Monthly Archives: April 2009

Budgetary Suicide

Here is a clip with Braude and Mike Widmer. A good clip, but please note Widmer’s contention made near the end that the House budget is between $1 billion to $1.5 billion off in revenues. (I have been lowballing that … Continue reading

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Republicans Attack Specter by Linking Him to Bush

As Republicans squabble over the defection of Arlen Specter the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee unleashed a phone call in PA attacking Specter by reminding voters that he was endorsed by President George W. Bush in his last re-election campaign. I … Continue reading

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Political Fallout

The House vote to hike the sales tax to 6.25 percent is causing some major political ripples on Beacon Hill, with both the Speaker and the Senate President expressing astonishment and outrage that the Governor would be critical of the … Continue reading

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Methuen Swine Flu Preparations

There has been much talk and concern about the “Swine Flu” outbreak, and although we have not had any recorded cases as of yet in Massachusetts I have asked our Emergency Management Team, our Public Health Director, and our School … Continue reading

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Governor Patrick Takes to the Tube

Governor Deval Patrick cut a You Tube video to make his argument on revenue and reform, and once again threatened to veto a sales tax hike. The Governor now has the high ground on reform, and if he is smart … Continue reading

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Arlen Specter to Switch Parties

Senator Arlen Specter, in a major development, announced today that he is running for re-election as a Democrat. Specter was facing an almost certain loss in the Republican primary to Club for Growth guru Pat Toomey, who led Specter by … Continue reading

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Mass House Passes Sales Tax Hike

The Massachusetts House, working into the night, passed a sales tax hike of 1.25%, bringing the sales tax to 6.25%. The House passed the increase after a day of hard lobbying by the Speaker, by a vote of 108-51. I … Continue reading

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Governor Patrick Steps Up

This morning I posted on the potential for a sales tax increase, and in that post I asked where the Governor was, and speculated about the potential for a veto threat from him. He must have read my blog. He … Continue reading

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The Speaker Makes His (Tax) Move

Speaker Bob Deleo has finally shown his hand on revenues, coming out for a 1.25% increase in the sales tax. Both the Globe and Herald are reporting that the Speaker will support this increase, with the hope that the increase … Continue reading

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Governor Patrick Continues Slide in Polls

Rasmussen Reports, in their latest Massachusetts survey, found that Governor Patrick continues a serious slide in the polls. It is reflective of the Suffolk poll that had similar results a couple of months back. Some of the notable findings from … Continue reading

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