Massachusetts
updated
2:28 p.m.
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Bump! — sahar In her response to the the Brandeis 2020 Committee proposals, Provost Marty Krauss lists the five groups tasked to work towards healing Brandeis’s long-term financial deficit. They are: The 23 member Brandeis 2020 Committee, which identified reductions in Arts and Sciences. The professional school revenue committee, composed of 4 administrators and the Office of Budget ...
Innermost Parts - 2:28 p.m.
When John Patrick Bedell walked up to a security checkpoint at the Pentagon subway stop on March 4, he carried with him a pair of semi-automatic pistols. He possessed these weapons, which he used to shoot and injure two police officers, despite "a history of mental health problems" that resulted in his being institutionalized several times. One of the guns, a 9 mm Ruger, was seized from a fel...
The Hubster - 10:00 a.m. - 2 clicks 
Gary Snyder, legendary poet and environmental activist, reading his poems as the recipient of the 10th annual Robert Creeley Award — Tuesday, March 16, 7.30 pm, Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, 36 Charter Road, Acton (Free and open to the public; donations welcomed). For details, visit http://www.robertcreeleyfoundation.org/ Gary Snyder Jericho Brown, reading from his American Book Aw...
Richard Howe - 10:00 a.m.
Here’s the link for the Lowell Film Festival coming up April 8 to April 10. Click here for times and locations. ...
Richard Howe - 8:26 a.m.
There's a cautionary tale in Todd Wallack's look at the impact of state programs aimed at keeping business in Massachusetts with tax breaks attached to the promise of new jobs. The message of course, is businesses should be held to their end of the bargain. The saga of Nortel Networks, its $2 million in state and local tax breaks and the net loss of more than 2,000 jobs -- but not the tax break...
Massachusetts Liberal - 7:06 a.m. - 5 clicks
From the UMass Lowell Athletics Office: “The #20 River Hawks (19-15-4, 12-11-4 HE) came up short against Maine (17-16-3, 13-12-2 HE) on Saturday night, 2-0. The loss marked the first time UMass Lowell was shutout on the campaign. “The Hockey East Tournament quarterfinals will come to a conclusion tomorrow as the two teams will face off in [...]...
Richard Howe - 5:26 a.m. - 2 clicks
I've always thought much is being over blown about the rift between Patrick and organized labor. Certainly there will be strains during the deepest economic recession in a generation. Much has been made about the recent dust up in Plymouth with the leaders of the AFL CIO picketing their own conference because their invited guest, Deval Patrick, accepts an invitation to come. How absurd was that? ...
Blue Mass. Group - Sat 7:41 p.m. - 5 clicks
The House will soon be taking up a sentencing reform bill. One issue cries out for attention - our failed drug sentencing laws. Massachusetts could save millions and improve public safety at the same time by reforming "mandatory minimum" sentencing laws for drug offenses. Each year hundreds of drug offenders receive fixed and often lengthy mandatory minimum sentences - 950 men ...
Blue Mass. Group - Sat 3:20 p.m. - 3 clicks
Brandeis has a sort of reputation for having great student activism – and it’s deserved! However, Brandeis the institution doesn’t do that great a job teaching students on how to be great activists. Well, there are ways to try and deal with that (for example, the Activist Resource Center). One great opportunity: the yearly Boston Student [...]...
Innermost Parts - Sat 3:06 p.m. - 3 clicks
Health Care For All and the Consumer Health Quality Council successfully advocated for a mandate that all Massachusetts hospitals establish Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs). This mandate was included in Chapter 305, the omnibus cost containment/quality improvement law that was enacted in 2008. Under the regulations for implementing this section of the law, all [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Sat 11:09 a.m. - 4 clicks
I am constantly reading references to community clinics in a context that presents them as being free or very low cost. Community clinics in many places are a life saver, but they have a new role. They function as traps for the unwary in Massachusetts. Few people seem to realize that the clinics in Massachusetts, are no longer inexpensive. Instead, a visit to a clinic for an injury sustained at h...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Sat 9:27 a.m. - 5 clicks
FROM THE UMASS LOWELL PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE: “National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell will address graduates at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s commencement on Saturday, May 29 at the Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell. “Goodell also will accept a posthumous Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his father, the late U.S. Sen. Charles Goodell, a Republican who was electe...
