Massachusetts
updated
3:45 a.m.
In order to recognize the city of Lowell’s continual progress, Lowell Heritage Partnership and the Lowell National Historical Park are seeking nominations from the community to acknowledge the contributions of organizations or individuals in the areas of historic preservation and cultural heritage. As noted by Park Superintendent Michael Cressey: “These awards are given in the spirit of [.....
Richard Howe - 3:45 a.m.
NYTimes columnist Bob Herbert continues writing about the jobs crisis in today’s paper. See his analysis and comments about an unemployment study by Northeastern University. Read it here. ...
Richard Howe - 3:09 a.m.
Is there a link? We've all heard the stories before of people blaming their child's autism on vaccines. And yet there have been numerous reports by reputable sources that there is NO LINK between them. example - The CDC disputes a connection between the vaccine and autism, saying, "The causes of autism are unknown in most cases." The government agency's website states: "In a few cases, bi...
Blue Mass. Group - Mon 6:41 p.m.
This coming Friday, February 12, Representative Scibak, Anthony Boschetti, DMD, and Guisy Romano-Clarke, MD, will be hosting an informational forum about the importance of fluoride varnish and children’s oral health. The event will be held in South Hadley at the Criterion-Rise and Shine Academy (30 Old Lyman Road) from 10am-11am. Oral health is [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Mon 6:33 p.m.
To the Chinese, this is a year of the tiger. It should be the year Dems in D.C. find their spine. The traditional Asian view of tigers differs from Occidental ones. Tigers are deep in thought and intellect, but very short in temper. The latter is what has been missing among our Dems. Of course, we recommend that they not leave home or enter the House or Senate without their spines. I'm...
Marry in Massachusetts - Mon 6:28 p.m.
On Thursday, the Connector Board will convene for its first of two meetings this month. The meeting is from 9:00-11:00 am on the 21st floor of One Ashburton Place, Boston. We expect that the 2011 Affordability schedule and Commonwealth Care premiums and co-pays will be on the table. We urge the Board [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Mon 5:40 p.m. - 3 clicks 
I was reading back issues of The Justice and I came across this story. It’s really touching – I advise you to read it. I was reading back issues of The Justice and I came across this story. It’s really touching – I advise you to read it. Last year, when MJ Rosenberg [...]...
Innermost Parts - Mon 1:50 p.m.
In my ongoing coverage of the rapid extinction of GOP women holding elected office, I have more bleak news. The NRCC (National Republican Congressional Committee) has added 14 new candidates to its "Young Guns" program, and promoted 15 of its Young Guns to "Contender" status. Of the 14 added, one is a woman; of the 15 promoted, one is a woman. There are now four women in the ...
Talking Politics - Mon 11:23 a.m.
Treasurer Tim Cahill unveiled his first TV ad, buying time during the Super Bowl. What do you think? Too early? Good ad? Tim for Governor is off and running. ...
Bill Manzi - Mon 11:22 a.m.
From stomv , in response to the jconway's contention: "I have had four years of great plans and rhetoric from patrick and four years of him not delivering. Just saying." On this, he's delivered in spades. We've joined RGGI. Executive orders require purchasing of "most efficient" vehicles for gov't, as well as efficient use. Green Communities Act. Stretch Co...
Blue Mass. Group - Mon 7:28 a.m. - 5 clicks
There is nothing earth shattering about this Tim Cahill for Governor Super Bowl ad, but you’ve got to give the campaign an “A” for creating a buzz with it. ...
Richard Howe - Mon 3:49 a.m.
Polls just closed for the Associate Justice position on the Union Judiciary. Here are the results:From my email: Below are the results for the Final Round of the Associate Justice race: Associate Justice for the Union Judiciary As at Poll close: Sunday 07 February 2010 23:59 EST Number of voters: 264 · Group size: 3390 · Percentage voted: 7.79 Ranked [...]...
Innermost Parts - Sun 10:41 p.m.
So it looks like we were hacked by some sort of spam robot thing. All should be normal now, but I’m checking to see if any nasty stuff is left, how this happened, etc/ ...
Innermost Parts - Sun 10:41 p.m.
For an accomplished resume creator, Charles Baker sure can dissemble with the best of them: in fact Baker has already set a new standard for profiles in leadership, candor and courage with his absurd comments about global warming. Charles Baker's website boasts of his achievements and academic credentials: not only has he had a lot of fancy jobs with important titles but Charlie, as his web ...
Blue Mass. Group - Sun 6:42 p.m.
Jon Stewart eats Bill O'Reilly. Entertaining, and a few jokes. Daniel Kurtzman: "And, of course, Edwards has no remorse. Today, he called ABC to see if he could be the next 'Bachelor.'" -Jay Leno "Everybody's talking about the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy. Admiral Mike Mullen said it's wrong to force people to lie about who they are in order to serve their country. Then Congre...
