President Barack Obama's state-of-the-union speech was as much a liberal manifesto as I've heard in decades. Not surprising then that so many of the talking heads take the speech as evidence that Obama is trying to move the American center to the left in much the way Ronald Reagan moved it decades ago to the …
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Blizzard 2013 – a rare interlude
City plows have made a token pass down our street, scooping out a rut the width of a sedan. It will probably be tomorrow before we're plowed and shovelled out. For now, the neighborhood is breathtakingly beautiful. Tranquil. Pristine. No distant sounds from Route 128. Very quiet and peaceful. My mind has taken a cue from what's outside. I'm content to read …
Coakley top executive material
Attorney General Martha Coakley told a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast Wednesday that government's role is not to pick business winners and losers but to create a competitive environment conducive to the development of new ideas and technological innovation. How to do that will be one of several topics explored at an energy summit …
Facing up to 2 1/2 override
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 …
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 …
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 …
Fiscal cliff debate looking more like Thelma and Louise
When it comes to the fiscal cliff, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are looking more and more like Thelma and Louise. And John Boehner seems incapable of stopping the plunge. President Obama has shown he is capable of compromise. Buoyed by his election results, he had said that an increase in the tax …
Continue reading Fiscal cliff debate looking more like Thelma and Louise
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 …
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 …
T has your life in its hands
Riding the T the other day from Newton to Kenmore, I found myself paying extra close attention to the driver. She was efficient, friendly and seemed very alert. I resisted the temptation to ask her if she felt well, if she had had a good night's sleep and if she was holding down two (or, …
