Friday, January 25, 2013
Gov. Patrick to convene student ambassadors for Day of Service on Saturday.
Rif Beebe, an Acton student from RJ Grey Junior High, will join Gov. Deval Patrick and other students from across the Commonwealth on Saturday, for a day of service as part of the annual Project 351.. Rif was selected for Project 351 by Acton Public Schools Superintendent Stephen Mills because of the exceptional commitment to service that he has shown. More than 300 eighth-graders representing the Commonwealth's 351 cities and towns will take part of the annual Project 351. Launched during Patrick’s inaugural in 2010, Project 351 is dedicated to celebrating youth leadership, inspiring the ethic of service, and recognizing the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Patrick has planned to again host a morning Youth Town Meeting at the State …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Tell us: do you think Massachusetts needs to increase taxes to strengthen education and transportation?
In his State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday night, Gov. Deval Patrick proposed raising the state's income tax by a full percentage point and lowering the sales tax to pay for $2 billion worth of 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…
The governor unveiled legislation Wednesday to strengthen gun laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services. 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, Conn. "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, among other things: Punishments for crimes involving guns would also sharpen, with tiered punishments for possessing different weapons on school property and giving police the authority to arrest without…
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Where and when to watch or listen to the Massachusetts governor's annual address tonight.
I would suspect that the governor's annual State of the State address is not, usually, a TV ratings champ. But tonight's speech, which starts at 7:30 p.m., may attract more viewers and listeners than usual. Why? Since it happens on the heels of Gov. Deval Patrick saying he wants to raise $1 billion by hiking the Massachusetts income tax. So you may want to watch tonight. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: CBS ABC NBC NECN Streamed live on boston.com Streamed live on http://www.malegislature.gov/ If you know of other websites, TV stations or radio stations carrying the State of the State live, please add them to the comment section below.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Asked about toll fairness during a Patch live chat, Governor Deval Patrick asked a reader whether he'd support high-speed tolls. Are these a good way to share the transportation funding pain, or another money grab?
Are high-speed tolls along Interstate 93 and other highways a smart way to help fund transportation in the state? Governor Deval Patrick mentioned such a system during a Patch live chat on Thursday. If you've gone up Interstate 95 into New Hampshire, you've seen high-speed tolling in action. The system is designed to read your EZ-Pass (new Fast Lane) transponder while you breeze by at 65 miles per hour. There's no need to slow down or squeeze though a booth, as EZ-Pass users currently do on the Mass Pike, Tobin Bridge and harbor tunnels. The chat moved on to other topics, so no details about implementation were offered. What do you think? Would tolls along I-93 offer some fairness to riders in Boston, MetroWest and North Shore, who all …
Saturday, March 26, 2011
State Ethics Commission determined a Middlesex Sheriff's Department captain and two corrections officers used public resources in connection with a political fundraiser for former Sheriff James DiPaola.
Three Middlesex County Corrections officers have admitted to breaking the state's conflict of interest laws by using public resources for former Sheriff James DiPaola's reelection campaign in 2009, the State Ethics Commission Officials announced Wednesday. Captain Eril Ligonde along with Corrections Officers Richard McKinnon and Heidi Ricci used Sheriff's department resources to coordinate a fundraiser at Tewksbury Country Club in October 2009, used department computers to generate lists of Sheriff's office employees, and repeatedly solicited co-workers for donations, according to an Ethics Commission press release. For their actions, Ligonde paid a $10,000 civil penalty, McKinnon paid $3,000 and Ricci paid a $2,00o. The state's conflict…
Michael Fleming
1:13 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Please notice Patricks phraseology: "invest in the future". First the word "invest". It sort of sounds like a person socking money away for a rainy day huh? That is always a good strategy. Sound money management, judicious use of your hard earned money, right? One "invests" their money for a reward later on, like retirement or for a college fund. Thing is, it isn't that at all. It's another word … more ›