This week’s poll: Charlie Baker still coated with Teflon

The Massachusetts Governor was halfway through his second term. While things were going reasonably well, he was still dogged by dramatic shortcomings in the Department of Children and Families, fraud at the state drug lab, and incompetence with the online state health insurance system, and a growing unease among the public that, despite his personal …

Continue reading This week’s poll: Charlie Baker still coated with Teflon

Marijuana legalization in Mass. – high or low?

I've often thought that, for an adult, getting mildly exhilarated without the caloric intake of wine or other alcoholic beverage would be a good thing.  And doesn't the government already intrude either directly or indirectly in too many of our personal decisions?  So why not legalize marijuana, as a referendum on the Massachusetts ballot in November …

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Silly season in the Governor’s race

Forget the gaffes, and get to the issues.  Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker reportedly referred to Fox TV reporter Sharman Sachetti as "sweetheart," and she and other women have taken umbrage.  Massachusetts' National Organization for Women (NOW) has blasted his "sexist treatment of a female reporter."  Baker said he "was kidding" and later apologized.  Sounds …

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Observations on state primary 2014

The Y chromosome was in short supply among top winners in yesterday's primary.  The result is that party candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, state treasurer, attorney general and, in my home county, district attorney and governor's council, are all women.  (So, too, with unopposed candidates for state auditor, state senator and state representatives.) The women's vote may …

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Healey a worthy addition to Dems’ AG race

Former state rep and state senator Warren Tolman, whose bid for state attorney general has the backing of four former AG's, has always said he was taking candidate Maura Healey seriously, and well he should. While Tolman, who previously ran for lieutenant governor (on the ticket with Scott Harshbarger) and for governor, has been working as a consultant, …

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Running for A.G. – a familiar face stands out

On April 19 last year, longtime political activist, former elected official and Watertown resident Warren Tolman found himself 300 yards from the capture of Marathon bomber Zhokar Tsarnaev.  With a helicopter roaring overhead, police on both sides of his driveway and in his backyard, Tolman listened as a swat team worked its way through his basement searching for the …

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