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Pension Protest Style Points
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog, News /byI am increasingly dismayed at the lack of style at American (and especially Boston) protests. Seems we have gotten in the habit of going “military” with protesters being dolled out in the equivalent of uniforms. The old “sea of humans” and “huddled masses” thing just doesn’t cut it in a 21st century world where fashion never sleeps. A quick sampling of comparables we might want to start emulating. We’ll stick to pensions, because of the number of countries where pension protests are occurring, and especially the ability to get the French to weigh in on this important question. First, the Aussies: The Brits show that their former colonies are still hundreds of years behind in character (and they have gotten […]
"Race to Solvency" for our cities?
/0 Comments/in Blog, News /byA press release from the Milken Institute notes: Vallejo, Calif; Harrisburg, Penn; the entire state of Illinois; and, of course, California…they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Across the United States, we’ve got a full-blown state and muni budget mess on our hands. To find a way forward, the Milken Institute and the Kauffman Foundation brought together a diverse group of state and local officials, union representatives, experts from the capital markets, money managers, academics, public-sector attorneys and representatives from bond rating agencies. The report, Ensuring State and Municipal Solvency, lists a number of potential reforms, including the establishment of rainy-day funds, agency consolidations, and control boards for states and municipalities. Yup. We got those things. Have helped, but not […]
Mid-terms and the national education debate
/0 Comments/in Blog, Blog: Common Core, Blog: Education, Jim Stergios, News, Related Education Blogs /byThe national standards may have been approved in nearly 40 states, but the fact is that after the mid-terms the policy conversation is going to change dramatically. So much so that there are good political reasons to wager that this effort at developing national standards will collapse, as did similar attempts under George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. As the Gucci Gulch types inside the Beltway admit, the road to implementation will require getting a lot of things — very big things — right. Big things like professional development, changes in ed school curricula and teacher certification. These big things raise big questions about how the federal government will motivate states to keep moving in lockstep with the its priorities […]
Unresolved Safety Net Hospital Issues
/1 Comment/in Blog, Blog: Healthcare, Healthcare /byMr. Keefe, First, thank you for taking the time to read my post and comment. There is no question that you have played a significant leadership role in health care reform both as a CEO of a major integrated healthcare delivery system, and now as the chair of the board for the Massachusetts Hospital Association. It is clear that your intent is to advocate for the best interest of your organization. However, I did want to offer a few comments in response: Recent Actions: Credit is due for moving forward more aggressively to reduce costs than other organizations in similar situations. I understand CHA attempted to strike a balance and find cuts in different ways, which have not always resolved […]
Roslindale Parade Update
/3 Comments/in Blog, News /byAs regular readers know, I’m a big fan of parades (see here and here). Once again, I’ve tried my best to divine political trends from watching this year’s marchers: 1) Kudos to City Councillor Rob Consalvo for both marching in the parade and for sponsoring the Boston Crusaders Senior Marching Band. Other Hyde Park politicians (looking at you Rep. Scaccia) should be so thoughtful about the Roslindale portion of their districts. 2) Absolutely no statewide officeholders marched in the parade or participated in any way. Tsk, Tsk. 3) Of Boston’s four at-large city councilors, only John Connolly marched (and got the standard strong positive reaction). It’s basically a homegame for Councillor Connolly but it’s surprising that no one else participated. […]