By Michael Jonas What’s in a name? Plenty when it comes to Boston neighborhoods and local politics. Matt O’Malley, an earnest 30-year-old activist, was the first one out of the […]
Neighborhood politics
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
Still Taxachusetts after all these years?
By Gabrielle Gurley Not exactly. Anti-tax activists won’t get any ammunition from the US Census Bureau for their tax rollback efforts. The bureau’s annual study of State and Local Government […]
Posted inArts and Culture, Economy
Crunch time for Massachusetts gambling debate
Massachusetts is on the brink of opening the door to expanded gambling. A conference committee of six legislators, three House members and three Senators, is working to reach agreement on […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Media to FTC: Drop dead
It comes as no surprise that the national media is painted as having a liberal slant: a Google search for the terms “liberal media” nets 990,000 results, and critics have […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
5-day furloughs, layoffs at courts
CORRECTION: This story has been changed to clarify who is covered by the court’s furlough program. The original story indicated judges, clerks, registers, chief probation officers, and managers would be […]
Posted inTransportation
Embattled railroad tie manufacturer fires back
In its first public comment, the Denver-based manufacturer being sued by the MBTA for selling defective concrete ties for South Shore commuter rail lines says it fully complied with the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
No quick action on probation, parole
By Bruce Mohl Oversight of the state’s probation department won’t be resolved any time soon under a budget agreement worked out by House and Senate negotiators. The budget proposal calls […]
Posted inPolitics
Mulligan: Probation undergoing change
The top administrator of the state’s court system is urging the Legislature to give him more oversight of the probation department’s employees and finances even as he is defending some […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
If I ruled the Globe
I don’t need to rule the whole planet—just the Globe. The Boston Globe, that is. As a former journalist, it’s a favorite parlor game among my media-savvy friends: What would […]
Posted inUncategorized
Courts planning layoffs, consolidations
In anticipation of a budget cut, the Massachusetts court system is preparing to lay off and furlough workers while merging district courts and shedding leased space. The House and Senate […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Ads and comments blend at the Globe
By Colman M. Herman Letting its ads creep into its content, the Boston Globe is trying to build a revenue stream from the comments its readers submit about online stories. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Mass.-only provision dropped on subsidies
In the face of a legal challenge, Massachusetts officials withdrew a regulation that tried to steer subsidies for renewable power to Massachusetts-based companies. The emergency order issued by the state […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
We need more housing
I participated yesterday in a forum on the connection between housing and the economy held by the Home Builders Association of Massachusetts. The event marked the release of a report demonstrating the […]
Posted inPolitics
Conventional thinking
Deval Patrick must feel a bit like David Ortiz. It wasn’t too long ago that both men were being written off, one unable to get around on a fastball, the […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
In defense of elites
Charlie and Deval, wear your school tie – the crimson model emblazoned with “Veritas.” Treasurer Tim, show us your street cred – your Wall Street cred. It is time to […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Senate shifts gears on tax credits
The Massachusetts Senate abruptly changed course yesterday on tax credit transparency, paving the way for passage of legislation that would for the first time identify the recipients of particularly lucrative […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Travaglini’s new firm works for state pension fund
By Michael NortonSTATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE The Chicago-based hedge fund hiring Michael Travaglini away from the state pension management team survived the pension fund’s downsizing of its hedge fund portfolio […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Herald refuses to cover probation story
By Bruce Mohl The Boston Herald’s refusal to cover the fast-moving probation story is becoming comical. It’s one thing to not write about the Boston Globe’s two-part series on probation […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Memories of Jack O’Brien
Reading the Boston Globe’s recent stories about patronage hires, shoddy financial oversight and various other nefarious doings at the Massachusetts probation department elicited memories of a meeting I had in […]
Posted inPolitics
Senate sides with judiciary, for now
In the power struggle over probation between the three branches of state government, the Massachusetts Senate is siding, at least for now, with the judiciary. Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem of […]
Posted inPolitics
Probation chief put on leave; SJC appoints special counsel
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today placed state Probation Commissioner John J. O’Brien on administrative leave and appointed an independent counsel to investigate patronage practices at the agency. “It has […]
Posted inEducation
Mixed messages on longer school day?
Longer school days lead to big gains in student achievement. Or maybe they don’t. It’s easy to scratch your head and wonder which is true after reading two new studies […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
$78b needed for transit systems
Speech to “The Future of Transit” summit by Federal Transit Authority Administrator. Remarks are edited. I know that transit riders – especially those who have other options – will only […]