THE PIONEER BLOG

Mary Connaughton

Sunshine Week 2023: Shining Light on the Workings of Government

/in , , , /by Mary Connaughton

Pioneer Institute is proud to join with the media and others—including The Boston Herald, The Boston Globe, CommonWealth Magazine, Common Cause, and the ACLU—in marking Sunshine Week, March 12-18.

Aidan Enright

The Debate Over Rent Control Re-Emerges Amid Housing Crisis

/0 Comments/in , /by Aidan Enright

There is a housing crisis in the Bay State, a fact unlikely to surprise many of the state’s residents. Massachusetts consistently ranks as one of the most expensive places to live in the entire country, right up there with infamously unaffordable places such as New York and California. The state ranks poorly on several measures of comparative costs, including utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare. But the cost that takes up the highest percentage of residents’ income is housing. Rents and the cost of the average home have skyrocketed in the wake of the pandemic, hardly cooling as mortgage rates have risen. According to Census Bureau survey data, the median rent paid by Massachusetts renters in 2020 was $1336, nearly $500 […]

Editorial Staff

Happy Holidays

/in , /by Editorial Staff

During this festive season, we want to wish you and your loved ones a joyous holiday and happy New Year.

Editorial Staff

MBTA Safety Overhaul: Retooling Teams For Trustworthy Transit

/0 Comments/in , , , /by Editorial Staff

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with transit advocate and expert Chris Dempsey about ways in which structural change in the MBTA’s safety oversight can be reformed to improve performance, engender greater trust amongst the region’s riders, and reduce transportation congestion in our growing economy.

Aidan Enright

Where Are All the Workers?

/0 Comments/in /by Aidan Enright

Labor shortages are front and center once again this holiday season as Bay Staters make their way to retail stores for gift shopping. Help wanted signs line store windows, the occasional store is closed during hours when it would otherwise be open, and lines and waits seem longer as shorthanded staff try to accommodate the number of shoppers. This has become a common story since the onset of the pandemic and it persists even now, long after virtually all COVID restrictions have ended. According to the most recent data from the Federal Reserve, over 10.3 million jobs remain unfilled in the U.S. That’s down from the record high of 11.9 million in March of this year but five times what […]

William Smith

Is CHIA’s Drug Cost Data Reliable?

/in , , , /by William Smith

Earlier this year, the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) released its Annual Report on the Performance of the Massachusetts Health Care System for 2020.  The Massachusetts Legislature relies on CHIA data when considering bills to regulate drug costs and prices. The advocacy group Health Care for All reported that CHIA data showed prescription drug spending grew by 7.7 percent in 2020, more than twice the benchmark – but the most reliable data on prescription drugs indicates that spending in 2020 was essentially flat. 

Editorial Staff

How did tax hikes work out for Connecticut?

/in , , , /by Editorial Staff

Pioneer Institute’s Charlie Chieppo shares data on the economic impact of tax increases in Connecticut – which has the 2nd highest state and local tax burden in the country and ranks 49th in private sector wage and job growth. As Massachusetts considers a proposal to raise income taxes, it is important to learn from the experience of other states. Learn more.

Editorial Staff

Jeff Wetzler, Co-founder of Transcend, on Innovation in School Design

/in , , /by Editorial Staff

This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara Candal and Gerard Robinson talk with Jeff Wetzler, co-founder of Transcend, a nonprofit focused on innovation in school design that works with hundreds of school communities in over two dozen states in America.

Editorial Staff

How would a tax increase impact the MA economy?

/in , , /by Editorial Staff

Pioneer’s Charlie Chieppo explains how an income tax hike in Massachusetts will impact retirees and small business owners – not just “the super rich.”

Charles Chieppo

Globe columnist Shirley Leung makes our argument on the tax hike amendment

/in , , /by Charles Chieppo

In today’s Boston Globe, business columnist Shirley Leung raises important questions about who exactly will be impacted by the tax hike amendment that will appear on the Massachusetts ballot in November. The answer is retirees and small business owners – and we have the data to prove it.

Gauri Binoy

Is this PBM tactic blocking healthcare access?

/in , , , /by Gauri Binoy

Utilization Management (UM) was originally a strategy designed to improve the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of physician prescribing. However, UM has grown exponentially over the last decade, becoming more a tactic for Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) to manage costs to benefit their bottom line.

Editorial Staff

Gargantuan Graduation Gift: Biden Writes Check From Taxpayers To College Grads

/in , , , /by Editorial Staff

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with Dr. Beth Akers, AEI Senior Fellow, about the recent presidential executive order to cancel an estimated $500 billion in outstanding student debt. They explore who benefits, who pays, and the likely effects on tuition and the borrowing habits of future students.

Mary Connaughton

Public Comment on Allston Multimodal Project

/in , /by Mary Connaughton

We remain pleased with the decision of MassDOT to concentrate its efforts on the all at-grade option for the throat area of the Allston Multimodal Project as recommend by Pioneer Institute and others. However, we are deeply concerned that the construction will negatively impact commuters coming into Boston from points west.

Editorial Staff

MBTA’s Runaway Crisis: Legacy of Neglect Demands Comprehensive Reform

/in , , , /by Editorial Staff

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with Andrew Bagley, Vice President for Policy and Research at Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, about their recent report entitled, The MBTA Crisis is Complicated – Fixing It Will Be Too, diving into the details on why the T is in crisis and what the public must demand of policy makers to get it back on track.

Joseph Staruski

Massachusetts Needs a Comprehensive Performance Management Framework

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by Joseph Staruski

Many states have made promoted government efficiency and effectiveness by setting goals and tracking their progress. Massachusetts tried making a performance structure, but in 2014 it was discontinued. Today, the state lacks a comprehensive structure to track progress.