Saturday, June 15, 2013
If the special election was today, who would you choose as our new U.S. senator?
A week from Tuesday, Massachusetts voters will decide who to elect in the special election to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. We want to know - if the election was today - who would you vote for? Candidates Democrat Ed Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez have been pullling out all the stops in the last two weeks as the latest polls show the gap is narrowing between the two. After weeks of relative quiet, the negative ads have started to clog the airways and both candidates have had high-profile folks stumping for them. Rudy Guiliani was in town last week putting his support behind Gomez and President Obama came to Boston this week showing his support for Markey. So tell us, if you had to vote today who would …
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
His was not the story of Deval Patrick, or Mitt Romney or Bill Weld. Argeo Paul Cellucci started local on the Board of Selectmen in his beloved town of Hudson and worked his way up: state representative, state senator, lieutenant governor, governor, ambassador. He was the Calvin Coolidge of his time, according to former Minority Leader Richard Tisei, and Democrats, Republicans and Canadians, alike, loved and respected him for it. Cellucci passed away last weekend after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 65, and on Thursday he became the 13th public figure to lie in state under the State House rotunda. The memorial service and public viewing for the former governor drew a who's-who to Beacon Hill, including Romney, Michael …
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Town Water and Sewer Commission planning a campaign to educate homeowners, businesses about what should not be put into the sewer.
Baby wipes may be wonderful innovations, but when flushed down the toilet, they cause havoc with the blades that churn up the sewage. So the town's Water and Sewer Commission is working on a campaign to educate town residents about what not to put down the toilet, including baby wipes and cleaning wipes. "You wouldn't believe what people put down the sewer system," said Chairman Carlton Siegel this week. He said the sewer system would be better off if town residents never used their garbage disposal. At the Green Street sewer station crews once pulled out a whole table cloth, said superintendent Amy McHugh. A lot of things that should go in the trash are ending up in the sewers. McHugh said she is expecting that the South Essex Sewage …
The state may approve 18 more giant lighted boards as a way to boost revenue. Is it worth the money if the light burns all night long?
Are you ready for digital billboards on state land across the commonwealth? How about in your town or city? The Department of Transportation wants the glowing house-sized signs on its property across the state, and the revenue they'll bring to the state, according to The Boston Globe. Under the current deal signed with Clear Channel, the state would get a cut of each billboard's revenue—either 25 percent or $90,000 per year, whichever is higher. But other states negotiated more lucrative deals. Current state law allows these digital billboards, but prohibits any animation. So you won't see the latest Geico lizard ad or anything like that, but you may see a rotating set of images. It also requires the sign's owner to set aside time for …
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
It could have been a turning point in the race, the moment when the lights flicked on and the much-anticipated contest finally lived up to expectations for a U.S Senate race. Would Congressman Edward Markey finally slam the door on Gabriel Gomez and dash the GOP's dream of Scott Brown redux? Could Gomez shine, narrow the polls and entice national Republican donors to start paying attention? Instead, all anyone wanted to talk about Thursday morning was the thrilling Bruins double overtime victory in Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals. Tuukka Rask as a write-in? At long last, Markey and Gomez shared the same debate stage. In fact, they were so close to each other in the WBZ studios they practically shared a podium. It was all Markey…
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Postcard bills to be replaced in July, as town moves to paper bills.
If you like to water your lawn and gardens during the warm, dry summer months, expect to start paying a little more for the water. The town's five-member Water and Sewer Commission voted four to one Tuesday night to raise the price of water by 10 cents for most users and 30 cents for those who use 3,000 cubic feet of water every three months. The rate will rise to $4.20 per 100 cubic feet (748 gallons) of water for most residents. For those who use more than 3,000 cubic feet of water every quarter, the price of water will go up to $4.70. Most water users will pay only 10 cents more More than 80 percent of all water users consume less than 3,000 cubic feet of water every three months. "If you want to water your lawn, you're going to have to…
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Donna Dempsey of the American Progressive Bag Alliance offers a rebuttal to a proposed ban on plastic bags at point of sale locations in the Bay State.
Early in May we posted an article about Rep. Lori Ehrlich's proposed legislation to ban plastic bags from point of sale locations in Massachusetts stores. The legislation would, however, exclude plastic bags that meet the highest industry standards for biodegradability and compostability. We heard from several industry sources shortly thereafter and, from the American Progressive Bag Alliance, found a spokesperson who would go on the record with a counterpoint argument. Below is a question and answer interview with Donna Dempsey of the American Progressive Bag Alliance. Above is a link to the original article about the representaitve's bill. In addition, posted it at the very bottom of this page. 1. The first question is open ended. …
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
The specter of deceased citizens collecting welfare benefits haunted the marbled halls of the State House this week as Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray tied up the loose ends dangling on his six-and-a-half years with the Patrick administration and Attorney General Martha Coakley sued the Obama administration for allegedly putting fishermen on death row. Other than that, the arrival of steamy days in Boston ushered in a post-Memorial Day and budget week lull at the State House with the governor out of town, politicos watching two special elections and committees plodding forward with bill hearings while lawmakers wait for word from on high about their next big votes. Congressman Ed Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez also continued sniping from a …
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
The rush from Beacon Hill to the westbound turnpike this week had as much to do with two of Worcester's political sons beating feet from the capitol as with the impending Memorial Day weekend. As Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray attempted as graceful an exit as possible from politics, fellow Worcester Democrat Rep. John Fresolo made his hasty escape under an ethics cloud feeling "marginalized" by his peers and pressured to resign, which he did. If not for those two storylines, the focus may have been on the Senate's breakneck budget debate concluding Thursday night as senators wiped their hands clean of 725 amendments and passed a $34 billion fiscal 2014 budget without the need for Senate President Therese Murray to threaten a Friday or Saturday …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Outgoing lieutenant governor said recent controversies had nothing to do with decision to resign.
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said none of the controversies that have dogged him during his tenure on Beacon Hill contributed to his decision to announce his resignation. In a press conference at the State House Wednesday, Murray said his final day on the job will be June 2. The next day he will take over as president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce where his salary will reportedly be around $200,000. In January, Murray said he had no intention of running for governor when Gov. Deval Patrick's term expires in January 2015. "This has been a very difficult but empowering decision," Murray said. "It has been an honor to serve as lieutenant governor." Patrick called Murray an "outstanding partner" during his time in …
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Jane
3:53 pm on Monday, June 17, 2013
Gomez. Enough is enough more ›