OVER THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has steadily increased the intensity of his legal attacks on the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, to the point where the case is […]
Walsh’s steadily expanding casino lawsuit
Posted inEducation, State House News Service, The Download
Educating illegal immigrants
The question of granting in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants for public colleges and universities continues to vex lawmakers. Should we punish children who, through no fault of their own, landed […]
Posted inGambling
Wynn files latest permit application
WYNN RESORTS on Wednesday filed its latest application seeking a key state environmental permit for its proposed Everett casino, which suggests the Las Vegas company is ignoring Attorney General Maura […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Dealing with chronic homelessness
IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, the city of Boston put the finishing touches on a new shelter for 400 homeless individuals on South Hampton Street and announced a bold homelessness […]
Posted inEconomy
Globe hiking digital price 74%
THE BOSTON GLOBEÂ is raising its digital subscription cost by 74 percent in a move that executives say is an attempt to raise revenue and to match price with value. The […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Pioneer, the Pacheco law, and the revenge of the Blue Mass Group nerds
The MBTA is an easy target for critics. The Greater Boston transit system seems to be the only state agency operating with a permanent bulls-eye on it. The Pioneer Institute […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Energy ‘combo platter’ doesn’t need new greenfield pipelines
WE HAVE HAD TWO STRONG WINTER SEASONS in a row with high energy costs. Some have said we lack infrastructure capacity, resulting in a classic supply and demand dynamic that […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Somerset goes after carbon tax funds
AN OUTSIDE SECTION of the Legislature’s budget would use up to $3 million from a regional carbon tax to help the town of Somerset offset the loss of property tax revenue […]
Posted inGambling, The Download
Healey’s curious casino intervention
With Wynn Resorts on the verge of filing its third application for a key state environmental permit, Attorney General Maura Healey on Monday urged state transportation officials to require the […]
Posted inEducation
Chang takes charge
TOMMY CHANG HIT the ground when he became Boston’s new school superintendent on July 1, and it’s no wonder. Not only did the former Los Angeles school administrator bring lots […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Fair housing laws just got fairer
It got crowded out of the news by the blockbuster decisions on health care (issued the same day) and same-sex marriage (issued the following day), but an important Supreme Court […]
Posted inEconomy, Olympics, Opinion
Olympics jobs shouldn’t be union only
BOSTON 2024’s second plan to host the Summer Olympics in Massachusetts attempts to convince taxpayers it’s financially feasible and responsible. However, the inclusion of a discriminatory and costly hiring policy […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion, Politics
Lift the solar net metering cap
DESPITE THE INCREASED ADOPTION of solar power in Massachusetts, the right of every citizen to have access to predictable and clean power is in danger. And it’s up to industry […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Financing the Affordable Care Act
NOW THAT THE the lawsuit challenging federally established health care exchanges, King v. Burwell, has been relegated to history’s dustbin, let’s return for a deeper dive into the June 2015 report from […]
Posted inThe Download
And thus spake Martin Meehan
Media types will tell you they view public relations people, who they often refer to as flacks, as necessary evils. PR folks will say the same about journalists, except for […]
Posted inGambling
Boston wins some, loses some on gaming suit
THE CITY OF BOSTON survived a procedural challenge to its lawsuit against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Thursday, but the municipality’s bid to start issuing subpoenas and deposing witnesses was […]
Posted inGambling, The Back Story
Mystery figure in Crosby ethics probe revealed
THE MYSTERY FIGURE who spurred a state ethics investigation of Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chairman Stephen Crosby turns out to be Charles A. Baker III, a lawyer and top Democratic political […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
With Pacheco law, it’s all about the narrative
Sen. Marc Pacheco, author of a 1993 law that became the focus of the behind-the-scenes wrangling over the 2016 state budget, says people forget the context in which the measure […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Baker files Canadian hydroelectricity bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Thursday filed procurement legislation to boost the state’s supply of hydropower, presumably from Canada, a goal that the governor says will increase […]
Posted inPolitics
Does budget run afoul of Baker push for no new taxes?
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday hailed the Legislature’s plan to boost the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit and pay for the tax giveback for low-income working families by permanently doing […]
Posted inOlympics, Opinion
Americans really want to host Olympics
AMERICANS REALLY WANT to host the 2024 Olympics. They want it more than they have in the past. They want it more than other countries do. They want it more […]
Posted inGambling
Gaming Commission, Walsh square off over writing style
THE MASSACHUSETTS GAMING COMMISSION and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh are scheduled to square off in court on Thursday on what is in many respects is a writing dispute. The Gaming […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Disrupting business as usual @ the MBTA
For MBTA riders, life on the T during the Wednesday morning rush was perfectly normal. There were “moderate” disabled-train delays on the Orange Line, signal problems on the Green Line, […]
Posted inPolitics, Transportation
House, Senate negotiators break budget stalemate
HOUSE AND SENATE NEGOTIATORS broke their deadlock on the fiscal 2016 budget Tuesday night by finding a novel way to fund an expansion of a tax credit that benefits low-income […]