In Worcester's case, the suburbs in the region accounted for all the growth, while the city itself actually saw a 2% decline.  Clearly there is more work to be done to spread prosperity to our older urban communities.  But … [Read more...]

Governor Patrick is far from alone in facing the ire of prominent public sector unions as he makes tough choices about spending.   Across the western word, governments of all political stripes are facing a grim fiscal prognosis (and … [Read more...]

The pain of the Great Recession will live with us far longer than we'd like.  Even as the economy recovers (and as Governor Patrick says, Massachusetts is coming out of recession stronger than many states) our state government will be … [Read more...]

Britain is in the midst of its four-week election and one of the big themes of the campaign there is the renewal of civic society.  There, in launching the campaign, one of the major parties announced: A neighbourhood army of 5,000 … [Read more...]

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A Great Success By MICHAEL J. WIDMER Facts are a stubborn thing. And despite the false claims of ideologues, academics and politicians, the facts tell the story of Massachusetts' remarkably successful health-reform law. The lengths that … [Read more...]

States Seeking Cash Hope to Expand Taxes to Services By MONICA DAVEY In the scramble to find something, anything, to generate more revenue, states are considering new taxes on virtually everything: garbage pickup, dating services, bowling … [Read more...]

From the article: The historic bill signed today by President Obama includes provisions Senator Sanders long advocated for, including $10 billion over five years to expand, construct and operate community health centers. It also increases … [Read more...]

And ultimately that is what political and presidential leadership is all about: using the office to generate an unstoppable momentum for change; persevering through the political darkness, the false starts and dead-ends, until at long last, … [Read more...]

Much has been said here already about the Governor's troubles with his erstwhile center-left allies in the labor unions (or more specifically the police unions).  Being placed between the rock of a dismal fiscal picture and the hard … [Read more...]