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Statement: Pioneer Institute in Support of Accessory Dwelling UnitsMay 2, 2024 - 12:50 pm
Study: Expand Voc-Tech Seats, Don’t Require Lottery- Based AdmissionsMay 2, 2024 - 8:50 am
Colonel Peter Hayden on U.S. Cyber Command & National SecurityMay 1, 2024 - 1:52 pm
Losing Local Labor: Retaining Workers Remains a Massachusetts ChallengeApril 30, 2024 - 10:49 am
Outmigration and the Labor ForceApril 25, 2024 - 11:44 am
Study Finds Obstacles to Search for Opioid SubstituteApril 25, 2024 - 9:11 am
Annual Massachusetts Outmigration Hits 39,000, Up 1,100% Over The Last Decade: BU StudyApril 24, 2024 - 1:00 pm
Hoover at Stanford’s Stephen Kotkin on Stalin’s Tyranny, WWII, & the Cold WarApril 24, 2024 - 12:33 pm
Superior Court Judge Invalidates “Equity Theft” Law as UnconstitutionalApril 23, 2024 - 1:04 pm
Tax Man Confounded: Why High Rates Haven’t Yielded Higher RevenueApril 23, 2024 - 12:58 pm
Tax-exempt only in name
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog, Transparency /by“Fairness” is one of the most abused words in politics. And it is taking a beating again by the City of Boston, in its quest to find yet another way – any way – to avoid controlling its spending. Nonprofits aren’t a new target – they have been a target for decades. Legally, they are exempt from property taxes. But municipal officials throughout the state have for years been “asking” them to “contribute” a PILOT – payment in lieu of taxes – to cover the cost of whatever government services might be provided to them. You know, as a matter of fairness. These “requests” are a bit like Don Corleone making someone an offer he can’t refuse. If a standard […]
National standards dissent and pep rallies
/2 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Common Core, Blog: Education, Jim Stergios, News, Related Education Blogs /byAbout a week ago, the state of Texas responded to national standards proponents, including the federal government, which are trying to drag it screaming into the mix of states who have adopted the so-called Common Core. The Lone Star state released draft state math standards that are built on the foundation of Massachusetts’ now defunct standards and those in place in Singapore. The goal: To craft standards that are the best in the nation. We’ll see how US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will respond now that Texas has the best standards in the land. Closer to home, Massachusetts Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester recently traveled to central Massachusetts to meet with members of the Tantasqua Regional School Committee. The committee […]
Education news from other states
/0 Comments/in Blog, News, Related Education Blogs /byLast July, while most of the Massachusetts educators were at the beach, the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) endorsed Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester’s recommendation and voted to replace Massachusetts’ best-in-the-nation academic standards. There is lots of gab about what all that means—and major media outlets have spilled a lot of ink copying the press releases from public officials. Falling into the category of “So much effort to advance unproven ideas” are the folks at EdWeek, who continue to monitor DC chatter, the national testing vehicles being developed, a thus-far postponed debate on where proficiency will be set (cut scores), and a manifesto issued by the Shanker Institute arguing for a national curriculum. The tentacles of the Gates […]
Connector Saving Taxpayer Money
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Healthcare, Healthcare /byOn this blog– and in the press– I have often been critical of the policy choices of the Connector and its governing Board. However, credit is due to the staff at the Connector for the latest round of negotiations with CommCare’s managed care organizations, in which $80 million of taxpayer money was saved. With a projected 11% membership growth this coming year, any savings is welcome in a program with subsidies of roughly $840 million. As Executive Director Glen Shor said in his monthly update e-mail, this will mean that CommCare “members will not have to face the prospect of benefit reductions…”– good news in a tight budget year.
Permitted to Succeed? Part Three
/0 Comments/in Blog, News /byMy last two blog posts (here and here) have provided some ideas about some key aspects of the Mayor’s initiative to reform the permitting process. If we can get the physical layout right, the organizational structure right, and the culture right, the last step is to build in accountability measures. Right now, its noteworthy that the City’s performance measurement program is silent on the topic of permitting times. It measures the number of permits issued and complaints responded to, but not how long it takes. (And while we are at it – can we get BAR performance reports to show historical results that are comparable to current year results. Right now, we get year-to-date results for the current year and […]