Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Governor Patrick spoke in Needham at an economic development conference.
The annual economic development summit brought about 250 attendees to the Needham Sheraton Hotel on Tuesday. According to a press release from the governor's office, this was made up of business leaders, state and municipal officials, community organizations officials. "Americans rarely leave what’s important to chance," said Governor Patrick in his remarks. "It’s a journey. Right now, we’re going to have to decide whether accelerated growth is important enough to invest in or leave to chance. Fortunately for us, our grandparents didn't leave the Mass Pike or I-95 or that MEMA bunker to chance. They made choices that shaped a better future. Now it's our turn." Read the Governor's full remarks. The Governor's long-term economic plan, …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Tell us: do you think Massachusetts needs to increase taxes to strengthen education and transportation?
In his State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday night, Gov. Deval Patrick proposed raising the state's income tax by a full percentage point and lowering the sales tax to pay for $2 billion worth of transportation improvements and early childhood education programs. "There is no good time to raise taxes. I know how tough the times have been on the people and families of the Commonwealth. And though the worst of the recession is over, many, many families still face tough decisions and have deep anxiety about the future. I would not ask if I did not believe in my heart that investing meaningfully today in education and transportation will significantly improve our economic tomorrows," Patrick said. Patrick said he wanted a more fair and…
The governor unveiled legislation Wednesday to strengthen gun laws in Massachusetts while increasing funding for mental health services. Sensible or reactionary?
Are new proposed laws regarding guns in Massachusetts and mental health services sensible and pragmatic steps, or reactionary measures that won't increase safety? Gov. Deval Patrick introduced new legislation Wednesday along those lines in the wake of the school shootings in Newtown, Conn. "I am encouraged by the palpable consensus in our Legislature that the time for action is now. All of us must pull in the same direction to bring about real change in this state and across the country," Patrick said in a press release. The bill would, among other things: Punishments for crimes involving guns would also sharpen, with tiered punishments for possessing different weapons on school property and giving police the authority to arrest without…
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Where and when to watch or listen to the Massachusetts governor's annual address tonight.
I would suspect that the governor's annual State of the State address is not, usually, a TV ratings champ. But tonight's speech, which starts at 7:30 p.m., may attract more viewers and listeners than usual. Why? Since it happens on the heels of Gov. Deval Patrick saying he wants to raise $1 billion by hiking the Massachusetts income tax. So you may want to watch tonight. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: CBS ABC NBC NECN Streamed live on boston.com Streamed live on http://www.malegislature.gov/ If you know of other websites, TV stations or radio stations carrying the State of the State live, please add them to the comment section below.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Gov. Deval Patrick announced plans to cut the state's local aid for the current fiscal year. But what could that mean for Needham?
Earlier this week, Governor Deval Patrick's office proposed a series of cuts aimed at closing up a half-billion dollar budget gap. The bulk of the cuts come from spending cuts in the Executive Branch, but some affect local programs or education. Many of these cuts will need legislative approval before they go into effect for the current fiscal year. According to a press release about the proposal, "The governor’s proposed plan ensures virtually all impacted programs and services will receive no less funding than last year and that no cuts will be made to Chapter 70 education funding." In particular, Patrick's proposal cuts $11.5 million from the state's Special Education Circuit Breaker reimbursement program, a move that the governor …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Governor Patrick announced the superior court nomination of a Needham resident yesterday in a press release.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Below is a press release from the Governor's Office: GOVERNOR PATRICK ANNOUNCES SUPERIOR COURT NOMINATION BOSTON – Wednesday, November 28, 2012 – Governor Deval Patrick today announced the nomination of experienced litigator Peter B. Krupp as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court. “I am honored to nominate Peter Krupp to the Superior Court bench,” said Governor Patrick. “I commend him for his extraordinary record in both criminal and civil matters and I thank him for his willingness to serve.” Peter B. Krupp is one of the founding partners of the Boston firm of Lurie & Krupp, with a practice focused on criminal defense and commercial litigation. He accepts assignments for indigent criminal clients and handles murders and other …
Friday, September 28, 2012
Asked about toll fairness during a Patch live chat, Governor Deval Patrick asked a reader whether he'd support high-speed tolls. Are these a good way to share the transportation funding pain, or another money grab?
Are high-speed tolls along Interstate 93 and other highways a smart way to help fund transportation in the state? Governor Deval Patrick mentioned such a system during a Patch live chat on Thursday. If you've gone up Interstate 95 into New Hampshire, you've seen high-speed tolling in action. The system is designed to read your EZ-Pass (new Fast Lane) transponder while you breeze by at 65 miles per hour. There's no need to slow down or squeeze though a booth, as EZ-Pass users currently do on the Mass Pike, Tobin Bridge and harbor tunnels. The chat moved on to other topics, so no details about implementation were offered. What do you think? Would tolls along I-93 offer some fairness to riders in Boston, MetroWest and North Shore, who all …
Friday, May 20, 2011
A video roundup of the area's latest developments for Friday, May 20.
Follow the links below for more on today's featured headlines:
Michael Fleming
1:13 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Please notice Patricks phraseology: "invest in the future". First the word "invest". It sort of sounds like a person socking money away for a rainy day huh? That is always a good strategy. Sound money management, judicious use of your hard earned money, right? One "invests" their money for a reward later on, like retirement or for a college fund. Thing is, it isn't that at all. It's another word … more ›