Let's Just Let Business Work for Free

Here we go again. Business threatens to leave town. Town gets on its knees and gives up the bank to keep business in town. Business doesn't even have to leave. Never mind the fact that there are other businesses out there to purchase the newly open space (read: new job growth), this particular business (JP Morgan) wasn't even threatening to leave Massachusetts!

The firm looked at moving to other states but ultimately decided to stay in Massachusetts largely for the quality of the workforce, executives said.

Of course, the Globe buried the money quote halfway through its article, but that doesn't change the fact that it's there. They wrote it. The JP Morgan people said it. It's the elephant in the room, but states and cities are all too willing to ignore it.

The ugly truth: Businesses are attracted to qualified workforces, not tax cuts. Of course, they're more than happy to take the tax cuts - to the extent they'll even threaten to leave - but corporations that require skilled workforces are going to go where the skill is at. That's just a fact. So, in a year when the city of Boston had to open up its piggy banks to the tune of $10 million to keep the schools afloat, the city is now going to hand over JP Morgan $2 million - just for the privilege of staying in the city. All that, and JP Morgan wasn't even threatening to leave the state - one of their high level people admitted as much in the Globe.

If JP Morgan is going to relocate its offices in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, how many people think they'd actually leave the city of Boston? If they want a talented workforce, they're going to go where the most talent is - which is in Boston, because of its Universities and public transportation. Unfortunately, Mayor Mumbles Menino was duped again.

How many more times will cities and states fall for this? And when will politicians learn that job growth comes from new, small companies - not these mega corporations owned from afar. Shareholders of JP Morgan don't care about the city of Boston; Let's invest in the business owners who do. Those are the ones that'll stick around - because they live here and send their kids to school here.

It's difficult to worry about larger corporations, because they're going to do what they're going to do. Giving up the bank isn't a good strategy to deal with them, because half the time their threats are about as meaningful as pigs with wings. Kind of scary, but nonexistent. Meanwhile, if Boston would like to do something to help keep its major corporations here, why not institute policies that encourage what companies like JP Morgan truly want - policies that will keep a young, talented and highly educated workforce in the city. A better use of that $2 million would be on affordable housing, or making the T usable again. Let me know when the Mayor's office gets the Memo.

The Wampanoag's Leadership: a Soap Opera

In today's episode of As the Wampanoags Turn, the big, mean boss man is dealing with the aftermath of throwing out an 85 year old tribal elder. Here's a brief recap of what happened last fall:

Scene 1.

[The Wampanoag Tribal Council is meeting and discussing today's current events with visible disappointment. Camera closes in on one tribal leader, complete with blank, vacant expression. Cue the inevitable cut scene into the past, with actors who are just as blank and vacant, and hazy, harp-filled music in the background.]

[Cue overly slow and dramatic music.]

Glenn: "Don't you bring us any trouble at all, Amelia, ya here? We're going to build this casino with or without you."

Amelia: "All I want to know is where the $14 million went, Glenn, our culture is already being subverted by your casinos."

Glenn: "So you are going to give us trouble then. Well, fine. You and your son are gone - we don't want to see you in these parts anymore, or else."

End scene.

Scene 2.

Amelia and her son get a lawyer.

The Binghams have been members of the tribe's governing body, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council, since its creation in 1981, and Amelia Bingham had been named a clan mother, a position of respect in the tribe, according to the lawsuit.

But the Binghams are ardent opponents of a tribal casino, and Amelia Bingham in particular "has spoken out against gambling interests and expressed concern about big money interests corrupting tribal values," Altman said in an interview yesterday.

In January 2007, the Binghams received letters from the Tribal Council informing them that they were banned from council meetings for seven years. The "shunning order" came just days after the Binghams sued in Barnstable Superior Court to force the council to account for $14 million that the tribe had received from Herb Strather, a prominent developer of a Detroit casino.

Of course, this is just the latest episode in a long-running series. Who could forget all the wonderful episodes where the Wampanoag's former tribal leader was being investigated by the FBI, as he was later revealed to be a convicted rapist. But that's not all - federal law was allegedly violated by another tribe that's promised to seek a casino in Massachusetts if slot machines are passed (you know it's got to be bad for the Globe to write about it!) - there's nothing better than a little villainous competition. All this, so Massachusetts can own have no control over the world's largest casino along with another 2-3 of them. Just imagine how expensive the set designs would be!

