Last week, the MBTA reached agreement with its largest union, Local 589, on a new collective bargaining agreement which includes commitments to increase transparency of the union’s pension fund. Concerns about the issue aren’t fully settled, but this is real progress and I commend the MBTA, the union’s leadership and the fund itself for these major steps towards transparency.
Government Reform
children and families, election laws, ethics rules, insider jobs, pensions & benefits, structure and operations, transparency
Health Connector Report
Ed Lyons shares a link to a new report on problems with the health connector. He sees the report as a good occasion to discuss issues of transparency, procurement reform, and public-private partnerships.
Disclosure of Independent Campaign Spending
The Senate passed legislation requiring timely disclosure of “independent” spending in political campaigns. This is the most significant practical response that Massachusetts can make to the Citizens United case and I had long supported it.
MayDay PAC
A link to Nayla Rathle’s guest commentary in the Belmont Citizen-Herald on MayDay PAC (an attempt to counter the corrupting influence of special-interest “superPACs”) and Will’s reactions on the issue at the state level.
MBTA Pension Transparency: Update
I’ve had to change my approach to achieving transparency at the MBTA’s pension fund. It’s been a long struggle, but I think we now have an approach that is going to work.
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Cathy and Stan Rezendes in Arlington asked me to pass on the following statement: As outlined in the Boston Globe article on April 13, 2014, the executive director of PBGC has stated: “Unless Congress acts–more than 1 million people will lose their pension”. Further, “if Congress allows the PBGC to get the money and authority …