THE PIONEER BLOG

Jim Stergios

What Janus Means for Massachusetts

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In downtown Boston Monday there was a rally of a few hundred public union members, with a speaker roster that included U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey, among many other elected officials.  The reason was that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) was hearing oral arguments on the Janus v. AFSCME case. The plaintiff in the case, Mark Janus, is a state child-support specialist in Illinois who had opted not to join the state employees’ union – AFSCME.  He has asked SCOTUS to overturn a precedent from a 1977 case that allows public employee unions to compel non-members working in the public sector to pay union ‘agency fees’ against their wishes.  Janus argues that compelling non-union members to pay union dues constitutes forced speech in violation […]

Editorial Staff

Celebrating Black History Month

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In the month of February, the nation honors the achievements of African Americans; their stories and historical accomplishments are worthy of recognition year round. That’s why Pioneer Institute has sponsored events, produced videos, and published opinion pieces informing the public about important leaders and key milestones in the African-American experience, as well as the need for more educational choice options for all children. Pioneer supports school choice and improvements to academic instruction, especially in U.S. history, so all schoolchildren learn about African-Americans’ long struggle for freedom and equal opportunity. Below, we share some highlights from our coverage of seminal figures, topics, and periods such as slavery during the Founding era, the Civil War, and Civil Rights icons such as Fannie […]

Daniel O'Leary

Where Does Your Community Stand: Using MassAnalysis to Compare Weston to Peer Towns

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We can all learn a lot about our own behavior by watching the actions of our peers. The same concept can be applied to municipalities. Pioneer Institute’s MassAnalysis tools allows the public to do exactly that, compare their town or city to others like it across the Commonwealth. The free online tool allows up to 25 peer municipalities to be generated based on an assortment of metrics (population, income, etc.) selected by the user. From there, the user can compare his or her own town’s financial and other data to towns like it. For example, consider the Town of Weston. Using the metric of per capita income, MassAnalysis can identify the 25 towns most similar to Weston in terms of […]

Will Kauppila

The Link Between Police Spending and Crime in Gateway Cities

/0 Comments/in , /by Will Kauppila

Massachusetts “Gateway Cities” were defined in a 2007 Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC) and Brookings Institution report as midsize cities throughout the Commonwealth that historically had strong economies centered around manufacturing, but have since struggled with unemployment, crime rates, educational performance, and property values as a result of shifting economic trends. The original eleven Gateway cities were Brockton, Fall River, Fitchburg, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Springfield, and Worcester. Section 3A of Chapter 23A of the General Laws of Massachusetts defines a Gateway City as, “a municipality with a population greater than 35,000 and less than 250,000 with a median household income below the Commonwealth’s average and a rate of educational attainment of a bachelor’s degree […]

Will Kauppila

2016 MBTA Bus Maintenance Costs up 27% Since 2011

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Last spring, Pioneer reported on the MBTA’s out of control 2015 bus maintenance costs, which were the highest of any transit agency in the nation at $44.30 per hour of bus operation. A small consolation prize, according to MBTAanalysis.com, is that New York City’s MTA Bus Company surpassed the MBTA in 2016 by rising from $42.27 in 2015 to $44.94 per hour of bus operation. As the graph below demonstrates, the MBTA still came in a close second at $44.64 per hour of bus operation in 2016. Pioneer’s study last spring “2015 MBTA Bus Maintenance Costs Were Nation’s Highest,” identified five peer transit agencies (Miami-Dade Transit, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Maryland Transit Administration, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, and Metropolitan […]

Mary Connaughton

Top 10 Government Transparency Resolutions for 2018

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We hear the word transparency a lot these days. Whether it’s the public demanding it or public figures claiming to embody it, transparency is rightly viewed as an admirable pursuit. When it comes to government, transparency fosters civic engagement and promotes public trust. Openness in government is the cornerstone of a healthy, vibrant democracy. In 2016, Beacon Hill took some steps to promote transparency with public records law reform, but fell short of what Pioneer had hoped for. The Commonwealth continues to advance in terms of spending transparency and, as Pioneer reported, Massachusetts municipalities were more transparent than their national peers when it came to disclosing the details of their bids for Amazon’s second headquarters – kudos to them! There was […]

Editorial Staff

Join Us on Catholic Schools Week for Special Film Screening Events

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Join us as we celebrate Catholic Schools Week, with special film screenings of our new documentary, “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws,” at Boston College High School in Boston, MA on Monday, January 29th at 6:30pm; Marian High School in Framingham, MA on Tuesday, January 30th at 6:30pm; and Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River, MA on Thursday, February 1st at 5:30pm. View a film trailer featuring Sarah Kelter, a student at Framingham’s Marian High School: “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams” profiles four American families, two of which are from Massachusetts. Their pursuit of educational opportunity is impeded by so-called Blaine Amendments, which prohibit state money from supporting families sending their children to religiously affiliated schools. There […]

