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Middleboro Review 2

NEW CONTENT MOVED TO MIDDLEBORO REVIEW 2

Toyota

Since the Dilly, Dally, Delay & Stall Law Firms are adding their billable hours, the Toyota U.S.A. and Route 44 Toyota posts have been separated here:

Route 44 Toyota Sold Me A Lemon



Tuesday, November 29, 2016

MASSterList: ‘It’s a setup’ | Hold your breath, tokers | Lynch bolts




By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan
11/29/2016

‘It’s a setup’ | Hold your breath, tokers | Lynch bolts



Happening Today
 
Blue Hills deer hunt
 
Licensed hunters will take part in the first day of a four-day state-sanctioned hunt aimed at bringing the deer population in the Blue Hills Reservation under control, Blue Hills Reservation, starting before dawn this morning.
 
 
Board of Education meeting
 
The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education holds its monthly meeting with a vote scheduled on the fiscal 2018 budget proposal and a discussion on next-generation MCAS tests and student discipline data., 75 Pleasant St., Malden, 8:30 a.m.
 
 
Diehl, Johnston to debate Trump health policy
 
Harvard’s Robert Blendon will give a presentation at the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum on public opinion of national health care reform, followed by a debate between Rep. Geoffrey Diehl and former state Democratic Party chair Philip Johnston, moderated by NECN's Sue O'Connell, Omni Parker House, 60 School St., Boston, 8:30 a.m.
 
 
‘Firefighter of the Year' awards
 
Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Secretary of Public Safety and Security Daniel Bennett and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey honor firefighters from 11 Massachusetts fire departments for their acts of bravery at the 27th annual "Firefighter of the Year" Awards ceremony, Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St, Worcester, 10 a.m.
 
 
Health care prices commission
 
The Special Commission on Provider Price Variation meets to discuss contracting practices and market forces, One Ashburton Place, 21st floor, 11 a.m.
 
 
Evans on the air
 
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans is a scheduled guest on Boston Public Radio, WGBH-FM, 89.7, 12 p.m.
 
 
Workers rally for $15 minimum wage
 
Led by members of the Fight for $15 movement and Raise Up Massachusetts coalition, local fast-food, airport and other workers will take part in a nationwide protest calling for an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Grand Staircase, 2 p.m.
 
 
Gold Star Families Tree
 
The Military Friends Foundation will host the fifth annual dedication of the Massachusetts Gold Star Families Tree for the Christmas holiday, with Gov. Baker, First Lady Lauren Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito, Secretary of Veterans' Services Francisco Urena and Massachusetts National Guard Adjutant General Major General Gary Keefe among those expected to attend, State House, Memorial Hall, 2 p.m.
 
 
State House Christmas tree lighting
 
Gov. Baker hosts the annual State House Christmas tree lighting and holiday open house with First Lady Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito and Senate President Stan Rosenberg among those scheduled to attend., Doric Hall, 5 p.m.
 
 
We Are Boston Gala
 
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA), will host the 11th annual We Are Boston Gala, Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 50 Park Plaza, 6:30 p.m.

Today's News
 
‘It’s a setup’
 
So former Gov. Mitt Romney plans to meet today with president-elect Donald Trump, presumably about the controversial idea of Mitt becoming secretary of state. The Globe’s Kevin Cullen, drawing on lessons learned from the movie “Goodfellas” and the fate of poor Tommy DeVito, says the whole Foggy Bottom job-offer affair is merely a ruse designed to inflict maximum humiliation on Romney for opposing Trump during the election. “It’s a setup,” writes Kevin.
Meanwhile, the Globe's Joan Vennochi reviews all the recent trash-talk by Trump aide Kellyanne Conway and concludes: “Don’t waste any time shooting Trump’s messenger. Those are Trump’s thoughts coming out of Conway’s mouth.” But the Herald’s Jaclyn Cashman hopes Trump ignores his advisers’ blather and actually appoints Mitt, who she describes as a solid choice. Besides: “Secretary of State Mitt Romney has a pretty good ring to it.”
 