Blue Mass. Group - Sun 5:09 p.m. - 6 clicks
What's everyone doing today? On Christmas I started a Christmas Day open thread. Among other things, I wanted to give people who don't "do" Christmas achance to talk about the challenges of not celebrating. Is Super Bowl the same? Eight years ago, when the Pats were first in the Super Bowl, I went to a caucus that was inadvertently scheduled in conflict with the beginning of Sup...
Blue Mass. Group - Sun 5:09 p.m.
Last week’s release by the Attorney General of preliminary findings of her Investigation of Health Care Cost Trends and Cost Drivers (full report (pdf); summary press release; Globe front page story) crystallizes the need for a two-track approach to reducing health cost growth and improving care. The report finds that the highest cost providers have geographic [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Sun 3:42 p.m.
Grace Ross , who ran in 2006 as the Green Party's candidate for governor of Massachusetts, is now running in the Democratic primary for the same office, against incumbent governor Deval Patrick. "I wasn't planning to run again," stated Ross , "but things got worse. Things got worse for regular people." ...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Sun 1:03 p.m. - 6 clicks
I draw your attention to the picture I have chosen for this article, one of the character Dr. Smith in the 1960's series "Lost in Space" who was portrayed as a cowardly villain overtly, and subliminally as a homosexual. The two independent ideas seemed to be intermingled by society and fueled by both religion and media. This character and image is part of a misconception that needs to be addr...
Live, Love and Learn - Sun 12:28 p.m.
People who wonder what the future holds for Americans in our healthcare system don't have to look far afield. We can see what will happen by looking at our neighbors in the Third World. Unfortunately, one of the fastest growing trends is something called hospital detention . This is when patients are held prisoner after an event like a birth, until their family can come up with the fees, to "ran...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Sun 12:28 p.m.
The nominations are in for the Phoenix's "Best" award, and we're among the finalists for "best blog." Head on over and cast your vote for BMG! :-) Note that for your vote to count, you have to click "Skip to Finish" and then "Submit" your ballot. ...
Blue Mass. Group - Sun 10:49 a.m.
In a recent i nterview with Fox25 , Charlie Baker makes the unbelievable claim that Mitt Romney left office with a massive $5 billion surplus - which he asserts was then squandered by the Patrick Administration. Like Brett Favre deep in the playoffs, Baker recklessly chucks it out there, praying that no one from the opposing team picks apart his figures. Fox gives Baker a total pass, and he a...
Blue Mass. Group - Sun 10:49 a.m. - 4 clicks
The Division of Health Care Finance and Policy has issued its latest Employers Health Insurance Survey (the releases include a one-page fact sheet (pdf); powerpoint of survey results; a 6-page overview of health reform and employers; and a detailed “field report” on survey methodology). In the midst of questions and challenges about the success [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Sun 10:03 a.m.
Because my house is on the flight path of Medflight helicopters coming into and out of Lowell, whenever I hear the whop-whop-whop of rotors passing overhead, I know something bad has happened. To learn more about these various incidents, I purchased an inexpensive police scanner last fall. Now, I sometimes listen to it at night [...]...
Richard Howe - Sat 9:01 p.m. - 5 clicks
For a prime example of how out of whack Corporate America and its media coat holders are to the reality of life in America these days, check out the reaction to the news that Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of investment bank Goldman Sachs received a bonus of “only” $9 million this year. (Before [...]...
Richard Howe - Sat 8:29 p.m.
More often than not, the Super Bowl turns out to be a lousy football game. If you doubt that, just think of 1986 (Bears 46, Patriots 10) or 1997 (Packers 35, Patriots 21). And for all the buzz about them, I’d say the same is also true about Super Bowl commercials. In recent non-Patriot years, [...]...
Richard Howe - Sat 8:08 p.m.
I find these excerpts from the LA Times report on the teaagger convention in Nashville puzzling and disturbing. Stomv posted about discrediting the tea party ideas . I'm still not sure what they are, beyond jingoism and opposition to Obama. "What do I want? Well, I want it all to stop," she said late Thursday night from the floor of the National Tea Party Convention, an event billed as ...
Blue Mass. Group - Sat 7:02 p.m.
If you are not watching C-Span right now, I urge you to do so and see the Tea Party convention live and unfiltered. This is what we are up against in the next few elections, and it behooves us to take note of what they are saying and what their strategies and tactics are and will be. ...
Blue Mass. Group - Sat 7:02 p.m.
Woods Hole lab maintains housing for its summer staff and researchers due to its location. For decades, there has been a staff to maintain these accommodations. In happier times as recently as Spring 2009, the staff was interviewed and accommodations for which they care listed . The head housekeeper was hired away from Hilton. It is a big and complicated job Q. What is your mi...
Blue Mass. Group - Sat 7:02 p.m.
