We’ve already heard about the undoubtedly doomed idea to merge the state’s Attleboros. Now the Globe’s Brian MacQuarrie reports that the North Shore towns of Hamilton and Wenham are considering […]
Municipal mind meld?
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
Red ink at publisher of community newspapers
From the Boston Business Journal:GateHouse Media Inc., publisher of a number of Bay State newspapers, said Friday it lost $18.5 million in the third quarter, bringing its year to date […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Western Mass. vote puts an end to greyhound racing
How did proponents of a ban on dog racing in Massachusetts go from a 2-point loss in 2000 to a 12-point victory last week? A higher voter turnout may have […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Saving the Massachusetts Republican Party: Deja vu
Hub Blog has a good summary of advice for the Massachusetts Republican Party after an election that made it more irrelevant than ever. A lot of it is quite similar […]
Posted inEducation, Politics, The Download
Will Worcester put the squeeze on its universities?
The city of Worcester may pressure tax-exempt colleges, including Clark University and the College of the Holy Cross, to cough up some money for municipal services, according to today's Telegram. […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Old-school ways
Yesterday’s State House buzz centered on state Rep. David Flynn, the senior member of the House, who told reporters that five members have raised with him the idea that he […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Ian Bowles available to Obama, Red Sox
Today’s Boston Globe says Massachusetts energy and environment secretary Ian Bowles "has landed on President-elect Barack Obama’s list of would-be candidates" to run the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Welcome to […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
East Brookfield takes its rightful place as McCain’s Bay State bastion
The Boston Globe has corrected the voting results, and Wilmington actually went for John McCain with just over 50 percent, not 75 percent. So now the tiny Worcester County town […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Massachusetts not so special? Or merely ahead of the curve?
Massachusetts isn’t such an outlier in presidential politics anymore: In 2004 it was one of only two states to give the Democratic candidate more than 60 percent of the vote. […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Reading the marijuana leaves
The one election result that shocked me last night was the 65 percent approval of decriminalizing marijuana in Massachusetts. I hadn’t anticipated the overwhelming support for the proposal in the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
What’s the deal with Wilmington? 75% McCain???
The Boston Globe has John McCain getting 75 percent of the vote in the town of Wilmington, which is 19 points higher than his next-best town (East Brookfield) and 28 […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, The Download
Community Preservation Act makes inroads in Bristol County
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 Swansea reverses its 2001 decision and votes to implement the Community Preservation Act by a substantial margin. It’s a notable development because Bristol County and communities […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Patrick still not going anywhere, neither is Treasurer Tim
Gov. Deval Patrick continues to insist that he’s not D.C.-bound. During a press availability outside his office on Wednesday, Patrick commented that he was “enormously moved, excited, and proud” of […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Will write-ins bollix balloting in Second Suffolk?
Dianne Wilkerson certainly doesn’t have the sway to pull Barack Obama down with her. But might she make life difficult today for constituents in her district who flock to the […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Canine electioneering in a polling place?
It’s illegal to hold political signs or pass out fliers within a polling place, but MassINC Director of Public Affairs Emily Wood might have discovered a loophole to the law […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The Trader Joe’s vote
I had to get my stand-in-line, kumbaya moment last night when I picked up some groceries at Trader Joe’s in the Back Bay. There were at least 40 people waiting […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Getting a jump on voting in Arlington
Tuesday, November 4, 2008 In Arlington at 6:45 am, there were 33 people in the Precinct 14 line at the Brackett Elementary School. By the time the doors opened at […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Big day for bake sales in the southwest suburbs
More field reports from MassINC staffers: 7:03, Greenlodge School, Dedham, precincts 5 & 7. Approximately 275 people lined up when the door opens. Mood is electric. Greenlodge PTO has already […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The caffeinated vote
Another field report from a MassINC staffer:8:15. Precinct 6 and 9, South Boston. There were about 40 people ahead of me when I got in line, but it moved quickly. […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Talk to your kids about… Question 2
An Election Day report from a MassINC relative in North Reading shows that ballot questions can lead to an early education:My 8-year-old daughter and I went to vote at 7:00 […]
Posted inEconomy, The Download
Reading the October tax revenue tea leaves
October is a fairly insignificant month as far as state tax collections go, but there were a few troubling signs in the latest report from the Massachusetts Revenue Department. Overall, […]
Posted inEducation, Politics, The Download
Will teachers abandon sinking states?
The Providence Journal runs a Stateline.org-written piece warning that fiscally stressed states may find it hard to retain teachers:Debbie Johnson got her teaching degree from Michigan State University, but recruiters […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Loyalty, ethics, virtue, and Wilkerson
Friday’s press conference by Gov. Deval Patrick to announce that he’s naming a special commission on ethics had an interesting moment. Although Patrick said a string of troubling cases involving […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service, The Download
The national media weighs in on Question 1
Saturday, November 1, 2008 If you’re still undecided about Question 1, the elite of the media elite could help you out. Both The New York Times and The Wall Street […]