 
Baker: We are not on Trump’s hit list
 
Speaking of 'Goodfellas' and people getting whacked, Gov. Charlie Baker wants to make clear that he talked to Donald Trump just prior to Thanksgiving and there’s no indication that he's plotting revenge against Massachusetts and its political establishment (including Baker) for saying nasty things about him and refusing to endorse him during the election, reports Tori Bedford at WGBH. “He did not cast any [aspersions] on Massachusetts,” Baker said on Boston Public Radio, “nor on me.” Baker described his conversation with the president-elect as “polite and cordial.”
WGBH
 
 
‘All those tokers can hold their breath’
 
Some lawmakers are reportedly holding backroom meetings about how to delay the scheduled opening of retail pot shops on Dec. 15, as stipulated in the just passed Question 4. But Secretary of State Bill Galvin may be helping them a bit by saying the ballot-question vote results may not be officially certified by the mid-December deadline, causing a delay in pot-shop openings, reports the Globe’s Joshua Miller and Frank Phillips. Galvin denies he’s doing the dirty work for lawmakers. “All those tokers can hold their breath a little longer, but they’ll be able to exhale” by early 2017, he joked to the Globe.
Meanwhile, the town of Ashland has become one of the first communities in the state to slap a moratorium on marijuana retail outlets after its town meeting adopted a temporary ban on pot shops, Bill Shaner of the MetroWest Daily News reports. The ban lasts until Jan. 1, 2018 or until the town can put zoning bylaws in place to restrict where such shops can open.
Boston Globe
 
 
Risky business: Banks balk at financing pot industry
 
Also on the pot front: Only one bank, Medford’s Century Bank, has expressed interest in providing banking services to the new marijuana industry in Massachusetts, reports the BBJ’s Greg Ryan (pay wall). The other banks? They mostly view it as too risky, with too many questions about state laws and federal regulations regarding legalized marijuana, adds CommonWealth’s Jack Sullivan. How big are the risks? Check out MassLive’s list of all the ways the federal government can make life miserable for the nascent pot industry. At the top of potential concerns: Jeff Sessions, Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general.

Corporations have hijacked what were supposed to be citizen petitions
 
As the Globe’s Frank Phillips points out, statewide ballot questions were supposed to be a way for regular citizens to let their voices be heard against special interest groups that can often dominate legislative proceedings. But it hasn’t turned out that way, not after this past election in which special interest groups spent a record $57 million on the four ballot questions voters decided earlier this month, Phillips reports.
Boston Globe
 
 
It’s official: Record voter turnout in Massachusetts earlier this month
 
From WBUR: “A record number of Massachusetts voters turned out earlier this month to take part in the presidential election. Secretary of State William Galvin said Monday that about 3.4 million votes were cast overall, eclipsing the previous record of 3.18 million votes in 2012. More than 1 million of those ballots were cast early, exceeding expectations for the state's first early voting period.”
WBUR
 
 
Protesters: Yank Hampshire College’s federal funds till it flies Old Glory and screams mercy
 
From Diane Lederman at MassLive: “A group has launched a WhiteHouse.gov petition asking the president and U.S. Congress to suspend federal funding for Hampshire College until the school returns the U.S. flag to the campus flagpole. The college has drawn fire in recent weeks -- and was the site of a large protest Sunday -- following a decision not to fly the U.S. flag or any other flags from the pole.” So how much does Hampshire College rely on fed dollars via taxpayers? About $1.7 million in Pell Grants and $5.5 million in federal student loans. And we’re sure there’s other fed and state dollars flowing through the university in various other ways.
MassLive

Lynch sides against Pelosi in growing rift
 
Another sign the state's Congressional delegation ain't happy with current House Dem leadership: U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch said  on Monday he will support Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan’s bid to unseat Nancy Pelosi as the leader of House Democrats, the Associated Press reports at Boston.com. Lynch said his decision, which could have ramifications should Pelosi prevail, as widely expected, stems from the Democrat’s disastrous Election Day results and a desire to regain the trust of working-class voters. U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, among others, is another Bay Stater rocking the Pelosi ship these days.
Boston.com
 
 
Setti’s cyber foes
 
First came the fake Setti Warren tweets designed to embarrass the Newton mayor, who’s thinking of running against Gov. Charlie Baker in 2018, as reported by the Herald’s Hillary Chabot. Now the head of a conservative group has snapped up four domain names of potential interest to Warren, reports SHNS(pay wall). Republicans, who also have filed a campaign finance complaint against Warren, sure appear nervous about his potential candidacy.
 
