MASSterList: City Council wants more dough | Massachusetts: the deferred maintenance state | Fee hike flap at UMass

Friday, August 21, 2015

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By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) with Keith Regan

Today: Tourism numbers; coastal erosion grant Gov. Baker joins Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Pat Moscaritolo, Massport CEO Thomas Glynn, and tourism representatives to make an announcement about an increase in international visitors, at the Hyatt Boston Harbor, Harborside Room - first floor, 101 Harborside Dr., East Boston, 2:30pm... Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton joins Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and state and municipal officials for a grant announcement for coastal communities to combat effects of climate change, Coughlin Park, 30 Bay View Avenue, Winthrop, 11am.   Massachusetts: The deferred maintenance state? Massachusetts is proud of its history, but it also has artifacts serving as live, necessary infrastructure. Today's story on gas leaks in the Globe reinforces the point: Massachusetts has 20,000 gas leaks, some that have been leaking for 30 years. Cohasset leads in the state in number of gas leaks per household that use gas. The town manager there said National Grid will soon replace 2,000 feet of pipes that were installed in 1928. I say send those pipes to the Smithsonian. Is it possible that if a survey were done of the states with the most neglected infrastructure, would Massachusetts come out on top? Rolling stock on the T going back to 1946. Water infrastructure in many Massachusetts towns is ancient, creating a $21 billion funding gap in water and sewer line repair over the next 20 years. Massachusetts needs $14 billion to repair its bridges. Eleven percent of Massachusetts' major roads are in "poor" condition. And gas leaks cost ratepayers an estimated $90 million per year. Although the gas line infrastructure is not a government problem, the cost falls on the average citizen all the same. Perhaps a new tagline is in order for the Commonwealth: Massachusetts -- the deferred maintenance state. Here's David Abel's story in the Globe. http://bit.ly/1WIS5o3 The Olympic bid: What's the moral of the story? Boston needs to continue to think big and not get hung up on numbers. That's one theme of Shirley Leung's column today in addressing the Brattle Group's report on Boston 2024's bid, which made a convincing case that there was a high risk of billions in cost overruns. "Know this: Any big idea requires a leap of faith -- and the confidence that a good plan will reduce the risk and that the benefits will eventually outweigh the costs," writes the Globe columnist. One can only hope Shirley will retire the "know this:" rhetorical device, although it is her prerogative to tell us what to know. What taxpayers now know, thanks to the Brattle Group report, is that the promise of a profitable Olympics likely would have amounted to a fairy tale. The Olympics movement here never evolved into a debate about whether it was worthy a certain amount of taxpayer investment, which says a lot about the fundamental lack of enthusiasm for the idea in the first place. Boston 2024 and Steve Pagliuca take umbrage with the Brattle Group's findings, Leung says, and will issue a full response to the report soon.http://bit.ly/1Lo5luI   Former Chicopee Mayor acknowledges Ashley Madison visit  Amid a national debate about the ethics of revealing the identities of those caught up in the Ashley Madison hack and data dump, MassLive reports that former Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette acknowledged his address was among those found on the site. Bissonnette -- who intends to seek the mayor's office again this fall -- tells MassLive that he visited the site on his personal tablet after discussing it with a friend and was required to enter an email to view it. He was unmarried at the time. Municipal email addresses from Boston, Chicopee, Framingham and other cities and towns, as well as area military bases, were among those identified in the data released by hackers this week. http://bit.ly/1fuCNkY  T: No layoffs with privatization   MBTA officials say their push to privatize certain bus routes will not result in any layoffs at the agency, the Globe reports. The T says that the 65 bus operators and the 93 buses that it hopes to replace with a private contractor will instead be reassigned to other parts of its system. http://bit.ly/1LoyE0p Plainridge boosts Lottery, economy  Gaming regulators released more data about the first month of operation at Plainridge Park Casino showing the casino spent $1.5 million with local businesses and has a payroll of about $14 million annually, the Globe's Jon Chesto reports.  http://bit.ly/1Kzvnpl  And the Sun-Chronicle reports that lottery sales are also up dramatically at the former race track, which sold $223,000 worth of lottery products since it opened in June, up 200 percent from the same period last year. http://bit.ly/1J9M4ro  UMass: We'll try not to hike fees  Prodded by Senate President Stan Rosenberg to hold the line on fee hikes, UMass President Marty Meehan said he will ask trustees not to implement a 5 percent increase they approved in June, MassLive reports. Lawmakers overrode a Gov. Baker veto and provided an additional $5.2 million for the system in July. UMass, which has held the line on fees the last two years, still hopes the legislature can find additional funds in a supplemental budget to help it cover increased union contract costs .  