The Commonwealth fund released a study right before Christmas which poses a lot of questions on the affordability of the healthcare bill that is being worked on. Can Americans afford it? R. R. Bovbjerg, S. Dorn, and J. Macri et al., COBRA Subsidies for Laid-Off Workers: An Initial Report Card, The Commonwealth Fund, December 2009. Clearly, from the study, the answer is no. COBRA tak...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Sat 4:24 p.m.
Here is a list on Toniacs Super Bowl XLIV predictions: Game Related Predictions 1. OK, right to the point…I think the Colts will win by at least 10 points. 2. Four points or less will separate the teams at half time. 3. The referees will make a controversial, momentum changing call in favor of the Colts (probably in the [...]...
Richard Howe - Sat 2:24 p.m.
Bread & Roses Strike Discussion and Tour Saturday, February 27, 1 pm to 4 pm, Lawrence Heritage State Park, 1 Jackson St, Lawrence, http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks On Saturday, Feb. 24, 1912, Lawrence police prevented striking women from sending their children to safety on the 7.11 train, citing “neglect” as the reason. In the riotous melee that followed, 14 adults [...]...
Richard Howe - Sat 12:03 p.m. - 4 clicks
My name is Suzanne Bump and I'm a candidate for State Auditor in Massachusetts. I'd like to begin what I hope will be an ongoing dialogue here at BMG. Recent election results are proof that Massachusetts voters are looking for more from their government and elected leaders - and who can blame them? The economy is recovering at a snail's pace, there's not enough money in the state budget for what ...
Blue Mass. Group - Sat 9:20 a.m. - 3 clicks
Walking outside this morning, the cold temperature, chilling breeze, gray sky, and moist air made me blurt out, almost involuntarily, “it sure feels like snow.” That, plus the stories from our nation’s capitol about the “epic snowstorm” now battering that region, caused me to think back thirty-two years to the Blizzard of ’78 when [...]...
Richard Howe - Sat 9:01 a.m.
Yes, the Republican Party--and some "Democrats"--want to make sure that these people remain in charge of how you get your health care. From the LA Times today: Anthem Blue Cross is telling many of its approximately 800,000 customers who buy individual coverage -- people not covered by group rates -- that its prices will go up March 1 and may be adjusted "more frequently" than its typical y...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Sat 8:20 a.m. - 5 clicks
The President spends this week on giving help to small business and creating jobs. A bipartisan jobs bill appears to be winding its way through Congress. Lets see if this new "era of bipartisanship" bears some results. More tax incentives for business employment are needed. Lets stop providing disincentives to ......
Bill Manzi - Sat 5:04 a.m.
I attended my first rehearsal for WNEC's production of The Laramie Project on Tuesday. The show will run March 4th and 5th at WNEC. I think they're calling it a staged reading. We've just begun to rehearse and read through the play. I have three parts: Doc O'Connor, Murdoch Cooper, and Dennis Shepherd. When I learned last semester that they were going to do the play at the college, I was interes...
Flash & Yearn - Fri 6:51 p.m.
A draft post became published a while ago on this blog about HB376, a bill in the State House. The thinking is much more logically and clearly presented at my post on BlueMassGroup . I'll talk about the bill in a second, but I do want to relate my experiences attempting to contact the Democratic co-sponsors. I have made three attempts to contact each Democratic state representative who signe...
Quriltai on the Shore - Fri 4:07 p.m.
Gosh, do you support Sen. Shelby's hold on all of Pres. Obama's nominees, in a brazen attempt to extort some pork for Alabama? What's your comment, Senator? Standing pork-shoulder-to-shoulder with the distinguished gentleman from AL? Gosh, I sure am glad sent someone to Washington to get things working again. ...
Blue Mass. Group - Fri 1:47 p.m. - 6 clicks
Last week Kate and Phil Villers, who should be known as the God Parents of Good Health Reform, were honored by FamiliesUSA, an organization that they founded in the early 1980’s. The award was given in recognition of their decades long commitment to improving the lives and health care for millions of people in [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Fri 1:32 p.m.
The most recent report of huge price increases comes from California, where Anthem Blue Cross has indicated it will shorten the time period between premium rate increases. Also Anthem plans increases of as much as 39% in some individual plans. These increases come on the heels of numerous reports of double digit rate increases of as high as 49% from policyholders across the nation. Small bu...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Fri 8:42 a.m.
The following candidates have submitted letters of intent to seek the nomination of the Massachusetts Democratic Party at the 2010 Democratic State Convention in Worcester: Deval Patrick for Governor Grace Ross for Governor Tim Murray for Lieutenant Governor Martha Coakley for Attorney General Bill Galvin for Secretary of the Commonwealth Steve Grossman for State Treasurer Steve M...
