Middleboro Review: MASSterList: Patrick's high-court chances less than Supreme | Is late night T already gone?

Monday, February 15, 2016

MASSterList: Patrick's high-court chances less than Supreme | Is late night T already gone? | Why Mass may not matter on Super Tuesday

PLEASE KEEP WATCHING THE MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL ELECTRIC TAXPAYER SCAM!

KEEP WATCHING THE WEALTHY WHITE GUYS' BRAIN FART TO REMOVE THE PUBLIC FROM PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!

Monday, February 15, 2016

By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) and Sara Brown

Today: Presidential portrayals

The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum hosts a Presidents Day festival with actors portraying Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and John and Abigail Adams. The event will close out with a performance by the Harvard Din & Tonics, featuring Kennedy campaign songs. It's at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Columbia Point, Boston, 10 am.

Presidents Day is a traditional high water time for the industry and area dealers say the record cold temperatures aren't keeping buyers away, according to the MetroWest Daily News. http://bit.ly/1QCPohE

By the way, here are the top-selling cars and light trucks in the U.S. in 2015:

Ford F Series: 780,354

Chevrolet Silverado: 600,544

Ram Pickup: 451,116

Toyota Camry: 429,355

Toyota Corolla: 363,322

Total car and light truck sales in 2015: 17.5 million (a record)

How cold was it?

The record-shattering cold has had its share of impacts on transportation, but the timing over a long weekend couldn't have been much better. The Associated Press reported that the MBTA saw delays on its Red, Orange and Green lines due to various mechanical problems as well as cracking of rails as the mercury plunged to a record 9 below zero on Sunday morning. http://bit.ly/1QgY9NW

Patrick gets mentions as possible Supreme

As news of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's death on Saturday spread rapidly through political circles, one name that quickly popped up, according to Jack Encarnacao of the Herald, is that of former Gov. Deval Patrick. A close confidante of President Obama, Patrick would have the benefit of not having a lengthy track record of legal decisions the Senate could parse and re-parse but does have a background in Constitutional (and corporate) law. Some Bay State Democrats were eager to back the idea of nominating Patrick. But given the promise of Senate Republicans to fight Obama if he chooses to make a pick--some in the GOP immediately called for Obama to leave the seat vacant until after the election--the chances that Patrick, now a partner at Bain Capital, could be confirmed may be quite slim in reality. Observers say if Obama is to get a nominee confirmed before he leaves office, it will have to be a much more moderate choice. "It's just not going to happen," GOP consultant Patrick Griffin says of Patrick's odds.http://bit.ly/1PMjnUC

Manhole cover incident spurs state investigation

State highway workers examined 919 manhole covers following the death of Caitlin Clavette, an art teacher at a Milton elementary school who was killed by an airborne manhole cover while driving in the Thomas P. O'Neill tunnel Friday morning on her way to work. The state reported it"found nothing to indicate a threat to public safety" in its review. While it was a rare and horrific occurrence and safety inspections were up to date, the victim's family deserves answers. State police are continuing to investigate. Globe correspondent Aneri Pattani filed this story on the victim and the many people who loved and admired her. http://bit.ly/20UUvVe

GE has history of property tax battles

General Electric is aggressive about contesting property assessments, challenging its tax bills in many jurisdictions over the years, the Globe's Beth Healy reports. "Officials in those communities say GE tenaciously pursues property tax abatements, particularly after it has received higher assessments or downsized in locations where it maintained large plants," writes Healy. http://bit.ly/1ohzkvl

Outside money pouring into ballot campaigns

Donations from outside of Massachusetts are pouring in to support state ballot initiatives, reflecting the agendas of national organizations, particularly marijuana legalization and farm animal protections, reports Shira Schoenberg of MassLive. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol has raised nearly $200,000 from out-of-state donors, 44 percent of its total. The Humane Society of the United States has contributed $1.26 million to the farm animal ballot initiative, Schoenberg reports. http://bit.ly/1oCyw4i

Regan loses UMass business

On the heels of having its contract terminated at Suffolk University, Regan Communications is on the cusp of losing a sizable engagement with the UMass Building Authority, which has been paying Regan $10,000 per month for several years. The deal was cut when Robert Sheridan, a close friend of George Regan, was chair of the authority board. The authority's director said the decision to drop the contract was part of a cost-savings effort, reports Laura Krantz of the Globe.

http://bit.ly/244pnSi

The end of 'back-room deals'?

The Globe's Adrian Walker writes that Regan has quickly become the embodiment of the 'back-room deal' and expresses hope that the unraveling of the contracts means the times they-are-a-changing: "At the risk of being overly optimistic, I believe that the fallout from the Suffolk fiasco will force change in the way business is conducted in Boston. The common denominator here, besides Regan himself, is that these were all back-room deals." http://bit.ly/1QhfXZr

Is late night T service already chopped?

Although the MBTA's Fiscal Control Board is still weighing a decision on wether to continue the T's late night service, there are signs it is already on the outs, the Globe's Nicole Dungca reports. Union officials tells the Globe that drivers were told not to worry about picking up after-hours shifts beginning on March 19. A spokesman says no decision has been made; a vote on the fate of the money-losing wee-hours service is expected on Feb. 29. http://bit.ly/1RFa8dC

Officials lift cap on medical marijuana

Regulators have more than doubled the amount of medical marijuana patients can obtain after determining that the necessary safeguards are in place to test the product, Kay Lazar of the Globe reports. Patients can now get up to 10 ounces of marijuana every two months, up from the 4.23 ounce cap that had been in place since medical marijuana sales began in the state. http://bit.ly/20yGNC4

Regulators want Boston Children''s expansion put in perspective

The Department of Public Health wants Boston Children's Hospital to demonstrate the $1 billion plan being developed to expand its footprint won't undercut efforts to slow the rise of health care costs, Priyanka Dayal McCluskey of the Globe reports. DPH says its wants an independent analysis showing whether the project is consistent with ongoing efforts to keep health care costs increases in check. http://bit.ly/1QhcoSW

Will Mass. matter on Super Tuesday?

Massachusetts may get lost in the shuffle when its turn in the Presidential Primary comes on March 1, Douglas Moser of the Eagle-Tribune reports. With hundreds of delegates up for grabs in large southern states poised to cast ballots on the same day, many candidates are expected to keep their attention focused there leading up to Super Tuesday. http://bit.ly/1mCvDi5

Worcester wants to pay less in panhandle case

The city of Worcester is asking a Federal court to dramatically reduce the amount of legal fees it has to pay after its local ordinance aimed at keeping panhandlers out of downtown was deemed unconstitutional, Steven H. Foskett Jr. of the Telegram reports. Worcester called the $1 million in fees sought by the ACLU and its law firm, Goodwin Procter "avaricious, contemptible and punitive" and said the hourly rates the attorneys charged are out of whack for the Worcester area. http://bit.ly/1ofTk0R