“Ground Hog Day” is how Boston University Assistant Professor John Carroll, speaking on Jim Braude’s debate analysis on NECN, described last night’s debate. Helicopter into the debate at any point and you know you’ve been here before. The only slightly new matter under discussion was today’s revelation of a memo written by Charlie Baker when …
Author: aronsbarron
To 40B or not to 40B, that is Question 2
More than 30 years ago, housing activists in Newton, mindful that young adults who had grown up in town couldn’t afford to live there and that elderly homeowners couldn’t afford to find replacements for their homes, set about encouraging low and moderate-income housing. Today it’s called affordable housing, but the principle is the same. The …
Mary Z. Connaughton in highly competitive race for state auditor
She’s likable, informed and, as a Republican on a Democrat saturated Beacon Hill, has a claim to being an outsider, were it not for her tenure working for Joe Malone and Mitt Romney. Mary Zarilli Connaughton wants to be state auditor, and she’s going head-to-head with former legislator and Labor Secretary Suzanne Bump to win …
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Barney Frank faces a legitimate opponent for only the second time
Brookline businessman and Marine major Sean Bielat is the first credible candidate whom three-decade congressman Barney Frank has had to face since defeating Cong. Margaret Heckler in a 1982 redistricting fight. While Frank is likely to win the race for the 4th district seat in Congress, he is right to take Bielat seriously. Nothing can be taken …
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John Tierney faces new campaign challenge
Suddenly there’s breath on the mirror for Bill Hudak’s congressional campaign against John Tierney. How much is not yet clear. Tierney’s wife, Patrice, pled guilty yesterday to federal charges, four counts of aiding and abetting the filing of false tax returns by her brother, Robert Eremian of St. John’s, Antigua. Eremanian had pled guilty in …
Thinking big about energy with T. Boone Pickens
T. Boone Pickens has made nearly $1.5 billion as an oil man, financier, corporate raider, takeover artist, and hedge fund chairman. He’s been working since he was 12 years old, when he started delivering newspapers, and, at age 82, is a larger-than-life character who has spent, he says, $70 million of his own money to …
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Sean Bielat and moving the goal posts on immigration
When will increased border security be enough? For Republican Sean Bielat, that may be never. Bielat is the businessman and former Marine who wants to take over the 4th district seat held for three decades by Congressman Barney Frank. Emily Rooney asked him about immigration reform on last night's Greater Boston. You can't have immigration reform until you …
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The other Tea Party Perry
Dallas, TX- Eyes in Massachusetts are on Tea Party candidate, former police officer, Jeff Perry, who is giving Democrat Bill Keating a run for his money in the 10th Congressional district. There's another Perry in Texas, also trying to capitalize on Tea Party discontent, who bears watching.Out here, where the spaces are large and the …
Gubernatorial debate: time to focus debate where it counts
It may not be politically correct to support the exclusion of Jill Stein from the WTTK gubernatorial debate, as in, who are the media to determine that a candidate doesn’t cross the threshold of credibility. Remembering how soft candidate support often is and Scott Brow’s decisive late surge, it may be slightly illogical to say …
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Making Head Start Kids Part of the Brady Bunch
Tom Brady has a head start on a wonderful life. He has the golden touch. But why couldn’t he also give a head start to the program by that name? Monday’s Boston Herald had an interesting juxtaposition, a story about a huge Head Start backlog in Massachusetts opposite a Peter Gelzinis column noting how Tom Brady, …
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Marjorie Arons-Barron 