This op-ed by Greg Sullivan and Charlie Chieppo appeared in the Boston Business Journal on March 27, 2020. While passage of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Actis surely good news, it will come nowhere near fully addressing the pandemic’s impact on the commonwealth’s finances. Large block grants would be the best way to...
This op-ed by Barbara Anthony appeared in WGBH News on March 26, 2020. Recently I overheard a dad in a local playground complain that his kids couldn’t play tag with other kids anymore. He asked, “what will they prohibit next?” His complaint got me thinking. I thought back to my mom telling me about food...
This op-ed appeared in The Boston Business Journal on February 7, 2018 It all sounds so simple. Just slap a four-percentage-point surcharge on all annual income over $1 million and use the supposed $1.9 billion windfall to fund education and transportation. It sounds irresistible … until you look at the results just to our south in...
The value of work cannot be overstated. If you love what you’re doing — great. If you don’t, studies demonstrate that even mundane jobs carry broad psychic and material benefits. Work begets self-reliance and dignity. It provides resources to live, engage with society, and establish an identity. It stabilizes families. It makes social and economic...
Jim Stergios, executive director of the free-market-oriented Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, called A123’s bankruptcy filing "just one more piece of evidence that this a failed jobs strategy. The government is not good at picking winners and losers, and it's not working for Massachusetts."
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2012/07/07/hollywood_arrives_in_small_massachusetts_towns_cash_in_hand_and_stars_on_location/?page=2 When the state started doling out tax breaks to attract big-name films in 2006, it seemed natural that Boston would take a star turn in the flurry of movies that followed, including “The Town” and “Gone Baby Gone.” The city has the cachet, dramatic locations, and technical talent needed to support such large productions....
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-06/three-of-12-ventures-funded-by-romney-created-energy-fund-failed A $17 million, state-backed green-energy fund created during Mitt Romney’s tenure as governor of Massachusetts invested in a dozen companies, three of which have since closed, according to the fund’s manager. It’s too soon to judge the overall success, though some projects have taken longer than expected to provide a return, William Osborn, a...
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It would be a triumphant moment for any governor: A cutting-edge company announces plans to build a new plant that will create hundreds of high-paying jobs and bolster one of the state's most prominent industries. For Mitt Romney, the June 2006 announcement by drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb served as a signature accomplishment as...
http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2012/05/25/mystery-38-studios-demise/ First and foremost, the news that 38 Studios has laid off all employees is an economic disaster for Rhode Island and a personal tragedy for the individuals and their families affected. Employment-wise, Rhode Island is in much worse shape than Massachusetts, ranking 50th (out of 51) in unemployment rate at 11.2 percent. Massachusetts is...
http://tewksbury.patch.com/articles/state-senate-candidate-supports-keyes-legislative-integrity-plan In front of the State House as the Senate prepares to debate the budget this week Alex Vispoli, Republican candidate for the State Senate in the Second Essex and Middlesex district, endorsed Tom Keyes’ Legislative Integrity Plan. “As a father I want my children to look up to their leaders. Right now Massachusetts government...