Now, this same leadership - which has been proven corrupt over the casino issue time and time again - has decided to pick on a poor, old lady who was a tribal elder (can anyone get them a Day Time Emmy?). They kicked her 85 year old self out, as well as her son, just days after she spoke out against a very reasonable request - an account of where $14 million dollars went. Imagine that - not a single casino has been built and $14 million dollars is already being hushed up. The same people who won't tell Amelia Bingham where the $14 million's at are also the ones who are asking Massachusetts citizens to trust them to build and operate a fair and reputable establishment, a casino Massachusetts would have almost no regulatory power over. Massachusetts citizens should know the answer to that question - let's cancel this Soap and get on with our lives.

Taking the Ultimate Sacrifice

It's good to see Republicans are willing to sacrifice on the big stuff, like going from insanely and moronically homophobic, to taking it down just a notch so it won't hurt McCain's campaign (too late).

Keep the Gas Tax, Bolster the Dollar

Senator Clinton isn't alone in thinking a gas-tax holiday is a good idea, but that doesn't actually make it one. Unfortunately, there's a very simple reason that explains most of why gas is going up - and it isn't even the war in Iraq (though, it's not helping). The largest factor in gas going up isn't even price gouging, or anything that oil companies are doing (though, again, they aren't helping).

The problem is this administration's contempt for the US dollar, which has fallen so drastically that of course it's going to be reflected in oil prices. The bottom line is that, if people want affordable gas under current circumstances, they need to elect more Democrats to push back on this President's disastrous policies that have quickly killed the dollar in Washington D.C. We need more Democrats in Congress, more in the Senate and especially a Democratic President to boot. That's the only way to reverse the Republican agenda and set this country back on the right course, which Democratic Presidents have a pretty darn good track record of doing.

Bees Across the Globe

How on Earth is this a front-page article? The subtitle:

Soaring enrollment in county 'bee schools' reflects a national trend

There's at least two references to the missing bees in Doctor Who episodes this season, and of course scientists are worried about the phenomenon - but, really, an article on bee classes - where attendance has skyrocketed to 4 dozen people (!!) - on the front page of the Boston Globe? Of course, a little fluff is necessary in newspapers now and then, but can't the anecdotal pieces at least be about some heartbreaking case where a Massachusetts family is losing their home to the mortgage crisis, or how some family can't afford health insurance and is lucky enough to be included in the state's gap in coverage? In other words, couldn't and shouldn't the fluff or anecdotal soft news be about issues and people that will draw interest into the truly matter?

Unless, of course, the Globe is suggesting in a round about way that Beacon Hill needs to be making some kind of investment in bee keeping...

It's more likely today's bee story has more to do with this.

Ahh!! Patrick's Polling Numbers!

EaBo's post on BlueMassGroup about Deval Patrick's approval numbers had me so worried that this is how I spent my evening (and, yes, I'm a nostalgic dork!).

Look, Governor Patrick has some lousy approval ratings - for now. These things fluctuate. The Governor had a bad few months, pushing for policy that was anathema to many of the people who got him elected. He lost that fight and it's time to move on - even he realizes it.

Since then, we've seen plenty of outreach and a back-to-the-basics attitude. Subsequently, there's been a great bond bill, a life sciences bill and soon to be a renewable energy bill passed on Beacon Hill, all of them pretty good and all of them done within the last 30-40 days. We even witnessed a solid first effort on closing the corporate tax loopholes, though there's clearly some kinks that need to be worked out by the Senate, after some last-minute maneuvering by a particular Representative who ought to know better (come on, Representative Bosley, don't ruin your positive karma for leading the charge in the casino battle).

Will the Governor's work and back-to-the-basics outreach with the citizens who got him elected show up in the polls yet? No. Grassroot efforts take some time. If, at the end of the summer, the Governor's approval ratings are closer to 40 than they are 50, then there may be something to worry about. But, given the recent success on Beacon Hill and if the Governor keeps reaching out to his constituents, listening and acting on their behalf, then there won't be a problem. People don't say "polling is just a snapshot in time" for nothing.

