Sigh. This space takes enough potshots at the Globe, so they deserve credit when its due. Their editorial this AM pretty articulately states my reasons for opposing this bill. Its a cynical hodge-podge of small bore initiatives that ignores the big issue — health insurance for municipalities. In particular, one of the bill’s worst features is its extension of the pension funding schedule by 10 years: Most public-employee pension systems don’t have enough money stashed away for the benefits that they’ve promised, and under current law they have until 2030 to catch up. The municipal relief bill would extend the deadline for a full 10 years. There’s a superficial logic to this change; pension funds have suffered deep losses, and […]

Substitute “Pioneer Institute” for “Health Care For All” in the following State House News report (subscription required) and ask yourself if there would be radio silence in the press and blogosphere (BlueMassGroup, call your office!!) on this: The documents also reveal a cozy relationship between the Patrick administration and Health Care For All, a consumer advocacy organization that often support the administration’s health care policies. In an email exchange on March 24, Health Care for All official Georgia Maheras repeatedly asked Insurance Commissioner Murphy how the group can be “helpful” in responding to his pending decisions on health insurance rates for small businesses. “If you expect to do anything ‘newsworthy’, can we be helpful with our blog or media at […]

The future belongs to the nation that best educates its citizens. That’s President Obama singling out Massachusetts as a model for the rest for the United States on March 9, 2009. He went on to say: The solution to low test scores is not lower standards – it’s tougher, clearer standards. Standards like those in Massachusetts, where 8th graders are now tying for first – first – in the world in science. The president was right in 2009, before his agenda on standards morphed into the usual “the feds know best” attitude. Academic standards and objective assessments for teachers and students are the major drivers of the overall improvement we’ve witnessed in Massachusetts’ district schools. They are also a major […]

…on racino licensing. Both are pushing back on racino proposals that would not apply market pricing to these particular gaming licenses. As I wrote in 2006 for the Boston Globe: Massachusetts’ great gambling giveaway IF THE MASSACHUSETTS Legislature wrote a billion-dollar check to the casino industry, people would be outraged. But the [2006] gambling bill, awaiting action in the House after receiving Senate approval, threatens to give away more than $1 billion in value by charging an inordinately low fee for the four proposed licenses…. …The point is not that the state should fix the exact license price. Rather, there is credible evidence that the proposed license price is too low and difficult to ascertain…. …the state should not provide […]

10 – don’t actually live in district 9 – weekend attire of Celtics/Red Sox gear, mesh shorts and flip-flops considered unstatesmanlike 8 – equally unpopular with public safety employees and progressives 7 – not prepared to explain “It’s Polish, but my mom’s Irish” a million times 6 – far right-wing rants in college op-eds might come back to haunt me (actually, never mind…..) 5 – most district residents know me from screaming at (my own) unruly children at Roche Brothers 4 – have never sponsored little league or soccer team 3 – absolutely no relation whatsoever to anyone named Coppinger 2 – still not on Menino Machine’s Christmas Card list 1 – little-known rule reserves post for a graduate of […]