Senate Transportation Plan includes Transparency Enhancements

While the main agenda in yesterday’s transportation discussion was to fund transportation operations and maintenance, we passed a number of amendments to strengthen transparency. A particular issue that had troubled many observers for decades was the secrecy of the MBTA’s pension fund.  The MBTA’s pension plan has been perceived as excessively generous, allowing relatively early retirements. …

The Senate Transportation Plan

The Senate passed its own version of the transportation package after a ten hour session on Saturday.  The vote was 30 to 5 in favor with 3 Republicans and only two anti-tax Democrats opposed. Many of us had hoped for a broader package, along the lines proposed by the Governor in January — addressing not …

The Legislature’s Proposed Transportation Plan

Over the next few days, legislators will cast votes on the transportation finance plan recently released by the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees. My hope is that the plan will evolve and expand before our final vote.   I would like to see us add to the plan a stream of additional dedicated transportation revenue …

Check your driver’s license renewal date!

In 2009, the Registry of Motor Vehicles discontinued mail notices of pending driver’s license expiration. They replaced it with an online service which I encouraged people to sign up for.  When I emailed advice of the new service it was widely reforwarded. If you took that advice, please be advised that the RMV has now …