Newton is one of many communities in which the Prop 2 1/2 chickens are coming home to roost. For the last 30 years, that 1980 tax limit referendum has held a community's total tax levy to two and a half percent annual increases, not counting growth through expansion of the tax base. Having the cap on the …
Category: Politics
Frankly, Barney’s best for interim senator
Wanted: Smart, courageous, savvy individual for temporary posting. Location: United States Senate. Experience: track record of experience in complicated political settings with record of success in achieving goals. Education: longtime immersion in complicated policy challenges with particular expertise in military budgeting and entitlements. Skill sets must include ability to work collaboratively with people across the …
Fiscal cliff deal a puny effort
That clanking sound you hear is that of the proverbial can getting kicked down the road. That can is the much-needed solution to the federal debt. This week's "solution" was not a solution at all. At least initially, the financial markets responded with enthusiasm to the idea that Bush era tax rates would become permanent for 98 …
Hope for the future
Watching dysfunctional Washington is profoundly, naggingly depressing, leaving one having to work hard to count our blessings, of which there are assuredly many. Typically, those blessings are related to home, hearth and health, family and friends. Against the backdrop of consistently gloomy national news, an occasional story comes along that does lift the spirits and is important …
And they’re off and running
Long-term Congressman Ed Markey's announcement that he'll run in a special election to fill Senator John Kerry's Senate seat (once Kerry is confirmed for Secretary of State) starts the new campaign season (did the old one ever stop?) with a splash. The dean of the Massachusetts delegation is highly accomplished, and he is said to …
NRA achieves its purpose
The NRA's Friday press conference revealed the powerful organization to be utterly tone deaf when it comes to how to reduce violence and protect children. Do we need any more evidence of that than NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre's comment that "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good …
Scott Brown v. Bill Weld not even close
A WBUR poll this morning about who might run to fill John Kerry's Senate seat if/when Kerry becomes Secretary of State showed an overwhelming preference for Scott Brown over former Governor Bill Weld for the GOP nomination. A valedictory op ed by Senator Scott Brown in a recent Boston Globe shows why the decision shouldn't …
Will Newtown be any different?
How many times after a tragic shooting have we heard politicians say, in the guise of respect for the victims. "this isn't the time" to talk about gun control. White House spokesman Jay Carney used the same language on Friday. “There is, I’m sure, will be, rather, discussion of the usual Washington policy debates, but I …
Note to Cahill prosecutors: give it up
After 40 hours over 7 days of deliberation, the news is finally in: the jury in the criminal trial of former state treasurer Tim Cahill couldn't reach a unianimous decision about whether he misappropriated public funds for campaign purposes and committed procurement fraud. The judge has declared a mistrial. This outcome raises serious questions about the new 2009 ethics law, …
Kerry’s the man, at least for State
I don't doubt it. Senator John Kerry could be a close to perfect Secretary of State. All aspects of his life have prepared him for the job, save for running a large bureaucracy. UN Ambassador Susan Rice has been touted as the President's first choice. They have been close allies since she started advising him on foreign policy …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 