Blue Mass. Group - Fri 8:42 a.m. - 13 clicks
A few weeks ago, I went on WGBH to go tete-a-tete with John O'Hara, author of The New American Tea Party. O'Hara disputed the notion that Tea Partiers are remotely extremist. Hmmm ... well, let's take a look at the schedule of events at their convention, shall we? Here's Judge Roy Moore speaking this pm ... he of the gigantic Ten Commandments Rock . And this : Moore was a...
Blue Mass. Group - Fri 7:03 a.m.
MAYOR MANZI NAMES GREG FALLON AS FEBRUARY’S ARTIST OF THE MONTH Methuen Artist’s Work on Display in the Mayor’s Office Mayor William M. Manzi has named Greg Fallon as February’s Artist of the Month. Greg Fallon moved to Methuen at in 1984, and his parents still reside near Lowell ......
Bill Manzi - Fri 5:45 a.m. - 3 clicks
Turns out if you do youth outreach in an election you have higher youth turnout. If you read my take on the returns from the Massachusetts special election for the US Senate race then you know that Mass had some issues with reaching out to young voters. There was some confusion about who was going to do it.. or if it was going to happen... Someone even suggested the youth outreach was "wel...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Fri 4:21 a.m. - 12 clicks
In case you weren’t aware, we just had ourselves an election. The results: Say hello to your new Senators: Charles River: Abaham “Abby” Berin East: Melissa Skolnik 2012: Abby Kulawitz Village: Albert Feldman Heading into the run-off for Associate Justice: Ryan D. Martin and Deena Glucksman. Full results: Candidates (winners bolded), Student Union SP10-1 (Charles River) Senator f...
Innermost Parts - Fri 12:25 a.m.
When Grace Ross posted on BMG a few weeks back about contemplating a run for Governor, many people (including me) implored her to either run in the Democratic Primary or not run at all. We don't need to give Tim Cahill, Christy Mihos or Charley Baker any help in nudging Patrick from the Corner Office. So, that she decided to challenge Governor Patrick in the primary does not bother me. In fact, ...
Ryan's Take - Fri 12:03 a.m. - 7 clicks
Well, this is a new spot in which to find oneself. Grace Ross is going to run for governor as a Democrat, forcing a primary between her and Deval Patrick for the nomination. Mind you, she isn't a Democrat, or at least wasn't when she ran four years ago. She was the Green-Rainbow candidate. This blog post from two weeks ago implies she wasn't a Democrat as recently as the special election. ...
Quriltai on the Shore - Thu 8:16 p.m. - 5 clicks
W e have a new senator here in Massachusetts: Scott Brown was sworn in today as the first Republican from this state commonwealth since Edward Brooke (the only African American we've had in the Senate) was defeated back in 1978 by Paul Tsongas. I've been in Massachusetts for a while (but don't go back to the Brooke era), though I do remember too many Republican governors, each worse than the...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Thu 7:20 p.m. - 4 clicks
You know ... next time someone complains about how messed up our political culture is, just ... point westward. This is an instant classic ... of sorts; the single most inexplicable political ad I've heard of. Hilarious. Nightmarish. It's all that. ...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 6:40 p.m.
This comment got me thinking about what's really at issue in the ongoing discussions about Citizens United. I'm still trying to figure out... ...how "corporate personhood" is an issue. The 1st amendment says "Congress shall make no law...abridging freedom of speech". It does not say "Congress shall make no law abridging A PERSON'S freedom of speech." by: Christopher @ Wed Feb 03,...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 2:07 p.m. - 2 clicks
OFA-MA Director John Spears on Republicans Turning to Wall Street to Fund Campaigns (email today, no link). John Spears, Organizing for America (OFA)-MA State Director, issued the following statement in response to today's Wall Street Journal article reporting that Republicans are turning to Wall Street to help fund 2010 campaigns: "The news today that Republicans are training their sights ...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 1:20 p.m.
As we celebrate Children’s Oral Health Month and work to ensure that oral health is protected in the budget, the media has made a point to highlight the importance of oral health and the link to overall health. A strongly-worded letter-to-the-editor in the Boston Globe today from Dr. David S. Samuels, President of the Massachusetts Dental [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Thu 1:20 p.m. - 4 clicks
Adam Reilly's got a great article about the power -- and ubiquity -- of conservative talk radio, yes ... even in Massachusetts . He correctly faults Candidate Coakley for not bothering to show up and call in to these stations, thus giving herself an opportunity to explain herself, and blunt or divert criticism. (Call this "Massachusetts-specific contigency" #53,006.) Look, I've been o...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 12:50 p.m. - 7 clicks
After countless bureaucratic skirmishes and nearly a decade, Cape Wind supporters are hopeful the project is nearing final approval. Last month, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said he would make a final decision on America's first offshore wind farm by April, and labor activists and environmentalists are calling on him to ok what would be one of the largest wind-energy projects in the country. ...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 11:46 a.m.
