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Small thought on TV personalities

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I have always been more interested in U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan – what he is about and how he thinks about stuff – than any other of the president’s entourage because he seems real and he seem to really care without wearing it on his sleeve. He’s not the best speaker, and he’s not “colorful” or a “celebrity.” Nor does he cultivate that. On the other hand reading in The Hill about the flak that Rahm Emanuel is getting for the “collapse of healthcare reform” seems only poetic justice. The Hill‘s Alexander Bolton notes: The emerging consensus among critics in both chambers is that Emanuel’s lack of Senate experience slowed President Barack Obama’s top domestic priority. Bolton is […]

Globe Metro Columnists Take A Victory Lap on UMASS Law School

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Adrian Walker picks up where his colleague Yvonne Abraham left off last month. While Abraham’s column was primarily a 640 word exercise in ad hominem attack, Walker actually talks to the current SNESL (and future UMASS law school, apparently) dean. It’s a shame that neither columnist could divert from their talking points to ask a few basic questions, like 1) Why isn’t the current performance of the students at SNESL mentioned in UMASS’ proposal to take over the law school, 2) How do you reconcile the almost $10m discrepancy in library assets between UMASS’ proposal and SNESL’s tax return, and 3) Why would current SNESL leadership (which has failed to achieve accreditation for ten years) be retained? But don’t worry, […]

Let's Lose the Fast Lane Gates on the Tobin

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On Jan.1, MassDOT took over the Tobin Bridge from MassPort. Sadly, my Boston MPO monthly TransReport informs me that: Drivers who pay tolls in cash or by using Fast Lane or E-ZPass transponders will not experience any changes when they travel over the Tobin Bridge. That’s too bad, because I’ve always been perplexed by the Tobin’s insistence on using gates in conjunction with their Fast Lane electronic tolling system, slowing down throughput. None of the many Turnpike Fast Lane stations use gates. Are Tobin users less trustworthy than Turnpike users? Let’s take them down and get traffic moving.

The Secret Weapon in the Auditor's Race

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I blogged a few days ago about the crowded field for the Auditor’s race and the relatively lonely Treasurer’s race. And now our crack Pioneer field research team has discovered one candidate with a crucial edge in the Auditor’s competition. Behold: Sorry, Suzanne, Mary, Mike, Earl, and Kamal. You can’t hope to match this.

Opportunity for Coakley in March

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While the Democratic party “commentariat” has had afield day with the AG’s campaign for US Senate, a funny thing happened. Ten days after the election, her office released an intriguing Investigation that showed nuance well beyond the campaign talking points on why health care is so expensive. A. Prices paid by health insurance companies to hospitals and physician groups vary significantly within the same geographic area and amongst providers offering similar levels of service. B. Price variations are not correlated to (1) quality of care, (2) the sickness or complexity of the population being served, (3) the extent to which a provider is responsible for caring for a large portion of patients on Medicare or Medicaid, or (4) whether a […]