The shape of watts to come

By Gabrielle Gurley Energy, Municipal Government 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

Leonard Bicknell confesses that he’s a nut about consuming less energy, even if it costs him more to do so. Over the years, the South Shore heating oil dealer has super-insulated his house, installed magnetic interior storm windows, and switched over to a solar water heater.

Politics

Strings attached

By Michael Jonas Ethics and Open Government, State Government 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

Illustration by Travis Foster It had been a rough year for Speaker Sal DiMasi, but you never would have known it when members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives gathered on the first Wednesday in January to elect a leader for the new two-year legislative session.

Economy/ Education

Labor lessons

By Alison Lobron Cost of Living and Consumer Affairs, Higher Education and Adult Learning 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

INTRO TEXT Warren Wilson students carry outtheir chores earlier this spring. snow on warren Wilson College’s campus is an unusual sight — not only because western North Carolina rarely gets more than a dusting, but because students are the ones driving the plows. Students also prepare the cafeteria food, staff the administrative offices, clean the(...)

Politics

Back in the sunshine

By Shawn Zeller 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

during his eight years in office, President Bush alienated few groups more than scientists, who complained that he ignored them and impeded their work. So when President Barack Obama took office in January, researchers had high hopes for big changes, perhaps impossibly high hopes. But so far, they like what they see. “It is just(...)

Education

Spending spiral

By Bruce Mohl and Jack Sullivan Elementary and Secondary Education 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

INTRO TEXT EDITOR’S NOTE: Since the publication of this story, CommonWealth has learned that some of the information it presented was incomplete. For clarification, please go here.

Criminal Justice

Statistically significant

By Robert David Sullivan 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

Illustrations by Travis Foster bay state farms get fruitful and multiply Are “buy local” campaigns helping to preserve the state’s small farming sector? New data from the US Department of Agriculture show that the number of working farms went up from 6,075 to 7,691 from 2002 to 2007 — even though the amount of land(...)

Politics

High-tech breakdown

Speedy replies are rare at government websites in Massachusetts

By Colman M. Herman Municipal Government, State Government 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

INTRO TEXT the websites of federal, state, and municipal agencies and officials can serve as pipelines to the public, allowing citizens and government officials to interact in a convenient, cost-effective manner. But here in Massachusetts, these pipelines often flow in one direction, with citizen email inquiries either ignored or answered in haphazard fashion by government(...)

Uncategorized

End of an exodus

By Robert David Sullivan Demographics, Immigration 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

Only a couple of years ago, many of us fretted about the Bay State’s declining population. (See “A Fading Dream?”, Civic Sense, CW, Fall ’06.) We didn’t realize that something was coming that would reverse the tide: a rotten economy. According to Census Bureau estimates, Massachusetts grew by just over 30,000 people from July 2007(...)

Uncategorized

After the flood

By Alison Lobron Demographics, Urban Affairs 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

take one flooded city. Add thousands of devastated inhabitants, a bungled federal response, and an absence of civic leadership. It doesn’t sound like a recipe for success, yet nearly four years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans seems to be doing one thing that remains a perennial challenge in Massachusetts: getting young adults to feel a(...)

Economy/ Politics

Patrick vs. Cahill

By Robert David Sullivan State Government, Taxes and Budget Issues 0 Comments Apr 15, 2009

UPDATE: State Treasurer Tim Cahill is running for governor as an independent, not as a challenger to incumbent Gov. Deval Patrick in the Democratic primary. Still, this CW map from 2009 gives some idea of the geographic contours of this fall’s general election if Cahill manages to sneak past GOP nominee Charlie Baker to become(...)