THE PIONEER BLOG

Michael Weiner

Lessons Learned during Summer Travels: BRT in Curitiba, Brazil

/0 Comments/in , , /by Michael Weiner

Boston is a city with rich history, vibrant cultural traditions, influential and prestigious academic institutions, and wildly successful sports teams.  It is a city with much to be proud of.  However, it is also a city with much to improve upon, but some models for improvement lie in cities with vastly different attributes. Take, for example, Curitiba, in southern Brazil.  The city of nearly 2 million inhabitants has been internationally recognized as a beacon of sustainability for a host of reasons, including its wealth of green spaces, pedestrian-friendly areas and notably, its groundbreaking mass transit initiatives. Curitiba is lauded as the birthplace of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).  Introduced in the city beginning in 1974 by innovative Mayor Jaime Lerner, who […]

Greg Sullivan

Outsourcing bus services is—by now—conventional wisdom

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Outsourcing bus services is—by now—conventional wisdom As the Finance and Management Control Board (FMCB) considers further action to address its operating deficit, deferred maintenance backlog, and the demands from riders for higher quality performance, once again privatization of services has come center stage.  During the coming weeks, there will be ample debate on the merits of proposals to outsource ancillary services; there has also been greater focus on whether some core services of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) should be competitively bid to ensure higher quality service and lower costs. In situations when there is heated discussion due to the potential impact on the interests of labor, as evidenced by the hundreds of MBTA union members who attended a […]

Prasanna Rajasekaran

Massachusetts Confounding Relationship with Lottery Advertising

/0 Comments/in , /by Prasanna Rajasekaran

In 2015, Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg called for a $2 million boost in the State Lottery’s advertising budget. According to Treasurer Goldberg, the additional money is needed to counter the competitive threat posed by the state’s growing casino industry. The Lottery’s advertising budget has had a volatile history. In the 90s, it was central to an ideological debate that split Beacon Hill for years before the Senate finally slashed the budget for good. In the early 2000s, the budget was steadily restored – and now, thanks to Treasurer Goldberg’s latest push, it has reached its highest point in the last decade. But two fundamental questions – questions we’ve been asking since the 90s – remain. From the one-dimensional viewpoint […]

Prasanna Rajasekaran

Why Mass Lottery’s performance is not nearly as impressive as it seems

/0 Comments/in , , /by Prasanna Rajasekaran

Over the last 5 years, the Massachusetts State Lottery and the media have made a tradition out of announcing the Lottery’s “record-breaking” sales. Here are articles – from 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 – that display this trend. But is this an accurate portrayal of the institution’s success? Is the Lottery actually growing, in the long-run, at such a steady pace? The Lottery’s sales – in nominal terms – have reached a new record each year for the past five years. This matches with its long-term trend of unmitigated growth for the better part of three decades. Pioneer Institute, through a public records request, received the Lottery’s financial reports for 1990 – 2010 (the reports for 2011 – 2016 […]

Scott Haller

A Change in Toll Collection

/2 Comments/in , , /by Scott Haller

For more information on Massachusetts’ new tolling system, read the full report.   Starting this fall, the Massachusetts Turnpike will become an open-toll road, meaning drivers will not have to stop or slow down to pay. Sensor arrays distributed along the length of the Turnpike will either read the driver’s E-ZPass transponder, automatically charging their tolling balance, or a picture of the driver’s license plate will be used to send out monthly bills in the Pay-by-Plate (PBP) system. The state maintains that the primary advantage of an all-electronic tolling system (AETS) is driver safety, emissions and congestion reduction, and general customer convenience. If implemented correctly, switching to an AETS will also save the state millions of dollars. Under the new system, […]

Eric Sporel

UMass Amherst Athletics’ Spending: Costing the Taxpayer Money

/0 Comments/in , /by Eric Sporel

College sports have long been a major and growing attraction at universities across the country. Their rising prominence on campuses nationwide, however, has not come without costs. As their popularity has grown, college sports have taken on a business-like culture. Athletic departments often look and act more like businesses than amateur athletics programs, with television contracts, brand sponsorships, and facilities aimed at attracting better recruits, appealing to alumni donors and exposing the school’s brand to a wider audience. Even at a school like UMass Amherst, which may not be as competitive as top-ranked peers, these costs can add up. From fiscal year 2004 to fiscal 2009, UMass Amherst had 23 varsity teams, but since FY2010 the school has slimmed down […]

Editorial Staff

Mass. Public Officials Must Brush Aside The Know-Nothings’ Legacy Of Bigotry

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Last week, Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios sent a letter to Governor Baker and the leaders of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and the Senate asking them to support our call to move the portrait of Know-Nothing Governor Henry J. Gardner from its current location at the entrance to the House of Representatives. Gov. Gardner and that 19th century political party he led, the Know-Nothings – the most infamous party in state history – promulgated bigotry against Irish-Catholic immigrants. Their legal agenda left a legacy that persists today – the Know-Nothings’ constitutional amendment prevents tens of thousands of poor and minority kids from attending high-quality private and parochial schools. Below, you can read an excerpt of Jim Stergios’ letter, […]

