Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Hey Aloisi, Don’t Let The Door Hit You In The A*! On The Way Out!
Not sure where local guy Jeffrey B. Mullan, the new Secretary and CEO of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation lives now, but he may want to pretend he’s still from Worcester and take a ride down the Pike through the Newton Weston tolls about 7:30 am some weekday morning. What he’ll see is 6 lanes open, 3 fast lanes and 3 cash lanes. Guess what else he’ll notice if he really has his eyes open, the fast lanes are backed up with dozens of cars trying to get through and the toll takers in the cash lanes have nothing to do because no one is using them. If the new boss isn’t the same as the old boss, then it might make sense to either convert a couple of these lanes into fast lanes or just close them down altogether. There’s at least $200k he can save before he even starts his first day. That’s what I would call real reform.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Pelosi Credibility Train Back on Track
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday ramped up her criticism of insurance companies, accusing them of unethical behavior and working to kill a plan to create a new government-run health plan.
"It's almost immoral what they are doing," Pelosi said to reporters, referring to insurance companies. "Of course they've been immoral all along in how they have treated the people that they insure," she said, adding, "They are the villains. They have been part of the problem in a major way. They are doing everything in their power to stop a public option from happening."
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Barney Frank At It Again
Barney et al,
Thanks but no thanks for the help, you and yours have done enough already.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Vol.1
Barney et al,
Thanks but no thanks for the help, you and yours have done enough already.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana, The Life of Reason, Vol.1
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
CEO's Rank Massachusetts as Business Unfriendly
“Chief Executive's fifth annual survey asked 543 CEOs to evaluate their states on a broad range of issues, including proximity to resources, regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living and infrastructure. Providing additional insight to the evaluations, CEOs were also asked to grade each state based on the following criteria: 1) Taxation & Regulation, 2) Workforce Quality, and 3) Living Environment.”
I have to believe Massachusetts 5th worst ranking has everything to do with #1 above, so it will be interesting as the Worcester City Council takes up the single tax rate debate again if any of them will acknowledge this. We already have the usual suspects lining up with homeowners before the debate even begins, after all it is an election year. Truth be told, as a city homeowner for the last 17 or so years I haven’t complained about the lowest residential tax rate. That being said, I’m at the point now where I realize something other than the status quo needs to be explored if this City is going to prosper. My question is whether anyone on the City Council is willing to at least have an honest, pander free discussion on this topic. Early indications are….. status quo.
“Chief Executive's fifth annual survey asked 543 CEOs to evaluate their states on a broad range of issues, including proximity to resources, regulation, tax policies, education, quality of living and infrastructure. Providing additional insight to the evaluations, CEOs were also asked to grade each state based on the following criteria: 1) Taxation & Regulation, 2) Workforce Quality, and 3) Living Environment.”
I have to believe Massachusetts 5th worst ranking has everything to do with #1 above, so it will be interesting as the Worcester City Council takes up the single tax rate debate again if any of them will acknowledge this. We already have the usual suspects lining up with homeowners before the debate even begins, after all it is an election year. Truth be told, as a city homeowner for the last 17 or so years I haven’t complained about the lowest residential tax rate. That being said, I’m at the point now where I realize something other than the status quo needs to be explored if this City is going to prosper. My question is whether anyone on the City Council is willing to at least have an honest, pander free discussion on this topic. Early indications are….. status quo.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Brownfield’s of Dreams Part II (Chapter 40B Abuses)
Interesting story in today’s Globe. I wonder if any of the numerous projects in Worcester fall into this category. What’s an even bigger question is whether our State or City Officials will even ask the question. It’s probably easier to just raise taxes and/or cut services. Real reform would make to many people uncomfortable.
Interesting story in today’s Globe. I wonder if any of the numerous projects in Worcester fall into this category. What’s an even bigger question is whether our State or City Officials will even ask the question. It’s probably easier to just raise taxes and/or cut services. Real reform would make to many people uncomfortable.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Brownfield’s of Dreams
Bill and Paulie do a great job on this topic so I’ll defer to them but as I watched the first half of the City Council meeting last night I was shocked at how summarily a non no-lo housing project was dismissed by the Mayor and a tardy City Councilor. Let me be clear on the fact that I know nothing of the agreement on Green Hill Park and that the obstacles for putting an Innovation Center there may be too great to overcome, but for the Mayor to essentially invite lawsuits and the Councilor to go on the record against it (an quite frankly insult a local businessman) without any discussions taking place is absurd and shows a complete lack of leadership. I have to wonder what the response would have been if the $15 million federally funded project were another no-lo income housing project. The ironic thing is that the same City Councilor actually mentioned the Winn project in the old Chevalier building and his only concern was that there wasn’t any retail space on the first floor. I guess he deserves some credit, because I think that’s the only mention I’ve heard of one of these projects on the Council floor. We certainly have an “if we build it they will come mentality” in this city, we just need to do a better job of prioritizing the “it” and the “they”. It’s time for some leadership on issues like these.
Bill and Paulie do a great job on this topic so I’ll defer to them but as I watched the first half of the City Council meeting last night I was shocked at how summarily a non no-lo housing project was dismissed by the Mayor and a tardy City Councilor. Let me be clear on the fact that I know nothing of the agreement on Green Hill Park and that the obstacles for putting an Innovation Center there may be too great to overcome, but for the Mayor to essentially invite lawsuits and the Councilor to go on the record against it (an quite frankly insult a local businessman) without any discussions taking place is absurd and shows a complete lack of leadership. I have to wonder what the response would have been if the $15 million federally funded project were another no-lo income housing project. The ironic thing is that the same City Councilor actually mentioned the Winn project in the old Chevalier building and his only concern was that there wasn’t any retail space on the first floor. I guess he deserves some credit, because I think that’s the only mention I’ve heard of one of these projects on the Council floor. We certainly have an “if we build it they will come mentality” in this city, we just need to do a better job of prioritizing the “it” and the “they”. It’s time for some leadership on issues like these.
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