The rules of the game have changed, and technology once again is ahead of policy. Take the case of new legislative proposals to confront bullying. My first reaction is to mock them. Waaaah! Toughen up. Learn to take it. How are you going to get along in the grown-up world if you don’t learn to …
Month: January 2010
The Supremes Hit a Sour Note
Even as a First Amendment virtual absolutist (with the usual crying-fire-in-a-crowded-theater exceptions), I find it hard to believe there won’t be a flood of bad results from the recent Supreme Court decision lifting limits on corporate spending on behalf of political candidates. Before McCain-Feingold and other post-Watergate restrictions on corporate spending, we have images of …
Patrick Speech: the To-Do’s not the How-to’s
The largest personage in the House chamber for Governor Deval Patrick’s state-of-the-state address wasn’t there at all. It was, of course, Scott Brown. The address, the Governor’s first chance to turn around an outraged electorate and rally his partisans in his reelection bid, was an opportunity to tout his accomplishments – and they are many …
Continue reading Patrick Speech: the To-Do’s not the How-to’s
Talking the Talk
If Congress tries to ram the Senate health bill through the House to avoid another Senate vote, there will be blood that will stain the rest of the Obama agenda and spill over into the congressional elections. President Obama said that the people of Massachusetts have spoken, and about-to-be Senator Scott Brown should be heard …
Independents Are Kingmakers in Brown’s Victory
photo by Charles Krupa/APJohn Kerry and Tom Menino may be the only Democratic officials actually on crutches, but, make no mistake about it: the entire state Democratic Party is among the walking wounded. Today’s results, unimaginable six weeks ago, places a Republican in this Senate seat for the first time in 60 years.Scott Brown ran …
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Electronic Democracy in Action?
Both Martha Coakley and Scott Brown have deluged potential voters with robocalls. Amid the calls on behalf of Brown, a household of independent voters received the following live call this afternoon.Caller: I’m calling to ask you to please vote for Scott Brown today. It’s very important that you get out and vote for him today.Response: …
Boston Children’s Chorus Celebrates Martin Luther King
Under the superb direction of Artistic Director Anthony Trecek-King, the Boston Children's Chorus celebrated today's holiday with a glorious concert this evening at Jordan Hall in Boston. The vocal arrangements were sensitive and moving and included a tribute to the late Senator Edward Kennedy, whose unexpired term will be filled by voters tomorrow.A speech by …
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Blue Massachusetts Sees Red?
The final polling results from Public Policy Polling in the U.S. Senate race show Scott Brown ahead of Martha Coakley by 51 percent to 46 percent, more comfortable than last week but still, it says, within its margin of error. Independents are running two to one in favor of Brown. Remember, it was Independents that …
Wake Up Massachusetts!
Today's Suffolk University/7 News poll shows Scott Brown ahead of Martha Coakley for the first time -by four points, essentially a margin-of-error difference. This dramatic news is somewhat understandable when you look at how the people of Massachusetts have shifted on the state's 3-year-old health care law (making this race more than ever a proxy …
Economic Development in Haiti: can you say Jatropha?
I keep thinking about what Boston, Lowell, Minneapolis or New York would look like after a 7.0 earthquake, the crumbling buildings, bodies pinned beneath, the unavailability of food, water and electricity, the difficulty of getting medical care. The anguish is unimaginable. But the reality is now in the poorest country in our hemisphere. One wonders …
Continue reading Economic Development in Haiti: can you say Jatropha?
Marjorie Arons-Barron 