Richard Howe - Sat 7:08 a.m. - 3 clicks
There was a lot of sturm and drang in the media last year whenever Deval Patrick opted to release bay news on a Friday afternoon. But it appears what's good for Deval is also good for Bobby and Terry. The House and senate Ways and Means committee chairs opted for a Friday afternoon statement to alert local officials about a 4 percent, $200 million cut in local aid in the upcoming fiscal year. ...
Massachusetts Liberal - Sat 6:08 a.m. - 8 clicks
Mass. Sen. Scott Brown took to the airwaves today for a Republican response that castigated Barack Obama for not following through on his promise to focus on job creation instead of health care. So imagine the irony that the junior senator didn't follow through on his own commitment to jobs, voting against a summer jobs bill -- sponsored by senior Sen. John Kerry -- that helped to pay for 7,0...
Massachusetts Liberal - Sat 6:08 a.m. - 11 clicks
I guess global warming isn't the only green initiative that doesn't have Charlie Baker's wholehearted support. The Republican gubernatorial candidate has opted out of tomorrow's South Boston St. Patrick's Day political breakfast, citing "prior commitments." You really mean to tell me the scheduler did not know months in advance that there's a breakfast and a parade in Southie around St. Patr...
Massachusetts Liberal - Sat 6:08 a.m. - 10 clicks
The last few days have been absolutely exhausting. It was my pleasure to be able to end up such a tumultuous week by meeting with my fellow Brandeisians in the spirit of loving-kindness today. It was great! I am so proud to go to Brandeis with this wonderful community. I think maybe over 80? people came [...]...
Innermost Parts - Fri 4:45 p.m. - 6 clicks
I am the only candidate who has actually worked on legislation that expanded health coverage over the last couple of decades. Governor Patrick's shot at Baker and Cahill yesterday only served to highlight his own inaction. For those of us who have worked for years to a real solution to our healthcare problems in Massachusetts, we knew that the Massachusetts' plan as it is known could not work lon...
Blue Mass. Group - Fri 1:43 p.m. - 9 clicks
On Wednesday, March 10, the Health Care Financing and Community Development and Small Business Committees heard testimony on the provisions of Governor Patrick’s small business bill dealing with health care cost control. The hearing opened with testimony from the Governor himself, who spoke before a packed room. Gov. Patrick shared stories from Massachusetts small [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Fri 12:18 p.m. - 3 clicks
Earlier today I taped a couple of weekend "Eye On Politics" segments with Jon Keller that will air on WBZ radio over the weekend. In the Saturday piece, Jon asked me about Governor Deval Patrick taking his first big public swing at challenger Charlie Baker this week -- saying Baker has been "missing in action" on the issue of health care costs . In my answer, I speculated t...
Talking Politics - Fri 12:00 p.m. - 3 clicks
March 11, 2010 Dear Friends, For over a year, Congress and the President have been working to craft comprehensive health care reform. For me, throughout this process, I have focused on how to make health care available to all Americans without damaging the quality of care in Massachusetts. I do believe we achieved that goal in the bill passed by the House. I have not yet reached a final conclus...
Blue Mass. Group - Fri 9:47 a.m. - 4 clicks
Watch Your Mouth’s newest advertorial, “Healthy Communities, Thriving Children,” was featured on the today’s opinions page in the Boston Globe: History shows us that when Massachusetts’ residents put their minds to something, they can make a difference. Together, we have acted to provide health and dental care to all residents and our health reform program [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Fri 8:29 a.m. - 4 clicks
Color me skeptical. At last night’s Boston schools budget hearing, the big shots weren’t talking and ranting or begging students and parents may have been bellowing into the wilderness. As City Councilor John Connolly so candidly described it , the details of the school budget are fungible. He is in his third year of the messiest job on Council, chair of the education committee. He admit...