Interesting article in NYTimes , "Grifters' Tale," comparing John Edwards and Sarah Palin as populist opportunists....
Flash & Yearn - Thu 10:21 a.m. - 2 clicks
In light (a poet’s light, that is) of the upcoming Super Bowl in New Orleans, Paul posts on RichardHowe.com about Zeitoun, a book by Dave Eggers that tells the story of a man who stayed behind after Katrina. I have been thinking about this book lately because I was also reading The Trial, by Franz [...]...
Jackie Doherty - Thu 8:23 a.m.
Well, the Globe's casino cheer leading again , this time featuring Representative Brian Dempsey. Nothing like a nice Dempsey press release to get the story moving -- and nudge the Commonwealth a little further to casinos, a fantastic potential ad revenue source for enterprising Globe sales reps. Whee! I'm not even going to block quote any of the story. Suffice it to say, there's some in...
Ryan's Take - Thu 5:27 a.m. - 2 clicks
Sometimes, the pathetic dysfunction of politics unfolds on such a masterful arc, it seems the work of a playwrite, or short-story author. I'm not sure whether this one is comedy or tragedy, but consider: --Organized labor in Massachusetts had a true-blue, loyal, lunch-bucket union guy ready to go in the special Senate election in congressman Stephen Lynch. --Labor activists booed Lynch at...
Talking Politics - Thu 5:04 a.m. - 7 clicks
The President, back on the Hill, this time taking questions from Democratic Senators. It appears that those Senators with tough re-election fights got the most face time. ...
Bill Manzi - Thu 4:45 a.m.
An Anecdote: On February 5, 1946, Albert Einstein agreed to the establishment of the Albert Einstein Foundation for Higher Learning, Inc., but on June 22, 1947, he ended his association with the institute, and refused the board’s offer to name it after him. Instead, the university was named after Justice Louis D. Brandeis. In 1953 Brandeis University [...]...
Innermost Parts - Wed 10:35 p.m. - 4 clicks
I've been reading a lot about health care systems from around the world.. Most recently, I'm exploring an online Canadian book on "The Economics of Canadian Health Care" Its very much worth reading because it explores all the various issues that politicians in the US are playing dumb about- in detail. You can see why they do what they do, and its not such a pretty thing when you underst...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Wed 8:20 p.m.
LeftAhead Internet Radio, a podcast I'm a co-host of, had Governor Patrick on yesterday . Lots of interesting and frank talk occurred -- including some new themes that, I hope, will be appearing frequently on the campaign trail. We focused on budgetary issues and the (sometimes heated) dynamics of Beacon Hill between the Governor and legislative bodies, as well as what the Governor plans to do sh...
Ryan's Take - Wed 8:01 p.m. - 7 clicks
The New York Times Health section has recently included some interesting reporting on patient safety. Last week’s paper featured an article written by two 4th-year medical school students at Harvard. They discuss the lack of focus on patient safety in medical schools’ coursework while also highlighting examples of some schools that go beyond the norm [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Wed 6:55 p.m. - 4 clicks
Winger talking heads and Boston Herald columnists alike are fairly soiling their Depend® diapers in squealing excitement. We're about to have a Republican U.S. Senator from here for the first time since Edward Brooke snuck away in a fusillade of allegations, personal and financial. This Scott Brown is easy to ridicule. He was also nearly useless as a state senator. However, most obviously, o...
Marry in Massachusetts - Wed 2:49 p.m. - 6 clicks
I saw a story today about Scott Brown 'demanding' that he be allowed to take Senator Kennedy's seat by TOMORROW or else, or else... Well he didn't take it any further than that. Suffice it to say that I couldn't care less what Scott Brown demands. His election was a fluke, based on the fact that many progressives in Massachusetts wanted change from the status Quo. As the President ...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Wed 2:49 p.m. - 5 clicks
In this week's issue of the Boston Phoenix -- in print tomorrow, online now -- I have a small item about lobbying expenditures on Beacon Hill in 2009 (to which I referred earlier this week). The article is here: Bay State's Top Lobbyists. Also, you should check out my colleague Chris Faraone's story on efforts to curb violence in Boston: The War Over Peace . And stay tuned ...
Talking Politics - Wed 12:42 p.m. - 6 clicks
I’m back in my Social Movements class. We’re talking about collective action problems – if you’re interested in a collective goal, there will be free riders: people who think “if I bother helping out towards this goal, it won’t make much difference, but I will have to sacrifice. Therefore, I can just not join in [...]...
Innermost Parts - Wed 11:24 a.m. - 2 clicks
Like most folks, I take my news with a grain of salt; this learned response was strengthened since getting elected to the school committee and having seen, on occasion, my own words taken out of context, misrepresented, or used loosely to support some agenda in the newspaper. But even before running for office, as an [...]...
