The Boston Globe – Walsh’s surprise supporters

SURE, MARTY WALSH has labor with him as he steps up his quest to become Boston’s next mayor.

Linehan presides over what Commonwealth Magazine writer and Globe contributing columnist Paul McMorrow recently called “the most famous living room in Massachusetts politics.”

MassLive – Armando Feliciano, Jay Minkarah honored for Gateway Cities work

MassINC will honor Armando Feliciano, chairman of the Springfield Redevelopment Authority, and Jay Minkarah of DevelopSpringfield as well as The O’Connell Companies for their efforts at revitalizing Massachusetts cities.

New York Times – Boston mayoral candidates struggle to stand out

Cara and Michael McGrath, both 36-year-old lawyers here, are torn over their choice for mayor.

While voters elsewhere may be concerned most about jobs and the economy, voters in relatively prosperous Boston ranked education as the “biggest problem” facing the city, according to a MassINC poll conducted this month.

Springfield Republican – Priming the pump for Gateway Cities
A bill now working its way through the Massachusetts legislature would put thousands of residents to work right away while overhauling the state’s midsize urban centers to make them stronger regional economic engines over the long term.

Here’s a Novel Idea: In MA, Policymakers Work Together on Economic Development

The Rust Belt often gets the most attention for depopulated urban cores and legacy cities reeling from the decline of manufacturing. But from Springfield to Pittsfield, Massachusetts deals with many of the same issues. Now more than two dozen Bay State cities, defined as “midsize urban centers that anchor regional economies,” have banded together on legislation that could promote smart economic development with a common vision…

The Herald News – As Martha Coakley enters governor’s race does she hope to replicate Warren’s Gateway City success

Her first day on the gubernatorial campaign trail Martha Coakley is busy shaking hands.

According to a Nov. 2012 article in Commonwealth Magazine by Paul McMorrow, Warren scored big in the Gateway Cities to defeat Scott Brown, while Coakley’s margin of victory in the same cities two years earlier was much smaller, helping Brown to victory.

Taunton Gazette – GUEST OPINION: Transformative redevelopment would help Gateway Cities
Primed for transformative projects, Gateway Cities need the right tools.

Massachusetts Republican Party – Democrats Rush To Repeal Tech Tax To Avoid Political Backlash At The Polls

With the job-killing tech tax now finally on its way to defeat, Commonwealth Magazine pointed out the motivation behind Democrats’ record breaking speed in repealing the measure: backlash at the polls.

Bruce Mohl, “House, Senate leaders plan to repeal tech tax,” Commonwealth Magazine, 9/12/13

The Eagle Tribune – United Front

Four candidates challenging Mayor William Lantigua in next Tuesday’s preliminary election made a public pact last night to stand united in opposing the mayor if he makes it onto the Nov. 5 election ballot with one of them.

The mayor declined an invitation to attend last night’s candidate’s forum, co-sponsored by The Eagle-Tribune and CommonWealth magazine. 

The Boston Globe- Eugenie Beal, 92; ‘mother of geen space’ in Boston

As the environmental movement began to coalesce in the late 1960s, Eugenie Beal was studying parks for the League of Women Voters when she and the organization decided Boston would benefit from having a Conservation Commission.

She led public agencies and helped launch and nurture nonprofits. She served on boards, wrote Globe opinion pieces and letters to the editor, and penned essays for CommonWealth magazine.

The Boston Globe- Refusing to bow to violence, Brockton could use bolstering

MassLive: MassINC and Boston NPR affiliate WBUR to continue collaboration on political polls through June 2014

The Boston Globe- LRTA’s night service is welcome addition

The Lowell Regional Transit Authority kicks off a major expansion of service today, adding 53 weekday bus trips and expanding the hours of service in Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Westford.

A recent report conducted by MassINC, a nonprofit Boston-based think tank, came to the same conclusion, and urged the Legislature to boost funding to the state’s regional transit systems.

Cape Cod Times- Sen. Wolf suspends campaign

State Sen. Daniel Wolf suspended his campaign for governor Thursday and set Aug. 29 as his resignation date from the Senate if the State Ethics Commission maintains that his Cape Air ties pose a conflict of interest.

Commission spokesman David Giannotti told Commonwealth Magazine earlier this month that the commission had erred by saying in its Aug. 2 opinion that Wolf would have to “discontinue his campaign for governor.” 

The Republican- Warren talks on casinos, sequester

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., reiterated her opposition to the cuts the so-called federal sequester has imposed on the American populace at a meeting in Worcester on Wednesday, while also dishing on the state’s casino question and even a former opponent’s presidential ambitions.

Warren’s Senate office has worked with Bruce Mohl, editor of CommonWealth Magazine, and the state’s non-profit think tank MassINC to organize the meetings in Worcester as a way to provide face time to regional medial outlets.

THE STATE Ethics Commission apparently did a terrible thing.

Wolf told Commonwealth Magazine that if the ethics ruling stands, he would likely step down from the Legislature, and might abandon his run for governor.

Continue reading…

The Boston Globe- John Walsh’s rhapsody in blue

HERE IS the bible, according to Democratic state party chairman John Walsh:

As this summer’s CommonWealth magazine cover story recounts, Walsh didn’t invent the art of identifying true believers and getting them out to vote.