Marry in Massachusetts - Fri 6:44 a.m. - 51 clicks
Health Care For All’s Consumer Health Quality Council has been working for 3 ½ years to bring attention to issues around health care quality and patient safety. National health reform is good for Massachusetts because it will allow us to make progress on the quality and safety fronts. The most powerful tool that the Consumer [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Fri 5:27 a.m. - 6 clicks
Remember when our newly minted senator declared he was against the national health care reform law because it would only hurt Massachusetts? It was a position he repeated again this week (in a talk to insurers), as he continues to eat away at his 15 minutes in the spotlight. But it's obviously a selective spotlight, because the junior senator from Massachusetts wasn't taking reporter calls when...
Massachusetts Liberal - Fri 2:28 a.m. - 8 clicks
24 hours ago, many of us felt angry and helpless. Someone had just committed a disgusting act of vandalism against the Muslim Student Association, and we couldn’t keep quiet about it. We’ve witnessed an amazing show of support from the Brandeis community, with over 450 of us signing a letter affirming our love and support [...]...
Innermost Parts - Thu 11:06 p.m. - 4 clicks
Just when it seems that the Democrats might actually be able to stand for something and take a major step toward curbing insurance industry abuses and making certain that tens of millions of Americans gain health insurance out comes Representative Capuano prepared to stab President Obama in the back with a strong suggestion that mighty Mike will vote against HCR. For the details see talking poin...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 7:42 p.m. - 7 clicks
Just picked this up over at Talking Points Memo - saying my main man Mike is wary of voting yes for the Senate bill because he's afraid it can't get fixed. Gives some sound reasons but still I think he has to keep the eye on the prize. I guess he emailed supporters saying this: House Members will now likely be asked to vote on the Senate bill without changes, making it available ...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 7:42 p.m. - 6 clicks
Hey, he's got his book deal and a cushy new job. Why should he care about Massachusetts families who are hurting: they are not the out of state conservatives who funded his campaign and will try to push him through again in two years. As to health care, Senator Brown continues his long march to the Republican villages of Too Bad for You and Sorry, I Can't Help You. Link to H.R. 4213. DNC email: ...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 11:22 a.m. - 5 clicks
Dear BMG, We have a crisis on our hands in Massachusetts. Every day as a doctor in the emergency room, I see that people are struggling. They are struggling to find affordable health care. They are struggling to find good, sustainable jobs. They are struggling to find some hope of recovery in a recession that is weighted on the backs of working families and has taken from those who already have ...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 11:05 a.m. - 4 clicks
Last night I was feeling pretty frustrated. Weren’t you? I felt powerless to do anything about the Muslim Student Association vandalism, and I felt angry at newspapers irresponsibly playing up the whole “Brandeis is a university of the Jooz there must be religious strife on campus” thing. That uncool move of vandalizing the MSA suite did [...]...
Innermost Parts - Thu 9:45 a.m. - 5 clicks
This is very good, and quite unexpected news -- yet another item in the Governor's current winning streak . A staunchly pro-free enterprise business group yesterday embraced price controls for the state's health-care industry, saying sykrocketing medical expenses have reached a "crisis point" that's financially crushing small businesses. The surprise move by the Associated Industries of Ma...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 7:48 a.m. - 3 clicks
[Note: Today's guest blogger is Marc Hymovitz, Director of Government Relations & Advocacy American Cancer Society, New England Division] While Massachusetts health reform has been successful in reducing the number of uninsured residents and ensuring a minimum, adequate level of coverage, barriers to care still remain. Passage of meaningful health care reform at the federal level [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Thu 7:48 a.m. - 5 clicks
I think this is fabulous news. Gov. Deval Patrick says he's "open" to doing battle in the lion's den of conservative talk radio.... [Said Patrick:] "I'm proud to be a Democrat. But I didn't run to be governor of the Democrats. I'm not running to be governor of the Democrats this time." A Patrick aide said the governor's advisers are even considering putting him on with Howie Carr, the Herald ...
