By the beginning of summer, the last remnants of the elevated Central Artery were being taken down, the green steel superstructure that walled off the financial district from the waterfront for decades torn into scraps and hauled away by the truckload. As the subterranean construction project known simply as the Big Dig turned into the […]
Economy
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Counterpoint
Eric Kriss’s description of public employee unions as monopolies that are sucking resources from cities and towns is more than an unfair attack on the hard-working men and women of the Commonwealth. It is a transparent attempt to shift the focus away from the failed policies of the Romney administration. This is, of course, a […]
Posted inEconomy
Public officials and business leaders put on a fullcourt press to save Bay State military bases
The nation is engaged in a tenuous campaign to rebuild and democratize Iraq. In Afghanistan, US soldiers continue to hunt for Al Qaeda terrorists. But back in Washington, the military is gearing up for another kind of battle. Less than a year from now, the Department of Defense will recommend to Congress that as many […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Argument
In his famous 1776 Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith outlined the philosophical framework for our commercial society. Smith’s key insight was that a division of labor—each contributing one’s part to a larger whole—propelled economies forward, provided that open exchange occurred in a market free of monopolies. He […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Septic-tank rules cloud the real estate market in Orleans
ORLEANS—Twenty years ago, Augusta McKusick could step outside of her home on Ares Pond in Orleans and dig up as many clams as she liked. But no more. “They’re not there now,” she says. “They’re gone. The eelgrass is gone. In the summer there are big mats of scummy green algae floating in the pond.” […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Springfield discovers that bailout comes at a high price
INTRO TEXT In the drama that was the city of Springfield’s attempt to avoid going broke this spring, the theme on Beacon Hill turned out to be less helping hand than tough love. Charles Ryan, the 76-year-old patriarch of Springfield’s best known political family who won election to the mayor’s office last fall, practically camped […]
Posted inEconomy, State House News Service
CommonWealth Forum totes up assets and opportunities
INTRO TEXT “Asset inequality” is a major reason why African-Americans continue to lag behind white Americans in terms of homeownership and education, agreed several speakers at the latest CommonWealth forum, though there was less agreement on the causes and cures of this condition. “With a Little Help From Our Friends (and Families): Assets, Race, and […]
Posted inEconomy
Business is booming at security expo
INTRO TEXT Whether the Democratic National Convention will be an economic boon or bust for the city of Boston is still a matter of dispute. But for one rapidly growing sector of the Massachusetts economy, the mega-event is a guaranteed boost. “The DNC will be huge for us,” says Gerard Boniello, co-owner of Corporate Resources […]
Posted inEconomy, Health Care
Anticipation and anxiety in our health care economy
When the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce installed Dr. James Mongan, president and chief executive of Partners HealthCare, as chairman of the board in May, the symbolism did not go unremarked. “Much of the future in terms of economic policy within our region is going to come from the life sciences sector,” chamber president Paul […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion, Politics
Civil service hiring rules promote mediocrity among public safety workers
There is a public safety crisis in Massachusetts, a crisis of our own making. The quality of our workforce is not what it should be, and it’s our own fault. At a time when public safety depends more than ever on a professional, educated workforce, the Commonwealth operates under a set of archaic rules that […]