Will Brownsberger — State Senator, Democrat, 2d Suffolk and Middlesex District

Recently Will spoke out about Massachusetts and Gov. Patrick funding of Evergreen Solar (ESLR). Will is right to condemn it and the state was and remains wrong when it attempts to fund private industry; and for that matter so is Pres. Obama wrong on this allocation of resources. The private sector, often referred to by some at [...]

Will Brownsberger’s recent posts and proposed  ideas illustrate what a thoughtful legislators does; research, consult, publicly debate and propose. He is one of the good ones. While I would go in the direction of getting the state out of the retirement business, Will is attempting to lead reform that would reshape the pension system and [...]

It pains me to public disagree with our usually well intentioned state representative, but Rep Brownsberger was wrong to vote in favor of a 28 member Legislative Redistricting Commission offered by his party rather than a seven person non legislative commission. While it was the politically smart and easy vote, it is not in keeping [...]

Tom Keane’s op-ed piece, http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2010/12/04/politicians_no_more_favors, copy and paste to read, is spot on and I hope Rep. Brownsberger takes it to heart and introduces legislation that will institutionalize it’s message. Key take away: “Exceptions create the appearance — if not the reality — that the rule of law doesn’t apply to all. They breed cynicism [...]

Given the complexities of  job procurement and the fact that most legislators have little training in personnel, it would be be wise for legislators to be prohibited from participating in the  process for public employment. Certainly if a legislator knows of a position they can inform a potential applicant and that is where they should [...]

I encourage you all to read this commentary from the London Daily Telegraph which looks back at the wisdom of Thatcherism- http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/peteroborne/100064330/margaret-thatcher-knew-the-single-currency-would-devastate-europe/ key takeaway- In the 1980s the policies of Britain’s first female Prime Minister, which brought pain and unrest to the UK, were called ‘Thatcherism’. Today, we would call such policies by a different [...]

While Mass. has been more responsible than the poster children of state irresponsibility Michael Gerson’s column is worth noting. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/11/AR2010111106084.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions

David and any other readers, Please watch this Youtube video; I  know it is sensational and not nuanced but also know we can NOT continue  on the path of borrow and spend. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTSQozWP-rM&feature=related

“Saturday afternoon on NPR James Fallows proclaimed that “there is essentially no disagreement WHATSOEVER” among economists that more stimulus spending is necessary today [emphasis in the original]. He are misinformed. Last year, hundreds of economists signed a petition, circulated by the Cato Institute, whose key clause reads “it is a triumph of hope over experience [...]

I draw your attention to the streets of Paris, this from the lead paragraph in an article in the10/13  WSJ – ” PARIS—French unions brought more than a million people into the streets Tuesday and vowed to press on with more strikes to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans to lift the retirement age, a measure [...]

from the centrist New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks: this is a problem coming to Massachusetts as well. If not dealt with soon,  we will see the same social dislocation that is being seen in Greece, Spain, CA, NY and NJ. Op-Ed Columnist The Paralysis of the State By DAVID BROOKS Published: October 12, [...]