October 30, 2009School facts not friendly to Menino, but that’s not the biggest problem October 7, 2009Galluccio road show growing tired September 29, 2009Flaherty/Yoon team-up throws the Mayor-for-Life a curve […]
Michael Jonas: Web-exclusive columns
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Perspectives
November 6, 2009Grabauskas on the D’Alessandro Report: It goes beyond the news that “the T is still broke” November 5, 2009Will creativity gild the road to growth in Gateway City […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Argument for “21st-century skills” lacking in critical thinking
The first thing to know about the debate over "21st-century skills" that has gripped the state's education circles is that it has nothing to do with 21st-century skills. That's because no one disputes […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
Orthopaedic surgeons warn of orthopaedic surgeon shortage
Here's something else to worry about in terms of health care: According to two new studies presented at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
MBTA’s Silver Line: The exception that proves the rule
There's been much rejoicing (of the weary, cautious, hesitant variety) over the planned extension of the Green Line to West Medford. But Streetsblog has an interview with Walter Hook, director […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Download, Transportation
Bluestone and Pollack’s defense of gas tax hike doesn’t add up
In today's Boston Globe, Barry Bluestone and Stephanie Pollack write that a 19-cent increase in the state gasoline tax will save Massachusetts residents money, reaching a very different conclusion than I did in […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Say goodbye to Hollywood, maybe
Don’t get too ho-hum about seeing movie stars stroll our streets. After losing film business to Massachusetts and other states that offer generous tax credits to producers, California is fighting […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Tax Foundation gives middling grade to Massachusetts
The Tax Foundation today released its 2009 rankings of the states on 38 different tax-and-spend issues. Massachusetts has the 5th highest annual state-and-local tax burden per capita ($5,377 in FY2008), but that's […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Download, Transportation
Would a gas tax hike really save you money?
Gov. Deval Patrick implied last week that Massachusetts drivers could save money in the long run if the state gasoline tax was increased by 19 cents, but don't bet on […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
No contest in Los Angeles mayor’s race
We're still waiting to see whether Boston will have its first competitive mayoral election since 1993, but it appears that the political season is already a dud for Los Angeles […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Download
Rooftop garden pioneer takes key USDA post
Another Bay Stater heads to Washington: Tufts professor Kathleen Merrigan has been tapped for the No. 2 slot at the US Department of Agriculture. Appropos of yesterday's posts on urban […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
Bay State dentists reveal their agenda
Browsing through the state's year-end Political Action Reports, I was surprised to see both the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) PAC and the affiliated Massachusetts Dental Society Peoples Committee in the […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
Won’t know much about history?
The state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education voted this morning to delay adding history to MCAS exams, which Massachusetts students are required to pass in order to graduate from high school. […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Hungry for a public market in Boston
The Globe floats the idea of a genuine public market for Boston (but in its Saturday edition, so you may have missed it). City officials want to site it alongside […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Download
Green opportunities for Gateway Cities
Will vacant land end up saving the economies of Lawrence and New Bedford? Catherine Tumber writes in the Boston Review that smaller cities that were once industrial centers (such as the Gateway […]
Posted inHealth Care, The Download
Time has vindicated Gov. Romney’s stand on embryo research
By Eric Fehrnstrom News that Dr. Robert Lanza and his team of scientists at Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester have been injecting human DNA into cow, mouse, and rabbit eggs […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Home builders deem Worcester “80 percent affordable”
The Worcester area has the most affordable housing stock in New England, according to new data from the National Association of Home Builders. The group's Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) estimated that 79.5 […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Mass. bucks trend, drives more in December
The Federal Highway Administration estimates that Americans drove 1.6 percent fewer miles in December 2008 than in December of the previous year. That makes 14 consecutive months of driving declines. The biggest […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Use stimulus funds to speed up the local permitting process
The following Perspective column was written and submitted to CW Unbound by the law firm Robinson & Cole LLP. Massachusetts stands to receive billions in overall stimulus funds under the $787 […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Will a “vehicle miles traveled” tax fly in Massachusetts?
Though Gov. Patrick didn't mention the idea in his prepared remarks at today's press conference, Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi told Blue Mass Group that the administration plans to try out […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, The Download, Transportation
Patrick finally embraces gas tax increase
Gov. Deval Patrick made a very persuasive case for raising the state gasoline tax immediately by 19 cents and having it rise in the future in tandem with the Consumer Price Index. My […]
Posted inArts and Culture, Politics, The Download
Norton, Fitchburg now dead to state library board
Last week Norton became the 17th community in Massachusetts to lose certification for its library system, thanks to underfunding — specifically, a town meeting vote to cut funding by 33 […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Download
Air-conditioning costs to rise in Worcester this summer?
Thursday, February 19, 2009 If this street is any indication, a lot of homes are losing their natural umbrellas against the summer sun. Thanks, Asian longhorned beetles! (Hat tip: Daily […]
Posted inEconomy, Environment, The Download
Save the earth, build to the sky
If you care about the environment, stop fighting downtown high-rises. That's the gist of an article in the current issue of City Journal by Harvard professor Edward Glaeser (who wrote about […]