Monday, November 30, 2015
| Subscribe now for free! |
By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) and Sara Brown
|
Today: Lawn on D on the agenda: Can we afford to have fun?
The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Executive Committee meets for a presentation about Lawn on D and other matters. Lawn on D, while a smashing success this summer, ran a deficit of about $1.9 million this year. The meeting will be at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boardroom 201, 10:00am. And then there's the matter of the new executive director. At noon the MCCA selection committee will meet in executive session to discuss candidates for the still-open position to replace Jim Rooney, who left in July to become the president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board plans to discuss operating budget principles for fiscal 2017, according to its agenda. The board is leaning heavily toward raising fares, and as T chief administrator Brian Shortsleeve said recently, "Everything is on the table." 10 Park Plaza, Boston, 11:30am.
The annual Copley Square tree lighting ceremony will be held at 5:00pm, and Mayor Marty Walsh will be there. It's at Copley Square, 560 Boylston St., Boston.
High-speed rail: It's worth fantasizing about
Sunday's Globe editorial makes the case for high-speed rail, even if the price tag could approach $100 billion. And it is wonderful to dream about: The Federal Railroad Administration has been weighing ideas for the Northeast corridor, and the highest-ticket plan "would cut travel times in half, bringing New York City to within two hours of South Station by building an entirely new route through southern New England," says the Globe editorial, which also notes we live in a spartan transportation world where even public art can't survive along the Green Line. "Faster connections would have major economic benefits; they would also relieve flight congestion at Logan and other East Coast airports, freeing them to focus on more distant destinations. Needless to say, it would also take cars off the highway." If only the federal government had the money and would think that far ahead... http://bit.ly/1MXGR7S
Deaths of maltreated children often deemed "undetermined," investigation finds
Medical examiners take too long to find a cause of death for children who may be victims of abuse, and when examiners do issue the report, the most common ruling is termed "undetermined," leaving some family in the dark. That's the gist of a follow-up report on bureaucratic failings in dealing with child abuse by Jenifer McKim of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, who provides compelling stories of deaths of children where no one was brought to justice. http://bit.ly/1lTsryY
Count Rosenberg as a Charlie fan
Senate President Stanley Rosenberg may not be a charter member of the Charlie Baker Fan Club, but he's certainly a member. He said this to Jon Keller on Sunday morning's "Keller at Large" show: "It's really a pleasure working with him. He digs into the details, sets a direction and then lets his executive team move things along," About Deval Patrick, Rosenberg said he was not as available as he would have liked.
Cyr jumps into Cape and Islands Senate race
Julian Cyr, a Democrat who has worked on the campaigns of President Barack Obama and former Gov. Deval Patrick, plans to run for the Cape and Islands Senate seat in 2016 for the seat soon to be vacated by Sen. Dan Wolf. Cyr announced his political plans on Saturday, and the Cape Cod Times has more here: http://bit.ly/1MPETsn
Shot in the arm for Christie from the Union Leader
New Hampshire's largest newspaper, The New Hampshire Union Leader, endorsed Chris Christie for President on Saturday. "We doubt that too many people across New Hampshire have politics front and center right now" wrote the paper's publisher, Joe McQuaid. "But in just 10 weeks, New Hampshire will make a choice that will profoundly affect our country and the world. We better get it right." McQuaid said Christie is a solid conservative candidate who has governed liberal New Jersey well. Christie is currently in seventh place in the polls in New Hampshire. http://bit.ly/1PVc5Ch
Legislature may raise cigarette-purchasing age statewide
Following the lead of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who called for raising the legal age to buy cigarettes to 21, the Legislature is looking to follow through on a bill to raise to do basically the same thing. The Associated Press reports that nearly 60 representatives and senators have endorsed a bill that would penalize vendors for selling cigarettes to anyone under 21. A hearing is set this Thursday on Mayor Walsh's proposal. More from the AP story via the Globe:http://bit.ly/1MMCsqi
Deer hunt becomes focal point for animal rights activists
Animal rights activists want Gov. Charlie Baker to stop a deer hunt on Blue Hills Reservation, protesting over the weekend and into today with a planned candlelight vigil at Houghton's Pond in Milton. Four daylong hunts are scheduled beginning today and tomorrow, as public officials look to find solutions to an overcrowded deer population, considered to be six times above healthy levels. Astead W. Herndon of the Globe has more: http://bit.ly/1IjlYqT
Daily fantasy's mixed messages
In their advertisements, daily fantasy sports sites position themselves as places where anyone can win, while they also argue in court that their games require skill and that only the best players are likely to take home the best prizes, Dan Adams of the Globe reports. Boston-based DraftKings is among the fantasy sites fighting a bid by New York state officials to shut them down, and in court last week the sites presented testimony from professional fantasy players who the sites say win 90 percent of the prize money. http://bit.ly/1Q7WYE4
UMass' back to drawing board on VA plan
A highly touted plan to build a large new Veterans Affairs clinic at UMass Medical School is dead, the Telegram reports, after being rejected by the federal government. The Worcester joint venture, which the Patrick administration announced last Veterans Day and positioned as a potential national model, ran into legal snags and has been shelved. Focus will now turn to building a smaller facility to help reduce VA wait times in the region. http://bit.ly/1SrCg1i
Walsh endorses Clinton for President
Mayor Marty Walsh formally endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton for president Sunday and WGBH's Adam Reilly says the real long-term winner in the scenario may be Walsh himself. Walsh gains a "choice opportunity to play kingmaker on a national scale" by helping Clinton connect with unions and with members of the recovery community with his own personal story of overcoming addiction in key states, most immediately New Hampshire, Reilly writes. http://bit.ly/1lTKntd
While in town, Clinton touted her plan to invest $250 billion into infrastructure projects nationwide, Boston.com reports, pointing to Boston's struggles to keep the T operating last winter as proof that public transit and other public amenities are key to strong economic growth. Clinton's plan would be funded by closing corporate tax loopholes and would also include launching a national infrastructure bank to help fund local projects going forward. http://bit.ly/1OpPMU5
New members of Congress strong fundraisers
Congressman Seth Mouton has raised more than $1 million for his campaign coffers so far this year, leading the state's congressional delegation and followed closely by other newly elected representatives, Joe Kennedy and Katherine Clark, the Associated Press reports, via the Cape Cod Times. All three out-raised longer-serving members and all three have been seen as potential candidates for statewide office in the future. http://bit.ly/1RgmB6C
Lawmakers plan to leave pot questions to voters
Proponents of legalizing marijuana say they have enough signatures in hand to get their initiatives on the ballot next year and while the proposals could be taken up by the legislature first, lawmakers are making it clear they have every intention of leaving the issue to voters, the Salem News reports. http://bit.ly/1jt8gGm
Today's day: It's not just Cyber Monday, it's also Stay Home Because You're Well Day: http://bit.ly/1Ozx9eD. That's a potent combination for shopping.
REMEMBER: To send your tips to me at gdonnelly@massterlist.com. Op-eds and other commentary invited for publication on Massterlist.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment