The debt-ridden MBTA will spend tens of millions of dollars and disrupt South Shore commuter rail service over the next two years to replace nearly 150,000 defective concrete ties that […]
T to spend millions replacing ties
Posted inEconomy, State House News Service, The Download
Transparency provision defeated
By Bruce Mohl The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed an overhaul of the state’s economic development agencies, but rejected by a 21-13 vote a measure that would have required greater public […]
Posted inEducation
The new paradigm on bullying
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Posted inPolitics
The squeaky wheel
Christy Mihos needs to attract the support of 15 percent of the delegates to next week’s Republican State Convention, but he doesn’t seem to be interested in currying favor with […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Duquette’s ticket absurdity
By Bruce Mohl The ethics charges against former Red Sox general manager Dan Duquette, detailed in today’s Boston Globe, highlight once again the absurdity of the state’s ticket resale law. […]
Posted inHealth Care
Regulatory change?
Gov. Deval Patrick is trying to rein in the cost of health insurance by stepping up state regulation of insurers and health providers, but he took the opposite approach two […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Yin and yang
By Bruce Mohl The Boston Globe and the Herald cover the same city, but sometimes you’d never know if from reading the respective newspapers. Today, for example, the two papers […]
Posted inEconomy
Hedging the bet
Like most games of chance, the numbers looked too good to be true. And now it looks like they were. At the unveiling Thursday of House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s gaming […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
DeLeo’s “jobs” bill
Let me be very clear: The legislation I’m proposing to you today is a jobs bill. It creates a new sector of our economy that will create jobs and help […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion, Politics
Federal health reform good for Massachusetts
The most obvious question in the wake of federal health reform is a simple one: how will it affect Massachusetts? Whether you are talking about yourself, your business or the […]
Posted inUncategorized
The big bet
If the “conservative” estimates by House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s casino bill hold up, Massachusetts would quickly be giving Las Vegas a run for its money. According to the speaker’s calculations, […]
Posted inEconomy
Bidding war continues
Six companies looking for state aid in return for staying or expanding in Massachusetts were awarded nearly $27 million in tax credits today. Liberty Mutual Group, the state’s lone Fortune […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion, Politics
Economic development reform bill missing key transparency provisions
Senate President Therese Murray’s economic development bill scheduled for debate this Thursday includes a number of smart ideas. Topping the list are proposals to make state economic development spending more effective […]
Posted inUncategorized
What’s the “next stop” for public transit in the United States?
The growth and development of the nation’s public transportation systems may soon reach a screeching halt. If crumbling infrastructure, mounting debt, and painful service cuts aren’t evidence enough, the administrators […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
No holy alliance
The Democratic Party and Catholics enjoyed a long and fruitful marriage in Massachusetts. These days the commitment is more frayed than any political union this side of John and Elizabeth […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Transportation
Worcester Regional Airport: back from the brink … again?
By Gabrielle Gurley Worcester has its share of municipal headaches, but by this summer city officials will have one less: Worcester Regional Airport. Under the transportation reforms signed into law […]
Posted inHealth Care
John McDonough on health care’s milestone
John McDonough helped bring guaranteed insurance coverage to all Massachusetts children in the 1990s as House chairman of the Legislature’s health care committee. As director of the advocacy group Health […]
Posted inPolitics
Cahill makes his pitch
State Treasurer Tim Cahill, looking to ignite his independent run for governor, is trying to grab onto some successful recent models of populism by invoking Bill Clinton’s mantra on the […]
Posted inPolitics
Free speech dust-up in Southborough
UPDATE: In the story below, I incorrectly wrote the Southborough Board of Selectmen sent a third letter to Susan Fitzgerald demanding she reveal the identity of one of the posters […]
Posted inEconomy
Reversal of fortune
House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s plan to bring casinos and racinos to the state looks on its face to be facing long odds — if the only casino vote on record […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Transportation
Board games at MassDOT
By Gabrielle Gurley How long will the charade of trying to schedule the Massachusetts Transportation Department’s board of directors to appear before the Joint Transportation Committee continue? Indefinitely, it seems. […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Crazy like a fox? Christy Mihos’s big RMV idea
By Gabrielle Gurley With all eyes on the big dogs in the governor’s race, the underdog can afford to go out on a limb. Christy Mihos, who is challenging Charles […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
Carr and Braude sing the same tune
By Bruce Mohl Howie Carr and Jim Braude are about as far apart on the political spectrum as you can get, but both of them are singing the same song […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
DeLeo goes all in — with a story to tell
HE DIDN’T REPRISE Senate President Therese Murray’s one-word policy pronouncement when she spoke before the same group last year and declared, in response to a question about bringing casinos to […]