Thursday, January 17, 2013
Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled legislation on Wednesday that would tighten gun control laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services and enhance background checks. Is this sensible, or reactionary?
Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps, or reactionary measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, CT. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. The bill would require gun purchasers to undergo background checks at gun shows, reduce access to high-powered rounds of ammunition, and limit licensed individuals to purchasing a maximum of one gun per month. Punishments …
Tell us: do you think we need to increase taxes to strengthen education and transportation?
In his State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday night, Gov. Deval Patrick proposed raising the state's income tax by 1 percentage point and lowering the sales tax to pay for $2 billion in transportation improvements and early childhood education programs. "There is no good time to raise taxes. I know how tough the times have been on the people and families of the Commonwealth. And though the worst of the recession is over, many, many families still face tough decisions and have deep anxiety about the future. I would not ask if I did not believe in my heart that investing meaningfully today in education and transportation will significantly improve our economic tomorrows," Patrick said. Patrick said he wanted a more fair and …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The plan calls for the state to invest $13 billion in transportation over the next decade.
Gov. Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation unveiled a plan Monday to pump billions of dollars into the state's transportation infrastructure over the next decade, according to Masslive.com, WBUR and other reports. The plan, which lists the Green Line Extension through Somerville as one of a handful of projects on the state's transportation agenda, says Massachusetts needs to raise $13 billion—$1.02 billion a year—over the next 10 years, according to Masslive.com. It lists the state's transportation needs and proposes several options for raising the revenue. It says any one of the following options would raise $1 billion a year: The plan does not, however, recommend any particular option. WBUR reported on air …
Monday, January 14, 2013
City used the funds to save 20 jobs in the fiscal year 12 budget.
On Thursday the City of Medford the elimination of $1.2 million of debt as a result of Gov. Deval Patrick signing Senate Bill 2474 into law. According to a statement posted on the city website, the bill will prevent Medford from having to repay $1.2 million taken from the Water and Sewer surplus of $6.5 million in 2011. The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Pat Jehlen and state Reps. Paul Donato, Carl Sciortino and Sean Garballey. The bill came as a result of a home rule petition by Mayor Michael McGlynn and Medford City Council members. "This was in order to save approximately 20 jobs and secure city services in the fiscal year 12 budget,” McGlynn said in the statement. McGlynn said borrowing from the surplus is allowed under state law. "…
42.418643
-71.105123
Medford City Hall
85 George P Hassett Dr, Medford, MA
/articles/state-relieves-medford-of-1-2m-debt
1734093
/locations/8578173
Friday, January 11, 2013
Gov. Deval Patrick signed legislation that would require teachers, workers at child care centers and school bus drivers to submit fingerprints for criminal background checks.
UPDATED FRIDAY, JAN. 11 at 11:55 A.M. Should school and child care employees fingerprinted before starting employment in order to check their criminal backgrounds? The Associated Press recently reported Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is considering signing legislation that would require teachers, workers at child care centers and school bus drivers to submit fingerprints for criminal background checks. On Friday, the state education office announced in a press release that Patrick signed the bill on Thursday, authorizing the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) and school districts to conduct fingerprint-supported national criminal history background checks on all teachers, school employees and early education providers in …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
The law that goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2013 allows store owners to place scanners in the aisles, making shoppers do their own price checks, instead of individually marking each item.
Starting on New Year's Day 2013, Massachuetts is the last state in the union to abolish a law requiring individual price tags on all food items. Instead of having the prices marked on every item, as has been the law since 1987, grocery stores can now install aisle price scanners every 5,000 square feet that would display the prices of scanned items. Gov. Deval Patrick signed the bill into law in July after earlier passing in the House and Senate—with only two senators in session. The bill, called "An Act relative to clear and conspicuous price disclosure," has been strongly supported for years by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, who argued that the current system creates less accurate pricing, lowers the level of service for …
Friday, December 21, 2012
Instead, those polled say, increase taxes on the rich and end corporate subsidies.
As Congress wrestles with how to avoid the imminent fiscal cliff, a poll finds that Massachusetts voters strongly favor increased taxes on the rich, less corporate welfare and no cuts in social security, Medicare or Medicaid. "I think that this survey really gives us a clear view of voters expectations of their elected officials," said Jason Stephany of MassUniting, a coalition of community groups, neighborhoods, faith organizations and workers advocating for good jobs, corporate accountability. MassUniting conducted the poll along with Public Policy Polling. It was conducted from Nov. 27-29 and included 638 Massachusetts voters. "Essentially, the big thing that this poll tells us is that this election was not a fluke or a one-off thing…
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
The Internet retailer said the collection would begin in time for next year's holiday shopping season.
Checking out at Amazon.com will be a little pricier starting next November. Gov. Deval Patrick's office announced the deal Tuesday, stating the company would be adding jobs to Massachusetts in the next few years, WBZ reported. Amazon.com and Patrick said they would work together to support a federal bill allowing individual states to collect sales tax in states where they have no physical location. "I value the contributions large and small employers alike make to Massachusetts' economic vitality, and this agreement captures that," said Patrick, in a statement. "We are thankful Amazon was willing to come to the table and we will continue our conversations with them about creating jobs here. This agreement is a win for all sides, and I am …
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Beyond local aid, the city could lose funding from the state for special education, homeless student aid and charter school reimbursements in the half-billion proposal Gov. Deval Patrick released Tuesday.
Medford could lose between $204,000 and $229,000 in aid from state government, Mayor Michael McGlynn said, as part of the half-billion worth of cuts that Gov. Deval Patrick proposed on Tuesday, in anticipation of the "fiscal cliff" combined with projected state tax revenues that are more than $500,000 lower than previously expected. "The uncertainty of the fiscal cliff and the resulting slow down in growth, is the direct cause of our budget challenges," Patrick said. "Congress and the President must come to terms on a solution so the private sector will continue to make the kind of investments that create jobs, grow state and federal tax revenue collections and contribute to a lasting economic recovery." McGlynn told Medford Patch that …
42.35763
-71.063499
24 Beacon St, Boston, MA
Massachusetts State House
/articles/medford-faces-up-to-229k-local-aid-cut-in-governors-proposal
/locations/8310821
42.418643
-71.105123
Medford City Hall
85 George P Hassett Dr, Medford, MA
/articles/medford-faces-up-to-229k-local-aid-cut-in-governors-proposal
1734093
/locations/8310820
Monday, December 3, 2012
Brendan Ryan will replace William 'Mo' Cowan of Stoughton.
Gov. Deval Patrick announced last week that he will have a new chief of staff beginning in January. Brendan Ryan, who is now the administration's director of communications, will take over from Stoughton resident William “Mo” Cowan, who has held the job since January 2011. Ryan, 31, is the longest serving member of the governor’s senior staff, according to a press release from Patrick's office. He is a graduate of St. Sebastian's School in Needham and Vanderbilt University and worked as Patrick's deputy chief of staff in 2007 and 2008 before leaving to work as Massachusetts political director for President Barack Obama's first campaign. He returned as a special adviser in 2009, and since has worked with the MBTA and then on Patrick's re-…
42.35763
-71.063499
24 Beacon St, Boston, MA
Massachusetts State House
/articles/gov-patrick-to-take-on-new-chief-of-staff-in-january-37b58a50
/locations/8275197
Wind Dummy 25
5:14 pm on Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Fatty that's the beauty of having an issue. If you don't have one make one . Look at the latest nut, the guy with the knife the other day on a campus in Texas. Unlike recent high-profile attacks where guns were used, Tuesday's incident likely won't lead to national debates on knife safety or tighter regulations on their sales, said James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in … more ›