BlogLeft's Next Big Action

First, I wanted to issue a big thank you to everyone who came to last Saturday's event - and all those who were in there in spirit. We definitely represent some of the most active, hardcore citizens in the state - and it's that 20 person dinner and a discussion in life that so often is the catalyst for change. I apologize that it's taken me a few days to get this info and wrap-up out, but I've been waiting to hear about exciting news that I'll detail below.

First, however, let's give a brief wrap-up for those who were there in spirit only, or who had to leave early. It was big (22 people!), it was messy and it was fun. It couldn't have turned out better, from my view, because it accomplished all of Lynne and I's goals: it was a great opportunity to match names (and screen names) to faces, meet up with old friends in the community and, most importantly, to see where we're all at. Now we know what people are interested in doing both short term, medium, and maybe even long.

Saturday was step one in reaching our community's promise in the effort to create a better Massachusetts, and since then step two is well on its way. The basic gist of what most people were interested in last week was creating more events across the state that would expand and empower the grassroots and netroots to those who'd like to be involved, but aren't. Specifically, most people were interested holding forums that would teach people the blog and netroot ropes. To that end, many of us who attended the meeting have been very busy since: last Saturday, it was the group's wish to hold its first such forum at the State's Democratic Party Convention. It's not official yet, but it's looking like that's going to happen (still ironing out some details).

So that's the short term goal. The medium term goal would be to take the first forums we hold at the convention as a concept test run and create a version meant specifically for local communities, where any blogger would be able to host a small group and show them the ropes. For example, if there aren't any blogs in your community - and you think that's a bad thing (it is) - why not talk with the Town or Ward Democratic Committee, or another local activist group, and see if they'd be interested in a how-to-blog event? It may be enough to kick start a new town blog, or to bring that citizen base and grassroots talent to already-existing local community blogs like Below Boston.

If anyone is interested in this, please let me know. We're still looking for a few volunteers to give the group input and insight on exactly what to talk about - both in terms of blogging in general, as well as the technical side of blogging - and there's still talk about whether or not to hold a booth at the convention, which would take even more volunteers as well as a small fundraising effort, since booths do cost money (not too much though). I hope people enjoyed themselves last Saturday, will be looking forward to our future meet-up events and, most importantly, are excited for all the focused, organized, efficient and effective work ahead - I know I am.

Now, Why Doesn't This Shock Me?

Unemployment hits a four-year high says the Globe, and let me just say that boy, can I feel it. Now, I'm in a profession where there aren't a whole ton of jobs, but the frustration seeking one since my last campaign ended has been infuriating. I swear, I'm about ready to go back to school and join the health care field or something - anything for job security, a decent paycheck, and good benefits.

On that note, anyone looking for a winning campaign manager or field director, who's willing to pay a decent paycheck, shares my progressive values... and will knock and call? Send me an email! I'm good. I swear!

It hurts, Mama, It Hurts...

Please, just make it stop!

I kind of feel a little bit like when my ear drum ruptured and there was blood pouring out...

Saturday's Blogger Fiesta Unveiled!

Because we're all super cool... wait a minute, is that Sco? (Joking!!)

It's no big secret that Lynne, Mike and I are hosting a big blogger get together in Lowell, but I've been having trouble thinking of exactly what to call it. Yes, there's going to be a brief presentation, but the event is more meant to be a fun chance to meet up with old friends and network with the bloggers, commenters, readers and members of the progressive, netroots Massachusetts community. So, really, this is one big party, right?

"Blogger Conference," sounding too much like a total drag, I thought: why not call it a Blogger Fiesta? The whole thing makes way more sense wrapped around the fact that we've officially ordered some real-live, authentic and awesome Mexican food from one of Lynne's favorite Lowell localities. We're also ordering some equally awesome and authentic Thai (including vegetarian, we think of everything!) and I'm making my home-cooked batch of famous (I swear!) Chicken Marsala to round the whole thing off. Mmm...

