarter making a certain number
every quarter.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But the bottom No, and that's why we haven't left yet.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
No, I get it, I get it, but it's still
it's going to be very difficult. And what I'd like
to do is that we've got to take a break
here for a couple of commercials. We got to make
some money and then when we get back we can
get some folks who might want to call in. Cambridge
is very sought after community. It's got a lot of
(09:03):
issues that gots it has a lot of problems with
you know, parking and getting in and getting out. It's
but everybody loves the hustle and bustle of it. And
and you know, your restaurants are quite popular. But nobody
likes to see a twenty two percent increase in anything.
And that is what's going on here. And there's just
(09:26):
it's almost a perfect economic storm for a city like Cambridge,
which has been doing so well for so long, and
now there's a little bit of a down draft. Uh,
and it's it's going to every everyone's going to kind
of catch a cold here, I guess from from the
from this down draft. My guest is Carrie.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
There's opportunities.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, No, Carrie Coolser, owner of Grendel's Den and the
Sea Hag.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
If you happen to be in Cambridge and you'd like
to calm interview outside of Cambridge, your mother welcome six one, seven, two, five, four, ten,
thirty six three, one, ten thirty. The problem for the
business owners is there's not much they can do here.
It's not as if they can refuse to pay because
(10:12):
they're obligated. And yet somehow they don't want to pass
this on to their customers, longtime customers, particularly again the
Grendel's Den. I did I know it'd been there a
long time. I didn't realize fifty two years. That is
quite quite the track record. We'll be back on nights.
I feel free to join the conversation. Coming back right
(10:32):
after this.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Well, I guess there is Carrie Coolser. She's the owner
of Grendel's Den and the Sea Hag. Let's get the
phone calls and see what people think. Again. I just
have a feeling that with all of the cuts from
the federal government, there's going to be more and more
(11:00):
demands on the states and the communities within the states.
So this property tax increase comes at a particularly in
my opinion, and especially a bad time. Let me go
to Steve, who's calling from Cambridge. Steve, appreciate hearing from you.
You're wrong with the owner of Grendel's Den, Carrie, Cool,
(11:22):
Sir Dan, it's kilt, Sir Kiltzer, Kilt, Sir Kiltzer.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Okay, well I've been Carrie.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
I've been going to Grendel's. Not as much as I
used to, but back into nineteen seventy two or three,
and I knew your father and mother not well. But
I actually skied with your father a couple of times.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Is Carrie still there? Have we lost Yeah, we've lost Carry. Actually, Rob,
had you noticed we've lost the caller with the guests? Yeah,
well it was funny. I asked, we'll get Carrie back
on the line here. But I asked the guests how
she pronounced her name, and she told me he's like Coolser, Like, maybe.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
I've got it wrong, Dan. But Herbie was from Germany,
a very nice guy, a real character, ran his restaurant
with his wife for many for Herbie for many, many.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Many years.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
We've rejoined by our guest here, Steve, so let me
get carry. We lost you there for some some way
again we have with us Steph Cambridge, who corrected me
in the pronunciation of your name. So I'm going to
give him a chance to chat with you. He's been
a customer of yours since nineteen seventy two. And apparently
(12:42):
he skied with your dad. So so Carrie, say hi
to Steve from Cambridge.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Hi, Kerrie, I used to see with your father a
couple of times out in Snowbird.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yes, and others somehow managed to live a life of
skiing in his day.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
And he also was quite a roller skater in Harvard Square.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And the roller skater. Yes, that's how we used to market.
Well we still do it, actually, leaflet. Ah, good for you,
we hand out leaflets. It's it's still a good old
fashioned paper. And the and the foot traffic that really
drives business.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
And I didn't know that you started the sea hag
yep on Mount d'ubern Street, on Mount Auburn Street. I
think right, yes, it's.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
In the location that used to be the boat house.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Oh right right.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
But by the way, Kerry, Steve Tommy's lunch, Steve.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yes, let me just jump in here for a second.
Steve corrected my pronunciation of your last name. I thought
you had told me to pronounce it cool.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
Sir, Yes, culture Gerry. I always kiltser.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Oh, well, you know it's like a German you so
you know you can. It's hard for the for the
for the for people to actually get the u uh perfectly.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
It's like, Okay, I'm going to stick Steve.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I know you're a stickler for this, but I'm going
to stick with culture because that's as that's the best
thing I can do.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Why don't you go ahead?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
He tells you to do. Listen, carry. What I'm interested
in is Dan and you are. Dan was talking about
how booming Cambridge is. But I I've lived in Cambridge
fifty years and we've got an awful lot of empty
storefronts and I just don't see how the city council
can I assume this was the City Council, Yes it was,
(14:49):
I used. I mean, I see so many empty storefronts
in Cambridge and it makes me worried and I just
don't see how at this particular time they could do this.
I mean, don't you notice a lot of empty storefronts
in Cambridge.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I think the City Council has been actually worried about that,
and they've had numerous meetings and hearings on this, and
I think it's a real challenge for the way we're
you know, are the kind of policy levers that they
have don't really they have not figured out at least
or had the political will to at a state level
(15:26):
and a city level, address the economic realities that are
pushing people into essentially letting their properties stay vacant. And
you know, there is a world in which a tax
increase could essentially motivate property owners to start passing those
expenses on to tenants, but they'd have to be able
to make the rent low enough for tenants to want
(15:47):
to be there.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Do you have any ideas, I mean, how Cambridge could
perhaps ease the situation for small business owner and it's
at the same time be able to get their budget
so that we've got good fire and police and so forth.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Well, Cambridge Local First, which is the organization that I
share the board of but don't actually do the real
nitty gritty work, but our staff has been working on
researching avenues for this, and we do think that there's
some ways that there are legal existing ways that could
(16:32):
could could essentially create some kind of incentive to filling
spaces and prioritizing smaller businesses. And I think that there
have to be real thought about about devising policies that
create an economic environment in which small businesses can enter
the market, and that smaller, smaller investors can enter the
(16:55):
market where they can actually own real property. Because one
of the big vulnerabilities that we see when properties values,
you know, suddenly decrease so radically because a few big
players pull out, is that, you know, we're much more
resilient when we have a lot more players in the
market and much smaller players who are invested in sticking around, which,
(17:17):
as I was saying, you know, small businesses really are
here for long haul, and you know, we don't really
make money in that extractive way where we just need
to make a buck today and then you know, once
we got it, we got to get out of here.
