A Primer on Secondary Revenue Sources for Local Governments

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Using Pioneer Institute’s MassAnalysis tool, one can find information…

Coastal Towns Charge the Most Permit Fees Per Capita in Massachusetts

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One of the ways local governments raise revenue is by requiring…

Pioneer Institute Celebrates Sunshine Week 2019

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Sunshine Week is dedicated to bringing greater awareness to the…

Guess What Massachusetts Public Employee Earns Over $1 Million

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The State Comptroller’s Office makes available annual salary…

Our Government Transparency Resolutions for 2019

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Government transparency…

How Much Does Your Local Government Raise from Fines and Forfeitures?

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One of the ways local governments raise revenue to fund public…
the Boston skyline overlaid with money.

Overtime Pay Tally Reveals Large Disparities

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The top 50 overtime earners among state employees averaged $99,114…

$40 or Freedom: Uncounted Cash in the Legal System

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Forty dollars isn’t chump change. It’s about three lunches…
A row of files with the city hall seal

Stonewalled at City Hall

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Pioneer Institute interns often visit government offices to obtain…

Making Troopers Transparent: At What Cost?

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In May 2018, The Boston Globe reported on its effort to gain…

Got Milk? The Answer Might Soon Be No in Massachusetts

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It’s not a good time to be a dairy farmer in Massachusetts,…

Falsified Records & Shady Human Resources Policies: The Latest Scandal in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

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The Office of the Medical Examiner for Massachusetts is a taxpayer-funded…

Not signed, sealed, delivered

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Even the casual observer has probably heard that Massachusetts…

Should Boston want to be the home of Amazon’s second headquarters?

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Amazon is the kind of company whose mere presence is enough to…

Is local government in Massachusetts too pervasive?

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In a country as culturally and politically diverse as the United…

Troop F Gets an A: State Auditor Overlooks DSP Corruption, Neglects Audits

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The Office of the State Auditor’s (OSA’s) website describes…

“Isn’t Everything Online and Free?” The Exclusivity of MA Law Libraries

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There are 15 Trial Court Law Libraries in Massachusetts to service…
the Boston skyline overlaid with money.

Which State Employees Make More than the Boss?

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In 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Corrections had 20 employees…

Why Did the Department of Corrections Pay a Chef $166,762 last year?

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Pioneer Institute’s MassOpenBooks transparency tool shows an…

True Transparency Needed for SFI’s

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Pioneer has long called for the Statements of Financial Interests…

The role of old industrial districts in residential suburbs

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The City of Waltham was once an aging mill town. Its flagship…

How does the Commonwealth Pay for Roads?

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Maintaining, safe, efficient public infrastructure challenges…

Which Cape Cod Town has the Best Summertime Revenue Take?

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The towns of the Cape and Islands have economies built around…

Public Works Expenditures Across All 26 Gateway Cities

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Using MassAnalysis.com, a free government transparency tool provided…

The Link Between Police Spending and Crime in Gateway Cities

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Massachusetts “Gateway Cities” were defined in a 2007 Massachusetts…

2016 MBTA Bus Maintenance Costs up 27% Since 2011

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Last spring, Pioneer reported on the MBTA’s out of control…

Top 10 Government Transparency Resolutions for 2018

We hear the word transparency a lot these days. Whether it's…

Beacon Hill Needs to Get This Right – Right Now

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No one said it better than Justice Louis Brandeis. “Sunshine…

Everett on the Rise

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This year, the City of Everett is celebrating its 125th anniversary.…