Oped: Better Government

http://www.wickedlocal.com/danvers/newsnow/x132492920/Danvers-man-s-proposal-for-EZ-ID-license-plates-endorsed?zc_p=1#axzz2NcNYjWOG The New England Association of Chiefs of Police has unanimously endorsed the  EZ-ID bill state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, filed and  state Sen. John F. Keenan, D-Quincy, and state Rep. Anne M. Gobi, D-Spencer,  co-sponsored. Senate Bill 1798, also...

http://www.wickedlocal.com/marshfield/news/opinions/x364057122/COMMENTARY-Recent-history-of-the-T?zc_p=2#axzz2NuhDIn7u On Tuesday, Jan. 3, the MBTA outlined two proposals to reduce the more  than-$161 million budget deficit projected for fiscal 2013 in a presentation to  legislators. Both proposals included fare hikes, the reduction of services and a  complete elimination of the...

http://www.redmassgroup.com/diary/13733/this-week-at-pioneer Enter Pioneer’s 2012 Better Government Competition for your chance to win $10,000! As RMGers, you all spend a lot of time thinking about how to fix the problems created by Washington. If you share Pioneer’s belief that the federal government has...

http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x66783145/GUEST-OPINION-Patricks-economic-development-plan-is-flawed Gov. Deval Patrick’s new economic development plan is well intended and for  the most part worthy. Released last month by the state’s Economic Development  Planning Council, “Choosing to Compete in the 21st Century” is welcome evidence  that the governor understands that...

http://www.dailynewstranscript.com/opinion/columnists/x2062852269/Poftak-Freeze-the-unemployment-tax#axzz2NGLZfsv3 You don’t have to be a genius to know that you get less of whatever you tax.  And you don’t have to be an economist to know that now isn’t the time to tax  jobs. State senators from both parties recently...

http://hingham.patch.com/articles/fare-hikes-service-cuts-and-mbta-mismanagement-a-recent-history-of-the-t On Tuesday January 3 the MBTA outlined two proposals to reduce the over $161 million budget deficit projected for Fiscal Year 2013 in a presentation to legislators. Both proposals included fare hikes, the reduction of services and a complete elimination of the...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120107/us-commuter-rail/ MBTA management has ruled out the possibility of taking over direct operation of the state’s commuter rail network. Instead, it may seek a longer-term contract with a private operator to spur investment in an aging system that has become increasingly prone...

http://boston.com/community/blogs/rock_the_schoolhouse/2012/01/can_employers_require_job_appl.html BNA, a subsidiary of Bloomberg L.P., is a great source of reporting on legal and regulatory issues that matter to businesses.  In mid-December BNA shared the following item, which will be a shocker to most employers: Under the Americans with Disabilities...

http://www.wickedlocal.com/brookline/news/x550228243/Payroll-tax-cut-means-thousands-in-savings-for-Mass-workers?zc_p=1#axzz2OHGE6ymJ Congress has temporarily extended a contentious payroll tax cut that means  significant savings for Bay State workers, but another battle looms in early  2012 on whether to keep the cut in place all year. After weeks of debate, Congress continued the...