We're not you know, we're not leaving. We're going to
We're going to work with the community for a long time.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
I want to ask.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Both of you a question, and I wonder if the
fact that my observations, we have fewer and fewer members
of Congress, members of the state legislature, and I assume
members of the city council in Cambridge and elsewhere, who
have ever run a business, who have ever run a
small business. A lot of people who were getting into
(17:58):
politics want to be the effort. Ever, lifelong politicians never
made a payroll? Is that part of the problem. And
I know this question is the potential of getting you
in trouble Gary with the politicians in Cambridge. But if
they've never made a payroll, if they've never some week
(18:18):
when they didn't have enough profit didn't pay themselves, did
they not understand how difficult it is to run a
small business. I'm talking about politicians generally. Steve, I know
how you might answer this, but I want to hear
what Carrie says.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
First.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Well, our elected officials in Cambridge that I've met and
I've had conversations with seriously personally, many of them have
been in business and they have empathy. They just don't
feel like they have.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
That.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
They're empowered, empowered you know, in any way legally at
a state level, to do the things that they think
would be great. And I also think that politically, you know,
there are forces that make it impossible for them to
do that without alienating somebody else. So I mean to
make the problem with the put it against the residential
taxes you've identified.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I don't know what the percentage of numbers of politicians
who have ever owned a business, but I know very
few politicians. Most politicians today are lifelong politicians. They start
at one level. Steve, what I'll bet you your reaction
to that is somewhat different. Go ahead, Steve.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
No No, I would say a big problem with people
who influence policy in the United States, even on a
local level or even a federal level or a state level,
do not understand the concept of profit and loss. They
have all worked in academia or have been at the
(19:54):
Senate or the House of Representatives for fifty years. Their
paycheck comes in no matter what happens.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
You're agreeing with me, Steve, You're not disagreeing with.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Me, absolutely. And then another problem in Cambridge. And I
don't know if Carrie wants to chime in on this,
because it's a little I think the Cambridge mindset, you know,
is all we want a cultural center here, we want
a community organizing center there, and they don't realize that
(20:25):
someone has to pay the taxes to support all of
this and support our policemen and our firemen and fire
women and fire policewomen, you know, And they think everything
can be like another you know, cultural arts center. And
I think culture is very important and art is very important,
(20:45):
but the city. That's not what runs the city.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
All right, Steve, as always after.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
Kerry, thank you, thank you, Dan.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Thanks so much. I'm glad you mentioned some memories of
my dad and his roller seating.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
He was a great guy.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
But bye bye, Thanks Dave.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
We get back more phone calls six one seven, two, five,
four ten, thirty, six one seven, nine thirty. My guest
is is a very polite person, and obviously having run
a business for fifty two years, she knows of what
she speaks. Uh, that that is for certain. But when
(21:24):
I saw this headline in the Globe, matter fact, when
I saw it online yesterday, it said Cambridge Bruce commercial
tax rate twenty two percent and then it had parentheses.
That is not a typo. That's how significant a tax increase.
They they did not use the parentheses. This is not
(21:45):
a typo in the print edition of the Boston Globe.
But we'll we'll continue. If you are a business owner
and you would like to commiserate with my guest, Carrie Coolser,
owner of Grendel's Den and the Sea Hag, that would
be great, uh six six seven, I think at which
(22:06):
president it was that said, you know, you know, business
is the business of America, and without small business, we
as communities are going to be in big trouble. And
this is a problem in Cambridge and it may again
be a harbinger of things to come in other communities.
We'll be right back on Nightside with more calls for
Kerrie cusor culser I got it that time. We'll be
(22:30):
back on Nightside after this.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w BZ
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Let me get to Harvey Silverglade has joined us. Harvey
is a long time Cambridge resident. Uh and Harvey, I'm
delighted you called in love to know what you think
about what's going on with this increase of the commercial
tax rate for small businesses, especially in Cambridge. You're on
with my guest Kerry Culture, owner of Grendel's Den.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
But as I love Greenwald's. Then, but let me this
is a complicated issue. And the reason it's complicated is this.
The reason that Cambridge has raised commercial taxes is because
the Trump administration has reduced federal aid the states and cities.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Okay, yeah, I alluded to that earlier. I think that's
I know that.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Where do you see where I'm going? They did that,
presumably because the federal deficit was out of control. Of course,
government being government, This is the reason I'm a member
of the Libertarian Party. Government being government. The federal deficit
(23:56):
has ballooned, it has not. The cutting federal aid is
not reduced to federal deficit. The federal deficity is totally
out of control.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, you know what, Harvey, I will never correct you
on anything. However, the federal debt is the accumulated deficit.
The deficit is what the deficit is at any given year. Yes,
there has been some efforts with the tariffs et cetera
to reduce the federal debt a little bit if you
believe the numbers that are coming, you know, out of
(24:29):
the administration. But the point you're making is absolutely accurate.
So other than the reference clarification with debt and deficit,
you continue to go right ahead. I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
So, federal spending is totally out of control. The confidence
of a dollar is sinking. So the federal government is
spending way more money than it is bringing in. Now, Cambridge,
instead of taking this opportunity to reduce expenses and increase taxes,
(25:06):
you know, the Libertarian Party has the setting that's the
problem with government is government itself out of the government.
Our governments are unable to control spending. And instead of
taking this opportunity to cut the Cambridge as a welfare state,
(25:32):
instead of taking the opportunity to cut some of the
spending in Cambridge, they have raised taxes. Classic government reaction
to a problem.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Well, I mentioned in my question to Steve last Hour,
and it's something that I truly believe in, is that
it used to be that the state legislature here in Massachusetts,
and I think probably the city council and most of
the cities, they were kind of part time jobs, and
they were oftentimes the people who were elected were business people,
small business owners, whether it was at the legislature. Harvey,
(26:06):
you've you've run a law practice for many, many years,
and and you, like anyone who runs a business, as
Carrie has, you got to make payroll, and the last
person who gets paid is the owner, because you have
to pay the employees. And I just think there's an
overwhelming number of people who are in positions of authority
(26:29):
in government who have no clue what it is like
to make a payroll to run a business. And I know,
I'm not sure if you buy that theory, but it's
one that I firmly believe in because if you do
go back and look, you can see that the background
of our politicians are becoming much more lifetime professional politicians.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Right, That's the core of that is the core of
the problem. They do not have They do not have
a payroll to make and you know they're full time
and they have no idea what it needs to make
a payroll.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
So so how can we other than just throwing can
people out of office? Carry what can be done by
residents in Cambridge and residence in other communities to avoid
these draconian real estate increases that are going to be
passed on to small businesses? Are you just basically at
(27:37):
the bottom of the totem pole here and you're going
to have to absorb this? Or can can residents and
voters do something about this practice, this political practice?