Seriously, there's going to be way too much food, so I'm hoping even more people will come (sign up now!). We have around 15 registered guests, including names that everyone will know, and another 5-6 people who have said they'd come... but just haven't made it official. Add to that various politicians and activists who want to stop by and chat, it's promising to be a great event already - but, seriously, the more the merrier! Lynne's house is huge. If you want to come and haven't signed up yet, Lynne would like to know by Thursday - that's tomorrow. Sign up via paypal, by clicking the link, or by contacting either Lynne or I personally if you have any questions. It's only $10, but if that's too steep, let us know (I've been there!).

While Saturday's event itself isn't a big secret, there are a few things we've kept slightly under wraps. I've billed the event as a pseudo brain-storming session where we can help create ways to both "expand and empower" the Massachusetts netroots. You see, we've elected some candidates, but failed to elect others. We've had some success on some issues, but not many recently. Anyone else get the feeling that if we were a tad, bit more organized, we could get a lot more accomplished as a movement? Both Lynne and I have a few good ideas and will spend a few minutes talking about them on Saturday, but we're looking forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas too.

If anyone is curious about how the day will unfold, here's the gist:

The event starts at 1pm at Lynne's home. You'll have to email her for directions (lynneATleftinlowellDOTcom). From around 1-2pm, we're going to gouge ourselves with food, chat with each other, catch up and do what we please. Feel free to play fusbol, a have Hillary/Barack Dance-Off, Pin the Tail on the McBush, or the always fun "What Will Romney Say about Massachusetts Next?" If none of those ideas are appealing, you can also match (in)famous names with faces, network, or even talk politics - heavens forbid.

From around 2-3pm, we'll restore a little order by starting with a very quick presentation of what Lynne and I have already brainstormed (and we're ambitious), then we'll open the whole thing up for discussion.

From 3-4pm we'll finish whatever we didn't already finish, talk amongst ourselves again, this time maybe bringing these ideas to a personal level, and most importantly make sure the place is a mess and accidentally leave it for Lynne and Mr. Lynne to clean up. Of course, this is just how I envision the day going. I'm not actually going to bring a gavel, though I will wager a guess that at some point Lynne may want her house back.

Some Important Notes:

When: Saturday, April 19th, starting at 1pm.
Where: Lynne's house in Lowell, Mass. Email Lynne for directions at LynneATleftinlowellDOTcom.
HOW: You can drive or take mass transit: the train from Boston comes very close to Lynne's home in Lowell and there's a train that arrives just before the Fiesta will start. There are a few people willing to carpool, too, just email me and I'll try to find you a ride. If you're from the North Shore I'll bring you myself.
Do: Come with an empty stomach. We're providing lots of food and drinks, but no booze. BYOB.
Don't: forget to sign up! We're asking everyone to sign up by tomorrow, Thursday, April 17th (my birthday!). Or at least let us know you're coming by then.

Sonia on LeftAhead!

Note: Sonia is the first in a series of candidates we're welcoming onto LeftAhead as the local election season heats up. If you're a candidate running for something and want to discuss the issues and the race with people who actually care, send me an email and we'll book you for one of our upcoming shows. We're looking forward to hearing (from) you.

Today, we had a very special guest, Sonia Chang-Diaz, on at LeftAhead. Lynne, Mike and I took up all kinds of issues during the podcast and asked Sonia for as many details as possible. Lots of tough questions and issue specifics were asked, and we got some pretty good answers.

Sonia is particularly thoughtful on the core issues facing urban areas such as education and housing; I also found what she had to say about taxes toward the end very refreshing. Lynne was at least slightly concerned about the new debt this state is taking on through the recently-passed (and soon to be signed) transportation bond bills. While Sonia hasn't made a cost-benefit analysis on the transportation bond bill yet, she also shares some of Lynne's worries. Here's a window to Sonia's soul re: tax philosophy.

I always look with a weary eye on taking on debt. How does our tax policy work? One thing we [at the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center] always try to get out there and give people a good grounding on is the theories of fairness that are generally recognized when talking about tax policy... one of the theories is the 'use principal' - the idea that the people who use the goods should pay for them. Generally speaking... the use principal is not the fairest... I think it would strike people silly to structure a system that only the people who use a police system should pay for it... if you get mugged, you're charged a fee. That's not how the public system should work.

