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Competition and Government Services: Can Massachusetts Still Afford the Pacheco Law?

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Authors: Geoffrey Segal, Adrian Moore, Adam Summers When faced with insufficient revenues, state governments typically have four options: increase taxes, scale back expenditures, spend down reserves, or seek ways to provide services more efficiently through contracting with private providers. Massachusetts, however, has only the first three options available; it is the only state in the nation that has virtually outlawed the privatization of public services. Competition & Government Services: Can Massachusetts Still Afford the Pacheco Law

A Declaration of Independence: Reaffirming the Autonomy of the Third Branch

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James W. Dolan, Esq., Principal, Dolan and Connly, P.C., Former First Justice, Dorchester District Court The study graphically documents the wildly uneven distribution of resources caused by a patronage system that has led to overstaffing of courts that are politically connected and understaffing of those that are not. The documentation is compellingly clear, one of the best existing analyses of the effects of patronage in a court system. The legal maxim “res ipsa loquitur” captures the self-evident nature of the presentation. There was no need for editorializing. A Declaration of Independence: Reaffirming the Autonomy of the Third Branch

A Declaration of Independence: Reaffirming the Autonomy of the Third Branch

/0 Comments/in , , /by Editorial Staff

James W. Dolan, Esq., Principal, Dolan and Connly, P.C., Former First Justice, Dorchester District Court The study graphically documents the wildly uneven distribution of resources caused by a patronage system that has led to overstaffing of courts that are politically connected and understaffing of those that are not. The documentation is compellingly clear, one of the best existing analyses of the effects of patronage in a court system. The legal maxim “res ipsa loquitur” captures the self-evident nature of the presentation. There was no need for editorializing. A Declaration of Independence: Reaffirming the Autonomy of the Third Branch

Civic Education: Readying Massachusetts’ Next Generation of Citizens

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Author: David E. Campbell This paper reports on the state of civic education in Massachusetts, focusing particu- larly on the performance of charter schools in preparing their students for responsible citizenship. Data were collected in an extensive, original survey project that included schools from across the entire state. Over 2,700 students in 23 schools—12 traditional public, 6 chartered public, and 5 private schools—completed a questionnaire measuring numerous aspects of “citizenship training.” Traditional public schools were divided into three categories according to their students’ mean performance on the 2000 MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System)—high, medium, and low. Civic Education: Readying Massachusetts’ Next Generation of Citizens

Build More or Manage Better? Subsidized Housing in Massachusetts

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Authors: Howard Husock and David J. Bobb Increases in the price of rental housing in Massachusetts during the economic boom of the 1990s have spurred a push to construct additional subsidized housing. This reportpresents alternatives to construction that could significantly increase the available supply of subsidized housing. The study compares public and subsidized housing in Boston and the Commonwealth to other cities and states in terms of subsidized units per capita, vacancy rates, overhousing rates, and average tenancy tenure. The data indicate opportunities for both state and city housing authorities to manage more effectively the existing stock of public and subsidized housing. Build More or Manage Better? Subsidized Housing in Massachusetts