Private developers ape BRA controversial resale fees

By Bruce Mohl Growth and Development 2 Comments Apr 13, 2010

the controversial resale fees assessed by the Boston Redevelopment Authority may be coming to a private development near you. In the Winter 2010 issue of CommonWealth, we reported how the BRA collects resale fees equal to 1 percent to 4 percent of the gross sales price every time a condominium unit or house is sold(...)

Economy

Job prospects

By Bruce Mohl Employment, Growth and Development 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

the no. 1 issue on the minds of voters this year is jobs, and politicians on Beacon Hill are responding with a flurry of proposals. Most of them fall in one of two categories. They’re either initiatives to create jobs directly or calls for more systemic changes in tax and regulatory policies to foster an(...)

Uncategorized

Redefining parents

By Robert David Sullivan Demographics 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

by traditional definitions, the percentage of children living in “single-parent” households has risen steadily over the past few decades, both nationally and in Massachusetts. One measure is the share of all births to unmarried mothers; nationally, that’s gone from 28 percent in 1990 to 34 percent in 2000 to an estimated 40 percent in 2007.(...)

Economy

Raised stakes

By Robert David Sullivan Growth and Development, Taxes and Budget Issues 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

any debate over the possible arrival of casinos in Massachusetts (see “Ka-ching”) has to take into account how much we already rely on the state lottery, and whether scratch ticket sales will suffer against a rival outlet for gambling. In FY 2008, according to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries, the Bay(...)

Politics

Political preview 2010

By Robert David Sullivan 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

the surprise election of Republican Scott Brown as US Senator in January (get complete town-level results here) was only the beginning of what promises to be a tumultuous year of politics in Massachusetts. We’ve put together some stats on some of the major factors in statewide politics in the past and future. party down Democrats(...)

Politics

Number 41

As a first-term senator, Scott Brown is likely to burnish his credentials
as an independent

By Shawn Zeller 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

with his election win in January, Scott Brown disappointed a lot of Democrats. But aside from his opponent, Attorney General Martha Coakley, no one lost more in that election than Ben Nelson. A Nebraska Democrat, Nelson was considered the Democrats’ 60th vote before Brown knocked him down a peg. After Brown’s upset victory, Nelson is(...)

Economy

Ka-ching!

A Pennsylvania city finds out what happens when a casino moves into the neighborhood

By Alison Lobron Employment, Growth and Development 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

UPDATE: On April 7, after two months of deliberation, Pennsylvania’s gaming control board renewed the Sands’ operating license and approved the casino’s application to introduce table games in Bethlehem. At the same hearing, the Sands announced that the community would not have to wait much longer for the long-stalled hotel; construction will resume in May.(...)

Tax Credits/ Economy/ Politics

Galvin gets less secretive about tax credit recipients

By Bruce Mohl Ethics and Open Government, Growth and Development, State Government 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

secretary of state William Galvin is starting to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding his management of the state’s historic rehabilitation tax credit program, which provides financial incentives for developers to restore historic buildings. Galvin recently posted on his state website the names of companies and projects receiving tax credit awards during the latest round(...)

Transportation

New England’s major airports moving to taxi out of the recession

By Gabrielle Gurley 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

as the economy slowly starts to recover, three of New England’s busiest airports are well-positioned for strong, complementary growth. Boston’s Logan International Airport is already posting passenger gains. T.F. Green Airport in Warwick, Rhode Island, and Manchester–Boston Regional Airport in New Hampshire are still losing passengers, but analysts say they should also rebound in the(...)

Education

Northeastern program aims to keep students past their first year

By Alison Lobron Higher Education and Adult Learning 0 Comments Apr 13, 2010

on the path to keeping kids in college, Northeastern University has so far met with considerable success — and encountered a few big surprises. Foundation Year, an NU pilot program during the 2009-2010 academic year, offers new graduates of the Boston Public Schools a highly structured first year of college in order to improve their(...)