Despite evidence of a “pay-to-play culture” in the Middlesex County Sheriff’s office under the late James DiPaola, Attorney General Martha Coakley today announced the conclusion of an investigation into public […]
Coakley closes DiPaola probe
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Going ‘Freddie’ in Florida
The Republican presidential primary entered a new and brutal phase when it rolled into Florida yesterday, with Mitt Romney going sharply negative on the suddenly re-resurgent Newt Gingrich. Romney is […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Economy, Education, Health Care
Patrick delivers state of the state
Below is the full text of Governor Deval Patrick’s state of the state address, delivered Monday night at the State House. Lieutenant Governor and fellow Constitutional Officers, Madame President, Mr. […]
Posted inPolitics
Romney reports income of $21.6m, no wages
Click here to view former Governor Mitt Romney’s 2010 tax returns. Romney’s 2011 estimated return can be viewed on his campaign website. Homepage photo by Gage Skidmore and published under a Creative […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Smart on crime is everyone’s mantra
As Gov. Deval Patrick and legislative leaders close ranks around controversial “three strikes” legislation, a group calling itself Smart on Crime Massachusetts today called on the officials to rethink their […]
Posted inEconomy
Galvin trades barbs with S. Coast officials
South Coast officials traded pointed accusations with an unusually animated Secretary of State William Galvin today, as the two sides battled over a bill exempting a stalled Freetown office development […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Murray’s spin-out
Until yesterday, it looked as if Lt. Gov. Tim Murray had been through a very rough patch of misfortune, with two separate big hits to his political standing: a series […]
Posted inEducation
Teachers ask SJC to block petition
The Massachusetts Teachers Association today filed a suit to block a ballot initiative that would establish a teacher evaluation system in public schools. Click here to read the suit.
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Common ground for strange Web bedfellows
President Obama came out against some of the provisions in the two bills in Congress that would put the boot on online piracy so you’d think the remaining Republican contenders […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
A plan to master prison overcrowding
The Patrick administration is set to unveil a Corrections Master Plan tomorrow to deal with what is expected to be a near-crisis in the growth of the state’s inmate population – […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Back Story
Business group has Coakley’s ear
Attorney General Martha Coakley renewed her call this week for revisions to the state’s Green Communities Act, a position that has put her at odds with many in the environmental […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Boston.com jumps into ticket scalping
The Boston Globe’s Boston.com website is now reselling tickets to sporting events under its own name through a partnership with Ace Ticket, reports the Nieman Journalism Lab. The lab’s story […]
Posted inEconomy
Mass. auto insurance rates fall 12.7%
The average auto insurance premium in Massachusetts fell 12.7 percent between 2007 and 2009, far outpacing the national decline of 1.4 pecent, according to a report issued by the National […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The tax man cometh for Mitt Romney
Why did Mitt Romney think that his GOP competitors or the national media would sit still while he dithered over the release of his tax returns? The furor over his […]
Posted inPolitics
Patrick backs social innovation financing
The Patrick administration said today it is pushing ahead with plans to use so-called social innovation financing to tackle chronic homelessness and reduce recidivism among juveniles transitioning out of the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Health Care, Opinion, State House News Service
Study: Wind turbines pose no health issue
An independent group of medical, environmental health, and engineering experts have concluded that there are few health effects that can be traced to living or working near wind turbines. The […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The Brown-Warren disarmament talks
Last week, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson mailed $5 million to Newt Gingrich. Or, rather, he mailed the cash to some friends of Newt, who are permitted to raise and spend […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics
Mass. Bar, judges push court funds
The state’s judges are lobbying Beacon Hill for more funding for the court system through an unusual collaboration with the Massachusetts Bar Association. The MBA, which represents attorneys who practice […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Brown-Warren in dollar duel
This year’s US Senate campaign is going to be big. Just follow the money. On Tuesday Scott Brown revealed that he raised $3.2 million during the fourth quarter of 2011 […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Caswell collects $425,000 severance
MassDevelopment agreed to make a $425,000 severance payment to Ben Caswell, a former employee who the Patrick administration once dubbed the “poster boy” for excessive salaries and perks at state […]
Posted inPolitics, The Back Story
The puzzle at DCR
State Auditor Suzanne Bump says she is puzzled why it took so long for anyone in state government to notice the haphazard way the Department of Conservation and Recreation was […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Is envy one of the seven deadly political sins?
It is the disparity that dares not speak its name: Income inequality. The focus of the Occupy movement and an increasing number of studies and reports, the gap between rich […]
Posted inPolitics
Campaign not much of a contest
two years ago, we had stories showing the Bay State was dead last in the country for the number of contested races for the Legislature, with less than 17 percent […]
Posted inUncategorized
Take my wife…please
CommonWealth is a pretty serious publication, one that’s not known for its sense of humor. But recently we tried our hand at comedy, hosting a 15th anniversary celebration called “Serious […]