Earlier this month, Massachusetts Democrats were in panic mode after a handful of polls indicated US Sen. Scott Brown had overtaken and pulled away from Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren. But […]
Up, down, up
Posted inEconomy
Patrick aide calls for tax break reviews
Gov. Deval Patrick’s budget chief on Tuesday proposed that certain tax credits sunset after five years without legislative reauthorization, offering a blueprint for the state to systematically review its $26 […]
Posted inPolitics, Transportation
T backs subway fare hike of 17%
Bay State commuters who rely on the MBTA will be slapped with an average 23 percent fare hike under a budget proposal that state transportation officials unveiled today. “The proposal […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Brimfield casino site not worth the stakes
Can’t get there from here. MGM Resorts International finally threw in its hand and decided to walk away from a $600 million project to build a hilltop gambling mecca in […]
Posted inEconomy
Employers, economists push for paid sick leave
Employers, workers, and economists rallied and lobbied at the State House in support of legislation that would offer sick leave to the estimated 1 million Massachusetts employees who don’t have […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Two cheers for Obamacare
Yesterday, Rick Santorum stood on the steps of the Supreme Court and said November’s presidential election will hinge on health care. John Kerry agreed. He told the Herald he’s daring […]
Posted inEconomy, The Back Story
Essex official wants to sue over mortgage mess
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’)); John O’Brien is a […]
Posted inEnvironment
Senate proposes bill on electricity
The Massachusetts Senate is planning to pass legislation this week that would require more frequent scrutiny of electric utility rates and eliminate no-bid contracts and “sweetheart deals” associated with long-term […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
Opening Day (at the Supreme Court)
The baseball season doesn’t start until next week, but Washington hosts a different opening day, as three days of oral arguments begin before the US Supreme Court in the challenge […]
Posted inPolitics
Murray now tangled in Probation web
Senate President Therese Murray, whose name had been mentioned but who has been largely on the periphery of the Probation Department scandal, is now fully enmeshed after a federal indictment made […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
All the news that’s fit to post
How are you reading this? On your smartphone? Your tablet? If so, you are part of the exploding audience that gets its news from traditional sources but through changing delivery […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
The dangerous (and dumb) Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a dangerous man: dangerous to the world view of Massachusetts Democrats. The way things are supposed to work around here is we have a Democratic Party primary […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Civic booster shot
When it comes to civic engagement, Massachusetts teens could hit the ground running and automatically be registered to vote on their 18th birthday under legislation approved yesterday by a Beacon […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
Tax breaks add up to big money
“Too complicated, too big.” Those were the words the Tax Expenditure Commission used to describe the tangle of tax breaks that amount to over $26 billion, or more in foregone […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Uncategorized
“C” on integrity report nothing to write home about
When everyone around you is getting Ds and Fs, a C can feel pretty good. Beacon Hill insiders probably breathed a sigh of relief at the Bay State’s fair-to-middling ranking […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
Boston-Cambridge Google wars
“It’s too bad.” That’s how the president of the Boston City Council greeted last night’s news that Google had won approvals to expand its Cambridge headquarters. Google ran into a […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
The casino gamble
If you’re a state leader or a casino mogul lustily eyeing the gambling licenses up for grabs in Massachusetts, did you smile giddily or break into a cold sweat when […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
GateHouse bonuses give clue they don’t have one
(A correction has been added to this story) The problem with being a publicly traded company is all your missteps are there for everyone to see. The problem with being […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
SJC acknowledges 21st century
There are still courthouses around Massachusetts where index card files reign over computer files and you still have to go to clerks’ offices to get civil and criminal case documents […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download, Transportation
Transit insaniTy
It’s all over, including the shouting. If some MBTA riders actually thought that negative testimonies at public hearings were going to prevent fare increases and service cuts, now they know […]
Posted inEconomy, State House News Service, The Download
Gambling law unknowns
The late entry of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe has upended the calculus behind the Mashpee Wampanoag’s Taunton casino bid. The Mashpee were supposed to have a head start on one […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Retaining Boston’s tech cluster
Today marks the fourth day of South by Southwest (SXSW), a conference that attracts almost 50,000 people and showcases the latest in music, film, and technology each year in Austin. […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Back Story
The private talks with NStar
The deal paving the way for the $17.5 billion merger between NStar and Northeast Utilities was set in motion more than a year ago, when executives from the two companies […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Mystery woman to run for office
The mystery woman who was at the center of a House chamber incident with a Braintree lawmaker last year says she is going to challenge Rep. David Torrisi of North […]