Let’s Improve Officer Safety

Hi Will – I read with some interest the article in Globe regarding the deaths of several Police Officers on traffic enforcement duty (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/18/trooper_struck_during_stop). This illustrates the danger of exceptional conditions on the highway. As long as traffic moves smoothly and everyone follows the rules, things generally work out fine, but anyone who’s ever been …

How to save $2m+ per year from the state budget

Hi Will – you may remember that the state has been through bad times before and there were lots of creative ways of saving money. I was reminded of one way today in a discussion with a colleague from Canada — it’s quite simple — you can cut upwards of $2mm from the budget by eliminating …

Speeding

Will, In yesterday’s Globe, I read that Denise Provost has sponsored a bill to reduce urban speed limits by 5 mph in the state. Here’s the article: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/somerville/2010/06/by_danielle_dreilingerglobe_co.html In a collision with a pedestrian, a 5 mph reduction in speed makes a huge difference in the probability of injury. There’s a chart that illustrates this …