It’s time to open up the books of the MBTA pension system. The MBTA derives two-thirds of its $1.9 billion budget from state and local taxes. It contributes $71 million per year to pay pensions for its workers. Historically, MBTA pensions have been very generous, although the legislature reformed the system in 2009 as to new …
Continue reading “End the secrecy of the MBTA pension system”
I have received many expressions of concern about the proposed shipment of ethanol by rail along lines that run through portions of my district. There are several possible routes under consideration. All options run through dense neighborhoods. Click here to view a study that was made of the safety issues by the Massachusetts Department of …
Continue reading “Ethanol Shipments through Population Areas”
On Earth Day last Monday, the state legislature’s Joint Committee on Environment voted to send on to the Senate a bill to assess the long-term risks from sea level rise. Climate change is expected to result in as much as 2 meters of sea level rise over the next century. At the same time, with …
Like most of you, I spent Friday at home, checking eagerly for news — mostly confident that the outcome would eventually be good, praying that no more people would be hurt. People close to the killer-on-the-loose spent a night and day in real fear. From where I was, over a mile away from the boat, …
As a marathoner and also someone who grew up loving Copley Square, I feel deeply the violation of a holy space by senseless violence. Our hopes and prayers are with the victims and first responders. I appreciate the great resolve expressed by the President and all in federal, state and local law enforcement to bring …
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. …
Continue reading “Senate Transportation Plan includes Transparency Enhancements”
