As noted previously, Governor Patrick did not sign House 701. He did commit to conduct the appraisal contemplated by House 701. I am satisfied with this outcome — the bill would have accomplished nothing more. Confirmation of the appraisal commitment has now arrived in the form of the attached letter from Secretary of Environmental Affairs, …
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Considering reform to parole standards in Massachusetts
A number of lawmakers in The Commonwealth of Massachusetts have found good reason to consider parole reform for repeat criminal offenders. While specific reforms to the current system have been in study for a number of years, there has been some debate as to how to move forward with new legislation. The bill that has …
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A facet of pension reform: Buyback interest
It’s time to eliminate half-price sales of pension benefits for special employee groups.
Public/Private Benefits Comparisons
Given the controversy about public employee benefits, it is important to get a clear picture of how public retirement benefits compare to private retirement benefits. In a nutshell, they are much richer.
Red Light Cameras – Just Say No
Sorry, not a new topic, nor even a particularly hot one here, but I just saw a great report from Los Angeles on the dangers of Red Light cameras – increased rear-end collisions and significant monetary shortfalls costing the city upwards of $1m per year. It’s hard to explain why LA even continues the program until you …
701: Nice posturing, but not effective
Rep. Brownsberger, I want to thank you for your efforts in trying to preserve open space in your district, and for trying to prevent construction in a location that is inappropriate for multiple reasons – floodprone and in floodplain, inadequate sewer capacity, not physically near either schools or businesses. However, I think everyone realizes that …