NESTLED BETWEEN BOSTON’S WEST END AND GOVERNMENT CENTER are two state-owned fortresses of brutalist architecture: the Hurley and Lindemann buildings. The structures are solid, but lacking. Outside staircases are fenced […]
Brutalist buildings need some TLC
Posted inTransportation
Valet for the common man
IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD to be true: A new app offering valet parking in Boston for less than what it costs to park in most garages. A San Francisco-based technology […]
Posted inThe Download
On housing supply, the more things change…
To understand what holds back the state’s economy, and what causes young families who are otherwise drawn to Massachusetts life to flee for greener pastures, check out this piece by […]
Posted inOpinion, Uncategorized
Net metering is not a subsidy
CONTRARY TO UTILITY ASSERTIONS, net metering is not a subsidy. It’s mechanism that allows solar owners to receive credit, similar to rollover minutes on a cell phone plan, for power […]
Posted inThe Download
Globe pricing strategy may be working
The Boston Globe’s bold gamble to raise its digital subscription price by 74 percent may be working, reports Ken Doctor. When the story broke about the Globe’s price change in July, […]
Posted inPolitics, The Back Story
For Legislature, there’s always next year
The first year of the Legislature’s two-year session ended with a whimper on Wednesday night. After 11 months of doing next to nothing, the two branches finally moved into high […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Warren: We can’t abandon Syrian refugees
OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, millions of people have fled their homes in Syria, running for their lives. In recent months, the steady stream of refugees has been a flood […]
Posted inEconomy, Gambling, State House News Service
Healey proposes fantasy sports regs
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE SAYING THAT HER ONGOING REVIEW of daily fantasy sports games uncovered “a number of significant concerns,” Attorney General Maura Healey on Thursday announced a series of […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
Let’s make Logan Airport a fair wage zone
LOGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is a critical hub in Massachusetts that serves more than 20 million passengers a year and brings in more than $7 billion in economic activity to the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Baker vs Moulton: Preview of a heavyweight fight?
It has all the markings of a heavyweight match-up: The stare-downs, the accusations, the well-defined contrast in style, and the loyal camps for each side. The spat between Gov. Charlie […]
Posted inEnvironment
Lawmakers go home, turn lights out on solar bill
THE HOUSE AND SENATE failed to agree on net metering legislation Wednesday night and recessed until next year, leaving the state’s fast-growing solar industry stalled in a regulatory limbo. Solar […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
Pollack: More Green Line funds needed
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION is to press ahead with the Green Line Extension project, the Legislature will likely have to authorize additional bonding next year […]
Posted inUncategorized
House okays panel to review public records exemptions
THE HOUSE ON Wednesday unanimously approved a watered-down Public Records reform bill but beat back an attempt to lift the exemption covering the Legislature, instead agreeing to form a commission […]
Posted inEnvironment
Healey study: No new pipelines needed
A STUDY COMMISSIONED BY ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY indicates new natural gas pipelines are not needed because the region’s power grid will face no “reliability deficiency” through 2030. Even with […]
Posted inThe Download
Opioid crisis through lens of class and race
Northampton is the focus for a revealing MassLive article on hidden heroin addiction in Western Massachusetts: “All races, ethnic groups, ages, and income levels” have been affected, the report found. […]
Posted inEnvironment
House passes solar bill; Senate leader hopeful
THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE voted 150-2 on Tuesday in favor of a solar power bill that is very different from what the Senate passed in June, yet the Senate’s energy expert […]
Posted inPolitics
Public records bill does little to open access
THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS Committee is set to unveil a bill that would allow those who are thwarted in seeking public records to collect attorney fees, a stick designed […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
States must do right thing, accept Syrian refugees
FRIDAY’S ATTACK ON PARIS felt like an attack that happened in our backyard despite it having taken place an ocean away. The reason for that is the attackers didn’t target […]
Posted inTransportation
Ridesharing changes benefit all
MORE THAN 30 years in law enforcement has taught me that the phrase “the only constant is change” is undeniably true. The pace of change is only accelerating and law […]
Posted inEducation, State House News Service
State board approves new ed test
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE BOARD of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday voted to accept Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester’s recommendation to create a new “next-generation” student assessment program […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Baker talks tough on Syrian refugees
In times of crisis, elected leaders don’t want to appear indecisive. When the Tsarnaev brothers went on their Boston Marathon rampage, former governor Deval Patrick shut down the city. When […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Baker still Mr. Popularity, but his T is not
CHARLIE BAKER WALKS on water. Earlier this year, National Journal dubbed him “the most popular politician in America,” and he remains close to those lofty heights today. He has a sparkling […]
Posted inUncategorized
Solar advocates slam House net metering bill
THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE unveiled a solar power bill Monday night that would temporarily lift the cap on a key incentive but then rein in costs associated with […]
Posted inGambling
Judge OKs Wynn deposition of Walsh aide
A SUFFOLK SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE has authorized Wynn Resorts to question under oath a top aide to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and the city’s outside legal counsel to determine who […]