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Save the Longfellow!!
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog, Blog: Better Government, News, Press Releases, Press Releases: Government /byOur Legacy of Neglect: The Longfellow Bridge and the Cost of Deferred Maintenance Pioneer released its latest research report, Our Legacy of Neglect: The Longfellow Bridge and the Cost of Deferred Maintenance, yesterday. Take a look at the website we put together to launch the paper at www.savethelongfellow.com. In particular, you should click on the link for the photo-rich presentation — a slide show of beautiful photos by Pioneer’s own Peter Begley. The paper itself details the Commonwealth’s neglect of the bridge – there have only been two maintenance projects of any scale on the bridge in its 100 year history. But, the Longfellow is just a small part of a much larger story: the extent to which we’ve neglected […]
Welcome Aboard the Massachusetts Business Cost Express!
/0 Comments/in Better Government, Blog, Blog: Better Government, Economic Opportunity, Housing, News /byA hearty welcome to the New England Public Policy Center at the Boston Fed. They’ve just released a memo detailing some of the high costs facing Massachusetts’ business (PDF, or link). Their findings include: Massachusetts does not have right-to-work laws, which “[m]ost research has found…. [to] have a positive impact on employment and business formation” Based on Economy.com’s Cost of Business Index, “[a]ll New England states are ranked as having high business costs, with Massachusetts being particularly expensive.” Using a Forbes’ Regulatory Environment Index, “most New England states have relatively burdensome regulatory climates, although Massachusetts (29) and Vermont (35) are ranked toward the middle.” Pioneer is pleased to have the New England Public Policy Center on board our continuing efforts […]
Water water everywhere
/0 Comments/in Blog, News, Press Releases, Press Releases: Government /byManaging Water Demand: Price vs. Non-Price Conservation Programs While the Commonwealth is blessed with an abundance of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands such as bogs and marshes, our residents use enough water to strain the water supply just about every summer. The United States Geological Survey reports that Massachusetts’ rainfall and groundwater levels are average this year. Still, communities across eastern Massachusetts, in particular along the 495 growth corridor, are adopting a range of policies to manage water demand and promote conservation. Oddly, they often ignore the most cost-effective policy tool for achieving conservation: water pricing. Last week Pioneer released a report by Professor Sheila Olmstead of Yale University and Professor Robert Stavins of Harvard University that sites fifty years […]
Storrow Tunnel, falling down. . .
/1 Comment/in Better Government, Blog, News /by…and the Longfellow Bridge isn’t looking too good, either. This week, both the Globe and the Governor (see below) have confirmed what everyone else who drives, rides, walks or breathes already knew: the state of the state is shaky. And leaky. And rusty, potholed and occasionally scary. From the State House News: Responding to a question about the Boston Globe’s front page story on the 56-year-old tunnel’s lack of waterproofing when it was first built, Patrick said, “It’s another example of the persistent neglect of our transportation infrastructure that goes back many decades.” …Patrick said the problem points out the importance of paying attention to the upkeep of the state’s roads and bridges “an ongoing basis and not just on […]
Dinosaurs Becoming Extinct, Slowly
/1 Comment/in Better Government, Blog, Blog: Better Government, News /byHurrah, the State Police have finally stopped giving driving tests to 16 year olds in Massachusetts!!! A full 15 years after the merger of the Registry Police with the State Police, the Commonwealth has finally figured out (as part of collective bargaining, of course) that we probably don’t need trained, armed (and highly compensated) officers giving these exams.