THE PIONEER BLOG

Steve Poftak

Brookline — Busy Thanksgiving Season

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Brookline has had a busy week. First, the town and its unions agreed to adopt the state’s Group Insurance Commission as their insurer for municipal employees — which should be a big source of savings. The longstanding position of the Town Administrator has been no movement from the current premium cost-sharing arrangement of 75% (i.e. the town pays 75% of the premium and the employee pays 25%) but, at the end, the town will end up paying 83% after three years. I don’t have access to either side’s numbers but it appears to be a win-win all around. Next, they’ve decided to take matters into their own hands and try to utilize stimulus funding to improve service on Bus Route […]

Steve Poftak

Design it first and then cost it out

/1 Comment/in , , /by

Or maybe the title should be “borne back ceaselessly into the past”. News reaches us that the Boston Convention Center Authority is looking to double its size, but ” they don’t know how much the project would cost or how it would be paid for” (from SHNS, sub req.) I’m going to go out on a limb and say that now is not a great time to be seeking additional funding, particularly with the inference of higher taxes. The planning approach reminds me of the Governor’s quote about his Readiness Project/education reform package: “We’re building a house,” he said. “You design it first and then cost it out.” The task of figuring out the details will reportedly fall to a […]

Jim Stergios

Flier and Saturday's Senate debate

/0 Comments/in , /by

As noted here last week, the Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Harvard Medical School dean Jeffrey S. Flier was going to be important. Set aside for a moment the procedural vote on Saturday by the US Senate and consider the multiple references to Flier’s piece last week. Sure, the politics of a president’s approval rating going south of 50% matters, but having the dean of HMS pull the federal reform effort limb from limb did not help. Flier gave the federal reform effort merits a “failing grade.” Reasons? The bills being considered included “no provisions to substantively control the growth of costs or raise the quality of care.” He went so far as to say the effort did not […]

Amy Lischko

Overseas Surgery

/0 Comments/in , /by

So, I’ve heard about the increase in Americans seeking expensive surgery abroad but today’s Wall Street Journal coverage of Dr. Shetty’s 1000-bed cardiac hospital in Bangalore, India was absolutely fascinating reading: (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125875892887958111.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETopStories) Cardiac survey averages $2000 at Dr. Shetty’s hospital compared to between  $20,000 -$100,000 here in the US.  And it’s not just that India is a less expensive place to run a hospital.  It’s because Dr. Shetty has such high volume that he is able to achieve economies of scale unheard of in the United States.  He’s also able to drive hard bargains with manufacturers of cardiac supplies and equipment and his staff are incredibly productive.  What’s the quality like you ask?  Well, it has been well established that […]

Steve Poftak

Thoughts on the Route 28X Failure

/3 Comments/in , , /by

UPDATE BELOW What’s Route 28X? It was MassDOT’s attempt to turn the sloooow Route 28 bus route up Blue Hill Avenue into a Bus Rapid Transit Route. Sadly, it died due to neighborhood opposition — it appears 3 things felled it: 1) Lack of Neighborhood Input on Process – This was probably unavoidable as the state had to move quickly to apply for the federal funds and tried to backfill with ‘civic engagement’ but to no avail. 2) Resistance to Tearing Up the Median Strip on Blue Hill Avenue — To create a dedicated (as in faster than sitting in traffic) bus lane, it would be built on the median strip on at least a portion of Blue Hill Avenue. […]

Jim Stergios

Dean Flier on federal health care debate

/0 Comments/in , /by

For those of you who missed today’s Wall Street Journal, Dr. Jeffrey Flier, dean of Harvard Medical School, lays out one of the smarter takes on the mess in Washington: As the dean of Harvard Medical School I am frequently asked to comment on the health-reform debate. I’d give it a failing grade. Instead of forthrightly dealing with the fundamental problems, discussion is dominated by rival factions struggling to enact or defeat President Barack Obama’s agenda. The rhetoric on both sides is exaggerated and often deceptive. Those of us for whom the central issue is health—not politics—have been left in the lurch. And as controversy heads toward a conclusion in Washington, it appears that the people who favor the legislation […]

Jim Stergios

Whose lack of urgency?

