Opinion

Blue state chauvinism

Politics

Blue state chauvinism

Millionaire’s tax makes federal system more regressive

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IN THE PURSUIT of tax equity and fairness, Massachusetts progressives who support the proposed “fair share” amendment could end up placing a larger tax burden on poorer residents in other parts of the country. The amendment would overturn a constitutional prohibition on graduated income taxation in favor of what has been dubbed a millionaire’s tax(...)

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Warren: GOP trying to ram through health care bill

Health Care/ Politics

Warren: GOP trying to ram through health care bill

‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’ she says

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Sen. Warren sent the following message to her supporters on Friday. I LEARNED SOME SCARY NEWS yesterday: the Senate Republicans are going to try to repeal the Affordable Care Act by the end of the month. And here’s the terrifying part: They seem to think they have the votes in the Senate to do it.(...)

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From refugee camp to high school grad

Education

From refugee camp to high school grad

Along the way, she learned about herself, America

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The following is a pre-graduation speech delivered at the City on a Hill charter school. MY NAME IS MARYAN ADEN and I am a member of the founding class at City on a Hill Dudley Square. Next month, my classmates and I will take the stage as the first graduates from City on a Hill(...)

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Fact-checking the district attorneys

Criminal Justice/ Politics

Fact-checking the district attorneys

MassINC researchers review mandatory minimum claims

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AT MONDAY’S JUDICIARY COMMITTEE HEARING on criminal justice reform legislation, District Attorneys Joseph Early of Worcester County, Timothy Cruz of Plymouth County, and Michael Morrissey of Norfolk County testified in opposition to the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes. Their testimony drew heavily on talking points prepared by the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association(...)

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FY18 budget shortfall could be $1b

Politics

FY18 budget shortfall could be $1b

Nipping and tucking won’t work in coming year

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IT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED on Beacon Hill, certainly among budget writers, that the fiscal 2018 budgets passed by the House and Senate depend on unrealistic revenue projections. But it is much less well understood that the revenue shortfall could approach $1 billion. How could that be? There are two parts to the answer — first,(...)

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IRS, DOR undermining Earned Income Tax Credit

Tax Credits/ Politics

IRS, DOR undermining Earned Income Tax Credit

Automatic audits of some recipients are onerous

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IN THE MIDST of new proposals for a major tax system overhaul, there’s one tax policy almost everyone agrees has been highly effective: the Earned Income Tax Credit. It delivers significant financial relief to working families while providing financial incentive to work. In 2015, the average credit was $3,186 for families with children. How disappointing,(...)

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We must learn from Seaport District failures

Tracking Transportation/ Economy/ Transportation

We must learn from Seaport District failures

The next tests come at Allston Landing, Suffolk Downs

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THEY WERE GATHERED in the spectacular replica of the US Senate chamber at the Edward Kennedy Institute, a panel of local thought leaders discussing how Boston’s past might inform Boston’s future.  The discussion, organized under the auspices of Imagine Boston 2030, drew a large crowd because among its panel members were legends of the city’s(...)

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Will district schools embrace charter-like reforms?

Education

Will district schools embrace charter-like reforms?

Burden now falls on local school leaders to deliver results

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LONG BEFORE MORE than $40 million was spent last year making the cases for and against charter public school expansion, I was skeptical about using a statewide ballot initiative to decide the question. I believe ballot initiatives are best reserved for instances where the Legislature is flouting public opinion, and that wasn’t so with Massachusetts(...)

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Mass. Democrats are energized

Politics

Mass. Democrats are energized

Trump 'train wreck' has activists motivated

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THIS SATURDAY, the Massachusetts Democratic Party will hold our largest ever platform convention. Nearly 5,000 delegates are mobilizing to debate, vote, and collectively decide the key issues that represent who we are as a Party. For 1,560 of those assembled, this is the first convention they have ever attended as a delegate. As chair of(...)

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Baker all talk on regional carbon limits

Plugging In/ Energy/ Environment

Baker all talk on regional carbon limits

Governor MIA on greenhouse gas initiative

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AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP moves forward with his efforts to dismantle the Clean Power Plan and accelerate the extraction of coal, oil, and gas on federal lands, it’s worth taking a look at our own record here in Massachusetts. While state officials speak the language of “climate leadership,” their actions have often fallen short. Case(...)

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