There hasn’t been a better time in memory to be an oligarch. In America, it’s Springtime for Oligarchs.
SouthCoast Rail: A 20th Century Solution for the 21st Century?
This week, Commonwealth Magazine ran a story with the headline: “South Coast Rail Optimism Grows.” The article details the recent approval of $28 million to complete the design for the $1 billion first phase of the SouthCoast Rail project that will bring commuter rail from South Station to New Bedford and Fall River via Middleborough. …
Why I fall in love with old Cape Cod
You know what’s perfect in the summer? Cape Cod. For all the obvious reasons: sun and sand, gin and tonics on a warm evening, seafood, shark sightings, fireworks, fishing, and sailing. But for this political scientist, a summer on the Cape brings another joy: the prospect of competitive elections this fall.
Springfield Republican Editors Choose Pandering over Persuasion
The editors of the Springfield Republican newspaper believe that Bay Staters should be embarrassed by the fact that the state legislature is the only one in the country that did not pass an annual budget by June 30th, the last day of the fiscal year. So you might wonder, why should this be embarrassing? What…
Massachusetts Senate Race Diehls-In Trump Immigration Policy: Will It Work?
Were it a normal political summer in the Bay State, we would currently be treated to awkward photos of politicos eating ice cream at their favorite in-district shoppe. These are not normal times. Rather, much of the MA political eye has been on Washington and the Trump Administration’s policy of stripping undocumented children from their…
Seaport Undermines Climate Resilience
For those interested in climate change adaptation policy, 2018 will no doubt be remembered as a banner year for Massachusetts. Spurred by the historic flooding caused by this winter’s bomb cyclone, policymakers redoubled their efforts to promote climate resiliency. In June, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a sweeping $2.2 billion climate adaptation bond bill,…
The Profs are back
After achieving fame and fortune blogging on WGBH, we’ve moved back to our own site.