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Mapping Mass Migration: New Census Data Shows Continued Out-Migration from Massachusetts to Competitor States
/in Blog: Economy, Economic Opportunity, Economic Opportunity, Featured, News /by Aidan Enright“Mapping Mass Migration” is Pioneer’s new newsletter covering state-to-state migration and population change in Massachusetts. It will use IRS data, American Community Surveys from the Census Bureau, and Census components of population change estimates to examine how migration is affecting the demographic composition of the Bay State and what those trends mean for the state going forward. This week’s edition will cover migration to and from Massachusetts in 2023 and since 2010, including which states have received the most residents from the Commonwealth and how those trends have changed over time.
What To Do About 340B
/in Blog, Featured, Life Sciences, News /by William SmithIn 1992, Congress thought it had a brilliant idea to help hospitals that served low-income and uninsured patients. Under the 340B Drug Pricing Program, Congress simply required pharmaceutical companies to sell their drugs to certain non-profit hospitals at steep discounts. Congress felt – presto – this would shore up the finances of safety net hospitals without costing the federal government a penny. Well, it did not work out as Congress had planned. Hospitals quickly discovered that they could “arbitrage” the discounts – that is, they could buy the drugs cheaply and be reimbursed at a much higher rate from patients who had a commercial insurance plan or were on Medicare – and pocket the generous spread between the discounted price […]
The House Call – Mayor Wu Wants to Overhaul Boston’s Arcane Development Approvals Process? Here Are Three Reform Options
/in Blog: Economy, Economic Opportunity, Economic Opportunity, Featured, Housing, News /by Editorial StaffPioneer Institute is debuting The House Call, a monthly newsletter covering housing-related news and market trends in Massachusetts. The first issue explores reform options for Boston’s arcane development approvals process and major reform items from the state’s November 2024 economic development bill. Read our December issue today!
The Roger Perry Internship Program
/in Blog, Internships /by Editorial StaffPioneer has established the Roger Perry Internship Program to support college-age students who seek opportunities to enhance their educational experience with practical training in an energetic and creative public policy environment.
Massachusetts Job Market Bears Watching
/in Blog: Economy, Economic Opportunity, Economic Opportunity, Featured, News /by Eileen McAnnenyThe Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent national jobs report made headlines because it indicated the US economy added just 12,000 jobs in October, falling far short of the expected 112,500-job gain. While the number is preliminary and could be revised, it got me wondering about how the Massachusetts job outlook stacks up in comparison. The state’s economic growth hinges on its employment outlook because the state’s talented workforce tops the list of our competitive advantages, fueling past economic growth. Massachusetts talent justifies our high average weekly wage, contributes to the wealth of the Commonwealth and is the backbone of our innovation economy. Like federal data, recent state data show there may be some cracks in the armor. The following […]
McAnneny October Monthly Musings – Ballot Initiatives
/in Blog, Blog: Economy, Economic Opportunity, Economic Opportunity, Featured, News /by Eileen McAnnenyElection season is upon us. In a few short weeks, voters will go to the polls and vote for our next president and a slate of local officials. They will also decide on five ballot initiatives. It got me thinking about the whole ballot initiative process, why it is necessary, how you get a question on the ballot and what kind of impact ballot initiatives have on the legal and regulatory landscape in the Commonwealth. Below is a summary of the five questions that will appear on the ballot on November 5th. But first, I wanted to provide you with an overview of the ballot initiative process, significant laws that have been passed using this process and why it has […]
Is Massachusetts at a Turning Point – 10 Data Points That Give Me Pause
/in Blog: Economy, Economic Opportunity, Featured, News /by Eileen McAnnenyMassachusetts tops the charts in many studies. Best public education system, great quality of life and its highly educated population come to mind. More recently, there have been several statistics that may provide early warnings that the Bay State may be facing some headwinds. Any one of these stats by itself is not cause for alarm. Rather, it is the totality of them that is a red flag for me. The following data points bear watching and indicate the need to adopt new economic growth strategies. 1. The legislature’s languid approach to economic development, as evidenced by the delay in passing an economic development bill, indicates to investors, entrepreneurs and others considering Massachusetts as a business situs that economic vitality […]
Wrap Up of the Massachusetts Legislative Session – Or Is It??
/in Blog, Blog: Economy, Economic Opportunity, Economic Opportunity, Featured, News /by Eileen McAnnenyThe Massachusetts Legislature meets for two years beginning in January after an election year and continuing until the last day of July of the following year. The 193rd session of the General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as this legislative session is more formally known, ended its formal sessions for the year last week, but the 40 Senators and 160 Representatives hitting the campaign trail this summer will not have a lot of legislative accomplishments to highlight for their constituents. That is because several pending legislative initiatives, touching on everything from the state’s economic development plan to the phase out of natural gas and the scrutiny of drug prices, are in limbo. Governor Healey has urged the legislature to […]
Average Weekly Wages of Healthcare Workers Across a Decade
/in Blog, Blog: Economy, Blog: Healthcare, Blog: Healthcare Transparency, Healthcare, Transparency /by Dana DiChiroFrom 2012-22 the healthcare and social assistance sector has seen the smallest growth in average weekly wages of any large industry in Massachusetts. This potentially has dire consequences on the employment crisis that this industry already faces.
Tracking Dunkin Prices Across Boston
/in Blog, Blog: Economy /by Raif BoitWhile Dunkin is a staple of daily life for many people in Boston, its prices across locations are not necessarily consistent. Factors such as the level of foot traffic may cause prices to be higher or lower at different locations. So, where is the best bargain?
Massachusetts’s Debt and Liability in 2023
/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Economy, Blog: Transparency /by Raif BoitIn the last decade, Massachusetts has accrued billions of dollars in debt. However, despite a large amount of debt, both overall and per capita, the state’s debt as a percentage of GDP is normal amongst its neighbors.
What’s Included in Massachusetts’ $5.2 Billion Housing Bond Bill?
/in Blog, Economic Opportunity, Economic Opportunity, Featured, Housing, News /by Andrew MikulaOn August 1, 2024, the Massachusetts state legislature finalized and passed a $5.2 billion housing bond bill meant to address a dire shortage of affordable homes. Governor Maura Healey has until August 11 to sign the bill into law, and she will almost certainly do so after naming housing costs “our highest priority as an administration” earlier this year. The biggest budget item in the bond bill, a full $2 billion, will fund the upkeep, renovation, and redevelopment of locally-owned public housing. In recent years, local officials and housing advocacy groups have raised the alarm over neglected maintenance and safety hazards in these buildings, which house more than 70,000 people statewide. Most units in the state’s public housing inventory are […]
The Largest Groups Driving Massachusetts’s Migration
/in Blog, Blog: Better Government, Blog: Economy, Blog: Transparency, Economic Opportunity /by Raif BoitWith Massachusetts losing billions in taxable income every year due to out-of-state migration, it is important to understand the demographics causing the biggest losses.
Highest Paid State Employees in Massachusetts
/in Blog: Better Government, Blog: Transparency /by Raif BoitEvery year, Massachusetts spends billions on payroll. With some departments spending significantly more and some employees receiving salaries multiple times their peers’, it is important to understand where this money is going.
Understanding the Trends in Massachusetts’ Sin Tax Revenues
/in Blog: Transparency, News /by Matt MulveySin Taxes, which are taxes on goods and services that are considered harmful or immoral, have brought in a significant amount of revenue for Massachusetts.