Posts
Comments

Archive for April, 2008

Level for me, but not for thee

Posted in Massachusetts politics, State issues, Taylor Armerding on Apr 15th, 2008 Comments

Gov. Deval Patrick, in yet another example of political courage, has allowed a bill to become law that would hit employers with triple damages if they lose wage disputes with workers. The governor didn’t sign it, saying he had “concerns” that it could be “unfairly punitive.” But those alleged concerns didn’t prompt him to veto [...]

Read Full Post »

More misery loves company

Posted in Nelson Benton, Pension Tidal Wave on Apr 15th, 2008 Comments

Massachusetts is not the only state where the benefits that come with public pensions are such that people will go to any lengths in order to make themselves eligible for one or, if already eligible, increase their length of service.
The Washington Times ran this editorial Sunday focusing on abuses in New Jersey and Wisconsin.

Read Full Post »

Going to Denver

Posted in 6th District, Nelson Benton, Presidential race, Uncategorized on Apr 7th, 2008 Comments

There was an upset of sorts in Saturday’s caucus for the election of delegates pledged to Hillary Clinton at this summer Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Female delegates are Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and veteran party activist Agnes Ricko of Lynn. But in the contest for the two delegate slots reserved for males, Rowley’s Stan Slepoy [...]

Read Full Post »

Another prince of political darkness

Posted in Presidential race, Taylor Armerding on Apr 7th, 2008 Comments

Interesting - now that Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, has been forced to resign, at least from the strategist gig, we’re finally hearing from the mainstream press what we should have been hearing long ago.
Penn was pushed out for one specific conflict of interest - he met [...]

Read Full Post »

Congressional race update

Posted in 6th District, Nelson Benton on Apr 7th, 2008 Comments

Word is that Manchester’s Rick Barton, who took on incumbent John Tierney in the 6th District congressional race two years ago, will not be running this year after all.
According to one Barton supporter who took part in a conference call over the weekend, the former airline pilot is moving to Florida. Which would leave West [...]

Read Full Post »

Just say it - it’s all about the money

Posted in Massachusetts politics, Municipal meltdown, State issues, Taylor Armerding on Apr 4th, 2008 Comments

I don’t blame cops for wanting to make more money. Heck, I want to make more money.
But I do blame them for constantly cloaking their desire for more money by pretending to be altruistic. Their frenzied efforts to protect their monopoly on road details, as the Legislature considers transportation reforms that would take some of [...]

Read Full Post »

Another Republican in 6th District race

Posted in Uncategorized on Apr 1st, 2008 Comments

There’s another North Shore Republican vying for the right to take on incumbent U.S. Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem.
Richard Baker, a West Newbury resident and former member of the Pentucket Regional School Committee, announced his intentions via a release to local news organizations this week. Rick Barton, the Republican from Manchester-by-the-Sea who ran against Tierney two [...]

Read Full Post »