Are we on the right track financially?

Wall Street has applauded our state-level efforts to manage long-term liabilities — the rating agencies are giving the Commonwealth its highest ever bond ratings.  But we should consider carefully whether we should accept Wall Street’s metrics for financial health — not that I doubt the need for financial discipline, but rather that we should, perhaps, …

Military Bond Bill

The Senate Press Release regarding the Military Bond Bill appears below. I was pleased to support the bill, which passed with only two dissenting votes. Opponents expressed concerns about the overall balance of military vs. peaceful governmental expenditures in the country. This bill authorizes a relatively modest ($177 million) multi-year spending program for economic development …

Title Clearing Bill

The Senate press Release regarding the Title Clearing Bill appears below — I was pleased to support this bill in the vote today. ===================================== Senate Passes Bill to Protect Homeowners BOSTON – The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation to restore the titles of foreclosed properties after thousands of foreclosure sales in Massachusetts were determined …

Juvenile Justice Reform

Kids are kids — emerging research confirms that capacity for self-control doesn’t fully develop until well after the age of 18.  That insight, taken to heart, has far-reaching implications for the way we respond to youthful misbehavior. The MacArthur Foundation has funded much of the recent research. The Foundation was troubled by the trend in …

Service Issues on the Waverley Bus

We’ve been hearing complaints about a degradation of service on the 73 bus line — unexplained significant delays in the arrival of buses. We’ve brought them to the attention of the MBTA and their position is that nothing has changed — the schedule with the diesel buses is the same as it was with the …