Governor Patrick now concedes it was a bad idea and it appears that the so-called tech tax will be repealed. Repeal will leave a $160 million hole in state transportation funding. But that hole need not be filled exclusively by new revenue. It can be filled by savings, revenue, or a combination of the two, and Pioneer Institute research shows there are plenty of savings to be had from a series of reforms.

This policy brief introduces the MassPensions data accessibility tool by Pioneer Institute. MassPensions is a website presenting in clear and convenient format key data about the state of public employees' pensions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the period 1985-2012. The low cost and fast turnaround of this project illustrate that government transparency is not always as complicated or expensive as it may seem.

Reform is hard work. A massive injection of new money into Massachusetts’ troubled transportation system is no substitute for a serious plan that delineates clear and achievable goals, accountability for results, and provides the money to move forward.

Pioneer's Transportation Dashboard is intended to communicate the performance of the state's transportation system and inform the public about the effectiveness of the state's transportation leadership. As a single-page of primarily visual communication, it necessarily simplifies the complex nature of the transportation system.

The pension system for Massachusetts state workers and retirees has recently received a great deal of attention. Governor Deval Patrick signed reform legislation in June 2009, and additional reforms may be forthcoming. Much of the media coverage of pension issues has focused on sensational accounts of pension abuse.

Transportation policy will play a prominent role in Massachusetts politics over the coming months. The Massachusett Bay Transportation Authority's (MBTA) structural deficit is projected to grow to $160 million in FY2010. The MassPike is facing an operating deficit and the potential implosion of its financing structure. MassHighway is scrambling to initiate a $3 billion accelerated bridge repair program that will leave us with hundreds of structurally deficient bridges even after it is done.

Life-cycle delivery of infrastructure projects demands our attention. As the Commonwealth faces the interlocking threats of massive finding deficits, creeping levels of deferred maintenance, and unabated demands for expansion, public-private partnerships (PPPs) offer some potential relief.

This question is listed on the website for Gloucester’s Conservation Commission under “Frequently Asked Questions.” The Commission’s response is that all wetlands, including small seasonal wetlands, help clean stormwater, serve as drainage areas and provide habitat for many species.

The City of Gallup, NM, like many governmental bodies that employ field crews, suffered from an ever-increasing number of worker's compensation claims and associated annual increases in worker's compensation insurance premiums. The implementation of the Cash Incentive Safety Initiative has both improved the health of employees and reduced costs associated with absent and injured workers. As explained below, there is real potential for similar programs to benefit municipal and state governments nationwide.

After nearly a decade of evolution, municipal Stat programs, such as NYPD'sCompStat and Baltimore's CitiStat, have proved very successful in improving city service delivery and cutting unnecessary spending. Though slightly different in each implementation, all Stat programs involve frequent meetings at which key decision-makers and department heads review data on operational performance, identify problems and solutions, and track follow-up. The City of Baltimore reported $70 million in savings attributable to CitiStat in its first three years of operations. In Massachusetts, Somerville has run its successful SomerStat initiative for close to three years, and reports $10 million in realized or anticipated savings. Expansion of the Stat program holds tremendous potential for the Commonwealth's cities and towns, as well as state government.