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.
Government Reform
children and families, election laws, ethics rules, insider jobs, pensions & benefits, structure and operations, transparency
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 …
Concerns re salary disclosures
I applaud your efforts toward transparency re: state contracting. I am a bit concerned, however, re: transparency as understood by the Pioneer Institute.
Thanks for your stand in favor of Open Meetings laws and the Freedom of Information Act for Beacon Hill
I remember how shocked I was when the cable broadcasts of the House and Senate sessions were dropped, and then I checked into it and found that long before I even moved to Massachusetts, which was in 1983, the legislature had voted to exempt itself from both Open Meetings laws and the Freedom of Information …