 
Privatization update: T seeks private-sector bids to run call center
 
From SHNS’s Andy Metzger at CommonWealth magazine: “The MBTA plans to go out to the market for private bidders to run its call center operations, which will likely be privatized, according to a member of the T's control board.” The move comes after the T received an unsolicited proposal from an Ohio firm seeking to run the call center, followed by a couple of other unsolicited offers, Metzger reports.
CommonWealth
 
 
To avoid winter shutdowns, Red Line will be shut down
 
The Red Line will be shut down this weekend so the MBTA can make further preparations to avoid a shut down this winter. Got it? WGBH’s Mike Deehan explains.
WGBH

Uber and Lyft agree to early state background checks
 
Ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft have agreed to submit their drivers to state background checks a year earlier than scheduled, with a new division at the Department of Public Utilities, called the Transportation Network Company Division, overseeing the program, the Baker administration announced yesterday, as reported by the BBJ’s Kelly O’Brien.
BBJ
 
 
Boston City Council eyes bag fees
 
Business groups are sounding the alarm ahead of a Wednesday hearing on a proposal by two Boston city councilors to require grocery stores to charge customers 5 cents for paper or plastic bags, Dan Atkinson of the Herald reports. The proposal also requires that plastic bags be biodegradable and authorizes fines of up to $200 for stores that violate the rule. 
Boston Herald
 
 
Despite court action, TJX to comply with Obama’s overtime wage rule
 
From the BBJ’s Greg Ryan: “The TJX Cos., the largest public company based in Massachusetts by revenue, plans to comply with the Obama administration’s rule expanding overtime pay for workers even though a judge last week blocked the rule from taking effect.”
BBJ

Healey takes aim at Remington’s complaint
 
Attorney General Maura Healey is hitting back at the gun industry, asking a judge yesterday to dismiss a complaint by gun-maker Remington that challenged Healey’s request for company documents, reports Shira Schoenberg at MassLive. Healey filed the motion in Suffolk County Superior Court weeks after a judge ruled in her favor in a similar case involving Glock, writes Schoenberg.
MassLive
 
 
And the most diverse parts of the country are in … the south and southwest?
 
MASSter List has another post on our Facebook page, this one on a fascinating Washington Post story and graphic measuring the ethnic diversity of different regions of the country. For all its progressive credentials, Massachusetts and New England are actually among the least diverse areas of the country. Check it out.
Facebook MassterlList
 
 
Elizabeth Dewar named state solicitor
 
Elizabeth "Bessie" Dewar, the state’s assistant state solicitor, has been named the new state solicitor who will handle appellate strategy under Attorney General Maura Healey, the AG’s office announced yesterday. Dewar replaces Peter Sacks, who left to join the state Appeals Court earlier this year.
Mass.gov

DeLeo to attend Swan’s swan-song retirement party
 
House Speaker Robert DeLeo is expected to be among the guests at the retirement party tomorrow for Springfield’s Rep. Ben Swan Sr., who is stepping down after 22 years in the House, at the Barney Carriage House at Forest Park in Springfield, reports Peter Goonan at MassLive. Members of Springfield’s legislative delegation and elected officials are also expected at the event.
MassLive
 
 
Has Boston’s luxury housing boom finally peaked?
 
The Boston Foundation will issue a report saying the number of new housing units under construction will drop by 20 percent this year, the first decline since 2011, Tim Logan of the Globe reports. The drop may suggest builders have satisfied much of the demand for high-end luxury housing in the city of Boston, although the market for more affordably priced units remains very strong.
Boston Globe
 
 
Holyoke’s Morse defends fundraising letter
 
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse is defending a fundraising email he sent that references harassment he’s received because he’s gay, Mike Plaisance of MassLive reports. Morse said he was not trying to exploit the harassment, which resulted in police telling a Northampton man to stop contacting the mayor. In the missive, Morse suggests one way that his supporters can show disdain for slurs against the LGBT community and is, well, to support his campaign for re-election.
MassLive

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