National Parents Union is tweeting out its participation in a South by Southwest panel and this caught my eye: “The heart of advocacy is the belief that those closest to problems should have the biggest stake in solving them. Vote to put @PIENetwork leaders @EvanRStone @MMartinCadogan @radiokeri & Emma Bloomberg on stage at #SXSWEDU.” Boy…
Democrats for Education Reform Brings Dark Money Back to Massachusetts Politics
So it begins: Democrats for Education Reform is pouring dark money back into Massachusetts politics. That is apparent from today’s Matt Stout story in the Boston Globe: So it begins: Business-backed group opposing MCAS ballot question rolling out $250,000 ad campaign. One of the donors for a digital media buy from the Protect Our Kids…
Massachusetts Politico Shocked, Shocked to Find Gambling in the Casino
Yesterday Politico’s Massachusetts Playbook was gobsmacked, astounded, discombobulated, and dumbstruck by what it called “strange ballot bedfellows,” “an unlikely coalition,” “organizations on both sides of the aisle,” and “an unlikely alliance,” meaning, the front groups predictably allied against the teachers’ unions proposed ballot question to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement while keeping MCAS as a…
Barr Foundation K-12 Interest Groups Throw Their Muscle (and Dollars) Around
The Barr Foundation Family of K-12 Interest Groups has had a heady two days with a story in the Barr funded Boston Globe touting a poll commissioned by the Barr funded Education Trust from the Barr funded MassInc Polling Group with remarks from Keri Rodrigues of the Barr funded National Parents Union and Lisa Lazare…
Yes, The Boston Globe Can Report Who Is Funding K-12 Dark Money Interests. Or Not. It’s a Choice.
I hate to be the one who spreads rumors, but this one is true: Media in small towns, rural districts, and major cities across this county cover dark money in K-12 politics. It happens. Just not in Boston. Selectively, even the Globe has done it! The paper has revealed in editorials or op-eds that Citizens…
It’s True. The Globe Sports Page Really Does Provide Better Coverage of Sports than the Globe Does of K-12 Education Interests
I dragged myself down this rabbit hole by responding to a Globe story titled MCAS ballot question pits Massachusetts Association against business community – again. As a critique I wrote Why Is the Boston Globe’s Sports Coverage So Much Better Than Its K-12 Interest Group Coverage? It’s true. You can regularly see Globe sports reporters…
Boston Policy Institute: Another Dreary Addition to Boston’s Dark Money Industry
Unfortunately, Boston has a new entry into the dark money politics game, the Boston Policy Institute (BPI). If you are concerned about how the power of unaccountable money erodes our politics, this is more bad news. Gintautas Dumcius of CommonWealth Beacon just did a fine piece on BPI The shadowy think tank fighting Boston City…
2024 Ballot Questions: Capital v. Labor
The Boston Globe recently framed the possible MCAS ballot question as a contest between the “Boston business community” and the Massachusetts Teachers Association. A better frame would be “capital v. labor”–which applies to additional ballot questions this year as well. First, some housekeeping: I’ve recently been writing about coverage of billionaire-funded K-12 interest groups and…
Recommendations for Books You Should Not Read Because You Do Not Care
Last week I was in a colloquy on Twitter with a Boston political journalist and an activist, neither of whom enjoys my focus on money in politics. So, I’ll be doing more of that. But first, one thing they both say is the public does not care at all about who funds politics, especially dark…
My Letter to the Boston Globe re K-12 Political Coverage
On March 14, 2024, I wrote to several Boston Globe editors and reporters concerning the Globe’s coverage of K-12 interest groups in Massachusetts. I have received no response. The letter is below, I will list addressees and another note after the letter. I hope you will also read Banned in Boston: Coverage of Walton Family…