The Martha’s Vineyard Times: It’s possible to be smart and green

The state’s Green Communities Act has increased the cost of electricity to Massachusetts residential and business ratepayers.

For instance, as Bruce Mohl writes in the Summer 2013 edition of CommonWealth magazine, “Northern Pass, one proposed Quebec-New England power link would deliver 1,200 megawatts of electricity into southern New Hampshire, about the same power output as Seabrook Station, the nuclear plant that provides more than eight percent of the region’s electricity and seven times the expected output of Cape Wind.

Edward Markey has edge on Scott Brown in new poll

Senator Edward J. Markey would lead Scott Brown in a hypothetical November 2014 Senate matchup between the two, according to a new poll.

Forty-three percent of the registered voters surveyed said they would vote for Markey, while 38 percent said they would cast their ballot for Brown, according to a poll from the MassINC Polling Group.

Mayoral rivals recall Lawrence DiCara

It was the final of three miniforums, which were designed to give the crowded field of 12 mayoral candidates a little bit more of the spotlight by dividing them into smaller groups.

But when city councilors Rob Consalvo and Michael P. Ross joined Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley and community leader John F. Barros on the stage Thursday morning for the final installment, the group seemed to be beckoning one more person into the race.

Late-night T service may not be far-fetched after all

Most Bostonians have long since given up hope. Late-night service on the MBTA?

At a mayoral candidate forum on Wednesday morning (hosted by A Better City, CommonWealth magazine, and the Boston Municipal Research Bureau) transportation and late-night T service were hot-button issues — especially for candidates seeking to appeal to young voters.

The Boston Globe – Boston mayoral hopefuls voice views on charter schools

The majority of Boston’s 12 candidates for mayor support adding more charter schools in the city, testament to the growing momentum to expand independent schools.

The event — sponsored by EdVestors, MassINC, Teach Plus, The Boston Foundation, and Massachusetts 2020 — allowed candidates to describe how they would try to fix lagging schools or how they thought teachers should be evaluated.

Worcester Business Journal – ‘Gateway Cities’ Designation Could Be Key To Recovery

Perhaps feeling as if they had always been taking a back seat to the Boston area, officials in communities dubbed Gateway Cities feel they’re making a stronger impact by leveraging common issues and concerns, to effect policy changes that can boost business and housing development within their locales.

“The idea is that they’re very unique places, but the state’s economic policy hasn’t always recognized they’re different from Boston,” said Ben Forman, executive director of the Gateway Cities Institute at MassINC, a Boston-based think tank. 

Environment and Energy Publishing – Markey, Gomez debate Keystone and green energy amid jibes

Democratic Rep. Ed Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez continued to sling barbs at each other last night in their second debate — offering contrasting takes on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline and other issues — ahead of the June 25 Massachusetts Senate special election.

A WBUR-MassINC Polling Group survey of 500 likely voters conducted June 6 to 9 gave Markey a 7-point lead, 46 percent to 39 percent, with 11 percent undecided.

Boston Herald – Obama visit could sink Markey

Can Barack Obama repeat his ’10 miracle?

The voters seem to sense it, too. Two new polls released this week show Markey still below 50 percent among Massachusetts voters. More telling is his popularity — or lack thereof. His approval rating is a woeful 42 percent in the WBUR/MassINC poll.

WBUR – Poll Suggests Gomez Struggling To Catch Markey

With two weeks to go until the special Massachusetts U.S. Senate election, a new WBUR poll (PDFs – topline, crosstabs) suggests Republican Gabriel Gomez is struggling to chip away at Democrat Edward Markey’s small, but consistent lead.

“The race really isn’t moving very far, very fast — and time is running out,” said Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, which conducts surveys for WBUR.

National Journal – Markey Leads By 7 Points in New Polls
MA SEN Special: A new WBUR-FM poll, conducted 6/6-9 by MassINC Polling Group, shows Rep. Edward Markey (D) leading ex-Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez (R), 46-39%.

TPM – Another Poll Shows Markey With A Solid Lead

Republican businessman Gabriel Gomez is struggling to slice into Rep. Ed Markey’s (D-MA) consistent advantage in the special Massachusetts U.S. Senate election, according to a new poll released Tuesday.

The latest survey from MassINC Polling Group, conducted on behalf of Boston-based public radio station WBUR, showed Markey with the support of 46 percent of likely Bay State voters. Gomez, meanwhile, trailed with the support of 39 percent.

Boston.com – Gabriel Gomez trails Edward Markey in new poll

A new poll of likely voters released this morning found Democrat Edward J. Markey leading Republican Gabriel E. Gomez by 7 points in the race for US Senate. That’s the same margin as a poll released Monday.

The new WBUR poll, conducted by the MassINC Polling Group, found Markey took 46 percent to Gomez’s 39 percent, with 11 percent undecided. 

Boston.com – Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy to maintain Armenian Heritage Park

The Armenian Heritage Foundation has selected the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy to maintain the Armenian Heritage Park on the Greenway under a new three-year contract, the conservancy announced Monday.

Last year the conservancy lost out in a bid to maintain the park, Commonwealth Magazine reported.