FRANCES PERKINS, born in Boston in 1880 was, among other things, an architect of the New Deal, a series of programs, reforms, and laws that directly impact all Americans today. […]
Frances Perkins belongs in the State House
Posted inPolitics
New Hampshire robocalls stir up new firestorm over artificial intelligence
New Hampshire Democrats received calls before their January primary asking them not to vote until the November general election – the caller purportedly President Joe Biden himself. It wasn’t a human impersonator on the other line, but an AI-generated voice that sounded like the president.
Posted inGovernment
Cape Cod DA pays $5,000 ethics fine
Both infractions of the conflict of interest law date to February 2023, the commission said, and Wednesday’s announcement concluded an inquiry into District Attorney Robert Galibois II that began last May.
Posted inOpinion
EVs are safer except for drivers of other vehicles
While real-world data analysis on vehicle fires involving EVs is limited, it appears that media and social media scrutiny of EV fire hazard is blown out of proportion.
Posted inState Government
Lawmakers have no love for ballot questions, particularly the one calling for audit of Legislature
Most of the reports recounted familiar arguments and laid out the committee’s position on the issue. The report dealing with state Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s bid for the power to audit the Legislature was more pointed and personal, calling out the auditor for allegedly making misleading statements and showing bias.
Posted inEducation
Mass. higher ed sector facing stiff headwinds
The state’s fortunes are more tied to the health of the higher ed sector here than in any other state, and that means some big challenges for Massachusetts in the coming years.
Posted inPolitics
Milton ousts Select Board chair who backed rezoning plan
Keohane’s election to the Select Board suggests opposition to the MBTA Communities Act in Milton is not dissipating in the community just south of Boston. The vote would appear to give opponents of the state’s rezoning law narrow control of the Select Board as the town prepares for a court fight with Attorney General Andrea Campbell, who is asking the Supreme Judicial Court to force the town to come into compliance.
Posted inBallot Questions
DiZoglio targets Uber, Lyft with supercharged hypothetical audit
The analysis estimated the on-demand ride platforms would have owed the state about $266 million in combined workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, and the paid family and medical leave payments over the past decade if their tens of thousands of drivers were treated as full employees.
Posted inPolitics
GOP seeks challenger to Rep. Flanagan after campaign finance violations
If someone is able to garner 150 votes and they accept the Republican nomination, they can appear on the November ballot with Flanagan.
Posted inOpinion
Greed of PBMs needs to be reined in at state and federal level
A lack of oversight and regulation of PBMs has allowed them to act under the radar. They have made the drug distribution channel exceedingly opaque and have directly caused drug prices to rise.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Hayden says no charges will be filed in case of four frozen babies
All of the babies were full term, which means they were determined to be between 37 and 40 weeks of gestational age. All four had their umbilical cords attached and the two females had their placentas attached.
DNA tests concluded that the babies were full siblings.
Posted inTransportation
Getting the I-90 Allston puzzle pieces to fit
The project envisions eight lanes of Turnpike, four lanes of Soldiers Field Road, four rail tracks, and a pedestrian and bike path – all at grade level. It’s a tight fit, particularly in the so-called throat area between Boston University and the Charles River.
Posted inOpinion
Amid shelter crisis, don’t forget about individual homelessness
Demand for shelter for adults without children over the past year has soared. On average, our shelters have seen a 24 percent increase. On top of our state’s housing crisis, we face a youth mental health emergency, a large aging population, opioid addiction, and health disparities at an all-time high.
Posted inGovernment
Despite latest court ruling, lawmakers dragging feet on home equity theft
The Massachusetts law known as Chapter 60 allows a city or town to foreclose on a person’s house to pay a tax debt, then keep the full value of the real estate beyond the amount of the debt.
Posted inPolitics
Cape lawmaker repeatedly lied to state regulators investigating his 2022 campaign
State Rep. Chris Flanagan paid thousands of dollars in fines to settle a case with state regulators involving a deceptive campaign mailing sent on his behalf after obstructing their probe for months.
Posted inThe Codcast
Paul Grogan reflects on 50 years of civic leadership
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by Paul S. Grogan, former president of The Boston Foundation, to discuss his new memoir, “Prepared to be Lucky: Reflections on Fifty Years of Public and Community Service.” Together with coauthor Kathryn E. Merchant, they discuss Paul’s long career in Boston politics and philanthropy, and the model of nonprofit civic leadership that he pioneered.
Posted inGovernment
Paul Grogan reflects on a career of civic transformation, ambition, and luck
At 73, Grogan considers his civic legacy in a new memoir – Be Prepared to Be Lucky: Reflections on Fifty Years of Public and Community Service – co-written by former Cincinnati Foundation president Kathryn Merchant.
Posted inOpinion
Is this labor’s comeback moment?
The striking contrast between the strong level of public support for unions today (67 percent) and the small share of US workers they represent (10 percent) frames the enormous opportunity – and challenge – facing the American labor movement.
Posted inOpinion
Diagnosing the youth mental health crisis? Don’t forget housing and extreme heat
Well-recognized factors like the pandemic, school closures, and social media all play a role in young people’s mental health, but so do two underappreciated environmental factors — housing and extreme heat.
Posted inOpinion
DiZoglio likely to prevail, but the constitution will limit range of her legislative audit
The constitutional concept of separation of powers ensures that no branch of government becomes too powerful at the expense of the others. However, the Legislature’s separation of powers concern here is at tension with the auditor’s mandate to provide checks and balances against the legislative branch.