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Well?
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I think that for one thing, residents of Cambridge need
to understand like what their voice actually is in the
city and they can They don't vote nearly in the
numbers that they should for local politicians. I mean, we
get kind of bogged down what's happening federally, But what's
more important is what's happening locally, and the things that
that are funded by this budget in Cambridge are actually
(28:12):
things that touch your lives a lot more than the
stuff that the federal government is doing. Frankly, you know
we're talking about you know, I think that you know
are caller Harvey. I think that you and I both
are the beneficiaries is of fantastic Cambridge public school system
that got us to the point where we could move
on and do other things. You know, we we were
funding schools, we're funding you know, trash pickups, stuff that
(28:35):
people really like, you know, and they don't realize that
their vote matters for how that plays out, because somebody
could come in, you know, you could elect people and
who just cut schooling and cut trash. I think everyone
would be kind of unhappy about that. But you know,
when it comes to the perspective of small businesses that
we're really not you know, we're not trying to take
away from that pie. We love we love the fact
(28:57):
that Cambridge spends money and has a healthy infrastructure and
great public schools that attract great residents. But we need
to make it accessible for people to to live and
work here and then ultimately continue to build wealth and
and and and build a relationship with the community and
not just come and go come. Really worried about is
(29:22):
what we're really worried about is big you know sort
of private equity, big institutions that come in and essentially
set the set the price. You know, it's price discovery.
That's really the problem. When it comes to you know,
commercial real estate and the kinds of competition that we
face as small businesses versus you know, national chains. It's
(29:43):
we're not We're not in the fight with the city
budget at all.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Well, you you you have other issues at Cambridge. You
have some big universities. Who do who in hospitals?
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Who pay?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
Who pay my rent? I mean who? Honestly, like, the
population of the university is the bread and butter of
most of my of what we do in Harvard Square
at least.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
No, no, no, I totally get that. But but with Harvard,
and again this is not a criticism of Harvard. I
have a couple of children graduate from Harvard. They have
a fifty two billion dollar endowment. That's at least that's
the last number I saw. And they are on real estate,
which doesn't contribute. They may make some payments in lieu
(30:27):
of taxes, as does Maybem I T. But you know
that's a fact, that's a factor. You know, again, if
you're happy with what's going on generally, I think that
that invariably the average person turns and says, well, make
the business owners. You're grouped in with the big business
(30:48):
owners and you're not big business. Go ahead of.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
The fact is Harvard and MIT bring a tremendous amount
of wealth to the city of Cambridge. Okay, even though
they don't pay as much taxes as they wouldn't fail
a commercial adventures, they have a there's a tremendous high
(31:18):
takes industrial base here because we have MIT in Cambridge universe.
It's a myth that universities cost Cambridge money. They make
Cambridge money.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Well, they do, Harvey, but they have a fifty two
billion dollar endowment. And I don't know if Harvard or
MI T. I don't think they pay real estate taxes,
and I don't know what they pay in lieu of
taxes sometimes universities. Of course, church is a tax exempt
as well. That's a lot of property that ends up
(31:57):
being tax exempt. But hey, we have different points of
view here, which is what Nightside is all about. Harvey
is always I thank you so much for joining us. Carrie,
I got to take a break, and we got a
couple more calls we'll deal with on the other side.
Harvey is always thank you so much for your for
your time and your insights. Carrie, stay right there. We
(32:18):
got we got one more segment coming up, and if
any other business owners want to join the conversation, feel
free Cambridge or otherwise. Six one seven two four thirty
six one seven, nine thirty be right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Bzy Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
We're talking about a pretty substantial commercial property tax rate
in Cambridge. With me is Carrie Coolser. She's the owner
of Grendel's Den and the Sea Hag, and we's going
to try to get at least a couple of callers
in here quickly. Let me go to Brian in Natick. Brian,
you are next on Nightside with Carry Kulser. Go right ahead, Brian. Okay.
(32:59):
If Brian, for whatever reason is not there, we will
put Brian on hold and we'll go to Rachel in Quincy.
Rachel your next outside, Go ahead, Rachel apn.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
I hope you're well. I it doesn't matter if it's
just Cambridge or whatever. My question is is, when you
have a an exempt, non taxable company, where are the
taxes that have to be paid going to Are they
(33:31):
going to our residences and they're going to increase it?
And that's not no.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
It's pretty simple. It's pretty simple, Rachel. You know, hospitals, churches,
and universities are for the most part tax exempt. Many
of those institutions, particularly the universities, will pay a some
some form of a donation in lieu of taxes, but
it's always a fraction of what is the real value
(33:58):
of the property on which they building sit. And we
can have a conversation about that. But the money, whether
it comes from you know, donations by some of these
tax exempt groups, it's in what they call in lieu
of taxes or whether it's property taxes paid by residential
owners or meals taxes paid. It all goes into into
(34:18):
into the coffers of the city or the coffers of
the state, and then it's the lad it's the politicians
who decide how much money is spent, you know, on streets,
how much money is spent on fire and public safety
and all of that. That's that's what their job is.
I'm just saying that, in my opinion, too many of
the politicians now have become full time politicians and they
(34:39):
do not know what it takes to run a company,
as Carrie Coolster does and others. So that's as as
clear an answer as I can give you. I hope
that helps a little bit.
Speaker 6 (34:50):
No, Dan, it completely makes me understand that, and I
get it. And you're right. You gotta eat something as
a business, and you give all the politicians that listen,
you know what they get one hundred thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
You've got somebody in.
Speaker 6 (35:09):
Quinsy right now that is trying to get one hundred
and seventy nine thousand dollars and he owes more money
to anything. It's just not okay.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
We've talked with Quincy and and we'll come back into
a story on Quincy pretty soon, that's for sure. Rachel.
