Marie-Frances Rivera

Marie-Frances is President at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. She has held many roles at the organization over the past several years, including Deputy Director, Director of Development and Policy Analyst

Prior to joining MassBudget, Marie-Frances was a grantmaker at the Hyams Foundation, which has a mission of increasing economic, racial, and social justice and power within low-income communities in Greater Boston. While at the Foundation, she advised and worked on the creation and implementation of a newly formed racial justice and public policy grantmaking initiative.

Marie-Frances has also spent time directly working with young people through a youth mentoring program she helped establish and manage in her hometown of New Bedford, MA. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Babson College and a Master in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University.

Beacon Hill’s “Double-Dip” Tax Break Misses the Mark for Struggling Communities, Families, and Small Businesses

Statement, Taxes / By

Statement by Marie-Frances Rivera, MassBudget President, on the PPP “double-dip” tax break   “The Legislature’s decision yesterday on Emergency Paid Sick Time and Unemployment Insurance (UI) creates cause for celebration. Providing targeted tax relief for unemployed workers whose income falls below 200 percent of the poverty line is commendable. As stated in our recent brief, Black, …

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Testimony for the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees, the Joint Committee on Revenue, and the Executive Office of Administration and Finance Economic Roundtable

Taxes, Testimony / By

We’re clearly in a budget crisis. Which is extremely troubling at this time, when we need real, comprehensive relief for families and individuals — so many of our neighbors, young and old, are struggling with accessing basic necessities and keeping healthy and well.

Our Commonwealth’s budget – how we raise revenue through taxes and fees, and how we spend that revenue – is the clearest picture of our shared values. Considering the revenue side picture is crucial, but the other side of the ledger is just, if not more important.

Letter: Vulnerable communities badly need assistance

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Hardship is widespread, but Black, Latinx, indigenous and immigrant families have been particularly hard hit, with the crisis exacerbating long-standing inequities in health care, education, employment, and housing that stem largely from structural racism. Our community partners have shared countless stories about the persistent trauma facing kids and families in their communities. We must act now.

The country and commonwealth that I love and care for support people who are going hungry, losing their homes and jobs. Federal policymakers must act, by ensuring that all those who need it get direct cash and other supports to meet their basic needs. Additional federal aid is a clear-cut solution to keep people safe and get our economy back on track.

The federal government must step in to assist those in need during pandemic, not play political games (Letters)

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The Republican and MassLive, September 21, 2020

With 11.3% unemployment, MA has one of the highest rates in the nation. Almost 1 in 12 Massachusetts adults with children say they can’t afford enough food for their kids, and 1 in 7 renters are behind on rent, according to a new report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Hardship is widespread, but Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and immigrant families have been particularly hard hit, with the crisis exacerbating long-standing inequities in health care, education, employment, and housing that stem largely from structural racism. Our community partners have shared countless stories about the persistent trauma facing kids and families in their communities. We must act now.

Raise taxes for a fair recovery

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Commonwealth Magazine, August 14, 2020

Now is the time to take the reins to determine our own destiny. All of us can call on the federal government to provide our people and state governments with financial supports, just as it did in the Great Recession. The Legislature has options: it can use our state’s multi-billion-dollar Rainy-Day Fund, take advantage of borrowing, or raise taxes by asking those who have benefited most from our economy to pay their fair share. By raising taxes on unearned income like dividends and capital gains, for instance, Massachusetts can ensure a fair and equitable recovery for black, brown, and other communities who have historically been left on the margins. We all should have the resources we need to participate in our recovery — that is equity.

Government budgets are a statement of our collective priorities. Reducing inequality should be part of the economic calculus of how states and localities balance their budgets. This pandemic has shown how little cushion many of our communities of color and low-income people have to weather the economic slowdown. Without adequate revenue from the federal government and our wealthy neighbors and corporations, we can’t make the investments we need for a strong and equitable recovery.

Black Lives and the Pursuit of Racial and Economic Justice

Blog, COVID-19, Press Release, Taxes / By

This country was built upon racist ideas and policies that we must all work deliberately to undo every day. These policies, such as Jim Crow laws, residential redlining, inequitable school funding, lack of access to GI bill benefits, and more have brought deep harms to Black and Brown communities. Last week our staff and board took …

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