Dangle $5 billion in the air and people pay attention. Gov. Deval Patrick shook up the state's education landscape today with the announcement that he's filing legislation to double the […]
Charter school lesson: money talks
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
Three strikes in two states
Juxtaposition of the day: The Massachusetts Legislature considers "Melissa's Bill," a three-strikes-you're-out law targeting violent criminals, as reported in the Patriot Ledger. And National Public Radio reports that three-strikes laws […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Patriots, StubHub end legal battle
By Colman Herman and Bruce Mohl The New England Patriots and the online ticket marketplace StubHub Inc. have ended their bitter and costly legal battle over ticket resales. The two […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Mass. population rebounds, but Berkshires and Cape Cod continue to slide
Earlier this month, the Census Bureau released estimates for city and town populations as of July 2008, and there are some clear regional patterns in the Bay State, as the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Surprising talk from Charlie Baker about taxes (in 2001)
In 2001, in recognition of CommonWealth's fifth anniversary, we rolled out an issue of the magazine that featured lists of 5's. Heading up our "5 People Who Made A Difference" […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The insanity of state government
When the Washington Post's Neil Peirce wonders if state government is "obsolete," he's not echoing Carla Howell. Instead, he worries that gubernatorial "theatrics" (think Palin, Sanford, Blagojevich, etc.) and legislative […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Jobs picture in Fall River going from bad to worse
The news that Silver Line Building Products is closing its Fall River plant is a body blow to a region already suffering from the worst employment picture in the state. […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Don’t bet on a three-way race, Deval
I side with Wayne Woodlief over Howie Carr on the question of whether a independent gubernatorial campaign by Tim Cahill helps or hurts incumbent Deval Patrick in next year's general […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Florida may bring direct democracy to planning/zoning process
Sun Belt states have long been considered friendly to developers — especially compared with states like Massachusetts, where environmentalists and neighborhood groups often have the power to kill projects outright. […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The recession’s latest victim: campaign finance innovation
Al Franken isn't the only news in Minnesota politics. One of the Gopher State's more innovative approaches to good government — giving citizens refunds of up to $50 for political donations, […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Will Cahill emulate Schwarzenegger or Finneran?
Independence Day weekend saw Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin skip out on her job, state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg come out of the closet, and state Treasurer Tim Cahill drop out of […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Reviews vary on film tax credit report
The Department of Revenue's report on the state's film tax credit is generating wildly different reviews. The Boston Herald headlined its story "Follywood", and the Boston Globe said the report indicated […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Take the Red Line to….Chinatown?
Harvard economist Ed Glaeser offers a thought-provoking argument in today's Globe that rational planning should dictate that we focus transit spending in densely populated urban areas and not get taken […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
State of the States links
Friday, July 3, 2009 Obesity rates Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Unemployment rates Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Most film tax credit spending goes to nonresidents
The Massachusetts film tax credit induced movie and TV producers to spend $676 million here over the last three years, but more than half of the money went to people who live outside […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Patrick administration divided on film tax credit
Gov. Deval Patrick officially supports the state's film tax credit, but key members of his cabinet are divided on the issue. Greg Bialecki, the secretary of housing and urban development, sees […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
Are Boston shootings getting drowned out by rain?
The seemingly unending rainfall in Boston has put a damper on lots of fun outdoor doings. Might it also be washing out some activities no one would be sorry to […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
A “new” neighbor?
Massachusetts isn't the only place thinking about history in spite of — or as a distraction from — the gloomy fiscal future. State legislators here recently opted against eliminating Bunker Hill […]
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Patrick says he changed his mind on film tax credit change
Gov. Deval Patrick says he initially supported a budget proposal to limit how much of a movie star's salary would be eligible for the Massachusetts film tax credits, but then changed his mind […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Tom Cruise stars in Beacon Hill budget thriller
Talk about star power: The fear that a Tom Cruise movie might decamp Massachusetts for Georgia prompted Beacon Hill lawmakers and Gov. Deval Patrick to flip-flop on a proposal to […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
On school reform, time to get on with the show
If education reform in Massachusetts were a theater production, the first 15 years might be regarded as its very drawn-out first act. When the curtain goes up in 1993, there is a flurry […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The shadow over ethics reform
The elbows came flying out, with everyone rushing to take credit for the ethics reform bill that emerged from the State House this week. And it is, by all accounts, […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Gov. Patrick Goes to Arlington
“We can do the lounge-singing routine.” That was no stand-up comedian. That was Gov. Deval Patrick fiddling with a long, red microphone cord before taking questions Monday at Arlington Town […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Cattle call begins for Boston council candidates
They were packed into the Community Church of Boston last night for the first candidates' forum of this year's Boston at-large city council race. And there was a full house […]