Former State Senate President Billy Bulger used to joke that, when he died, he wanted to be buried at St. Augustine's because he could still remain politically active. Now, thanks to State Auditor Suzanne Bump and Tuesday's report on fraud and abuse in the state's welfare system, we know that there are other forms of life after …
Continue reading Welfare audit feeds anti-government hostility
When the Boston marathon was bombed, we all shared the grief and noted that "We are Boston." So, too, when the capital city selects a new mayor, the people of Greater Boston, not just its voting residents, have a stake in who succeeds 20-year incumbent Tom Menino. As John Nucci observed in the Boston Herald, what the …
Continue reading Media need to do heavy lifting in Boston mayoral race
Senator John McCain is in Boston today to support Republican Gabriel Gomez' bid for the U.S. Senate race. Gomez, a former Navy SEAL, is expected to step up his attacks on Democratic Congressman Ed Markey for being soft on homeland security. The "soft" votes can be explained, but to so-called independents parachuting late into this …
Today's Globe story that a deal is near for developer John Rosenthal's Fenway Center is good news for all concerned. The idea that this project would have a 99-year lease on air rights over the Turnpike between Beacon Street and Brookline Avenue near Kenmore must have Red Sox owners lusting even more to lock in the current low …
Continue reading At the heart of the Red Sox – a real estate play?
The House has passed a budget. The Senate has passed a budget. But we're not likely to get a budget, Congressman Michael Capuano told Monday's New England Council breakfast meeting, because Congress is still kicking the can down the road, drifting toward the next crisis, probably this fall. The only difference between the majority party …
Continue reading Corner office may be way out of D.C. for Capuano
A civic or social welfare organization is not allowed to support political candidates of any stripe. Partisan activities are a no-no if a non-profit wants to preserve its federal tax exemption. But the law has to be applied evenly. The Internal Revenue Service has apparently targeted the Tea Party and other right-wing groups to make sure that they …
It wasn't enough to decimate the core of what was Al Qaeda in 2001. The landscape in certain hospitable countries like Yemen and Syria is now dotted with Al Qaeda offshoots and affiliates. And, for the last eight years, the home-grown variety has been particularly vexing. The Sunday morning talk shows were full of attempts to …
Continue reading Muslim community needs to be part of early warning system
"Our credibility in one place affects our credibility in another,” Secretary of State John Kerry told about 20 members of the Association of Opinion Journalists in a briefing Monday at the State Department. Syria's use of sarin gas “is a red line for the President,” but we’re “not talking about boots on the ground.” We …
Like Punxsutawney Phil emerging from his cave in Pennsylvania, squinting from the sunlight, folks in my hometown emerged from lock-down yesterday morning. On the surface, it was an ordinary weekend morning in spring, a stop at Peet's for coffee, the dry cleaners, drugstore, the usual. But of course nothing was really usual as we started picking up the …
It's hard not to be shaken to the core by the horrific attacks at today's marathon. The deaths, the mutilation, scores of injuries, and fear. The assault on what can only be described as an iconic (yes, I know the word is over-used) event, emblematic of the spirit of Boston. I have never lived more than …
Continue reading Marathon explosions tear at our hearts and community
Marjorie Arons-Barron 