I'm going to try to get one more in here.
Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks Rachel. Let me
go to Brian. Let me say it, Brian. I hope
Brian is there, Brian, are you there? Excellent excellent work, Brian,
(35:44):
Thank you very much, Kerrie, if there are folks in
Cambridge who want to get in touch with your organization,
because obviously in unity there's some strength. I think you
mentioned the name of it. It went by me very quickly.
What is the group that you're the chair of and
it doesn't have a website?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Yes, Cambridge Local First. It's actually celebrating its twentieth anniversary
this year, So tune in and follow us on Instagram
at Cambridge Local First. It's a long it's a long word.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
It's only it's only three words.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
People can get that Cambridge Local First on Facebook. Is
it a dot commerce or they have to find you
through dot org? Okay, so it's and it's a tax
exempt the organization. That's good people can actually and we
contribution to it.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Okay, Yeah, we're celebrating our twentieth twentieth year. We you know,
represent we promote resilient local economies. That means residents and
businesses and and local politics. We believe that people should
be engaged and and focus on their local community and
appreciate it as the main thing that touches their lives.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
But by the way, you you're so right on that point.
I just wanted to re emphasize when we voted the
presidential election. Everybody think they're going to impact the presidential election.
The fact of the matter is we know pretty much
where which way most of the states are going to
break in a presidential election, and when you're one of
one hundred and seventy million people who are going to vote,
(37:15):
But when you vote in a town election, whether it's
Cambridge or Canton or wherever, your single vote has a
much higher impact because there are a few other votes.
You may be one of twenty thousand people or one
of ten thousand people, and a lot of those elections
sometimes end up being decided by literally a handful of votes.
(37:38):
So you're right, Carrie when you say more people need
to get involved. And I certainly hope that your business
owners coalesce and they let people understand that there's only
so much so much blood you can get out of
a stone and so only so much money you can
get out of a business owner. Thanks so much for
joining us tonight, and I hope we've helped you a
(37:59):
little bit.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Thanks so much for having me, and it was a
pleasure to talk to all of your guests and connect.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Thanks so much, Gary. We will talk again, and I'll
have to get over to Grendelsten someday. Steve speaks so
highly of it. When we get back, we're going to
talk about a very interesting development in the New Hampshire
Senate race. As I'm sure some of you have heard today,
former New Hampshire Senator John Sunu, no not the governor,
the former senator has decided he's going to weigh in
(38:27):
in the race to succeed Jean Shaheen. This is fascinating.
There's going to be two heavyweight Republicans, John Sounhu, former
senator from New Hampshire, and Scott Brown, a former senator
from Massachusetts, who want the right to succeed, and they're
going to have to fight each other for it in
(38:48):
a Republican primary. We'll get to all of that right
after the ten o'clock News
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, there's some interesting developments in Cambridge. And I don't
want to suggest that what's going on in Cambridge is
the canary in the coal mine or the coal shaft,
but I think they might be. We are in a
situation here in Massachusetts where a lot of federal programs
(00:27):
are being cut, which is going to put increased pressure
on communities across Massachusetts. Massachusetts is not the favorite state
of the current administration. I think most of us realize that.
And there's all who are still in the middle now
going into the fourth week of the government shutdown, which, again,
(00:49):
without getting into who's at fault or whatever, that is
not good news for Massachusetts or communities in Massachusetts. And
Cambridge is starting to feel a problem of financial problems
and an article by Spencer Buell in The Boston Globe
Today talked about the irony of the beautiful weekend of
(01:11):
the Charles regard of the head of the Charles, where
local coffee shops you know, he writes, at local coffee
shops line stretched up the sidewalk, restaurants were packed, hotels booked.
Business was good, but storm clouds were approaching, and the
City Council on Monday night voted to raise the city's
commercial property tax rate by This is the words of
(01:34):
Spencer Buell of The Globe Staff by a STARTLINGK twenty two,
A move that will hit many smaller business is hard
and put new pressures pressure on a wealthy system city
accustomed to boom times to rethink either its generous spending
or who it asked to pay for it. I think
that that does really encapsulate the problem, and that problem
(01:56):
has landed at the door of a lot of people
in Cambridge, including my gune Carrie Coolsher. She's the owner
of Grendel's Den. I think everybody is familiar with Grendel's
Den and the c hag To, two locations in Cambridge
that have been very successful over the years. Carrie, this
this has to have hit you hard and other business
(02:19):
owners in Cambridge. You know, I'd like to hope you're
going to say, well, no, Dan, that's not true, but
I know it is true. What's the feeling in the
business community and again the small business community in Cambridge?
Speaker 3 (02:34):
Hi, Dan, thank you so much for having me on,
and you know, it really is kind of a thing.
Where as you were mentioning, we are busily helping guests
who are flocking to our area for things like the
head of the Charles and the fall season, and it's
very busy right now. So this all arrived upon our
doorsteps when we're very very busy people as small business
(02:57):
owner as we just don't you know, we don't have
as a team that just sits thereh tracks legislation and taxes.
We're running our businesses, so we actually don't really have
had We haven't really had time to understand what the
impact of this is going to be, and many of
us aren't going to know until we get a bill
from our landlord next year. So what we are seeing
(03:17):
is a really big number and we are already operating
as the margins, and so we are very concerned that
this is going to pass through to all of the
small businesses in a way that's going to be financially challenging.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
So I know that just so people understand that, and
not everybody is a business owner, but everybody can understand
what business owners go through. You have a couple of
locations in Cambridge, you don't own the properties, no, but
you rent.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Correct we rent, and we've rented at the location at
Grendlston where we've been it for fifty five years. We've
been renting the whole time.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I think we could call you a long term tenant.
I think we call you a long term tenant. So
under the lease, the real estate taxes are picked up
by you as the as the renter.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
Yes, and we actually don't know what they are until
they send us a bill after the fact. So we
sign a lease and it could be five years, it
could be ten years. For a while, Grendels was operating
with a twenty year lease, which is crazy, but that's
how you stay in business for fifty five years. But we,
you know, we commit to a rent rate. And then
on top of that, every year they send you a
bill for all of their expenses, which include property tax, water,
(04:35):
sewer insurance, et cetera.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Sure, and you do that willingly, now do you? I
don't know if Cambridge is on a fiscal year that
starts on July first, or like the federal government, the
fiscal year starts in October first. When do these tax
bills issue to the owners of the properties and when
(05:01):
did they in turn transfer them to you? Will they
start to issue as of January first. When when is
the when's the dreaded.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
They send some I think they send them and they
don't like Honestly, I don't even look. I get a
bill and start figuring out I'm gonna pay. Yeah, but
I usually get my bills sometime in the summer, like
either in the earliest, like early summer or late summer
from my landlords.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
Okay, so you may be on whole amount, the whole
maybe on the July first fiscal fiscal year that starts,
so a fiscal we're now in what's called fiscal twenty six.