That's why generally the use principal is not one that should be our guiding principal when talking about taxes. But, the big exception to that ... is longterm infrastructural costs - for things like roads, bridges... that are going to be used over multiple generations in a state, where in no cases does it make sense to share costs across time and not just across the population that currently exists as a state.

Pretty nice drapes on that window, huh? If only the Republicans in D.C. got that principal on things like a certain war in a certain part of the country which is being bought and paid for by people my age (23) and younger, maybe the world would be a better place. Sometimes a bond bill makes sense - and I've actually come out in favor of Governor Patrick's bond bill, because in the long run doing these projects now will save money (and lives) over inflation in the long run. But we need more thinking on Sonia's line, as a whole, across the state and country. With that, she made for a very nice guest and I'm hoping people will listen.

Also: Included in the tags are all the issues we hit on the show.

Us vs. Them Attitudes

Every single city and town in this state is working on a shoe-string budget. For some reason I'll never quite understand, most people tend to view things through an us-vs.-them lens: 'Marblehead receives more Chapter 70 funding per capita than Swampscott, so let's raise some hell!' tends to be the general view in my town. Of course, the fact that Marblehead receives more funding than Swampscott isn't Swampscott's problem - it's the slap in the face that makes the problem worse. Unfortunately, as countless books discuss (such as What's the Matter with Kansas), it's easy to distract people from the real problems by alerting them to the fact that not everyone shares those problems. Many people may not be riled up if everyone's just as screwed over as they are, but that kind of attitude certainly doesn't make for smart governmental policy.

Of course, the problem extends way beyond school funding: I'm damn-near ready to trademark the sentence - "Pension reform is the new third rail of Massachusetts politics." Anyone else sick and tired about reading how teachers have it so well? Let me be the first to say, as the son of a teacher, their wonderful salaries (/sarcasm off) and benefits aren't all that they're cracked up to be.

Nor is eliminating public employee benefits and salaries the solution to our society's problems. First off, public employee pensions are fair. Massachusetts employees pay 11% of their salaries into pension funds and usually don't earn anywhere near as much as the private sector. Many public employees - the same ones who aren't anywhere near over payed - are also required to have more advanced degrees than private sector counterparts. Even the so-called worst offenders, the people who's pensions end up on the front page of the Boston Globe, have had to put in more than 20 years of service in the state to get them. If a few people are getting a sweet deal, that doesn't mean the pension system needs to be totally overhauled.

That's not to say the pension system is perfect and there isn't some room for reform, but the vitriol directed towards public employees is unsettling, and certainly the aims of many directing such vitriol goes way beyond what's fair and decent. I've yet to read a reasonable pension-reform post on BMG or article in the Boston Globe that proposes specific ideas on how to reform pensions so that there aren't the outliers that get more than they deserve, while also protecting the core middle and working class employees who have put 20+ years and 11%+ of their salaries into the system in return for those benefits. It's all about how some guy got such a sweet deal and it's so unfair and needs to stop, or it's about how public employees are hacks and don't deserve to be decently compensated. People clearly forget that public sector employees perform services that we all benefit from and thus deserve compensation on par with everyone else in society (lest we truly get what we pay for).

The bottom line is that lashing out against public sector employees may feel good, but it certainly isn't a solution to the problem: the erosion of the middle and working classes, or even our budget difficulties (pension reform would represent a fraction of a fraction of our budget deficit). Social Security alone isn't enough to cover the costs of living in today's society and most people aren't expert enough in planning for their future, or they simply don't have the funds necessary to make those plans. So, the problem is the lack of post-retirement security in the private sector, not Billy Bulger's cousins. The solution to the problem isn't tearing the middle and working class apart, it's actually addressing social security and the problems average citizens face when planning for their future. The solution, in essence, is in tackling the bigger issues.

Bond Bill Expensive, But Worth It

Does Massachusetts desperately need its bridges and roads fixed? Yes. That's all there is to it.

Treasurer Cahill is right, of course, that the bond bill is extremely expensive - and that the state is taking on heavy debt to fix its problems. But these problems exist and can't keep getting put off. The debt was already there and mounting because we weren't taking proper care of our infrastructure - better to fix the bridge in need of repairs than watch it tumble and repair costs skyrocket.