Jackie Doherty - Wed 10:20 a.m. - 8 clicks
OK, no pun intended, but I blew it. I can mealy-mouth it a bit and say my premise that President Obama was weak in his passing and faint call for Congress to end don't-ask-don't-tell may have been accurate, but I can't deny that this train is ready to leave the station. Thanks, Mr. O. Yesterday, two big old brass hats called for the overturn of the inefficient and vindictive polic...
Marry in Massachusetts - Wed 4:02 a.m.
I recently suggested that you keep an eye on the GOP primary in Illinois's 10th congressional district, for an early sign about the prospects of actual Republican women getting elected this year. (BTW, Hotline chimed in on that topic today.) Well, the woman in question, Elizabeth Coulson, has just conceded defeat to businessman Robert Dold. Obviously no single election is definitive p...
Talking Politics - Tue 10:48 p.m. - 2 clicks
As the saying goes, even a stopped clock is right twice a day. From today's Herald : Lobbyists have placed their biggest wagers on the State House’s very own pit bosses - Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo - who each got roughly $5,000 in 2009 from about two dozen lobbyists representing casinos. Their political action committees cashed in even bigger, with DeLeo’s Co...
Ryan's Take - Tue 3:24 p.m. - 3 clicks
The Massachusetts Legislative Oral Health Caucus meets Wednesday, Feb. 3 from 10:30 am until 12:00 pm in Room 437 at the State House. Formed in 2005, and believed to be the first in the nation, the group’s main purpose is to educate members of the General Court about the importance of oral health and its connection [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Tue 1:27 p.m. - 6 clicks
Truth be told, today’s podcast with Gov. Deval Patrick was a little bit of a love fest. The usual trio had supported and endorsed him in his campaign and will again. Yet, we are like many progressives — impatient. Amusingly he brought out one of his anecdotes about his friend Barack Obama. When Patrick complained that he hated the raising-money and bragging aspects of politics, Obama said, “...
Marry in Massachusetts - Tue 12:25 p.m. - 7 clicks
Later this week you'll see an item I have in the new issue of the Phoenix about Massachusetts lobbying in 2009. Overall, there seems to have been a slight drop in spending from 2008, when big issues like the energy bill and auto-insurance reform were on the table -- but there were also increases around issues that got hot on Beacon Hill last year. That includes education, public-employee be...
Talking Politics - Tue 8:27 a.m. - 5 clicks
Folks may recall that a few weeks ago the Massachusetts state government attempted to hold a series of hearings on the huge premium hikes for small businesses there and they invited insurers and hospitals to attend, however, almost none of them showed up. The state of Massachusetts is still trying to get answers about the 20-45% hikes which are threatening health care in the state and h...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Tue 7:01 a.m. - 3 clicks
Online payments are the big battle for beleaguered billionaires and their slightly poorer near peers. The Rupert Murdoch types cannot abide the idea that somewhere someone is getting something they touched for free. No doubt that the basis of capitalism is that people or corporations own goods or services they make available for a price. Anything short of profit is called charity or fooli...
Marry in Massachusetts - Feb 1 - 3 clicks
This past Friday the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office announced new regulations designed to protect Massachusetts consumers by preventing the deceptive marketing of discount health plans. For many, these plans are pure scams - deceptively sold as insurance but providing no real insurance benefits. A discount health plan requires you to pay a monthly or [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Feb 1 - 4 clicks
According to reports, Scott Brown has $4 million left over in his Senate campaign account. That would give him the second-biggest war chest in the Bay State -- behind only former congressman Marty Meehan, who just may be Brown's opponent when he faces re-election in 2012. Brown's flood of donations came after the new year, and is not represented in the 2009 campaign-finance reports that ...
Talking Politics - Feb 1 - 4 clicks
This semester I’m taking a Social Movements course with the esteemed Professor David Cunningham. I’m trying to take insights from his class and apply them to Brandeis. He’s talking about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and how the participation of churches meant so much. One reason – churches had an established hierarchy with leaders. Instead of organizing [...]...
Innermost Parts - Feb 1 - 3 clicks
Want to participate in the 2nd annual world Pillow Fight day? It’s going down in Boston, on April 3rd. Do you want to go? Let us know in the comments. If enough people are interested we can carpool or whatever. Info: Date: Saturday, April 3rd. 2010. Time: 3:00PM, at the sound of the airhorn (Show up at [...]...
Innermost Parts - Feb 1 - 3 clicks
Rep. Ellen Story and bill supportersOn January 27, dozens of lawyers, doctors, survivors of postpartum depression and their families, and legislators gathered at the State House for a press event and hearing on H. 3897: An Act Relative to Postpartum Depression. The bill, sponsored by Representative Ellen Story (D-Amherst) and twenty co-sponsors, is [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Feb 1 - 4 clicks
If the California same-sex marriage battle in federal court seems complex, Slate offers all the reminders you need. In A road map to Perry. v. Schwarzenegger , a law professor and a lawyer draw on the virtual white board. There's nothing new in the lengthy piece. On the other hand, the complex arguments and what the federal judge faces in deciding now that we are at closing statements are ...
