I just completed this training which is now required for all state and municipal employees. The scenarios are reasonable and even sometimes interesting, but they are also confusing because a lot (over 2/3?) of the training is for state employees and does not seem to apply in the same way for municipal employees — or …
Government Reform
children and families, election laws, ethics rules, insider jobs, pensions & benefits, structure and operations, transparency
National Popular Vote
After the electoral mess of 2000, which came close to being repeated in 2004, many of us believed that the time had come for electoral college reform at the national level. While a constitutional amendment seemed out of reach, one proposal, the National Popular Vote compact, seems to be a workable solution. Under the National …
Municipal health insurance update
Groups from diverse perspectives — the Boston Foundation, Stand for Children, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation — are pushing for change in municipal health insurance. I think that the legislature is really beginning to focus on making something happen and I am starting to be hopeful that we’ll have a bill this spring.
An historical perspective on Lawrence
I have some experience with Lawrence. In the early 90’s, I helped create and run the annual Bread and Roses Festival, which celebrates Lawrence’s labor history. A few years ago, I taught in Lawrence for a year. Several points. Lawrence is an immigrant and mill city with a tough history. Historically, its low-wage mill jobs …
Municipal Health Costs and Teachers’ Unions
I am responding to some comments I have seen here and also thinking about today’s Globe editorial on this topic. As a teacher and committed union member I think the recent spate of comments about teacher unions are WAY off as a generalization. I do not dispute that some unions are stubborn about health costs …
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Opposed to Lawrence support bill
Hi Will, Thx for your request for comment. Having spent 6 years in public office locally, I believe this bill is unlikely to be in our best interests as a Commonwealth. Since town and city govt’s are essentially at an impasse with organized labor, most notably teacher unions, the bill only postpones the inevitable. As …