By Daniel Grabauskas In January 2003, just days after being sworn in as governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney stood alongside a structurally deficient bridge on Route 2 and said: "Fix […]
“Fix it first!” New projects get the headlines, but we need to repair what we already have
Posted inUncategorized
“Fix it first!” New projects get the headlines, but we need to repair what we already have
In January 2003, just days after being sworn in as governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney stood alongside a structurally deficient bridge on Route 2 and said: "Fix it first!" That […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Elizabeth Warren, “Bostonian of the Year,” as seen in CW magazine
The Boston Globe has named Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren "Bostonian of the Year" for bringing a "sense of sanity to the economic crisis." In 2003, long before the economic crash, […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Each registered voter costs Oregon $4.51 in paperwork
That's according to a new report from the Pew Center for the States, which treats Oregon as a case study to see how much state governments spend on maintaining their […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Northeast Corridor shut out of high-speed rail funds
By Daniel Grabauskas The news today that the Northeast Corridor (think your Amtrak trip from Boston to New York to Washington DC) would be shut out of the first round […]
Posted inUncategorized
Northeast Corridor shut out of high speed rail funds
The news today that the Northeast Corridor (think your Amtrak trip from Boston to New York to Washington DC) would be shut out of the first round of high-speed rail […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
More good strategy from Coakley?
Monday, December 14, 2009 Dan Kennedy wonders whether Democratic US Senate nominee Martha Coakley is insisting that Libertarian nominee Joe Kennedy be included in debates to ensure that people are […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Martha Coakley and the myth that women can’t get elected in Massachusetts
I’ve never really bought the idea that Massachusetts is particularly hostile toward women as political candidates. (See this weekend's story in the Boston Globe, as well as a different take […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Property bill story makes for a taxing read
Boston homeowners are probably in a bad enough mood after learning they will absorb an increase in their property tax bill next year. They might just be pulling their hair […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
Mass. had steepest drop in imprisonment rate in 2008
According to new data from the Department of Justice, the number of people "under correctional supervision" in the US hit 7.3 million at the end of 2008, an increase of […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Bay State’s bridge to nowhere
Tuesday, December 8, 2009 On the state's sudden reversal and decision not to spend $9 million in federal stimulus money for a footbridge over Route 1 that would connect an […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Report finds state’s “quality of life” is key IT industry driver
The UMass Donahue Institute released a comprehensive report yesterday profiling the state’s IT industry. Gov. Deval Patrick gathered with Massachusetts IT leaders for a presentation by the study’s lead author, […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Remembering the woman behind “Charlie on the MTA” — and the CharlieCard
By Daniel Grabauskas Folklorist Bess Lomax Hawes passed away last week. I offer a personal remembrance. I never met Ms. Hawes, but I feel a connection to her. She co-authored […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Uncategorized
Lawrence: The next Springfield?
Two years ago, CommonWealth found civic leaders in Lawrence "Thinking Big" about the city's future. Not anymore. On Wednesday, Gov. Deval Patrick travels north for a closed door meeting with […]
Posted inUncategorized
Remembering the woman behind “Charlie on the MTA” — and the Charlie Card
Folklorist Bess Lomax Hawes passed away last week. I offer a personal remembrance. I never met Ms. Hawes, but I feel a connection to her. She co-authored the folk song, […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics, The Download
Fact-checking the Senate debate: Subjectivity reigns
Many of the answers in last night's Democratic Senate debate defy fact-checking — not because the candidates ducked questions, but because the questions themselves invited subjective replies. Candidates were asked […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Average debt for Bay State college grads tops $23,000
The average student loan debt for graduates of Bay State colleges in 2008 was $23,125, according to a new report from the Project on Student Debt. But that's actually a […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Taunton goes from Silver City to Chickpea Central
Once known for its silversmiths, the city of Taunton is now trying to corner the market on hummus. The Taunton Daily Gazette reports that the City Council has just approved […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Fact checking the Senate candidates: Some fumbles, stumbles and personal revelations
By Jack Sullivan and Bruce Mohl More than 36 years after Roe v. Wade became the law of the land regarding abortion, it’s clear the legal procedure still inflames passionate […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, The Download
More affordable housing not the answer for Gateway Cities
The Bay State's older industrial cities are suffering from weak housing markets and high concentrations of poverty. So does it really make sense to "fix" these cities by adding more […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Harvard Square book-signing for “Harvard Square”
Monday, November 30, 2009 Mo Lotman will be signing copies of his book Harvard Square, which CW Unbound's Alison Lobron wrote about last month, on December 1 at 7:30 at […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Fact-checking the Senate candidates: Youth will be served
It was the starkest contrast of the webcast debate and the one area where U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano clearly differentiated himself from the rest of the field running for US […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Are hate crimes 10 times more likely in Massachusetts than in Mississippi?
That's what a superficial reading of the latest FBI statistics would indicate. Massachusetts law enforcement agencies reported 333 crimes "that manifest[ed] evidence of prejudice based on race, religion, sexual orientation, […]
Posted inEconomy, State House News Service, The Download, Transportation
Who says the federal stimulus program isn’t working? Not the MBTA
Deficits have continued to plague the MBTA. Going into November, the transit agency was about $25 million in the hole, despite receiving $160 million in sales tax revenues for fiscal […]