In my essay about how voters “should” decide on Question One I recommended that voters use the same basic methodology that their elected representatives use to decide how they will vote on issues because it is both an effective and efficient method that is far superior to unrealistic attempts to make “objective” or “non-partisan” judgments…
Can Seth Klarman Save the Village by Destroying the Village?
Seth Klarman has been the largest giver from New England to Republican candidates, the largest giver to ballot committees, the largest giver to dark money fronts, and now the largest giver from New England to Democratic candidates. His largess this year is intended to save democracy from Donald Trump. It’s a noble endeavor and it’s…
How “should” you decide on Question One?
Looking to cut through the political spin and find unbiased facts to make the “right” decision on Question One? Nope. Nobody is actually doing this. That’s not how humans work. Your vote is a “political” decision. If you are trying to “cut through the political spin” in order to “get the facts” you are kidding…
Hello? Is anyone paying attention to MA-9?
During the primary season, there was a lot of attention paid to the Pressley-Capuano race. That was understandable – how often is it that we have a competitive Congressional race in the state of Massachusetts, let alone a competitive primary? But since then, there has been little talk about Congressional races in Massachusetts, despite the…
Advantage Baker
There are still advantages to being an incumbent, and they were on full display last night as Governor Charlie Baker and Democratic challenger Jay Gonzalez debated for the first time on WBZ. The advantages had little to do with the content of the debate, an informative back and forth between two nominees of substance. It…
We live in a democracy
We live in a democracy. It seems silly to have to remind each other of this, but I notice a trend on social media and elsewhere of snarky comments targeting those who raise concerns about democratic norms. It goes something like this: Commentator: “A President who lost the popular vote nominates a Justice for the…
Merrimack Opened a Policy Window. Will Policymakers Take Advantage?
A growing chorus of elected officials and reporters has sought to tie the Merrimack Valley gas explosions to inadequacies in the state’s natural gas infrastructure and regulatory regime. A number of state representatives have now called for hearings to explore the extent to which chronic shortages of state gas inspectors as well as a host…
Update on “Who exactly does the American Nurse’s Association represent”
A prominent ANA-MA member who thought she was anonymously trolling the comments section of my post about her organization (“Who exactly does the American Nurses Association represent?”) ended up providing compelling evidence to support the charge that her organization represents the interests of hospitals, nurse managers, and nurse educators, NOT working bedside nurses, and bolstering…
Issue 1: Showcasing Our Unhealthy Democracy
Issue 1 has me in knots. Not because it is confusing as hell (and it is). No, for me, Issue 1 is a woeful reminder of how our legislative institutions fail regular citizens and how even the promise of direct democracy does not save us. On the “yes” side of Issue 1, as my colleague…
Will the U.S. Attorney’s Office SPAM Massachusetts Politics?
On Saturday the Boston Globe published an article suggesting that the United States Attorney’s Office may be looking for a way to indict the just-resigned head of the State Police Association of Massachusetts for “true source” violations of state campaign finance law. Can this be true? If so, Mr. U.S. Attorney,…