http://bit.ly/1WIZVOH  Maternity leave question to be pulled  A proposed ballot initiative that would require Massachusetts businesses to provide paid maternity and paternity leave has been withdrawn after organizers realized their proposal would modify an outdated version of state law, Boston.com's Adam Vaccaro reports. Hargeet Chani, who leads Massachusetts Citizens Seeking Common Sense Improvements to Government, said the wording of that group's initiative petition -- which had faced strong push-back from the business community -- would amend an older state law that required unpaid time off be given only to mothers, instead of the recently updated version that provides the benefit to both parents.   http://bit.ly/1EH9CSj  Healey all-in for Clinton  The Massachusetts presidential primary may be nearly eight months away, but Attorney General Maura Healey has already chosen a candidate, announcing Thursday she would endorse Hillary Clinton. According to the Globe, Healey, a Democrat, told supporters in an email that Clinton is "the right leader at the right time." http://bit.ly/1LlCEfl  City Council wants bigger raise  Boston City Council President Bill Linehan is leading a push to increase the salary of councilors, but says a proposal for a $9,500 pay bump doesn't go far enough, the Herald reports. Councilors now receive a base payoff $87,500 and have not seen a raise since 2006. A move to raise salaries by $20,000 last fall was vetoed by Mayor Marty Walsh. Later, a Compensation Advisory Board study recommended the $10,000 raise, even though it found that comparable cities to Boston pay their councilors less.  http://bit.ly/1Jmy1xQ Sunday public affairs TV shows   This Week in Business, NECN, 12:30 and 8 pm: Warren Zola, Executive Director, Boston College Chief Executives Club at the Carroll School of Management and academic expert in the business of sports and sports law; Doug Rauch, Founder, The Daily Table; George Donnelly, MASSterList Publisher. Topics: Red Sox management changes; Deflategate court analysis; Bruins tax deduction controversy; the not-for-profit retail grocery business; lessons from The Brattle Report and the Boston Olympics; MA gambling porfits; and MBTA reform.   CEO Corner, NECN, 8:30pm: James Morton, President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Boston and Dan Fishbein, MD, President Sun Life Financial United States.   On The Record, WCVB-Channel 5, 11 am: Congressman Seth Moulton (D) MA of 6th Congressional District. Moderated by NewsCenter 5 Anchor Ed Harding and features State House Reporter Janet Wu.  How to reach me and MASSterList Nothing makes me happier than comments, tips, suggestions. Also, opinion articles also will be considered. Please don't hesitate to weigh in on what we're missing and where we should look. Reach me at gdonnelly@massterlist.com or on Twitter @geodonnelly. TODAY'S TOP STORIES National headlines Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey endorses Hillary Clinton for president Mexican government condemns Boston beating of its citizen - The Boston Globe State headlines You won't be voting on paid maternity leave any time soon - Personal finance - Boston.com Massachusetts 10th in nation for high earners in public housing Proposal could have dental hygienists pulling your teeth in Mass. - Boston Business Journal Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Alicia Barton stepping down for new role at SunEdison - Boston Business Journal 7,200 Mass. jobs added in July, 46,200 for the year UMass officials hoping to freeze tuition, fees in response to plea from Senate President Stanley Rosenberg New Plainridge casino on track to spend $5M with local businesses this year - The Boston Globe Don't let the Brattle Group have the last word on Boston's Olympic bid - The Boston Globe 259 kids prevented from entering Plainridge slots parlor in July Senate prez urges UMass to rescind fee hikes Former Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette email account among those revealed in Ashley Madison hacking T officials promise no layoffs with privatization of certain bus lines - The Boston Globe Shoppers split on cage-free egg proposal - The Boston Globe Local headlines Quincy planning director calls his demotion politically motivated Report: 100 'over income' families living in New Bedford public housing Chatham selectmen ground efforts to control sky diving Easton selectmen to discuss school override Brockton residents boil over: No $88M Aquaria purchase Brockton mayor, police chief meeting with NYC Police Commissioner Bratton Edging closer to the preliminary, Council candidates focus on reach | Dorchester Reporter Worcester Housing Authority taps internal candidate as next executive director Wrongfully convicted Conn. man sues DA, Springfield cops Chang: Boston should build more schools City Council: $9.5G pay hike not enough Linehan vows new salary hike for Boston council - The Boston Globe Boston City Council president to press ahead with bid for pay increase Former Springfield mayor Michael Albano, lawyer Shawn Allyn lend support to residents opposed to Correctional Alcohol Center relocation