Furthermore, Governor Patrick is absolutely right when he says that putting these problems off are only going to cost this state more money in the long run: the rate of inflation on construction far exceeds the general market.

The strategy makes sense, administration officials said, because the state will save money by putting construction out to bid sooner, before inflation drives the prices up. Administration officials suggest that the state would save $1.8 billion over 20 years, based on a 7 percent inflation rate.

It all goes back to lessons from our mothers - and one thing I've learned from mine is that when something is needed, absolutely positively needed, you have to get it. I didn't have the money to go to college, but I needed the education. That's the only time it's really OK to bust out the state-issued credit card: when there's no other way to afford it, but the state desperately needs it. We may have more debt per capita than most states already, but we also have some of the worst bridges and roads across the country. They need to get fixed and that's all there is to it.

Tax Credit Nightmare

MassBudget created a brief the film tax credit bill just passed through the state. It doesn't look good. I'm not opposed to offering incentives to help bring companies into Massachusetts - but tax credits don't seem to be the way to go. First off, what normal citizen gets tax credits for anything? No one does. We get tax deductions. MassBudget explains the difference quite well in the link above, but suffice it to say a tax deduction just reduces the overall taxable income, while a credit is a government check sent right to Steven Spielberg. There's a few things that stink about that, but mainly this: the film industry can get tax credits even if they don't pay a dime in Massachusetts taxes. To be eligible for the tax credit, all film companies have to do is film part of a movie in Massachusetts and send the Commonwealth the bill for their time spent here - and, in these difficult economic times, we'll credit the film industry 25% of their total costs, without any guarantee of making even a fraction of the costs back. 25%, by the way, is way beyond what normal Massachusetts tax credits go for - others are far more reasonable, at around 3-5%.

None of this would be a big deal, of course, if this were going to be a net-positive for the state of Massachusetts - if we'd earn enough in new taxes to at least break even. We won't.

But could the tax credit pay for itself by increasing economic activity and associated state tax revenue? A recent report by the state Department of Revenue examined this possibility. The report estimated that the total tax revenue forgone in 2006 to 2008 would be 137.7 to 238.7 million. It then examined how much of this loss could be offset by new tax revenue. The findings... suggest that it is u nlikely that more than a small portion of the forgone revenue would be offset by new revenue. This analysis is consistent with other studies on film tax credits.

Again, this all stinks. This bill is going to cost this state tens of millions a year, without even keeping an industry inside Massachusetts. Outrageous. If we want to spend this kind of money to spur economic growth, can't we be more intelligent about it? More tax credits for local businesses would help new, often middle-class entrepreneurs deal with upfront costs and grow the economy in every region we want in Massachusetts. Those incentives could be set up for certain industries, as well, giving incentives not only for new startups, but also for new startups all across the state, naturally located for where they could do well.

If Beacon Hill wants Massachusetts to become a Little Hollywood - fine. But, my god, this kind of a tax credit isn't the way to do it. A tax deduction, on the other hand, makes sense for a number of reasons, even if it was up to 25% or more. First, we're not resorting to corporate welfare by giving a government handout to Hollywood, while we would never do anything so kind to the people struggling to get by in this state. Second, if a company actually wanted that 25% deduction - and I'm sure some out there would - then it would have to come to Massachusetts and build their studio here to get it. In other words, it would have to pay Massachusetts taxes.

Maybe if the times weren't so dire, we could afford to give free government handouts to large corporations that aren't even pretending they'll locate here. But, the fact of the matter is times haven't been worse, probably in the 23 years and 11 months I've been on this Earth. That doesn't mean we shut down our efforts to create economic growth and new opportunity - between the Life Sciences bill and the Renewable Energy bill, it's clear this state is making good on its promises to promote economic growth. The Film Tax bill is another decent idea to attracting a broader economy to Massachusetts - but we need permanent business, not just an extra film or two to do their shooting here, so they can write off their expenses and bill the good people of Massachusetts. If film studios are willing to locate serious assets here and pay taxes toward Massachusetts, and hire Massachusetts employees who will pay Massachusetts income taxes, then it's worth giving a tax break - but even then, not a massive giveaway.