Marry in Massachusetts - Feb 1 - 4 clicks
I didn’t think they would do it. The Union Judiciary has just decided to side with the Union Senate in kicking out Union Secretary Diana Aronin from office. You can find our earlier coverage here. You heard it here first. Here’s the court’s Ruling in re Aronin. The gist of it is this: Diana really should’ve put [...]...
Innermost Parts - Jan 31 - 2 clicks
For all those who have mocked the concept of investing in renewable energy I refer you to the story in today's New York Times detailing the huge lead China is building in manufacturing in this critical area. The Chinese are not only investing in the business end, but they are ......
Bill Manzi - Jan 31
Note to readers: Please forgive me if this article seems a bit of a rant. I've made a commitment to start writing again and to be honest I'm still a little bit overwhelmed by our recent failures. Thanks for hanging in there with me! From the first laws in the Code of Hammurabi we find the reasoning for their existance: "To bring about righteousness in the land so that the strong ...
Live, Love and Learn - Jan 31 - 2 clicks
Either outcome of January 19's special election would have left us wondering what Democrat would step up to challenge the junior senator from Massachusetts. The fact that Scott Brown won, while unfortunate in every other way, probably produces a stronger field than would have been willing to primary a sitting senator, however clearly she needed to be primaried. As it is, the entire party will be ...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Jan 31 - 3 clicks
One has to wonder, where that old idea that health care fees "saves money" keeps coming back from, given that its been disproven many times, by many different research groups. The most recent work showing how wrong it is is a study just released by the New England Journal of Medicine. As the Canadian government paper on the subject says : "There’s an old idea that frequently...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Jan 31
An interesting exchange of ideas between the President and the House Republican caucus. The President deserves great credit for doing this, and the Republican leadership deserves credit for inviting him. Both sides saw the chance for some political gain, but the result was a pretty good and free-wheeling discussion of ......
Bill Manzi - Jan 31
Board of Trustees member Meyer Koplow ‘72, in conjunction with Dean of Arts and Sciences Adam Jaffe, announced that academic programs at Brandeis are to be potentially trimmed in order to save long term funds. To clarify, ”To be concrete, what we’re talking about are academic programs that would be phased out, ” says Jaffe. The Aronin case [...]...
Innermost Parts - Jan 30 - 4 clicks
Gov. Deval Patrick joins us on Left Ahead! Tuesday to talk about what he hopes to accomplish — and how — in his four year (and maybe the next four). Considering that he's two years ahead in office of his good friend Barack Obama and facing many of the same economic and political troubles, we're eager to ask and hear the answers. This is at an unusual time to meet his schedule. He's on from ...
Marry in Massachusetts - Jan 30 - 11 clicks
The President used his weekly address to deal with federal government deficits, and some steps he now advocates to help deal with this burgeoning problem. The President highlighted a spending freeze, as well as calling for a bipartisan "deficit commission". The "deficit" issue has hurt him politically, and he is ......
Bill Manzi - Jan 30
By Bill Densmore (The writer is a directorof Shires Media Partnership and lives in Williamstown, Mass.) BENNINGTON, Vt. -- Shires Media Partnership Inc., the non-profit owner of radio station WBTN convened a regional meeting at the Bennington (Vt.) Free Library......
Greylock News - Jan 29
Not to copy pkhentz , but I also had the idea that I should post something, and snippets are what I've got. It's witch's tit cold here. It's supposed to get below zero tonight in real temperature with a wind chill in the negative double digits. I've been stoking the fire all day. We're planning on going to the Boston Children's Museum tomorrow. Our diaper lady (bless her heart) gave us...
Flash & Yearn - Jan 29 - 3 clicks
He'll be coming on LeftAhead this Tuesday to take questions from Lynne , Mike and myself. We haven't pinned down the exact time, but it'll probably be an hour or two earlier than our normal 2:30 start time. As always, when we're finished doing the live show, the recording will be available on LeftAhead.com and iTunes to listen or download, or on this site's sidebar. If any readers have quest...
Ryan's Take - Jan 29 - 12 clicks
Which must come first: Hiring workers or higher orders? Consumer spending or new jobs? Consumer confidence or business confidence? Those are among the big chicken-and-egg questions for our Great Recession. To put it in terms of George Bush the Lesser, it's un-American not to invest in America in times like these. Yet, reading the financial press and listening to business owners on On Poi...
