Wonk & Roll: Bang bang

John Schneider Smith and Wesson has received a $6 million state tax credit to add 225 jobs to its plant in Springfield.  Meanwhile, local officials in Pittsfield are sitting on pins and needles to see if federal funding is coming their way for components of a defense project to be built in their city resulting

Wonk & Roll: The next UMass president

With Marty Meehan out of the running for UMass president, we thought it might be helpful to nominate a few other candidates for consideration. So, in no particular order—other than alphabetical—here is our list: Ian Bowles—All agree that the soon to be former Massachusetts secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs has done a stellar job

Don’t give GE $25m in tax credits

1 Monday, November 29, 2010 I received a voicemail this morning from a machine tool manufacturer in Springfield. The owner was irate about a Boston Globe report describing tax credits the state has been negotiating with General Electric. He said he could hire new workers if the state would help him invest in new equipment. I expect the governor’s office is

CommonWealth takes top honors in Capitolbeat awards

CommonWealth magazine once again won top spots within several categories in this year’s Capitolbeat Awards, a contest for reporting on state and local government.  A joint investigation by CommonWealth and Fox 25 on how Boston public employees are taking advantage of an affordable housing benefit earned the number one spot in the large market television

What just happened?

Watch the video clips here     BOSTON—Over 100 people gathered for a standing-room-only event at Suffolk University Law School Friday morning to talk about the 2010 statewide elections.  MassINC Polling Group president Steven Koczela joined Boston Globe columnist Scot Lehigh and NECN reporter Alison King to discuss the campaigns, the issues, and the voter

The MassINC Polling Group starts strong

Since opening its doors in August, the MassINC Polling Group (MPG) has quickly gained a statewide and national audience for its unique brand of independent, issue-oriented polling work. Steve Koczela, President of MPG, sees this strong entrance into the opinion research marketplace as an encouraging sign for the start-up subsidiary of MassINC.      On

Post Election poll frames “What Just Happened”

Charlie Baker only won by 14 points among unenrolled voters, and lost the female vote by a resounding 24 points, according to a special post-election voter survey taken Wednesday, November 3rd, by the MassINC Polling Group.  Baker’s margin among unenrolled voters was well short of what was needed to overcome Democrat’s statewide advantage in party registration. 

Wonk & Roll: How school choice can change schools

On October 16th, the Boston Globe ran a front page story about school choice.  The Globe reported that enrollment in the program has increased by 60 percent over the last decade. However, in total, just under 12,000 students participate in the program, not a significant amount.  Few remember this, but the debate over school choice

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