Gov. Deval Patrick has a serious problem on his hands. Some state agencies are in full grip of the Peter Principle. Educator Laurence Peter is forever linked to his observation […]
Peter Principle at work in Bay State bureaucracy
Posted inEnvironment, The Download
Baker’s Cape Wind conversion
Four years ago gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker strongly opposed Cape Wind as a “sweetheart deal” that would drive up the cost of doing business in Massachusetts. Now, according to an editorial […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Walsh’s legislative skills needed on transportation
A new mayor provides an opportunity for new thinking about Boston-area transportation. And since state participation is a must when it comes to the transportation policies that would create the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
SJC chief Ireland stepping down in July
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick Ireland plans to step down in July, giving Gov. Deval Patrick several months to secure a successor atop the high […]
Posted inHealth Care
Dookhan was lone “bad actor”
The state inspector general ripped top state health and lab officials for missing clear warning signs and withholding key information from investigators that would have exposed the extent of the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Playing the extremist card
There are some real differences between Republican and Democratic candidates for governor as well as for the North Shore congressional seat held by longtime incumbent John Tierney. Abortion rights, gay […]
Posted inGambling, The Download
Plainville and racing get the nod
A divided Massachusetts Gaming Commission, won over by the possibility of simultaneously creating new gambling jobs and preserving existing jobs at the Plainridge harness racing track, approved a slots parlor for […]
Posted inHealth Care
Commission: Get tough on tobacco smugglers
The state Commission on Illegal Tobacco issued a report on Friday calling for the creation of a task force to enforce tougher laws and penalties designed to reduce the smuggling […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Walsh has different marching orders as mayor
A lot has changed in the city, state, and country since 1995, especially when it comes to gay rights. That was the year the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the right […]
Posted inThe Back Story
Walsh reviewing Red Sox deal
The administration of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said it is reviewing an agreement the city struck with the Boston Red Sox in October that formalized a long-standing arrangement allowing the […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
State salary numbers don’t tell full story
To read the headlines in the two Boston papers last week would lead one to think that government salaries are spiraling out of control: “More than 1,000 state employees get […]
Posted inThe Download
Revere-Everett casino scuffle on tap, but action moves to SJC
As Revere casino supporters salivate over the their victory, the Bay State casino wars shift from the ballot box to the courtroom. The showdown with Everett over the eastern Massachusetts license […]
Posted inEnvironment
Cape Wind: Will it be first?
Cape Wind appears to be moving closer to construction, but it’s no longer clear whether the Nantucket Sound wind farm will be America’s first. At a conference in Boston of […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Probation trial won’t be pretty for Beacon Hill
Lawmakers on Beacon Hill looked like they got off easy in federal prosecutors’ investigation into corruption at the state Probation Department. But as former probation boss John O’Brien heads to […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, Opinion, Politics, State House News Service
Commission backs graduated income tax
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICEA 15-member special commission charged with looking at ways to make the state’s tax code simpler and fairer is recommending a graduated income tax. A graduated income […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics, State House News Service
Baker: ACA driving health consolidation
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICERepublican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker on Monday credited the trend toward consolidation and mergers in the health care marketplace to the enormous regulatory changes being imposed on […]
Posted inPolitics
Possible Probation witness lists filed
Defense Witness List Prosecution Witness List The prosecution and defense teams in the federal corruption trial of former Probation commissioner John J. O’Brien on Tuesday filed lists of people they […]
Posted inEnvironment
Hydro push
In a bid to replace the region’s retiring coal and nuclear power plants with cleaner energy, the Patrick administration and key lawmakers are mounting a major push behind legislation that […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Grassroots democracy or insider politics?
The state Democratic Party’s rule requiring a candidates for governor to get 15 percent of the delegate votes at the state convention in order to appear on the primary ballot […]
Posted inPolitics
Lawmakers get immunity
Lawyers for former Probation commissioner John O’Brien revealed that a number of state legislators have been granted immunity by federal prosecutors in exchange for their testimony in the one-time powerful […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Mayor Walsh: Is the honeymoon over?
We’re not quite there yet, but the honeymoon is starting to come to an end for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. The Globe looks at his hiring record so far at City […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The quick Fox Brown-out
In business, and in general, when a contract expires, that means a person and a company are no longer tethered to each other. They can choose to continue the relationship […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Back Story
Compromising on natural gas
A New Jersey-based energy developer this week secured the legal breathing room it needs to build one of the largest power plants in Massachusetts. All it took was a commitment […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics
Patrick pledges 50% reduction in recidivism in five years
Below is the transcript of a speech Gov. Deval Patrick delivered on Thursday at UMass Boston regarding new approaches to dealing with state prison inmates. To see what Massachusetts residents […]