The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority jumped into the banking business this week, offering an unusual $18 million loan to a private company seeking to build a new Boston Tea Party […]
Convention center tries hand at banking
Posted inPolitics
Globe to charge for newspaper content
The Boston Globe made waves today by announcing its plans to lock its newspaper content behind a paid subscription firewall. But setting up a paywall is one thing. Making it […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Can an index lead to more creative thinking?
This past July Newsweek reported on an emerging “Creativity Crisis.” According to research described in their report, American kids are steadily losing their creativity. Presciently, just a few days before […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, The Download
Wind subsidy tucked inside spending bill
By Bruce Mohl A special interest wind power subsidy is tucked inside a spending bill that is the focus of a power struggle between Democrats and Republicans on Beacon Hill. […]
Posted inEconomy
City begins revoking Filene’s permits
Boston development officials are initiating a process to pull development permits from the stalled Filene’s project today. Aides to Mayor Tom Menino believe the move, which they are describing as […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Back Story
Wind bill aids Kingston project
The push and pull over wind turbine siting legislation in the Massachusetts Senate revolves around issues of policy and politics, but it’s also about money. A little-noticed section of the […]
Posted inPolitics
New probation officer donated to senator
The state’s probation commissioner was suspended in May for allegedly handing out jobs and promotions to people who donated money to politicians on Beacon Hill, but his replacement is doing […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Polls suggest little change in gov race
Following last night’s release of the Suffolk poll, you may have read this morning about how Patrick is increasing his lead, or Baker is slipping, or some other story about […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
School segregation report tells us what we knew
By Michael Jonas To borrow from a certain sage of the ’60s, you don’t need a demographer to know the racial breakdown of Boston and Springfield area schools. But a […]
Posted inEconomy
Chiofaro proposes smaller towers
Boston developer Don Chiofaro unveiled a new, smaller design for his Harbor Garage redevelopment project today, but the $1 billion project was quickly dismissed by city officials and the proposed […]
Posted inPolitics
SJC denies bid to quash subpoena
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today denied a motion by a high-ranking House lawmaker to quash an independent counsel’s subpoena in connection with an investigation into patronage at the state’s […]
Posted inPolitics
SJC hears arguments on Petrolati subpoena
The attorney for Rep. Thomas Petrolati said there has been no decision on whether his client will testify under oath if the Supreme Judicial Court rejects his bid to quash […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Murphy’s creative writing
By Michael Jonas Let’s hope Boston City Councilor Steve Murphy would bring a more straightforward approach to managing the state’s books than he does with his creative bending of press […]
Posted inPolitics
Petrolati renews bid to quash subpoena
Rep. Thomas Petrolati today renewed his efforts to quash a subpoena issued by the independent counsel investigating patronage at the Probation Department, saying it raises “delicate separation of powers and […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Back Story
Gordon defends Cape Wind
It’s taken 10 years, but Jim Gordon, the president of Cape Wind, says the 130-turbine offshore wind project is about to clear its final regulatory hurdle. A supremely confident Gordon […]
Posted inThe Back Story, Uncategorized
Fore your eyes only
A nonprofit arm of the city of Boston is continuing to lose money operating two municipal golf courses.In the past, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and other city officials have insisted […]
Posted inPolitics
Parks commissioner says golf courses doing well
The Back Story article pertaining to the City of Boston’s two golf courses does not give an accurate picture of the city’s decision to operate the courses itself or the […]
Posted inPolitics
Gubernatorial debate not very informative
The first televised debate of the governor’s race was a triumph of sound bites over substance. The format of the debate on WBZ-TV (Channel 4) was designed to get the […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
CW’s Jack Sullivan on Radio Boston
CommonWealth magazine’s senior investigative reporter Jack Sullivan joined host Sacha Pfeiffer on WBUR’s Radio Boston today to discuss Sullivan’s cover story in the summer issue, “Overexposed.” Their discussion focused on the prevalence […]
Posted inPolitics
Rep. Petrolati, Ware in probation standoff
The court-ordered probe into patronage practices at the state’s Probation Department has spawned a tense legal standoff over a subpoena issued to a top House leader and raised fears of […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service, The Download
Senate Republicans blow back on wind siting bill
Gabrielle Gurley Wind siting reform legislation continues to go nowhere fast. At the end of the formal legislative sessions at the end of July, a group of House members from […]
Posted inUncategorized
Pa. firm may be part of Winn probe
The Pennsylvania-based administrator of a program that helps Boston businesses lower their gas and electric utility bills appears to be one of three conduits through which a Boston development executive […]
Posted inHealth Care
Audit finds medical imaging waste
The state auditor today called on the Legislature to adopt the federal ban on physicians referring patients to medical imaging facilities in which the doctors have a financial self-interest.The report from […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
State probes likely on Winn-financed donations
The federal investigation of illegal campaign contributions to four Massachusetts congressmen arranged by a top executive at WinnCompanies is likely to trigger probes by state officials into similar donations made […]