All Revenue Generation Postponed...

Ugh. I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm just looking forward to get this vote over with. We need more revenue now, and Beacon Hill must act on these issues soon.

Lynne's 30 Mins With Deval on LeftAhead

On this week's leftahead we discussed Lynne's 30 minutes with the Governor, his bond bills, green energy proposals and how, yes, it makes a difference who you elect - as Lynne would say.

Yo, Globe: Wind's Popular on the Cape

Two new wind turbines will be built on Deer Island in Boston - a nice, local project that city residents should be proud of. Of course, the Globe had to tie in the not-even-related-or-even-comparable Cape Wind project. It's disappointing to see the Globe repeat the long-ago debunked claim that...

Cape Wind... [is] heatedly opposed by many people

Um.. really? What does "many" mean? A large majority of people on Cape Cod support the project, over 3/4s of the Commonwealth is for it. If the Globe feels the need to make comparisons to Cape Wind, which is such a massive and important project that it really isn't similar at all to the Deer Island project, it ought to at least give a more accurate picture of the real level of support. After all, "many" people still believe the world is flat. Cape Wind, by the numbers, is one of the least divisive and most popular issues out there. I'm almost convinced that the only person who doesn't support Cape Wind at this point is Senator Kennedy, and the only people who think the project is "controversial" are journalists in the mainstream media.

Action Alert: Corporate Taxes Cut April 8th

The Coalition of Social Justice sent a very important email.

Next Tuesday (April 8), the House is expected to vote on a proposal that would close corporate tax loopholes and cut the corporate income tax rate by 25% - costing $466 million!

The Speaker of the House, of course, is billing this as a great compromise: he agreed to cut corporate tax loopholes, but his "compromise" is so generous to Big Business that their taxes will be slashed an amount no ordinary citizen would ever be so lucky to receive.

It gets even worse.

Meanwhile, 103,000 corporations pay the minimum corporate tax of $456...while the average Mass. family pays $2700 in taxes. The proportion of state and local taxes paid by corporations in Mass is way below average - 42nd in the country! This is not fair!

Amen! The economic times are so bad - and getting so desperate - that my hometown of Swampscott is about to cut all of the high school's technical education classes. This comes one year after they shut down the best elementary school in the district, which consistently performed in the top 10 schools on the Massachusetts MCAS and was one of the state's few Compass schools. But it's okay to cut corporate taxes now?

It's good to see the Speaker willing to compromise on Governor Patrick's best ideas, and propose a few good ones of his own - from life sciences to renewable energy - but this just isn't good enough. We, as a state, are facing a billion dollar hole next year - and none of the politicians seem willing to do the courageous thing and raise taxes, even by a tiny fraction. Something's gotta give and so far it looks like only the middle and working class is the one sacrificing. Not good enough.

Contact your legislators. Tell them to make sure corporations in Massachusetts pay their fair share - that's all, just their fair share. We have real problems now and cutting corporate taxes isn't the solution. Enough is enough.

Hold the Presses!!

Another unsavory, former Mass employee has a state pension. Rewrite the page-one headline!

Is it just me, or has state pensions joined anti-immigration hate speech as the third rail of Massachusetts politics? Former state employees of 20 years or more who have a pension shouldn't be a front-page story in the Boston Globe. There are soldiers dying in Iraq for a war the President lied about. Let's get a grip.

A Deval Patrick Must Read

Lynne from LeftinLowell got a half hour with the Gov this morning. Do read about it!

Some highlights: Governor Patrick hopes to sign the Life Sciences Initiative and renewable energy bill within three weeks time (awesome!!). There's lots of planned investment in the state's roads, bridges and public universities (mostly bond bills, but good ones in such a tough economic time). The Governor's found some pretty nifty and creative ways to save money - and immediately translate the savings into projects desperately needed.

But, all in all, the best part about it is this: it represents another sign that Governor Patrick intends to get back to his roots - the grassroots. If he truly gets back on track, his forgettable winter and fall will be forgotten. We'll also make even more progress as a state. April is shaping up to be a wonderful month.