Marry in Massachusetts - Jan 29 - 2 clicks
Scott Brown mania persists, with the Senator-elect doing a bit on the Jay Leno show. The Senator seems to have as much energy as he did in the campaign, making the rounds in Massachusetts and nationally, and really hitting the right political notes. He has energy for sure, and appears ......
Bill Manzi - Jan 29 - 3 clicks
I just saw Rachel Maddow doing a full segment about James O'Keefe -- the guy behind the ACORN videotaping, who was arrested earlier this week -- and I have decided that, as much as I don't want to talk about James O'Keefe, I am going to talk about James O'Keefe in order to explain why people like Maddow (and Olbermann, and Schuster, and liberal bloggers, etc.) should not be t...
Talking Politics - Jan 28
I really like Obama. I really do, and so far I think he's done a fairly decent job. If somebody is forced to put out a fire he didn't start, it's not fair to blame him for getting everything else wet. He's handled the Afghan situation decently well, finding a way for the American military to basically ignore the Afghan-Pakistani border without the people in the two countries get upset as they...
Quriltai on the Shore - Jan 28
Ask any cop and he’ll tell you, most citizens obey the law. The same for students: most behave and are good kids. The majority of Lowell students are diverse, talented, and energetic young people who accept each other’s differences and behave well at school and sporting events. Yet, my first reaction to Tuesday’s front-page [...]...
Jackie Doherty - Jan 28 - 9 clicks
Note : I did not mean for the following article to be published until Monday. It requires editing and will be updated and significantly clarified then. A special apology to Representative DiNatale, who has corresponded with me. A bill designed to promote majority religions in public schools pushed forward by eleven Democrats. A law built on the template adored by the "Concerned Women for...
Quriltai on the Shore - Jan 28 - 2 clicks
If you’re around this weekend, you’ll want to attend a meeting with Senator John Kerry and Representative Niki Tsongas on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 9 a.m. at Middlesex Community College’s Federal Building, 33 Kearney Square in Lowell. State Senator Steve Panagiotakos, chair of ways and means, will also be there along with civic, business [...]...
Jackie Doherty - Jan 28 - 6 clicks
Politico reports that Martha Coakley only made 19 campaign stops to Scott Brown's 66 in this story , but they don't give a single, solitary source. Where the hell is that source -- because that statistic is just absurd. It's unfathomable that they'd even report something like that without using a single, solitary source. Don't get me wrong, Coakley's led a very quiet campaign up until the last we...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28 - 5 clicks
I think this scene from Fellowship of the Rings is a perfect metaphor for today's election. The part of Gandalf is played by the collective Massachusetts Democratic activist base. Coakley is Frodo the Ring Bearer. I think people can guess who I think the Balrog is... As a bonus, here's the damned funniest video ever. ...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28 - 4 clicks
Given what's happened in Haiti, I remembered reading about the potential dangers of a Boston Earthquake not long back. I decided to do a little google search - and, indeed, Boston and the New England region aren't so safe from quakes as we'd all like to believe. Local scientists have been bringing up the inevitability of a reasonably bad Boston Earthquake for more than a decade now, but given w...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28 - 4 clicks
Because not only I should be inundated with a gazillion Senate campaign emails in the past 48 hours, I figured I'd share snippets from today's inbox. Here's one from Coakley's campaign, Brown says: “Never Voted for a Tax Increase”, but supported hundreds of millions of dollars in fee hikes, a gas tax increase, and over $7 billion in increased spending Boston, MA - I...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28 - 9 clicks
Freshman Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley - and former Kerry staffer - makes an excellent point for all the residents living in and near Boston -- a point that could be extended for anyone living in Springfield, Worcester, New Bedford, Lowell or pretty much any city across Massachusetts. From Ayanna's email: Electing Scott Brown would be bad news for Boston. He will work against the very pro...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28 - 3 clicks
I just did 2 hours of phone banking for Martha Coakley tonight. A lot of people may wonder why I'd be willing to invest that kind of time to her campaign when I've been fairly critical of her on this blog, but I think the answer is pretty clear. While I think she'll be an okay Senator (and potentially a very good one with a few years' seasoning), Brown would be an absolutely horrible one. My bigg...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28 - 6 clicks
I just had a SHNS Capitol Brief snippet forwarded to me from the afternoon of Wednesday the 23rd. One of the stories in the brief was about Speaker DeLeo, cheer leading slots at the race tracks again, statements which have long-since past Albert Einstein's definition of insanity. The other one was about how the greyhound race tracks had seen their last day of greyhound racing (amen!). Needless to ...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28
This is the second time I've had to title a post of mine like this. [Update: Let's call this the Hoover edition .] Obama's introducing a plan to create a "spending freeze" -- which is really a spending cut. A lot of people would be fine with that, but let's consider a few things. First off, a federal spending freeze/reduction that doesn't include the pentagon's overly inflated budget, littere...
Ryan's Take - Jan 28 - 2 clicks