Eric Sporel

How Legislators’ Late Session Scramble affects Government Transparency

/0 Comments/in , , /by Eric Sporel

Now that there has been sufficient time for experts and the media to review the various bills that the 189th General Court passed in its “Race to Recess”, it’s time to focus on the process itself. The late session scramble to pass legislation thwarted meaningful government transparency. The 189th Massachusetts General Court ended on July 31st, with legislators voting on a handful of vital pieces of legislation. At the end of a two-year cycle, both chambers of the legislature were able to pass comprehensive regulations for transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft, and come to consensus on the amount of hydroelectric and wind power use in the Commonwealth and pay equity legislation, should be praised. Deliberations came down […]

Cameron Rohall

DCAMM Leasing Responds to Agency Needs

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The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) is a state agency tasked with, among other responsibilities, managing workspace for state employees. This role encompasses the administration of state office buildings, but also includes the management of the Commonwealth’s leases of privately owned buildings. The agency leases facilities across Massachusetts – and beyond – for the use of the state’s many agencies, from the State Police to the Board of Library Commissioners. DCAMM’s portfolio included 467 separate lease agreements at the end of FY 2015, for buildings in 86 of the Commonwealth’s 351 municipalities, in addition to New York, Chicago, and Washington, DC. All states make use of a combination of owning and leasing to satisfy their needs, and […]

Thejasa Jayachandran

What do Property Taxes Mean for your Town?

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by Thejasa Jayachandran

Earlier this year, the Boston Globe published an article comparing the average percentage of change in the property tax bills of owners of single-family homes in Massachusetts municipalities between 2016 and 2012. Unsurprisingly, most municipalities experienced a net increase in their bills, varying from 2% to 33.1%. However, there are a handful of mostly Western municipalities that actually saw a decrease in their average annual bill. The increases or reductions tend to correlate with a municipality’s choice to increase property taxes within the Proposition 2 ½ cap, override Proposition 2 ½, pass debt exclusions or reduce budgets. Property taxes are the major source of funding for municipal budgets, making up a significant portion of spending for school and town services. […]

Thejasa Jayachandran

Community Policing: A Success Story?

/0 Comments/in , , , /by Thejasa Jayachandran

Boston, the city on a hill, has always been defined by its history, commitment to education, and diverse immigrant communities. Today, it should be considered an example of successful community policing as well. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, community policing “is a philosophy that promotes organizational strategies that support the systematic use of partnerships and problem-solving techniques to proactively address the immediate conditions that give rise to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder, and fear of crime.” Nationwide, this policing model has become increasingly popular among law enforcement agencies. A report, released by the President’s Taskforce on 21st Century Policing, states that community policing reduces the crime rate because it builds trust between the community and […]

Eric Sporel

Opioid Usage in Massachusetts: A Painful and Tragic Trend

/0 Comments/in , /by Eric Sporel

In March, Governor Baker signed An Act Relative to substance use, treatment, education, and prevention into law. Its ultimate goal is ending the opioid epidemic that currently plagues Massachusetts. The bill unanimously passed both chambers of the legislature. It is clear that both the Governor and the legislature see the imperative to act immediately on this issue. Just three years ago, there were fewer than 700 opioid-related deaths. According to the Department of Public Health, there were 1,526 opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts. Current estimates lead legislators to believe that there were nearly 12,000 incidents that emergency responders responded to regarding opioid use , with as many as 12,982 units of naloxone (Narcan) being used to treat those cases. Currently, Massachusetts […]

Will Kauppila

Town Residents Clash with Developers over Chapter 40B Housing Law

/1 Comment/in , , /by Will Kauppila

M.G.L. Chapter 40B, Sections 20 through 23, (commonly referred as Chapter 40B) is a Massachusetts law that has been on the books since 1969. The law permits developers to override local zoning laws, and move forward with construction when they include subsidized units in their developments in municipalities where less than 10 percent of available housing is considered affordable. The statute’s goal is to make housing more readily available for lower-income families. However, as prices in the conventional housing market have steadily increased, other challenges have emerged. Chapter 40B’s original intent was to spur the development of multifamily and affordable housing units in suburban and rural parts of the state. Once a municipality can claim at least 10 percent of […]

Matt Blackbourn

Key takeaways from new ride-for-hire legislation

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by Matt Blackbourn

There is, fortunately, no major cause for concern in the bill produced by the state lawmakers that labored through the closing hours of the legislative session this past Sunday. They succeeded in finalizing a balanced piece of legislation to regulate transportation network companies (TNCs). With approval and signing from Governor Baker, Bill H.4570 will become law. Offering arguably the most comprehensive regulatory framework for TNCs among all states nationwide, the bill lays out a number of provisions that would help to ensure innovative companies like Uber, Lyft and Fasten can continue to operate in the Commonwealth without overly burdensome restrictions. Importantly, the legislation would also establish a ride-for-hire task force to review current regulations governing taxis, livery service providers and TNCs, with […]

Scott Haller

What to expect with all-electronic tolling

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This blog is a summary of the changes an all-electronic tolling system will bring to the state. For a more in-depth look at this topic, please read the full length report, Driving Innovation: Tolling and Transponders in Massachusetts. This fall the Massachusetts Turnpike will transition to an all-electronic tolling system (AETS), meaning drivers will not have to stop or slow down to pay tolls. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) officials say that an AETS will yield cost savings, reduce accidents and pollution, and save drivers time. Toll booths along the Turnpike will be removed, and new gantries (under construction for the last few months) equipped with sensors and cameras will take over from toll-takers. All drivers will remain at normal driving […]