Blue Mass. Group - Thu 7:09 a.m. - 5 clicks
There's shock in both the mainstream media and the Twitterverse this morning: Deval Patrick practiced politics in the Statehouse! The decision by Patrick to stop being a punching bag and jabbing back at his opponents was immediately characterized by the head of Charlie Baker's political team as somehow desperate. The local TV media pundit who recently made the governor a pinata saw, horror ...
Massachusetts Liberal - Thu 2:50 a.m. - 8 clicks
In testimony this afternoon, and in a press availability immediately afterward, Governor Patrick strongly urged the legislature to pass his jobs bill that would (among other things) control health insurance premium hikes and provider costs -- and called out Charlie Baker and Tim Cahill for failing to propose anything constructive on these crucial issues. In case you missed it, the Gov's bi...
Blue Mass. Group - Wed 10:40 p.m. - 7 clicks
This was a great write-up about what a casino would do to Downtown Worcester and other Downtown areas like it, written by the founder and exec director of The Hanover Theatre, which is largely seen as the spark that gave Downtown Worcester a rebirth in recent years. Today, The Hanover Theatre, and other wonderful venues like it, face a critical threat from resort casinos. The performance venues...
Ryan's Take - Wed 6:04 p.m. - 10 clicks
Universal Hub reports that an East Boston resident plans on opening a cafe at 102 Meridian Street -- and wants to serve some alcohol as well as coffee and tea. Gina Guerraro is asking the city to license her proposed 35-seat Cafe GiGu to serve beer and wine. No word yet on when the eatery would open. ...
The Hubster - Wed 5:46 p.m. - 9 clicks
In this week's issue of the Boston Phoenix -- in print tomorrow, online now -- I take the measure of Governor Deval Patrick as he begins in earnest his re-election campaign. The Phoenix was granted an hour-long interview with the governor last week, on policy issues from his first term and looking ahead to a possible second. The interview was conducted by me and executive editor Peter Ka...
Talking Politics - Wed 3:47 p.m. - 6 clicks
Since moving from Texas – the state where I was born and raised – to Boston late last year, I began conducting a small social experiment: I casually engage New England natives in conversations regarding their impressions of Texas as a state, population and, perhaps most significant if not delightfully intriguing, as perceived of having [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Wed 9:21 a.m. - 9 clicks
An interesting development . Patrick told the Herald he would reject a compromise that would allow slots at racetracks up until the first resort-style casino is built in the Bay State. "I don't think we will ever get the destination resort casinos if we have slots at racetracks," he said. "The slots are a cash cow for the developers, and a destination resort casino can be very prosperous too, ...
Blue Mass. Group - Wed 9:06 a.m. - 6 clicks
Didn't get a chance to post on this when it was first announced last week, but it's still excellent news. Press release (no link): Governor Deval Patrick today announced that the Commonwealth's bond ratings have been affirmed by the three major rating agencies, all of whom cited the Governor's responsible and proactive stewardship of the Commonwealth's finances during the current economic ...
Blue Mass. Group - Wed 8:24 a.m. - 5 clicks
I think this is a feather in the cap of both the unions involved, as well as the Governor. I wonder if his (eventual) Republican opponent in the race will give him any credit for this negotiation which yielded the state tens of millions savings and will stave off some ......
Left In Lowell - Wed 7:26 a.m. - 9 clicks
Sean Murphy reports something in the Globe today that could be a big important thing for municipal government in Massachusetts: a plan by a group of mayors to file a ballot initiative to expand local government's power to reduce employee benefits without collective bargaining. Here's the immediate issue at stake, as the Phoenix described it in an editorial two we...
Talking Politics - Wed 6:23 a.m. - 6 clicks
Mike Barnicle once used a throwaway line (I assume he didn't "borrow" it from someone else) that if you take the Massachusetts Legislature out onto a barge and sank it, all you would lose is the barge. In the case of the United States Congress, you'd probably need to lose two or three. Witness the case of Eric "Tickle Me" Massa, former Democratic congressman from upstate New York, who wove a t...
Massachusetts Liberal - Wed 2:43 a.m. - 6 clicks
Following on akloftus's post about Charlie Baker's ignorance of what's actually been happening on Beacon Hill recently, the Patrick administration announced today that it has reached agreements with a number of public employee unions that will save the Commonwealth tens of millions of dollars and will allow the administration to protect key services. The Patrick-Murray Administration has reach...