And I don't want to get into the weeds here.
So what are other business owners other business owners saying
about this? This is a big number. You told me
(05:47):
that you're paying. I think you said twelve dollars a
square foot for rent? Is that?
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (05:53):
And I mean I think that the what the city
is sort of laid out, as you know, kind of
the the effective rate is that you know, most people
are paying somewhere around twelve dollars square foot, and it's
going to go up to fourteen.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
Now.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
It all depends on where you are and what kind
of sector you're in. So some sectors are going to
go up a lot more, and then some neighborhoods are
going to go up more. And what's crazy is that
it's due to a net drop in real estate value
in the order of like twelve or thirteen percent. And
(06:32):
the big losses came from very specific areas, which are big,
large development, office and lab properties that lost value. And
the people who are still who are the resilient ones
who are still you know, still holding value are the
(06:54):
small businesses who are doing retail and restaurants and hotels.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
What's going to be We're.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Being punished essentially for for ability to hang on well.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Realistically, Carrie, I assume what happens in those circumstances is
just as the landlord passes on the real estate bills
to his tenants and you have to pay more, that
is going to have to impact your customers because obviously
you you have to maintain uh some profit level.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
No, So I mean this is not something that's going
to change the prices. I mean, this is not going
to turn into prices.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I don't think how do you how do you absorb
how do you absorb this cost then without having an
impact on your your bottom line.
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Well, when it comes to small businesses, we have much different.
We are not these sort of mercenary extractive operations that
come in and just come here to get you know,
a dollar for a dollar, you know, five dollars for
a dollar. We don't have a formula like that. We
have in it for the long haul. And so our
point is to you know, essentially attract the custom and
keep them forever and ideally stick around and continue to
(08:03):
serve them. So what we have to do is be
like good custodians of our client base and and you know,
deal with these costs and you know, make efficiencies and
make changes that make it possible for people to continue
to participate with their business because that connection is more
important than whatever dollar is here and there when it
(08:25):
comes to our relationship with our guest.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
So you're looking at which is which is what good
business owners do. You're looking at long term relationships, not
you know, your your every quarter making a certain number
every quarter.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But the bottom No, and that's why we haven't left yet.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
No, I get it, I get it, but it's still
it's going to be very difficult. And what I'd like
to do is that we've got to take a break
here for a couple of commercials. We got to make
some money and then when we get back we can
get some folks who might want to call in. Cambridge
is very sought after community. It's got a lot of
(09:03):
issues that gots it has a lot of problems with
you know, parking and getting in and getting out. It's
but everybody loves the hustle and bustle of it. And
and you know, your restaurants are quite popular. But nobody
likes to see a twenty two percent increase in anything.
And that is what's going on here. And there's just
(09:26):
it's almost a perfect economic storm for a city like Cambridge,
which has been doing so well for so long, and
now there's a little bit of a down draft. Uh,
and it's it's going to every everyone's going to kind
of catch a cold here, I guess from from the
from this down draft. My guest is Carrie.
Speaker 4 (09:45):
There's opportunities.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Yeah, No, Carrie Coolser, owner of Grendel's Den and the
Sea Hag.
Speaker 4 (09:51):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
If you happen to be in Cambridge and you'd like
to calm interview outside of Cambridge, your mother welcome six one, seven, two, five, four, ten,
thirty six three, one, ten thirty. The problem for the
business owners is there's not much they can do here.
It's not as if they can refuse to pay because
(10:12):
they're obligated. And yet somehow they don't want to pass
this on to their customers, longtime customers, particularly again the
Grendel's Den. I did I know it'd been there a
long time. I didn't realize fifty two years. That is
quite quite the track record. We'll be back on nights.
I feel free to join the conversation. Coming back right
(10:32):
after this.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Well, I guess there is Carrie Coolser. She's the owner
of Grendel's Den and the Sea Hag. Let's get the
phone calls and see what people think. Again. I just
have a feeling that with all of the cuts from
the federal government, there's going to be more and more
(11:00):
demands on the states and the communities within the states.
So this property tax increase comes at a particularly in
my opinion, and especially a bad time. Let me go
to Steve, who's calling from Cambridge. Steve, appreciate hearing from you.
You're wrong with the owner of Grendel's Den, Carrie, Cool,
(11:22):
Sir Dan, it's kilt, Sir Kiltzer, Kilt, Sir Kiltzer.
Speaker 4 (11:28):
Okay, well I've been Carrie.
Speaker 5 (11:32):
I've been going to Grendel's. Not as much as I
used to, but back into nineteen seventy two or three,
and I knew your father and mother not well. But
I actually skied with your father a couple of times.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Is Carrie still there? Have we lost Yeah, we've lost Carry. Actually, Rob,
had you noticed we've lost the caller with the guests? Yeah,
well it was funny. I asked, we'll get Carrie back
on the line here. But I asked the guests how
she pronounced her name, and she told me he's like Coolser, Like, maybe.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
I've got it wrong, Dan. But Herbie was from Germany,
a very nice guy, a real character, ran his restaurant
with his wife for many for Herbie for many, many.
Speaker 4 (12:20):
Many years.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
We've rejoined by our guest here, Steve, so let me
get carry. We lost you there for some some way
again we have with us Steph Cambridge, who corrected me
in the pronunciation of your name. So I'm going to
give him a chance to chat with you. He's been
a customer of yours since nineteen seventy two. And apparently
(12:42):
he skied with your dad. So so Carrie, say hi
to Steve from Cambridge.
Speaker 5 (12:49):
Hi, Kerrie, I used to see with your father a
couple of times out in Snowbird.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yes, and others somehow managed to live a life of
skiing in his day.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
And he also was quite a roller skater in Harvard Square.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
And the roller skater. Yes, that's how we used to market.
