MBTAAnalysis: A look inside the MBTA

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The MBTA shuttles over a million passengers a day around Greater…

The Clock is Ticking…….

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The clock is ticking towards December 30, 2017.  As part of…

MA Retirement Systems in Critical Condition, Fiscal Risks Remain High

Expert Testimony: Several Retirement Systems in Critical Condition,…

MassDOT’s Cost Savings Dead End

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In a joint press release praising the Transportation Reform…

Let’s Not Waver on Testing: An Open Letter to MA Education Commissioner

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In the letter below, Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim…

Study: Reduce Privacy Leaks to Achieve Full Potential of Electronic Health Records

Press Release: Study Finds That Focus on Reducing Privacy Leaks…

Massachusetts Pension Funding Deal Less than Meets the Eye

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Do pension funding changes display true fiscal responsibility or just election-year window dressing?

Pulitzer Prize Winners, Voter Registration Legend Featured at Event on Teaching the Civil Rights Movement

Two Pulitzer Prize winners will be among those featured at a Pioneer Institute education reform forum, "America in the Age of MLK: Teaching the Civil Rights Movement in Schools," marking the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

Delaying the Funding of Public Pensions May Cost up to $26.4 Billion

State leaders’ 2010 decision to postpone the deadline for full funding of the state and teachers’ retirement systems from 2025 to 2040 may cost taxpayers up to $26.4 billion.

Free Movie Screening (Jan. 23): “The Ticket: The Many Faces of School Choice”

To celebrate National School Choice Week, please join Pioneer Institute for a special screening of the groundbreaking film “The Ticket: The Many Faces of School Choice.”

Enter the 2014 Better Government Competition – Winning Prize: $10,000 – Theme: Technology

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Pioneer Institute invites you to enter our 2014 Better Government…

Presentation to the Tax Fairness Commission: Tax Issues Affecting Economic Competitiveness

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The Tax Fairness Commission deserves credit for considering tax issues affecting Massachusetts’ economic competitiveness. Establishing fair tax policies for individual taxpayers is a laudable and worthwhile goal, but the commission is wise to acknowledge as well that issues of tax fairness affect Massachusetts businesses. Massachusetts businesses compete in a national marketplace where state tax policy plays a critical role in decision-making about where to locate and expand business operations.

Testimony before the Joint Committee on Public Service of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regarding the Fiscal Condition of Local Retirement Systems

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Testimony before the Joint Committee on Public Service of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regarding the Fiscal Condition of Local Retirement Systems provided in January 2014.

The Costs of Delaying the Funding of Public Pensions in Massachusetts

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The purpose of this paper is to provide tools to quantify the costs of delaying the funding of pension obligations – those incurred in the aftermath of the financial crisis as well as projected costs more generally. Policymakers should be aware of these implicit costs when making budgetary decisions, and so should taxpayers, who ultimately are liable for what essentially amounts to a long-term financing cost for current spending.

Out of the Filing Cabinet and Into the Fire: How the Shift from Paper to Electronic Health Records Has Endangered Patient Privacy and Security and How to Calm the Flame

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This paper will discuss the importance of secure medical records in health information exchanges (HIEs), the general history of EHRs in the US and in Massachusetts particularly, the history of privacy rights in the medical field, and finally efforts being taken to ensure more protected and private EHRs.