Blue Mass. Group - Tue 8:26 p.m. - 6 clicks
Lt. Gov. Tim Murray has called out Charlie Baker for his perpetual dishonesty on the campaign trail, while responding to a story that first appeared here on BMG about a state employee named Erica. For those who haven't heard it, here's the original audio of the call from Erica, who talked to a very condescending Charlie Baker on WBZ radio March 4. Read the LG's response bel...
Blue Mass. Group - Tue 6:48 p.m. - 11 clicks
Under the heading of "One Cook's Best Dish," there's a story at Boston.com about Joy Cagno and her recipe for roasted-pepper frittata. Joy is from East Boston and we were in the same class together at East Boston Central Catholic back in the late 1970s. She was Joy Zirpolo then -- sweet, adorable and a social butterfly. (Yeah, I had a crush on her, but so did everyone else.) Years later I sa...
The Hubster - Tue 4:03 p.m. - 9 clicks
He who would take Scott Brown’s MA Senate seat is a very different politician and person. Dr. Peter Smulowitz wants to bring his insights as an emergency-r00m doctor and his progressive goals to the General Court. Among the local and national hoo-ha about Brown winning U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy’s spot, the focus now shifts back to [...]...
Left Ahead! - Tue 1:25 p.m. - 9 clicks
Tonight’s City Council meeting has three motions from the CC that are of major interest: 1. From CC Patrick Murphy (the innovator): “City Council observe City Council Rules” If you watched last week’s meeting, you will know why Murphy is asking his colleagues to stick to the rules. I have to ......
Left In Lowell - Tue 12:28 p.m. - 10 clicks
[Note: today's guest blog is by Deborah Banda, State Director, AARP Massachusetts] At AARP, we hear countless heartbreaking stories from our members who can’t get affordable health care coverage or who can’t afford their prescription drugs. We know that health care is among the most important and personal economic issues they face. AARP is fighting for [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Tue 8:07 a.m. - 11 clicks
The Public Health Council is meeting on Wednesday, March 10 from 9-12 a.m. at their usual location, 250 Washington Street, Boston, 2nd Floor (meeting agenda (pdf)). Included on the agenda are a summary of H1N1 activities and an update on Limited Service Clinics in Massachusetts. When limited service clinics (like CVS’s MinuteClinics) were [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Tue 7:24 a.m. - 8 clicks
Two interesting -- and some might say politically tinged -- looks at the dollar drain from state government in today's Boston papers. The Herald's payroll crusade looks at cashed out vacation time and singles out former Deval Patrick chief of staff Doug Rubin, who cashed out $11,000 in unused vacation pay. I know Rubin stops by here occasionally so I'd be happy for a comment. On the other sid...
Massachusetts Liberal - Tue 3:21 a.m. - 9 clicks
Sounds great , right? For proof, head to Bensalem, where Parx - formerly called PhiladelphiaPark Racetrack - made $400 million last year. Impressive for a not-spot plopped among strip malls. Inside the smoke-filled slots box, much of what casino bosses took for granted has changed. Gone are the days of wooing "whales" and dissing grannies in fanny packs. Parx president Dave Jonas says his r...
Ryan's Take - Mon 8:25 p.m. - 6 clicks
Sorry, couldn’t help the Bushapropism reference there. Via Dick Howe, we’re alerted to the new Lowell Public Schools Blog. Keen! I think a blog is a great way to communicate with the city’s parents and residents. Duly added to the growing list of official blogs in the city, among the not ......