Well we still do it, actually, leaflet. Ah, good for you,
we hand out leaflets. It's it's still a good old
fashioned paper. And the and the foot traffic that really
drives business.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
And I didn't know that you started the sea hag
yep on Mount d'ubern Street, on Mount Auburn Street. I
think right, yes, it's.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
In the location that used to be the boat house.
Speaker 5 (13:39):
Oh right right.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
But by the way, Kerry, Steve Tommy's lunch, Steve.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yes, let me just jump in here for a second.
Steve corrected my pronunciation of your last name. I thought
you had told me to pronounce it cool.
Speaker 5 (13:56):
Sir, Yes, culture Gerry. I always kiltser.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Oh, well, you know it's like a German you so
you know you can. It's hard for the for the
for the for people to actually get the u uh perfectly.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
It's like, Okay, I'm going to stick Steve.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I know you're a stickler for this, but I'm going
to stick with culture because that's as that's the best
thing I can do.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
Why don't you go ahead?
Speaker 5 (14:25):
He tells you to do. Listen, carry. What I'm interested
in is Dan and you are. Dan was talking about
how booming Cambridge is. But I I've lived in Cambridge
fifty years and we've got an awful lot of empty
storefronts and I just don't see how the city council
can I assume this was the City Council, Yes it was,
(14:49):
I used. I mean, I see so many empty storefronts
in Cambridge and it makes me worried and I just
don't see how at this particular time they could do this.
I mean, don't you notice a lot of empty storefronts
in Cambridge.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
I think the City Council has been actually worried about that,
and they've had numerous meetings and hearings on this, and
I think it's a real challenge for the way we're
you know, are the kind of policy levers that they
have don't really they have not figured out at least
or had the political will to at a state level
(15:26):
and a city level, address the economic realities that are
pushing people into essentially letting their properties stay vacant. And
you know, there is a world in which a tax
increase could essentially motivate property owners to start passing those
expenses on to tenants, but they'd have to be able
to make the rent low enough for tenants to want
(15:47):
to be there.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
Do you have any ideas, I mean, how Cambridge could
perhaps ease the situation for small business owner and it's
at the same time be able to get their budget
so that we've got good fire and police and so forth.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Well, Cambridge Local First, which is the organization that I
share the board of but don't actually do the real
nitty gritty work, but our staff has been working on
researching avenues for this, and we do think that there's
some ways that there are legal existing ways that could
(16:32):
could could essentially create some kind of incentive to filling
spaces and prioritizing smaller businesses. And I think that there
have to be real thought about about devising policies that
create an economic environment in which small businesses can enter
the market, and that smaller, smaller investors can enter the
(16:55):
market where they can actually own real property. Because one
of the big vulnerabilities that we see when properties values,
you know, suddenly decrease so radically because a few big
players pull out, is that, you know, we're much more
resilient when we have a lot more players in the
market and much smaller players who are invested in sticking around, which,
(17:17):
as I was saying, you know, small businesses really are
here for long haul, and you know, we don't really
make money in that extractive way where we just need
to make a buck today and then you know, once
we got it, we got to get out of here.
We're not you know, we're not leaving. We're going to
We're going to work with the community for a long time.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
I want to ask.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Both of you a question, and I wonder if the
fact that my observations, we have fewer and fewer members
of Congress, members of the state legislature, and I assume
members of the city council in Cambridge and elsewhere, who
have ever run a business, who have ever run a
small business. A lot of people who were getting into
(17:58):
politics want to be the effort. Ever, lifelong politicians never
made a payroll? Is that part of the problem. And
I know this question is the potential of getting you
in trouble Gary with the politicians in Cambridge. But if
they've never made a payroll, if they've never some week
(18:18):
when they didn't have enough profit didn't pay themselves, did
they not understand how difficult it is to run a
small business. I'm talking about politicians generally. Steve, I know
how you might answer this, but I want to hear
what Carrie says.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
First.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Well, our elected officials in Cambridge that I've met and
I've had conversations with seriously personally, many of them have
been in business and they have empathy. They just don't
feel like they have.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
That.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
They're empowered, empowered you know, in any way legally at
a state level, to do the things that they think
would be great. And I also think that politically, you know,
there are forces that make it impossible for them to
do that without alienating somebody else. So I mean to
make the problem with the put it against the residential
taxes you've identified.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I don't know what the percentage of numbers of politicians
who have ever owned a business, but I know very
few politicians. Most politicians today are lifelong politicians. They start
at one level. Steve, what I'll bet you your reaction
to that is somewhat different. Go ahead, Steve.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
No No, I would say a big problem with people
who influence policy in the United States, even on a
local level or even a federal level or a state level,
do not understand the concept of profit and loss. They
have all worked in academia or have been at the
(19:54):
Senate or the House of Representatives for fifty years. Their
paycheck comes in no matter what happens.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
You're agreeing with me, Steve, You're not disagreeing with.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Me, absolutely. And then another problem in Cambridge. And I
don't know if Carrie wants to chime in on this,
because it's a little I think the Cambridge mindset, you know,
is all we want a cultural center here, we want
a community organizing center there, and they don't realize that
(20:25):
someone has to pay the taxes to support all of
this and support our policemen and our firemen and fire
women and fire policewomen, you know, And they think everything
can be like another you know, cultural arts center. And
I think culture is very important and art is very important,
(20:45):
but the city. That's not what runs the city.
Speaker 2 (20:49):
All right, Steve, as always after.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
Kerry, thank you, thank you, Dan.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
Thanks so much. I'm glad you mentioned some memories of
my dad and his roller seating.
Speaker 5 (21:00):
He was a great guy.
Speaker 4 (21:01):
But bye bye, Thanks Dave.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
We get back more phone calls six one seven, two, five,
four ten, thirty, six one seven, nine thirty. My guest
is is a very polite person, and obviously having run
a business for fifty two years, she knows of what
she speaks. Uh, that that is for certain. But when
(21:24):
I saw this headline in the Globe, matter fact, when
I saw it online yesterday, it said Cambridge Bruce commercial
tax rate twenty two percent and then it had parentheses.
That is not a typo. That's how significant a tax increase.
They they did not use the parentheses. This is not
(21:45):
a typo in the print edition of the Boston Globe.