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Laura Crimaldi of the Boston Herald has done a good job reporting on the Governor’s frustration with what he perceives as the House’s lack of urgency in pushing for the creation of more charter schools. Of course, I want to see urgency, but today’s report just, well, it shows the Guv to lack a little self-reflection. “The problem is we’ve been waiting more than a decade,” Patrick said during a visit to the Excel Academy Charter School. “We’re talking about our kids who have been stuck in this achievement gap for well too long.” He added: “It is a little frustrating to me that this has waited until the last minute.” Look, I am really appreciative that the Guv gets […]

Jim Stergios

Ouch from the Gadfly

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Education Gadfly has a sting today on the Senate bill that got passed and the lack of action in the House. I’d give the Senate a “B” but I know there are lots of people (especially charter operators) who are shaking their heads at the “backfill” provisions. From the Gadfly: The education bill that made it through the Massachusetts state senate, replete with a whopping 95 amendments, late Tuesday is being lauded as the biggest reform bill since the 1993-wonder that brought charters and much else to the Bay State. And it does have some fine features: The rule limiting charter attendance to 4 percent of Massachusetts students was scrapped, and the 9 percent cap on local spending on […]

Jim Stergios

Fighting for it with all he has got

/0 Comments/in , /by

Where is the Governor on the day when a bill to give 27,000 inner city kids access to charter schools is being debated? 9:00…..Volunteers at the Greater Boston Food Bank…..Greater Boston Food Bank, 70 South Bay Avenue, Boston 11:30…..Attends MIRA’s Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon and discusses the release of the New Americans Agenda Report…..Great Hall 6:30…..Offers remarks at the 10th Annual History and Innovation Awards…..InterContinental Hotel, 510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston All great issues. But, isn’t he awol? Doesn’t anyone remember the casino debate and his book signing in NY?

Jim Stergios

Not the time you want this to come out…

/0 Comments/in , /by

From Jamie Vaznis of the Globe’s Metro Desk comes one of those stories that just makes you shake your head. State Inspector General Gregory W. Sullivan made an unusual appearance before the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education today to inform members that his office had launched an investigation of the process that led to the approval of a controversial charter school in Gloucester. Seems Sullivan notified Secretary Reville of a formal investigation Friday and was troubled because the board had not discussed the inquiry last night during a meeting on the Gloucester charter, which is at the center of the controversy. Vaznis reports that It is unclear to what extent, if any, other board members knew of the […]

Jim Stergios

Ford (Foundation) drives off the road

/0 Comments/in , /by

From the Wall Street Journal comes an incredible story: “The Edsel of Education Reform. The Ford Foundation finds a needy cause: teachers unions.” Ugh. We hate to say it, but don’t be misled by headlines. The biggest headline in education circles last week was that the Ford Foundation is making a whopping $100 million grant “to transform secondary education in the nation’s most disadvantaged schools.” Our eyes raced to see which piece of the vibrant school-reform movement Ford was going to support. Would it be America’s 4,600 charters schools, many outperforming their traditional school peers and some even closing the race gap? Maybe it would be Teach for America, busting at the seams and turning down Ivy League applicants by […]

Steve Poftak

I am in favor of job training

/0 Comments/in , , /by

I can’t be sure, but I’m almost positive that the four Democratic candidates for Senate have said the above phrase at some point during the campaign. So, my question for them is: what kind of job training? Pagliuca seems to favor job training related to math, science, and life sciences, but he never gets too specific. Capuano talks about emphasizing community colleges but again, never gets too specific. Coakley supports some type of voke-tech, but its all pretty hazy. Khazei is a bit more specific — supporting community colleges linking with businesses and the Workforce Investment Act. Job training is one of those motherhood and apple pie issues — everyone supports it. But almost no one can explain what really […]

Jim Stergios

The fate of 27,000 kids

/0 Comments/in , /by

The bill that we saw last week looked very good. By the weekend we found that the Senate President had tasked the Senate Ways and Means Chair with redrafting portions of it. We have four major issues with the bill. There is an additional major issue that the Charter School Association has, which is related to language requiring three charter approvals in urban areas before other charters would be considered. A lot of theatrics yesterday, with an unexpected amendment by Senators Pacheco and Buoniconti, who want each charter application to be voted on in a local referendum. It was approved and then un-approved by almost identical votes. I tell you this because it points to three things: (1) It is […]

Jim Stergios

High Noon?

/0 Comments/in , /by

High noon on the charter bill, and the Senate is still not in session. The State House News Service noted at 10:30 that “All was quiet outside Senate President Therese Murray’s office at 10 a.m., the appointed time for a caucus of Senate Democrats who are trying to regroup” and that “Teachers union and other union lobbyists were the only ones around. The Senate was scheduled to go back into session at 12. Thoughts to follow on where we are.

Amy Lischko

Small Employers, there is something you can do.

/0 Comments/in , /by

Many people have received coverage via health care reform and that has been good for the Commonwealth.  However, it’s clear now, that there have been losers too— small businesses.  The Globe article yesterday highlighted the situation for small businesses today:  http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/11/15/blue_cross_rates_for_small_businesses_to_surge?mode=PF The state is holding hearings to examine the cause of these increases and to assess whether changes should be made to how small businesses purchase insurance.   We should examine what has caused these increases in rates, was it the merger with the non-group market (something that can only explain a very small increase, by my accounting), increases due to benefit mandates (like the Rx coverage decision made by the Connector), or simply health care trends (as the BCBS representative […]