Speaker DeLeo announced today his plan for gaming in the Commonwealth — essentially two resort casinos and slots at the race tracks with the revenues spread to multiple goals and constituencies. The speaker’s messaging on the bill is primarily focused on the employment benefits.
Author Archives: Will Brownsberger
Cell Tower Locations in Belmont
The list of cell tower locations in Belmont appears below on this list prepared by the Department of Community Development in May 2009.
Cell Tower Site Lease Terminated
The lease of the site for the cell tower at Exit 59 has been terminated, effectively ending the possibility of a cell tower at that site in the near future.
Dazzled by the stars
Last week, I voted with a surprisingly small minority to curtail the state’s film tax credit, which was expanded under the leadership of former speaker Sal DiMasi. Mike Widmer, the President of the Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation, has stated that “All the evidence shows that it is a very costly tax credit with minimal economic impact, …
Non-compete Bill Reported Favorably
Legislation to revise the law of non-competition agreements took a step forward this week. The Committee on Labor and Human Resources reported out a bill with a favorable recommendation.
State employee payroll totals
The spreadsheet below compares census data on state payroll as of March 2008 with March 2000, responding to comments on this post. Most areas other than higher education, which is not funded primarily on the state budget, show cuts. The increase in higher education more than accounts for the growth in state employment — without …