Local Businesses fighting to keep up

This morning’s paper focuses on some of the local restaurants and businesses trying to survive in this recession and having a tough go of it.

Many are having trouble keeping up with the costs and expenses, and the taxes are just another thing throwing them over the edge.

Our own Bob Cox is trying to survive this sewer expansion project on 113 that has been going on for two years now. At times, the road past his restaurant became undrivable… but so far he’s survived.

Dracut Selectman Robert Cox, who owns Coyle’s Roadhouse Tavern on Broadway Road, admits his business has suffered dramatically over the past year, causing him to fall behind in meals-tax payments to the state. At one point, he owed $57,225 in meal-tax payments, including interest and penalties.

Cox said he has worked out a payment plan with the DOR and Coyle’s was recently taken off the DOR list, indicating that his debt has been paid off. But business remains difficult.

We hear this morning that the state budget out of conference committee has included a 1.25% increase in the meals tax that would go to the state, and each town and city could choose to add on an additional 0.75% for themselves.

Seems to me that much of what they raise in meal’s tax will be lost in the income tax revenues that are gone due to the closing of a number of businesses over the next few years.

Ah, but the state doesn’t worry.. they’ve increased the sales tax, and added a tax on liquor, and increased the hotel tax, and cut back on school funding…

Ok, that’s not fair, they are worrying down there. But again, it sure looks like there’s a lot of work being done to save government jobs while the rest of the economy crumbles around us.