Galvin gets cagier about rehabilitation tax credits

By Bruce Mohl Taxes and Budget Issues 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

Secretary of State William Galvin’s sphinx-like administration of a $50 million-a-year tax credit program is causing confusion among developers and anger among some lawmakers. Galvin handed out nearly $16.4 million in historic rehabilitation tax credits in early August. The big winners were the Boston Red Sox, which received $1.5 million in tax credits for the(...)

Politics

Three thoughts

By Bruce Mohl Ethics and Open Government 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

I first met Colman Herman, the author of this issue’s cover story on the Massachusetts Public Records Law, years ago when I was a Boston Globe reporter. He had asked Attorney General Thomas Reilly to enforce the state’s item pricing law. When Reilly did nothing, Herman sought to enforce the law on his own with(...)

Economy

Tax poll

By Robert David Sullivan Taxes and Budget Issues 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

A proposal to eliminate the state’s income tax is back on the ballot this year, after losing 40 percent to 48 percent, with 12 percent of voters blanking on the question, six years ago. That vote coincided with a gubernatorial election in which Republican Mitt Romney did not endorse the measure but ran a “tough(...)

Politics

Local ink

By Dan Kennedy Media and Journalism 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

It’s hard to be optimistic about the newspaper business these days, but Kirk Davis is trying. Davis is the president and publisher of GateHouse Media New England, which owns more than 100 newspapers in eastern Massachusetts — and which itself is part of GateHouse Media, a national chain of some 500 papers based near Rochester,(...)

Politics

Free riders

By Robert David Sullivan State Government 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

Massachusetts, once known for its raucous politics, now ranks last in the nation in the percentage of voters with a choice as to who represents them in the State House. There are both Democratic and Republican candidates in only 27 of 160 state representative districts this year. (With contests in five of 40 Senate seats,(...)

Politics/ Transportation

Statistically Significant

By Robert David Sullivan Demographics, State Government 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

Illustrations by Travis Foster Commuter trains to nowhere Increased commuter-rail service is a key component of “smart growth,” but not all train stops allow for car-free living. Some are simply too far from supermarkets, hardware stores, fitness clubs, and the like. According to the website WalkScore, which gives locations “walkability” scores ranging from 0 to(...)

Politics

The Bay State goes to K Street

By Shawn Zeller 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

Lobbying is a $3 billion-a-year business in the nation’s capital, and Massachusetts–based corporations and nonprofits are active participants. A CommonWealth review of lobbying records filed with the House and Senate indicates that 35 Massachusetts companies, universities, and hospitals spent at least $250,000 each on Washington advocacy in 2007, for a total of more than $37(...)

Economy

Meeting market

By Phil Primack Growth and Development 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

The Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.Photo courtesy of Denterlein Worldwide. the boston convention & exhibition center edges toward Summer Street, hovering like a giant spaceship looking for a place to park. Nearly five years after its opening, the sprawling facility on the South Boston Waterfront is still seeking the right fit, both physical and economic.(...)

Politics

Plush park

By Bruce Mohl State Government 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

Maintenance of the 13-acre Greenway isexpected to cost $3.2 million a year. Like the Big Dig that gave birth to it, there’s nothing low-budget about the Rose Kennedy Greenway. The park, which snakes for more than a mile through the center of downtown Boston, cost more than $50 million to build and will probably take(...)

Politics

Emails reveal no love for AG

By Gabrielle Gurley Ethics and Open Government, State Government 0 Comments Oct 21, 2008

INTRO TEXT The attorney general’s office and the governor’s insurance commissioner often disagree, but a public records request earlier this year showed that the squabbling gets nasty at times. Glenn Kaplan, the head of Coakley’s Insurance and Financial Services Division, sent a letter of protest to Insurance Commissioner Nonnie Burnes, arguing that she was giving(...)

Fall 2008