Author Archives: billmanzi

The President Talks Health Care and the Olympics

Posted on February 27, 2010 by billmanzi

The President again spends his weekly address on health care and offering praise to our Olympic athletes. A health care bill is still considered to be a political underdog, but this President is really invested in getting something passed. One … Continue reading →

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Paterson Bows Out in NY

Posted on February 27, 2010 by billmanzi

The Governor of New York, after a series of stinging stories in the New York Times, has announced that he will not run for re-election. Governor Paterson, who took over the office upon the resignation of Eliot Spitzer, was finally … Continue reading →

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Health Care Summit

Posted on February 25, 2010 by billmanzi
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Municipal Relief Package Passes Without Health Care Reform

Posted on February 25, 2010 by billmanzi

The legislature yesterday passed a Municipal Relief Package, which is outlined below. The package, predictably, did not contain “plan design” relief on health care for municipalities. There are some important pieces here, including the pension portion. But the most important … Continue reading →

Posted in Methuen, Municipal Finance, State News | Tagged | 2 Comments

The Jobs Bill Advances

Posted on February 23, 2010 by billmanzi

The $18 billion dollar Jobs bill cleared the Senate yesterday, with Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown one of five Republicans voting to break a Republican filibuster. The bill contains some good news for Massachusetts and will attempt to spur some job … Continue reading →

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The President Goes Big

Posted on February 23, 2010 by billmanzi

Yesterday the President unveiled his plan for health care reform, continuing a drive to make changes in the system and using recent massive premium increases as a political lever to drive that change. Many had expected the President to play … Continue reading →

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Health Care Premiums Explode

Posted on February 20, 2010 by billmanzi

A constant theme on this blog has been the sheer unsustainability of the current health care system. There is no question that the Democrats made some real mistakes in their efforts to enact reform, but recent news on the massive … Continue reading →

Posted in National News | Tagged , | 4 Comments

The President Promotes Nuclear

Posted on February 18, 2010 by billmanzi

The President announcing tax credits to help in the building of two nuclear power plants. The tax credits total over $8 billion, and indicate a renewed support for the nuclear industry from a Democratic Administration. The President talked of safety, … Continue reading →

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The Recovery Act War of Words

Posted on February 17, 2010 by billmanzi

The stimulus package anniversary has of course launched a war of words between Democrats and Republicans about its relative effectiveness. With jobless numbers still high the Republicans feel free to declare it a failure, while Democrats pounce on obvious Republican … Continue reading →

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The Bayh Interview

Posted on February 16, 2010 by billmanzi

Evan Bayh interviewed on the Morning Joe show. Bayh continues to make sense to me despite the torrent of abuse that has been heaped upon him by some in the Democratic Party. You can just see Katrina salivating to get … Continue reading →

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