• Refusing to bow to violence, Brockton could use bolstering

    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

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

  • LRTA’s night service is welcome addition

    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.

  • Sen Wolf suspends campaign

    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.” 

  • Warren talks on casinos, sequester

    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.

  • Theres not a Dan Wolf ethics exemption is there

    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…

  • John Walsh’s rhapsody in blue

    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.

  • It’s possible to be smart and green

    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

    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

    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

    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.

  • Boston mayoral hopefuls voice views on charter schools

    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.

  • ‘Gateway Cities’ Designation Could Be Key To Recovery

    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. 

  • Markey, Gomez debate Keystone and green energy amid jibes

    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.

  • Obama visit could sink Markey

    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.

  • Poll Suggests Gomez Struggling To Catch Markey

    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 – toplinecrosstabs) 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

    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%.

  • Another Poll Shows Markey With A Solid Lead

    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.

  • Gabriel Gomez trails Edward Markey in new poll

    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. 

  • Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy to maintain Armenian Heritage Park

    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.

  • New Poll Suggests Women Souring On Gomez

    WBUR – New Poll Suggests Women Souring On Gomez

    new poll suggests women are souring on Republican Gabriel Gomez in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race.

    Steve Koczela, president of MassINC Polling Group, which conducts surveys for WBUR, said Gomez’s declining fortunes among women recall the fate of former Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

  • Many good reasons to update bottle bill

    Lowell Sun – Many good reasons to update bottle bill

    Buy a case of soda and you’re going to be charged a nickel for each bottle or can. Buy a case of bottled water and there is no nickel deposit.

    According to a January 2011 poll by the MassINC Polling Group, 77 percent of Massachusetts residents support an update to the bottle bill. That support cut across constituencies; regardless of age, party, gender, or location, Bay State citizens overwhelmingly support the update.

  • Will the city’s new mayor be pro-charter?

    Boston Globe – Will the city’s new mayor be pro-charter?

    IT WAS a juxtaposition that demonstrates the way things are changing in Boston.

    Still, the fact that three top-tier candidates support raising the cap on Commonwealth charters shows how the political environment is changing. So too does a new poll of Boston voters: Commissioned by two pro-charter groups and conducted by the MassINC Polling Group, it found that 64 percent of Boston voters want the charter cap lifted, with only 23 percent opposed.

  • Broadside: When pollsters diverge

    NECN – Broadside: When pollsters diverge
    There’s nothing new about talking to a pollster about his latest numbers in a hot political race – but talking to two pollsters with results that differ is.

    A Suffolk University poll found that Democrat Ed Markey leads Republican Gabriel Gomez by a wide margin, 52 percent to 35 percent; however, a WBUR/Mass Inc poll says Markey’s lead over Gomez is much smaller, with 41 percent for Markey and 35 percent for Gomez.

  • Varying Markey Leads in Polls

    National Journal – Varying Markey Leads in Polls

    MA SEN special: According to a new Suffolk Univ./WHDH-TV poll of special election LVs, conducted 5/4-7, Rep. Edward Markey (D) leads Gomez, 55-38% (release).

     A separate WBUR-FM poll of special election LVs, conducted 5/5-6 by MassINC Polling Group, shows Markey leading Gomez, 46-38% (release).

  • Second poll suggests tighter race between Markey, Gomez

    The Hill – Second poll suggests tighter race between Markey, Gomez

    A new poll released Thursday shows Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) holding just a six-point lead over Republican nominee Gabriel Gomez in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race, suggesting the highly scrutinized special election may remain a close race.

    “Either way you look at it — with leaners or without leaners — you’ve got a race within single digits coming out of the primary,” says Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, in a statement. “You’ve got a competitive race.”

  • On The Ball Fields Of Savin Hill, A Snapshot Of Where The Senate Race Stands

    WBUR – On The Ball Fields Of Savin Hill, A Snapshot Of Where The Senate Race Stands

    A WBUR poll (PDFs – toplinecrosstabs) finds a tight race between the U.S. Senate candidates. Democratic Congressman Ed Markey leads Republican private equity manager Gabriel Gomez by six points, 41 to 35 percent, with 23 percent undecided.

    “We ask, initially, who people are going to vote for, and there we found Markey with a six-point lead, and then if people said that they were undecided, we asked who they were leaning towards, and there, we found Markey with an eight-point lead, so among the people who were initially undecided, we found a few more of them leaning towards Markey as this point,” MassINC Polling Group pollster Steve Koczela said.

  • Markey Edges Gomez In Senate Poll

    WBUR – Markey Edges Gomez In WBUR Senate Poll

    A new WBUR poll (PDFs – toplinecrosstabs) shows U.S. Rep. Edward Markey leading former Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez 41 to 35 percent in the Massachusetts U.S. Senate race.

    “Either way you look at it — with leaners or without leaners — you’ve got a race within single digits coming out of the primary,” says Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, which conducted the survey for WBUR. “You’ve got a competitive race.”

  • Conflicting polls in U.S. Senate race

    Sentinel and Enterprise – Conflicting polls in U.S. Senate race

    Results of the fourth poll in the U.S. Senate race were released Thursday morning and showed Congressman Edward Markey with a six-point lead over Republican Gabriel Gomez.

    The WBUR poll, conducted by The MassINC Polling Group, showed Markey at 41 percent and Gomez at 35 percent, with a significant 23 percent of respondents undecided.

  • New Poll Shows Markey Up 8

    TPM – New Poll Shows Markey Up 8

    On the heels of a poll showing Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA) with a sizable advantage in the U.S. Senate special election in Massachusetts, a survey out Thursday morning showed the Democrat with a smaller edge.

    The latest survey from MassINC Polling Group, conducted on behalf of WBUR, showed Markey earning the support of 46 percent of likely Bay State voters while his Republican opponent, Gabriel Gomez, picked up the support of 38 percent.

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