Saturday, May 11, 2013
Results from a recent executive survey ranked Massachusetts 47th for business.
A CEO magazine ranks Massachusetts as one of the worst states in the nation for business. Chief Executive Magazine ranked Massachusetts 47th based on a survey of corporate leaders. Survey respondents reported the Bay State is one of the worst for taxation and regulation. The state Republican Party is pointing to the survey and saying that Gov. Deval Patrick and the Democratic-led Legislature are bad for the economy and business. What do you think about Massachusetts’ business climate? Is this a good state in which to do business?
Monday, April 22, 2013
Mayor Tom Menino and Gov. Deval Patrick are asking people to honor the Boston Marathon bombing victims exactly one week after the tragic events.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Should the state forge ahead with Gov. Deval Patrick's bold plan to invest now? Or should it follow the Legislature leadership's proposal to address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives?
Massachusetts legislators this week answered Gov. Deval Patrick's ambitious plan to raise $1.9 billion for transportation and education with a $500 million plan of their own, which says the governor is asking for too much, too soon as the Bay State shakes off the effects of the Great Recession. Who's right? Should the state forge ahead in a bold plan to invest now? Or should it cautiously address the bottom line before embarking on bigger initiatives? While Patrick's plan includes funding for both the state transportation system and increased education funding from preschool through college, House and Senate lawmakers eschew new revenue for education, focusing solely on closing the transportation budget gap over the next five years. The …
Friday, March 29, 2013
What state office could lure Finegold give up his job as a state senator?
State Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, confirmed this week that he is seriously considering a run for State Treasurer in 2014. "It's something I'm taking a serious look at," said Finegold. "I'm listening to people and taking a hard look at it. But the 2014 election is still a long way away. Right now I'm concentrating on my job as a state senator." Finegold, 42, was elected to the State Senate from the 2nd Middlesex-Esssex District (Andover, Tewksbury, Dracut, Lawrence) in 2010 and was re-elected in November 2012, defeating Paul Adams. Prior to that he had served seven terms as a state representative. Finegold is presently chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws and vice chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities …
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Leone will join the law firm of Nixon Peabody on April 29.
Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone is stepping down from his office to join the law firm of Nixon Peabody, the same firm former Sen. Scott Brown earlier this month said he was joining. An announcement from Nixon Peabody says Leone will join the firm as a partner in the government investigations and white collar defense practice beginning April 29. A woman at the Middlesex District Attorney's office confirmed the news, but did not have further details. Leone was first elected as Middlesex district attorney in 2006, and his current term in office was up in 2014. He previously stated he would not run for reelection at the end of his term. Boston.com has reported Gov. Deval Patrick will appoint a replacement for the remainder of Leone's…
Friday, March 1, 2013
The governor's optimistic but state legislators don't sound so sure. What do you think?
Governor Deval Patrick's still bullish about his budget proposal, which will raise $1.9 billion in new revenue through an increase in the income tax, decrease in the sales tax, and various other changes to taxes, fees and deductions. But the men and women who have to pass the bill don't sound as eager to support a package many see as a politically-damaging measure. The Boston Herald quotes several Beacon Hill legislators who sounded notes of caution to outright opposition to the budget. Those quoted cited the 1990 election losses in the wake of an income tax increase, pressure on small businesses and the higher price of gas as reasons they were skeptical. And the governor's new web tools touting proposed transportation and education …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
The commonwealth joins eight other states in restricting carbon dioxide emissions.
Massachusetts has signed an agreement with eight other states to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 90 million tons over the next six years. As part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – the nation’s first mandatory “cap-and-trade” program for carbon dioxide emissions – Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont are lowering the current cap on power plant emissions from the 165 to 91 million tons per year, starting in 2014. After 2020, the cap will continue to lower by 2.5 percent per year. “This is one of the largest greenhouse gas reduction measures that we have seen,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. The RGGI Board of Directors …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Do you wonder what the 'sequester' will mean for Massachusetts? A White House report gives examples of where federal aid would be cut.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Do you wonder what the 'sequester' will mean for Massachusetts? A White House report gives examples of where federal aid would be cut.
Massachusetts would see more than $91 million in federal funds cut from a myriad of programs if Congress fails to act this week to avoid the sequester, the Obama Administration said Sunday. In a move designed to pressure Republicans into accepting new taxes on the wealthy as part of a deal to prevent the sequester from taking effect on Friday, the White House released reports that outlined how those cuts would impact individual states, Huffington Post reported. Here are some examples of what's on the chopping block for us here in Massachusetts, according to the report: After the reports were released, congressional Republicans criticized the Obama administration for the PR move, The Huffington Post reported. “Rather than issuing last-…
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Do you agree with the governor's decision or was it too drastic?
All non-emergency drivers were ordered off the roads on Friday when Gov. Deval Patrick issued an executive order banning travel during the blizzard. (Editor's note: The ban is lifted statewide as of 4 p.m. Saturday.) Patrick's executive order is being praised by some and bashed by others, reported The Boston Globe. While former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was in charge of the commonwealth during the Blizzard of ’78, praised the governor’s move, others called the order “tyrannical” and say the strict ban and hefty fines were too much, according to The Globe. Those caught violating the ban would face up to a year in jail and a $500 fine. What do you think? Do you agree with the governor’s decision or do you think the travel ban …
Chris Noonan Funnell
7:14 am on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Great talk was given on this topic last night at Greater Boston Tea Party/Medford. See my blog post "New Jobs for Massachusetts" on the Medford Patch more ›