Thursday, June 13, 2013
The pair of governors have agreed to a bet over hockey's greatest event, with the loser to volunteer at a food pantry in the winner's state.
Massachusetts and Illinois will be fixated on the Stanley Cup finals over the next few days, and it appears the governors of those states will be as well. This morning Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick announced the wager made including himself and Illinois governor Pat Quinn over the outcome of the series between the Boston Bruins and Chicago Blackhawks. Under the terms of the wager, if the Bruins win, Quinn will volunteer at the Greater Boston Food Bank. If the Blackhawks win, Patrick will volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Both governors exchanged some good spirited trash talk along with the announcement. “I look forward to seeing the Bruins circle the ice with the Stanley Cup above their heads,” said Patrick. “And I…
Friday, January 18, 2013
Some fees and taxes would increase steadily under Gov. Deval Patrick's plan to boost revenue.
Additional details have been revealed in Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan to increase state revenue, according to the Boston Globe. The plan, unveiled on Wednesday, Jan. 16, is intended to help for the state’s crumbling public transit system and early childhood education. TAX CHANGES For more details on the plan, visit the Boston Globe story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Tell us: do you think Massachusetts needs to increase taxes to strengthen education and transportation?
In his State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday night, Gov. Deval Patrick proposed raising the state's income tax by a full percentage point and lowering the sales tax to pay for $2 billion worth of transportation improvements and early childhood education programs. "There is no good time to raise taxes. I know how tough the times have been on the people and families of the Commonwealth. And though the worst of the recession is over, many, many families still face tough decisions and have deep anxiety about the future. I would not ask if I did not believe in my heart that investing meaningfully today in education and transportation will significantly improve our economic tomorrows," Patrick said. Patrick said he wanted a more fair and…
The governor unveiled legislation Wednesday to strengthen gun laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services. Sensible or reactionary?
Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps, or reactionary measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. The bill would, among other things: Punishments for crimes involving guns would also sharpen, with tiered punishments for possessing different weapons on school property and giving police the authority to arrest without…
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Where and when to watch or listen to the Massachusetts governor's annual address tonight.
I would suspect that the governor's annual State of the State address is not, usually, a TV ratings champ. But tonight's speech, which starts at 7:30 p.m., may attract more viewers and listeners than usual. Why? Since it happens on the heels of Gov. Deval Patrick saying he wants to raise $1 billion by hiking the Massachusetts income tax. So you may want to watch tonight. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: CBS ABC NBC NECN Streamed live on boston.com Streamed live on http://www.malegislature.gov/ If you know of other websites, TV stations or radio stations carrying the State of the State live, please add them to the comment section below.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Asked about toll fairness during a Patch live chat, Governor Deval Patrick asked a reader whether he'd support high-speed tolls. Are these a good way to share the transportation funding pain, or another money grab?
Are high-speed tolls along Interstate 93 and other highways a smart way to help fund transportation in the state? Governor Deval Patrick mentioned such a system during a Patch live chat on Thursday. If you've gone up Interstate 95 into New Hampshire, you've seen high-speed tolling in action. The system is designed to read your EZ-Pass (new Fast Lane) transponder while you breeze by at 65 miles per hour. There's no need to slow down or squeeze though a booth, as EZ-Pass users currently do on the Mass Pike, Tobin Bridge and harbor tunnels. The chat moved on to other topics, so no details about implementation were offered. What do you think? Would tolls along I-93 offer some fairness to riders in Boston, MetroWest and North Shore, who all …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Gov. Deval Patrick is scheduled in the 9 p.m. hour.
The Democratic National Convention will have a Massachusetts feel tonight as Gov. Deval Patrick and Congressional candidate Joe Kennedy III are scheduled to speak before the convention. Kennedy is scheduled to speak during the 7 p.m. hour after a Kennedy family tribute video. Two hours later, Patrick is scheduled to finish the 9 p.m. hour. The night will also include a number of prominent speakers, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reed, Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Director Kathleen Sibelius and conclude with a speech by First Lady Michelle Obama. The Wall Street Journal published a full schedule of speakers.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Did your kids wear black today? Do you think this is an effective practice?
Gov. Deval Patrick announced in early January that he had designated Jan. 25 as "No Name-Calling Day." The event, according to a press release from the governor's office, fulfills a provision of anti-bullying legislation signed by Patrick in 2010. The idea of the day is to have students wear black to symbolize efforts to "Black Out Bullying," but Boston Herald columnist Michael Graham finds the whole idea of the day to be ridiculous, going so far as to say "only here [Massachusetts] could a single government edict result in so much public embarrassment." "Does anyone really believe a politician can stop school kids from calling each other [EDITED]? Or [EDITED] or even [CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED AS A HATE CRIME]?" Graham writes. He goes …
Michael Fleming
1:13 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Please notice Patricks phraseology: "invest in the future". First the word "invest". It sort of sounds like a person socking money away for a rainy day huh? That is always a good strategy. Sound money management, judicious use of your hard earned money, right? One "invests" their money for a reward later on, like retirement or for a college fund. Thing is, it isn't that at all. It's another word … more ›