“THERE’S A PLACE in the world for the angry young man,” wrote Billy Joel almost 50 years ago. Unfortunately, that place seems to have expanded in our public square (for […]
James Peyser
Posted inOpinion
Should Massachusetts repeal its 2024 gun control law?
Gun rights advocates believe that gun ownership is essential for personal safety, individual liberty, and a free society, while gun control activists hold that widespread gun ownership leads inevitably to disorder and deadly violence on a mass scale.
Posted inOpinion
Should Massachusetts implement a program providing universal basic income?
The difference of opinion over UBI generally comes down to what’s valued most by either side of the argument: reducing the effects of poverty now or increasing self-sufficiency in the future.
Posted inOpinion
Should we limit expansion of natural gas infrastructure in Massachusetts?
The debate boils down to prioritizing tackling climate change or economic growth and energy independence.
Posted inOpinion
Should we impose a moratorium on new prison construction or expansions?
Advocates say a moratorium on prison construction makes sense because the state’s incarceration rate has dropped dramatically and most imprisonment is inherently dehumanizing, and too many criminal offenses are the result of race-based oppression. Opponents say we need updated prison facilities, even with fewer prisoners behind bars.
Posted inOpinion
Should we require voters to produce an ID before casting a ballot?
Massachusetts residents do not have to show an ID to vote, but some think we should join the 36 states that have that requirement.
Posted inOpinion
Should Massachusetts establish a reparations commission?
There is a compelling case for reparations for descendants of enslaved people in the US, but there are strong countervailing arguments that the reparations conversation is a distraction from more grounded efforts to close racial gaps.
Posted inOpinion
Should we give school librarians more control over book selection, while limiting the say of school committees and parents?
Some argue that we should largely allow school librarians to decide what books are available to students, while others say school committees, parents, and others have every right to have a say in the issue.
Posted inOpinion
Should Mass. allow supervised injection sites?
Legislation has been filed to authorize “safe injection sites” in Massachusetts. They can lower overdose rates, but there’s little evidence that they help stem the larger opioid crisis.
Posted inOpinion
Does rent control help or hurt the quest for affordable housing?
Enacting a state law allowing rent control and imposing a “transfer fee” on high-end real estate sales are appealing proposals but opponents say they could have unintended negative effects.
Posted inOpinion
Should we repeal the state’s right-to-shelter guarantee?
Massachusetts is the only state with a right-to-shelter law, a distinction that is drawing criticism and praise as the state grapples with a surge of homeless migrants arriving here.
Posted inOpinion
Should the MBTA be free?
Advocates say fare-free MBTA service would yield environmental gains while addressing income inequality since many passengers are low income, while opponents say it would starve the T of revenue needed for upgrades.
Posted inOpinion
Should community college be free?
Eliminating tuition and fees for degree programs at community colleges for all in-state residents, regardless of financial need, has broad appeal, but some say it may not be the best way to reach the goal of expanded access to higher education.
Posted inOpinion
Some guideposts for restoring civic discourse
Our public debates favor controversy and often gloss over important details and trade-offs. The result: important issues get oversimplified and decision-making becomes dysfunctional.
Posted inOpinion
Restoring civic discourse by embracing complexity
Sometimes things are simpler than they seem. But other times, maybe most of the time, things actually are complicated, with at least two sides to every story.
Posted inEducation
Baker education legacy: continuity and change
EDUCATION REFORM AND improvement is a journey, not a destination. And the timeline for meaningful impact tends to be generational, certainly not contained within a single gubernatorial administration – even […]
Posted inEducation
Bringing efficiency to public higher education
HIGHER EDUCATION can be hidebound and slow-moving. In some instances – such as the pomp and circumstance of commencements – adherence to tradition and ceremony are essential to the academic […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion, Politics
Teacher licensure system needs overhaul
TEACHER LICENSURE IN the Commonwealth is a time-consuming, complex system, costing millions of dollars each year, and it is in need of reform. Massachusetts offers 47 different kinds of teacher […]
Posted inOpinion
Counterpoint
Rep. Thomas O’Brien claims his charter school bill is being put forward primarily for fiscal reasons, in the belief that a moratorium on the granting of new charters will somehow […]