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Healthcare
August 6, 2012

Will Government-Directed Healthcare in Mass. Really Contain Costs?

Governor Patrick signed a new healthcare law today aimed at cost containment, and the rhetoric soared assuring all that Massachusetts has “cracked the code on healthcare costs.” Unfortunately, with no debate on the underlying bill in the House of Representatives and only...
Healthcare
July 18, 2012

Pulling Back the Curtain on Beacon Hill's "Healthcare Reform 2.0"

T-minus 13 days until the end of the legislative session and one of the largest and most controversial pieces of legislation has moved with almost no media attention. The promises for the new cost containment/ payment reform bills (or health reform 2.0,...
Transportation
June 15, 2012

MBTA Doing More With Less

Rather than big dollar expansion projects, the MBTA’s Key Bus Routes program stands as an example of modest incremental investments that can yield improved service (and potentially increased ridership). The program released its initial design for improvements to the 39 bus route...
June 6, 2012

Public Pensions and Workforce - State Police Version

The recent announcement that State Police Superintendent Marian McGovern was going to retire prompted me to look into her compensation and her choices. (N.B. I don’t know the Superintendent and don’t question her commitment to public service. The point here is simply...
Healthcare
May 29, 2012

Video: But Will The Cost-Cutting Bills Really Save Money?

The debate on Beacon Hill is heating up on payment reform legislation, but the public discourse has revolved primarily around dueling press releases.  There has been little discussion exploring the real challenges of fundamentally changing 18 percent of the Massachusetts economy with...
May 25, 2012

Our Final Thoughts on The 38 Studios Meltdown

First and foremost, this is an economic disaster for Rhode Island and a personal tragedy for the individuals and their families affected. Rhode Island is in much worse shape, employment-wise, than Massachusetts, ranking 50th (out of 51) in unemployment rate at 11.2%....
May 23, 2012

Massachusetts' Jobs-Unfriendly Regulatory Environment

I know this can seem like a talking point, but there’s some new data to back up the claim. The Kaufmann Foundation and Thumbtack.com have done a survey of small businesses to gauge “small business friendliness”. Massachusetts doesn’t fare so well —...
May 17, 2012

Borne Back Ceaselessly Into the Past?

The Globe’s Adrian Walker has been all over Roxbury Community College this week, dinging them for failing to properly deliver financial aid to their students, to take advantage of the business community’s offer to start a job training program (which eventually ended...
Healthcare
May 16, 2012

Is Maine Leading the Way on Health Care?

The Commonwealth is currently debating greater government intervention in our health care system with payment reform legislation. Maine is moving in the opposite direction. This press release was just put out by the think tank Maine Heritage Policy Center. Unprecedented: Rates for...
May 15, 2012

The Struggles of 38 Studios

The State of Rhode Island is working hard, very hard, to make sure that Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios remains a going concern. It appears the state of Rhode Island is on the hook for $50m+ if 38 Studios defaults on its loan...