Thursday, October 13, 2011

Holmes: Closed doors, secret maps and political games under the Golden Dome

Rick Holmes, Opinion Editor for the MetroWest Daily, wrote the following about the redistricting machinations that have gone on for months, "On Beacon Hill, Transparency is a foreign language. Deep in the DNA of the place, the instinct for self-preservation overrides even the most virtuous rhetoric."

Click here to read more of his analysis of the redistricting process

Monday, September 19, 2011

Mass GOP Chair Nassour announces resignation

Mass Gop Chairwoman Jennifer Nassour has announced that she will be stepping down effective October 28 as she prepares for the birth of her third child in February. Her decision to resign will allow her successor to come up to speed in preparation for the next election cycle and commit the time needed to be chair. With her family situation changing she stated that family must come first.


Click here to read

Headline reads "Senate slashes pension benefits; House to vote next"

In an article found in various news sources including the Lowell Sun, the headline reads that the "Senate slashes pension benefits; House to vote next." When you read into the details of the plan, the proposed changes only affect new hires after Jan 1, 2012. The changes to the pensions are raising the minimum retirement age from 55 to 60 and eliminating incentives to retire at the early age. The proposal also extends the formula to calculate the pension from 3 year period to 5 years.

Comments from our State Senator Ken Donnelly, a former union official for state firefighters and a retired firefighter include, " he understands why state legislators are trying to address unfunded pension liabilities, but he claimed savings could be found elsewhere," although where was not elaborated in the article.

Click here to read

Sunday, September 4, 2011

A Penny of Spending Cuts for Every Dollar of Debt

There has been quite a bit of discussion over the growing government debt and the battle to contain it. This article points out that the spin has come from both camps at our expense - literally.

From Newmax, "More than half the members of the House of Representatives avoided holding customary town hall meetings during their August vacation. No wonder they’re ducking the public. The spin Congress put on the debt ceiling deal doesn’t jibe with the facts."

Click here to read

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Sen. Brown to Gov. Patrick — can gas tax plan

Senator Brown spoke out against Governer Patrick's plan to raise the gas tax. Citing that the increase would flatten the tourism industry and blow budgets for working-class families, Senator Brown wrote that he[Gov. Patrick] should cut spending and not raise taxes.

Click her to read more of Senator Brown's comments

Rep Kaufman talks taxes including online sales tax

At a recent public Forum in Lexington Rep Jay Kaufman discussed his revenue reform priorities for the upcoming Legislative year. Top on his list was the so called Main Street Fairness Act which would make paying the state sales tax on internet purchases mandatory, making Massachusetts the 25th state to pass such a law. And in keeping with his targeted approach to taxation, Rep Kaufman is looking to expand the property tax Circuit breaker to assist low-income seniors and "others."

Click her to read the full story of Representative Kaufman's plans

Sunday, February 27, 2011

4th Middlesex State Senator Ken Donnelly and Greater Boston Tea Party's Christen Varley

On a recent episode of Broadside on NECN State Senator Ken Donnelly and Greater Boston Tea Party's Christen Varley debate the budget showdown in Wisconsin.

To listen to the full recording click here