Left In Lowell - Mon 6:41 p.m. - 8 clicks
Who will run against Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) in 2012? Don't know? Me neither. And apparently neither does anyone else. So along came Jon Hite, who launched a Facebook page suggesting that MA resident and MSNBC broadcaster Rachel Maddow consider running. In a few days, more than a thousand people have signed on at Rachel Maddow for US Senator from Massachusetts in 2012 . B...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Mon 4:05 p.m. - 7 clicks
Yesterday, I posted a diary about how MSNBC broadcaster Rachel Maddow's name is being floated as a possible candidate to challenge Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA)in 2012. Maddow, who is from Northampton, MA has given no indication that she is even remotely interested. However, at this writing 819 of us have signed onto a Facebook page Rachel Maddow for US Senator from Massachusetts in 2012 to ...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Mon 4:05 p.m. - 6 clicks
Martha Coakley didn't make history as the first female U.S. Senator from Massachusetts. And while I am sure that there are many pols itching to take on Scott Brown in 2012 yesterday, MA political activist Jon Hite floated a different idea. He wants to encourage MSNBC broadcaster Rachel Maddow, (whose hometown is Northampton, MA) to consider running. At this writing, there are 623 of us who hav...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Mon 4:05 p.m. - 6 clicks
Nothing against Brian Mooney's fine article in today's Boston Globe . Just sayin', it leads with: Of all the daunting challenges facing Deval Patrick this reelection year, there is one that would have been especially difficult to imagine more than three years ago when he became the first Democrat in 16 years to assume the governor’s office: unrest in the ranks of organized labo...
Talking Politics - Mon 3:21 p.m. - 5 clicks
Senator Brown may have won a seat in the US Senate, but that meant he had to give up his old position in the State Senate. The door may have been shut, but we can safely call this an open window. Peter Smulowitz , a medical doctor living in the district, in Needham, was campaigning to replace Brown since even before Brown defeated Martha Coakley, and now he finds himself an established candidate...
Ryan's Take - Mon 3:21 p.m. - 8 clicks
News flash: Massachusetts public employee unions are unhappy with Deval Patrick , who they accuse of trying to balance the state budget on the backs of their members. Old news: labor rank and file votes far more conservatively than leadership, dating back to the days of the hard hat supporters of Richard Nixon, to the Boston Police Patrolman's Union endorsement of George H.W. Bush over Michae...
Massachusetts Liberal - Mon 3:05 p.m. - 6 clicks
Senator Brown may have won a seat in the US Senate, but that meant he had to give up his old position in the State Senate. The door may have been shut, but we can safely call this an open window. Peter Smulowitz, a medical doctor living in the district, in Needham, had been campaigning [...]...
Left Ahead! - Mon 3:05 p.m. - 7 clicks
Today, Health Care For All is releasing a powerful video in support of national health care reform. Massachusetts patients, doctors, students, consumer advocates, and representatives of small business and labor come together and talk about why we need national health reform and why it is good for the Commonwealth. You can view the video above, [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Mon 3:05 p.m. - 9 clicks
The leading candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination is known almost universally as Charlie. But today's Globe profile suggests candidate Baker is really more of a Charles, and he needs to make some adjustments if he hopes to really connect with voters -- particularly those expecting another free-speaking Scott Brown. I've had a few personal encounters with Baker and I find him an ...
Massachusetts Liberal - Mar 7 - 20 clicks
It appears that The East Boston Times is not the only newspaper owned by the Independent Newspaper Group that cuts and pastes information from other sources into its stories without proper attribution. A front-page article in this week's issue of The Chelsea Record includes more than half of its material from a year-old press release, though the source is never cited. The story, titled "Night-tim...
The Hubster - Mar 5 - 3 clicks
That's the headline over at the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. Suffice it to say, DeLeo's drive to benefit the well-oiled interests in his district makes it a much more difficult sell for him to get his own bill passed across state government, not that I'm complaining. How tough would this vote be? Well, at least 30 people would have to switch their votes on a major issue after voting the oppo...
Ryan's Take - Mar 5
The Patriot Ledger , the newspaper of record for Quincy, Massachusetts is reporting that Norfolk County District Attorney William Keating will enter into the now open race for the 10th Congressional District in Massachusetts. Keating has a long record of public service and served as a state Senator for nearly two decades before becoming Norfolk County's DA. There are other candidat...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Mar 5 - 5 clicks
Just in case you missed it, State investigators probing Lowell’s DPW and Parks Department. According to the Sun’s web site “state investigators spent Thursday interviewing city employees in an effort to weed out wrong-doing in the Department of Public Works and Parks and Recreation Commission. The [ten] investigators, assigned to the office ......