But we'll we'll continue. If you are a business owner
and you would like to commiserate with my guest, Carrie Coolser,
owner of Grendel's Den and the Sea Hag, that would
be great, uh six six seven, I think at which
(22:06):
president it was that said, you know, you know, business
is the business of America, and without small business, we
as communities are going to be in big trouble. And
this is a problem in Cambridge and it may again
be a harbinger of things to come in other communities.
We'll be right back on Nightside with more calls for
Kerrie cusor culser I got it that time. We'll be
(22:30):
back on Nightside after this.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray. I'm w BZ
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Let me get to Harvey Silverglade has joined us. Harvey
is a long time Cambridge resident. Uh and Harvey, I'm
delighted you called in love to know what you think
about what's going on with this increase of the commercial
tax rate for small businesses, especially in Cambridge. You're on
with my guest Kerry Culture, owner of Grendel's Den.
Speaker 4 (23:04):
But as I love Greenwald's. Then, but let me this
is a complicated issue. And the reason it's complicated is this.
The reason that Cambridge has raised commercial taxes is because
the Trump administration has reduced federal aid the states and cities.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Okay, yeah, I alluded to that earlier. I think that's
I know that.
Speaker 4 (23:33):
Where do you see where I'm going? They did that,
presumably because the federal deficit was out of control. Of course,
government being government, This is the reason I'm a member
of the Libertarian Party. Government being government. The federal deficit
(23:56):
has ballooned, it has not. The cutting federal aid is
not reduced to federal deficit. The federal deficity is totally
out of control.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
Yeah, you know what, Harvey, I will never correct you
on anything. However, the federal debt is the accumulated deficit.
The deficit is what the deficit is at any given year. Yes,
there has been some efforts with the tariffs et cetera
to reduce the federal debt a little bit if you
believe the numbers that are coming, you know, out of
(24:29):
the administration. But the point you're making is absolutely accurate.
So other than the reference clarification with debt and deficit,
you continue to go right ahead. I'm sorry.
Speaker 4 (24:41):
So, federal spending is totally out of control. The confidence
of a dollar is sinking. So the federal government is
spending way more money than it is bringing in. Now, Cambridge,
instead of taking this opportunity to reduce expenses and increase taxes,
(25:06):
you know, the Libertarian Party has the setting that's the
problem with government is government itself out of the government.
Our governments are unable to control spending. And instead of
taking this opportunity to cut the Cambridge as a welfare state,
(25:32):
instead of taking the opportunity to cut some of the
spending in Cambridge, they have raised taxes. Classic government reaction
to a problem.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
Well, I mentioned in my question to Steve last Hour,
and it's something that I truly believe in, is that
it used to be that the state legislature here in Massachusetts,
and I think probably the city council and most of
the cities, they were kind of part time jobs, and
they were oftentimes the people who were elected were business people,
small business owners, whether it was at the legislature. Harvey,
(26:06):
you've you've run a law practice for many, many years,
and and you, like anyone who runs a business, as
Carrie has, you got to make payroll, and the last
person who gets paid is the owner, because you have
to pay the employees. And I just think there's an
overwhelming number of people who are in positions of authority
(26:29):
in government who have no clue what it is like
to make a payroll to run a business. And I know,
I'm not sure if you buy that theory, but it's
one that I firmly believe in because if you do
go back and look, you can see that the background
of our politicians are becoming much more lifetime professional politicians.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
Right, That's the core of that is the core of
the problem. They do not have They do not have
a payroll to make and you know they're full time
and they have no idea what it needs to make
a payroll.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
So so how can we other than just throwing can
people out of office? Carry what can be done by
residents in Cambridge and residence in other communities to avoid
these draconian real estate increases that are going to be
passed on to small businesses? Are you just basically at
(27:37):
the bottom of the totem pole here and you're going
to have to absorb this? Or can can residents and
voters do something about this practice, this political practice?
Speaker 4 (27:51):
Well?
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I think that for one thing, residents of Cambridge need
to understand like what their voice actually is in the
city and they can They don't vote nearly in the
numbers that they should for local politicians. I mean, we
get kind of bogged down what's happening federally, But what's
more important is what's happening locally, and the things that
that are funded by this budget in Cambridge are actually
(28:12):
things that touch your lives a lot more than the
stuff that the federal government is doing. Frankly, you know
we're talking about you know, I think that you know
are caller Harvey. I think that you and I both
are the beneficiaries is of fantastic Cambridge public school system
that got us to the point where we could move
on and do other things. You know, we we were
funding schools, we're funding you know, trash pickups, stuff that
(28:35):
people really like, you know, and they don't realize that
their vote matters for how that plays out, because somebody
could come in, you know, you could elect people and
who just cut schooling and cut trash. I think everyone
would be kind of unhappy about that. But you know,
when it comes to the perspective of small businesses that
we're really not you know, we're not trying to take
away from that pie. We love we love the fact
(28:57):
that Cambridge spends money and has a healthy infrastructure and
great public schools that attract great residents. But we need
to make it accessible for people to to live and
work here and then ultimately continue to build wealth and
and and and build a relationship with the community and
not just come and go come. Really worried about is
(29:22):
what we're really worried about is big you know sort
of private equity, big institutions that come in and essentially
set the set the price. You know, it's price discovery.
That's really the problem. When it comes to you know,
commercial real estate and the kinds of competition that we
face as small businesses versus you know, national chains. It's
(29:43):
we're not We're not in the fight with the city
budget at all.
Speaker 2 (29:46):
Well, you you you have other issues at Cambridge. You
have some big universities. Who do who in hospitals?
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Who pay?
Speaker 3 (29:55):
Who pay my rent? I mean who? Honestly, like, the
population of the university is the bread and butter of
most of my of what we do in Harvard Square
at least.
Speaker 2 (30:04):
No, no, no, I totally get that. But but with Harvard,
and again this is not a criticism of Harvard. I
have a couple of children graduate from Harvard. They have
a fifty two billion dollar endowment. That's at least that's
the last number I saw. And they are on real estate,
which doesn't contribute. They may make some payments in lieu
(30:27):
of taxes, as does Maybem I T. But you know
that's a fact, that's a factor. You know, again, if
you're happy with what's going on generally, I think that
that invariably the average person turns and says, well, make
the business owners. You're grouped in with the big business
(30:48):
owners and you're not big business. Go ahead of.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
The fact is Harvard and MIT bring a tremendous amount
of wealth to the city of Cambridge. Okay, even though
they don't pay as much taxes as they wouldn't fail
a commercial adventures, they have a there's a tremendous high
(31:18):
takes industrial base here because we have MIT in Cambridge universe.
