As local pundits press Gov. Charlie Baker to take a stronger stand against President Trump, it’s worth remembering what Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots always say as the […]
Do your job
Posted inPolitics, Uncategorized
Lawmakers: Hike everyone’s pay
THE TWO TOP LEGISLATIVE leaders on Beacon Hill filed a bill Monday that would boost their own pay by more than doubling the stipends they receive for their posts as […]
Posted inTransportation
T praised for response to Women’s March
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY STEPHANIE POLLACK and members of the MBTA’s oversight board on Monday praised the authority and the state’s commuter rail operator for their response to the huge crowds that […]
Posted inTransportation
T building out Green Line Ext team
THE MBTA IS BUILDING OUT its project staff for the Green Line Extension into Somerville and Medford and keeping on board two consulting firms that have helped steer the project […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Trump’s America First vision
President Trump’s inaugural speech laid out a new “America First” vision for the country that may be more in keeping with the increasingly competitive world economy. “From this day forward, […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Buses are what’s next in transportation
YOU WAIT 20 MINUTES for a bus, only to watch three show up all at once. Soon after boarding, the glut of vehicles carrying hundreds of commuters comes to a […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 33: Tito Jackson makes his case
Tito Jackson is preparing to wage a campaign for mayor of Boston focused on the divide between the haves and have-nots, sounding an echo of many previous mayoral aspirants who […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The Codcast: Tito Jackson makes his case
Tito Jackson is preparing to wage a campaign for mayor of Boston focused on the divide between the haves and have-nots, sounding an echo of many previous mayoral aspirants who […]
Posted inGambling
Slots parlor not hurting lottery sales
A STUDY COMMISSIONED by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission suggests the opening of the Plainridge Park Casino in Plainville in June 2015 did not cannibalize lottery sales in the surrounding area. […]
Posted inTransportation
Logan passengers can now get a Lyft
MASSPORT HAS REACHED an agreement with Lyft to allow the ride-hailing company to operate out of Logan Airport, a move that paves the way for other transportation network companies such […]
Posted inPolitics
Quick and quiet hearing on salaries report
ONE OF THE authors of a report recommending higher compensation for the state’s top elected officials said on Thursday he was “surprised” a joint legislative panel took two years to […]
Posted inPolitics, The Back Story
MassHousing conflict?
THE STATE’S CONFLICT of interest law seems pretty straightforward. A public official may not participate in any matter in which she or a member of her immediate family has a […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download, Transportation
Slow train coming?
The idea of a faster train between Boston and New York sounds like no-brainer. Cutting the travel time between two booming East Coast cities to 2 hours and 45 minutes […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Focusing on the optics of a pay raise
Just as lawmakers are putting down their right hands from being sworn in for the new term, they’ve decided to take up a two-year-old report that portrays them as woefully underpaid […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
New T board needs to include municipalities
Second of two parts, first part is here. IN THE FIRST ARTICLE in this series, I wrote about the importance of addressing MBTA governance. A 2015 report from two highly […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker throws cold water on pay hikes
LAWMAKERS WILL FINALLY take up the recommendations for salary hikes for elected officials laid out in a 2014 report but the plan could be dead on arrival as Gov. Charlie […]
Posted inEnvironment
Eversource seeks big distribution rate hike
EVERSOURCE ON TUESDAY SOUGHT regulatory approval for a hefty increase in its distribution rates, a move that has the potential to sharply increase monthly utility bills in its service areas […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics, The Download
Baker pushes health cost controls
Gov. Charlie Baker launched the beginning of what promises to be a very interesting debate about how to rein in the cost of health care in Massachusetts, releasing an internal […]
Posted inHealth Care, State House News Service
Baker pushes health cost controls
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE COMPANIES THAT DO NOT OFFER their employees health insurance would pay a $2,000 annual assessment per full-time worker to the state under a plan Gov. Charlie […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
MBTA governance needs radical makeover
First in a two-part series; second part is here. THE MBTA’S FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT CONTROL BOARD is properly in the process of developing a strategic plan that will help guide […]
Posted inOpinion
Alcohol provides template for pot regulation
STATE OFFICIALS NEED TO BEGIN the difficult process of implementing systemic, comprehensive regulatory oversight of retail marijuana sales. Fortunately, the existing regulatory system for the sale of alcohol provides an […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Three cheers for natural gas
NATURAL GAS HAS BEEN a resounding environmental success story for Massachusetts that has delivered every benefit environmentalists predicted it would back in the 1990s. Continued access to reliable supplies of […]
Posted inTransportation
T starts laying off workers
THE MBTA IS LAYING OFF workers to help close an $80 million operating deficit. T officials said the layoffs are part of a larger effort to streamline operations by eliminating […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 31: Retailing’s clicks vs. bricks
Sears and Macy’s, two iconic names in retailing, recently announced they plan to close hundreds of stores resulting in the loss of thousands of jobs around the country. Both have […]