Left In Lowell - Mar 5 - 5 clicks
Massachusetts has been a national leader in expanding affordable coverage to children. Chapter 58 expanded MassHealth coverage to kids in families with income up to 3 times the poverty level, and the Children’s Medical Security Plan provides basic care to all children ineligible for other coverage at any income level. Our aggressive outreach programs have [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Mar 5 - 6 clicks
Perhaps Baker's biggest "issue" of his campaign thus far is his claim that we need to cut state jobs -- 5,000 to be exact. Not only can Massachusetts do this, he says, but he actually has the gall to say this will make Mass government work better. Chutzpa, you got to give him that. His only appeal thus far has been to people who want to drown government in their bathwater. Well, it's easy to thro...
Ryan's Take - Mar 5
Thanks to Workforce Magazine for publishing an excellent piece on the great cover up on healthcare affordability under the "insurance"-centric (and troubled) Massachusetts program that the Obama administration has made the model for our "to be troubled in four years" national insurer mandate/bailout. They also again bring up a number of very important points that are rarely brought up here (an...
DailyKos (Massachusetts) - Mar 5 - 2 clicks
Big development in the Massachusetts guv race today, according to the Atlantic 's Marc Ambinder: Tim Cahill is hiring big names from the John McCain team, John Weaver, Mark Salter, and Michael Dennehy. I'll have more to say later, since right now I don't know exactly what role they'll be playing in the campaign. But it's certainly got my interest. ...
Talking Politics - Mar 5 - 6 clicks
House Speaker Bob DeLeo restarted the push for legalized gaming in Massachusetts today with a speech before the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that outlined his proposal: two resort casinos and slot machines at the state's four racetracks. According to the Boston.com story, both the governor and Senate President Therese Murray expressed reservations about slot machines, saying that they wou...
The Hubster - Mar 4
Following a longstanding A Healthy Blog convention, we tag posts dealing with former Governor Romney’s spin cycle attempts to deal with the Massachusetts reform law under the health care humor category; besides, this gave me a good laugh. Timothy Noah of Slate posted a quiz yesterday that juxtaposes a number of Obama and Romney statements on [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Mar 4 - 7 clicks
Whether you agree with me, in that slot machines would be very bad policy for Massachusetts, or not, I'm sure everyone can agree that it's generally a good idea to do a comprehensive, nonpartisan study, that doesn't come from the industry or those who have been paid by them, on any potential major change to the state before we go ahead and do it. That's why I'm here to ask you to sign onto a peti...
Ryan's Take - Mar 3 - 4 clicks
3rd time's the charm. MassResistance was once again named a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Brian Camenker is sure to wear his hate tiara proudly. It's fitting to hear about it today while same sex couples in Washington D.C. are finally being treated equally. There IS no turning back. Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and now Washington D.C are issuing ma...
Massresistance Watch - Mar 3 - 4 clicks
Massachusetts has long been a leader in health reform, and oral health advocates have worked to ensure that oral health is a part of this important work. National health reform will be good for Massachusetts, because it will strengthen oral health in the Commonwealth. Oral health is an essential part of overall health. Dental decay is [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Mar 3 - 7 clicks
More information has come out on the DHCFP Chapter 305 Cost Trends hearings, to be held on March 16th, 18th and 19th. First, the hearings have been moved to the Joseph P. Healey Library University Club, 11th floor, University of Massachusetts Boston. The hearings start at 9am each of the three days. [...]...
A Healthy Blog - Mar 3 - 4 clicks
In this week's issue of the Boston Phoenix -- in print tomorrow, online now -- I write about the newly-formed Cultural Caucus in the Massachusetts state legislature, and its unexpected first big issue: gaming. The group of about a dozen legislators (so far) is co-chaired by senator Sonia Chang-Diaz and representative Smitty Pignatelli. They plan to advocate for arts-related funding, projec...
Talking Politics - Mar 3 - 14 clicks