Will Kauppila

MBTA’s Green Line Extension is Getting Back on Track

/0 Comments/in , , /by Will Kauppila

According to Pioneer’s MBTAanalysis.com, the MBTA’s Green Line had over 64 million recorded passenger trips in 2016, the most of any light rail transit service in the US. Extending the Green Line’s service area into Somerville and Medford would vastly improve accessibility for two densely populated cities that are underserved by rail transit. Two key developments in the second half of 2017 have given the MBTA’s Green Line Extension (GLX) project some much needed momentum. As Pioneer previously reported, cost estimates had ballooned to over $3 billion due to a lack of due diligence in the bidding process with previous contractor White-Skanska-Kiewit, and $1 billion in federal grant money for the project appeared to be in jeopardy at the end […]

Editorial Staff

Celebrating the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday and School Choice

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Today, we honor the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life and work helped advance the American promise of equal opportunity for all. A key element of that promise is access to high-quality educational options. Pioneer Institute has held numerous public forums on Dr. King’s heroic legacy, and the continuing struggle to realize his dream. You can watch video highlights from our many events on Civil Rights below. Pioneer is also proud to announce next week’s release of a new documentary film, “Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws,” that traces the ordeals of four different families who must make sacrifices to send their children to schools that offer instruction rooted in religious faith, […]

Editorial Staff

Announcing Pioneer Institute’s 2018 Better Government Competition Topic: “Making Higher Education & Career Training Options Affordable & Effective”

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Each year, the Better Government Competition focuses on one of the country’s greatest public policy challenges. Families today are struggling to afford college, young adults are saddled with crippling debt, and government workforce development programs and existing education models have not been reliable pipelines to stable employment. In recognition of these challenges, Pioneer Institute’s 2018 Better Government Competition seeks ideas to make postsecondary education options for high school graduates more affordable, accessible, and effective. Download the Contest Guidelines Enter here. Share the Contest Guidelines: http://bit.ly/2Ai7zYQ Share the Guidelines on Facebook Share the Guidelines on Twitter Entry Deadline: Papers of up to five (5) pages due by Friday, March 23rd  at 4:00 PM ET. Submit an idea paper of five or fewer pages describing […]

Editorial Staff

12 Reasons to Give to Pioneer Before Midnight

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With the New Year fast approaching, here are 12 reasons to donate to Pioneer before the clock strikes 12:00 and ushers in 2018: In January, the Institute begins its national release of the documentary film, Big Sacrifices, Big Dreams: Ending America’s Bigoted Education Laws, which recounts the shameful history behind opposition to school choice and the impact on families in states across the union. In March, Pioneer will release a book sharing the best practices from Massachusetts’ gold-standard charter public school movement with other states. Pioneer’s examination of the University of Massachusetts’ reckless expansion plans prompted the Baker administration to revamp the decision-making process for state college and university capital projects. Pioneer is one of the highest-rated charities among the thousands […]

Editorial Staff

Happy Holidays from Pioneer Institute!

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Wishing you and your loved ones warmth and joy this holiday season!  

Mary Connaughton

Beacon Hill Needs to Get This Right – Right Now

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No one said it better than Justice Louis Brandeis. “Sunshine is said to be the best of disinfectants, electric light the most efficient policeman.”  If today’s story on former State Senator Brian Joyce, indicted today for allegedly collecting about $1 million in bribes and kickbacks, isn’t a wake-up call for the legislators to fix the sad state of government transparency in Massachusetts, they will forever remain in a state of blissful slumber. Pioneer Institute has been a leading voice for open and accountable government in Massachusetts. Statements of Financial Interest, or SFIs for short, are a cornerstone of political ethics: All state and county officials, as well as political candidates, are required to annually disclose their private business associations and […]

Editorial Staff

Happy Thanksgiving from Pioneer Institute!

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Thanksgiving is a time to gather with friends and family, share a traditional feast, and express gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy. We at Pioneer have much to be thankful for, most importantly for your trust in and support of the Institute.  We are also grateful for the opportunity to organize informative events, engage high-profile scholars and experts to develop new ideas and reforms, and advance public conversations on our most pressing policy challenges. In the coming months, keep an eye out for an exciting new documentary film raising awareness about the bigoted history behind opposition to school choice, the kickoff to our 2018 Better Government Competition (which, psst, is on college affordability), a book on how Massachusetts birthed the […]

MuckRock

Massachusetts towns reveal all the details of bids for Amazon’s second headquarters

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By Adanya Lustig Massachusetts towns are disclosing their bids for Amazon’s second headquarters, when many places across the country refuse to. Everywhere from Halifax, Canada to Los Angeles is vying for Amazon’s heart (and dollars) in the semi-public bidding war started in September, but many towns across the country won’t disclose what they’re offering Amazon in return for the second headquarters. The tech giant received 238 bids from North America, at least 26 of which came from Massachusetts. MuckRock is requesting copies of the bids from as many public entities across the country as they can, and receiving many rejections. However, Boston, Somerville, Worcester and Massachusetts made their proposals public proactively, and other Massachusetts towns have released copies of their […]