It's a myth that universities cost Cambridge money. They make
Cambridge money.
Speaker 2 (31:34):
Well, they do, Harvey, but they have a fifty two
billion dollar endowment. And I don't know if Harvard or
MI T. I don't think they pay real estate taxes,
and I don't know what they pay in lieu of
taxes sometimes universities. Of course, church is a tax exempt
as well. That's a lot of property that ends up
(31:57):
being tax exempt. But hey, we have different points of
view here, which is what Nightside is all about. Harvey
is always I thank you so much for joining us. Carrie,
I got to take a break, and we got a
couple more calls we'll deal with on the other side.
Harvey is always thank you so much for your for
your time and your insights. Carrie, stay right there. We
(32:18):
got we got one more segment coming up, and if
any other business owners want to join the conversation, feel
free Cambridge or otherwise. Six one seven two four thirty
six one seven, nine thirty be right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (32:32):
Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm Bzy Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:38):
We're talking about a pretty substantial commercial property tax rate
in Cambridge. With me is Carrie Coolser. She's the owner
of Grendel's Den and the Sea Hag, and we's going
to try to get at least a couple of callers
in here quickly. Let me go to Brian in Natick. Brian,
you are next on Nightside with Carry Kulser. Go right ahead, Brian. Okay.
(32:59):
If Brian, for whatever reason is not there, we will
put Brian on hold and we'll go to Rachel in Quincy.
Rachel your next outside, Go ahead, Rachel apn.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
I hope you're well. I it doesn't matter if it's
just Cambridge or whatever. My question is is, when you
have a an exempt, non taxable company, where are the
taxes that have to be paid going to Are they
(33:31):
going to our residences and they're going to increase it?
And that's not no.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
It's pretty simple. It's pretty simple, Rachel. You know, hospitals, churches,
and universities are for the most part tax exempt. Many
of those institutions, particularly the universities, will pay a some
some form of a donation in lieu of taxes, but
it's always a fraction of what is the real value
(33:58):
of the property on which they building sit. And we
can have a conversation about that. But the money, whether
it comes from you know, donations by some of these
tax exempt groups, it's in what they call in lieu
of taxes or whether it's property taxes paid by residential
owners or meals taxes paid. It all goes into into
(34:18):
into the coffers of the city or the coffers of
the state, and then it's the lad it's the politicians
who decide how much money is spent, you know, on streets,
how much money is spent on fire and public safety
and all of that. That's that's what their job is.
I'm just saying that, in my opinion, too many of
the politicians now have become full time politicians and they
(34:39):
do not know what it takes to run a company,
as Carrie Coolster does and others. So that's as as
clear an answer as I can give you. I hope
that helps a little bit.
Speaker 6 (34:50):
No, Dan, it completely makes me understand that, and I
get it. And you're right. You gotta eat something as
a business, and you give all the politicians that listen,
you know what they get one hundred thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (35:08):
You've got somebody in.
Speaker 6 (35:09):
Quinsy right now that is trying to get one hundred
and seventy nine thousand dollars and he owes more money
to anything. It's just not okay.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
We've talked with Quincy and and we'll come back into
a story on Quincy pretty soon, that's for sure. Rachel.
I'm going to try to get one more in here.
Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks Rachel. Let me
go to Brian. Let me say it, Brian. I hope
Brian is there, Brian, are you there? Excellent excellent work, Brian,
(35:44):
Thank you very much, Kerrie, if there are folks in
Cambridge who want to get in touch with your organization,
because obviously in unity there's some strength. I think you
mentioned the name of it. It went by me very quickly.
What is the group that you're the chair of and
it doesn't have a website?
Speaker 3 (36:03):
Yes, Cambridge Local First. It's actually celebrating its twentieth anniversary
this year, So tune in and follow us on Instagram
at Cambridge Local First. It's a long it's a long word.
Speaker 4 (36:17):
It's only it's only three words.
Speaker 2 (36:19):
People can get that Cambridge Local First on Facebook. Is
it a dot commerce or they have to find you
through dot org? Okay, so it's and it's a tax
exempt the organization. That's good people can actually and we
contribution to it.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
Okay, Yeah, we're celebrating our twentieth twentieth year. We you know,
represent we promote resilient local economies. That means residents and
businesses and and local politics. We believe that people should
be engaged and and focus on their local community and
appreciate it as the main thing that touches their lives.
Speaker 2 (36:54):
But by the way, you you're so right on that point.
I just wanted to re emphasize when we voted the
presidential election. Everybody think they're going to impact the presidential election.
The fact of the matter is we know pretty much
where which way most of the states are going to
break in a presidential election, and when you're one of
one hundred and seventy million people who are going to vote,
(37:15):
But when you vote in a town election, whether it's
Cambridge or Canton or wherever, your single vote has a
much higher impact because there are a few other votes.
You may be one of twenty thousand people or one
of ten thousand people, and a lot of those elections
sometimes end up being decided by literally a handful of votes.
(37:38):
So you're right, Carrie when you say more people need
to get involved. And I certainly hope that your business
owners coalesce and they let people understand that there's only
so much so much blood you can get out of
a stone and so only so much money you can
get out of a business owner. Thanks so much for
joining us tonight, and I hope we've helped you a
(37:59):
little bit.
Speaker 3 (38:00):
Thanks so much for having me, and it was a
pleasure to talk to all of your guests and connect.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Thanks so much, Gary. We will talk again, and I'll
have to get over to Grendelsten someday. Steve speaks so
highly of it. When we get back, we're going to
talk about a very interesting development in the New Hampshire
Senate race. As I'm sure some of you have heard today,
former New Hampshire Senator John Sunu, no not the governor,
the former senator has decided he's going to weigh in
(38:27):
in the race to succeed Jean Shaheen. This is fascinating.
There's going to be two heavyweight Republicans, John Sounhu, former
senator from New Hampshire, and Scott Brown, a former senator
from Massachusetts, who want the right to succeed, and they're
going to have to fight each other for it in
(38:48):
a Republican primary. We'll get to all of that right
after the ten o'clock News
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