More discussion at BMG.

Body of War: Special Screening

Campus Progress keeps sending me all sorts of emails nowadays, even though I finally finished school, but so much the better - because they invited me to a special screening of a fantastic documentary called Body of War, which I saw tonight in Cambridge. It's about a wounded veteran, Tomas Young, who was shot just below the collar bone on his 5th day in Iraq - paralyzed from the chest down. It's a good illustration of the full consequences to Bush's venture in the Middle East - and all the lives he's ruining in the process.

Tonight's screening was technically an advance showing; it doesn't open until April 11th. However, the film's producer and news/talk personality, Phil Donoghue, will be at the film's local premiere in the Cambridge Kendall Square Cinema. I hope some readers will attend. It's important that we, as a people, take a step back and really think about the consequences of this war. It certainly adds perspective, and more importantly gives us the much-needed kick in the butt to do something about it. For example, it's well past time for the Democrats in the Senate to filibuster any war funding in Iraq - something that may very well come up this April. I'll certainly be calling Kerry's office to make sure he'll do the right thing as his term is about to expire and he's seeking reelection.

Truly Investigative Journalism

Casey Ross wastes his time and your's (if you read it), trying to dig a few extra inches into the gift that was Patrick's venture into NY. The Governor spent a whole, whopping $400-500 on the trip - we should be outraged!! His details didn't sleep in the streets, like they should have, to save our Commonwealth an extra dollar or two.

Talk about a faux controversy. The Governor has details around him 24/7 - for a reason. Imagine if they weren't there - and something awful happened to the Governor? I'm sure Casey would have been writing a completely different story. The fact is we have police details protecting our Governors for a reason.

Boston Globe: Fake News Alert

This is clearly the laziest, crappiest article to come out of the Boston Globe in a long, long time. What was Matt Viser thinking? You know, I've met him on one or two occasions and he's a young, seemingly thoughtful guy (young enough that he should know better) ... but, is he serious? I mean, really?

In the unusual posting, Rubin sought to put the focus on upcoming issues, specifically an economic address and education proposals. But he also appeared to be clearly trying to divert attention from the past few weeks, when the governor's casino legislation was resoundingly defeated by the House while he was out of state on undisclosed personal business....

Reviews were mixed, and as they tend to be online, pointed.

"Nice to see the ambulance was able to make it here, Mr. Rubin," wrote a poster using the name EaBoClipper. "But methinks the patient already lost too much blood."

The one quote he's going to include from the actual comments - indicative of the "mixed" review - is EaBoClipper, the hard-core Republican activist? That's supposed to be a fair representation of how the Governor's base feels? Come on! Journalists must love quoting from blogs, because they get to skip all the thoughtful and insightful posts and skip right to the one that's so offensive and so out of left field that they'd never, in a million years, ever be able to write that kind of crap under any other circumstances: they wouldn't write it themselves, and they wouldn't even quote it from an interview.

If this were posted a day earlier, I'd say this was a clever April Fool's Day joke from the old media to the new, but seeing how it wasn't I decided it was time for a Letter to the Editor. Here's what I sent in:

As a frequent contributer on BlueMassGroup.com, I'm truly baffled by Matt Viser's article about the Patrick Administration's post on the popular website ("Patrick is in a bind with his base," April 2nd). Far from showing an accurate representation of the Governor's base, Viser's shown a complete lack of understanding re: the dreaded blogosphere. Let me clue him in: BlueMassGroup is a site comprised of anyone - not just the Governor's base. Viser cherry-picked the comments included in his article, focusing on a quote from a Republican activist (EaBoClipper) who's never supported the Governor. How does that equate to disappointment among Patrick's supporters, the very thing Viser suggests happened in his headline? (Correct answer: it doesn't.)

If Viser bothered to do even a modicum of research, he wouldn't have fallen for that trap. Is it that difficult for professional journalists to really understand the blogosphere? For a true representation of the community, Viser needs to do more research, and an include a wider pool of sources than snarky Republicans. However, most important of all, why should Viser not do what he'd do in any other article - contact the source. To do anything else is lazy, sloppy journalism.

H/T Afertig at BMG.