For years, New Hampshire has been like an oasis in the desert to antitax forces. The “Live Free or Die” state has no income or sales taxes, and yet it […]
The Download: How does New Hampshire do it?
Posted inThe Back Story, Transportation
At the T, reform gives way to revenue
Gov. Deval Patrick’s transportation chief opened the door to new transportation revenues this week. And while MassDOT CEO Jeff Mullan pointedly refused to discuss where new revenues might come from, […]
Posted inEducation
A new day for public education in Boston
The war is over. Sure, there had never been an all-out declaration. But for years public education in Boston was characterized by deep tensions, which not infrequently spilled over into […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
The Download: Days of yore
As much of America is fixated on a wedding in the royal family — except, believe it or not, viewers of Fox 25 — that harkens back to the time […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics, The Download
The Download: Lantigua lets down Lawrence
The coda has yet to be written on the political career of Lawrence Mayor William Lantigua. But attracting the attention of federal law enforcement officials never bodes well, as Sal […]
Posted inEconomy, Health Care, State House News Service
House health vote enrages union officials
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Labor unions were in open revolt Tuesday against the Democratic leaders of the House, promising political consequences for House Speaker Robert DeLeo and other state representatives […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The Download: Glum Sal
Jury selection begins today in the corruption trial of former House Speaker Sal DiMasi, and the former king of Beacon Hill is already looking and talking like a beaten man. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics, The Download
The Download: The birtherism of a nation
According to a New York Times/CBS poll released last week, 25 percent of adults surveyed believe that President Obama was not born in the US. Among Republicans, the figure soars […]
Posted inPolitics
Judge rejects Globe’s records injunction
A Superior Court judge today rejected The Boston Globe’s bid for an injunction requiring Massachusetts officials to turn over the names of employees who have received lucrative settlement or severance […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
The Download: Sexy cities
Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter says flourishing cities have sex appeal. I hadn’t thought about cities that way, but she’s got a point. The good ones have a […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Back Story
Collective bargaining brouhaha
Union officials are threatening to take out Massachusetts lawmakers who strip away their collective bargaining rights. The officials say they are ready and willing to negotiate lower health care benefits; […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics, The Download
The Download: No idle threat
With the price of oil topping $112 a barrel, the highest price in nearly three years, it won’t be long before we see $4 a gallon here in Massachusetts, perhaps […]
Posted inPolitics
The start of a beautiful relationship
The state’s judicial branch, historically wanting in the ways of Beacon Hill, came out on top in the fight with Gov. Deval Patrick for control of probation and may have […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
The Download: Getting bolder on the environment
With Earth Day on the horizon, Phil Primack, a CommonWealth contributing writer, turned on the wayback machine, lamenting in a recent Boston Globe Magazine column that the passion that marked […]
Posted inOpinion, Uncategorized
Hugs for Democrats
When I see the politically humbled I offer comfort. When I see the politically downtrodden I rush to bring hope. When I see the politically bullied I want to envelope […]
Posted inEducation
Field of dreams
The University of Massachusetts football program is looking to run with the big dogs, but the move to Division I-A comes with financial risks.Administration and athletic officials from the flagship […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
The Download: The debt ratings game
Standard & Poor’s tried to goose Washington into tackling its financial problems yesterday. The ratings agency lowered its outlook on government debt, effectively saying that unless Congress and the White […]
Posted inEnvironment
Salazar gives final Cape Wind OK
US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, wearing a white cowboy hat, rode into Boston today to give the Cape Wind offshore wind project the final approval it needs to […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, The Download
The Download: What the frack?
Sherry Vargson lights a match, sticks it near the water coming out of her kitchen faucet, and watches as a flame shoots upward. As this multimedia story from Time magazine […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, The Back Story
Supply and demands
Four charter schools are opening in Boston next fall and they need classroom space. The Boston Public Schools are downsizing and will have 10 empty buildings at the end of […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
The Download: Putting the budge in the budget
Who blinked? Who will blink? And is blinking overrated? Pundits and experts are beginning to pore over the deal to cut $38.5 billion from the federal budget, and what they’re […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
Thinking outside the box to build a square
Cities and towns across the Commonwealth are being hit harder than ever as revenue and state aid decrease. Many municipalities have put on hold development projects that could revitalize public […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download, Transportation
The Download: Reform before revenue resurrected
Another hearing, another round of mea culpas from Bay State transportation officials. This past winter’s commuter rail problems set the stage for Transportation Secretary Jeffrey Mullan to put a new […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment
Organogenesis breaks ground on tissue factory
Massachusetts bet more than $30 million on Evergreen Solar and lost, but its $8 million wager on Organogenesis is paying off handsomely so far.The Canton manufacturer of living cell tissue […]