Saturday, February 9, 2013
Do you agree with the governor's decision or was it too drastic?
All non-emergency drivers were ordered off the roads on Friday when Gov. Deval Patrick issued an executive order banning travel during the blizzard. (Editor's note: The ban is lifted statewide as of 4 p.m. Saturday.) Patrick's executive order is being praised by some and bashed by others, reported The Boston Globe. While former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was in charge of the commonwealth during the Blizzard of ’78, praised the governor’s move, others called the order “tyrannical” and say the strict ban and hefty fines were too much, according to The Globe. Those caught violating the ban would face up to a year in jail and a $500 fine. What do you think? Do you agree with the governor’s decision or do you think the travel ban …
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tell us: do you think we need 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 1 percentage point and lowering the sales tax to pay for $2 billion in 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 …
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Lawmakers were surprised this week by Gov. Deval Patrick's statements that some illegal immigrants should pay in-state tuition at state universities and colleges.
Gov. Deval Patrick took state legislators by surprise when he told college and university officials that illegal immigrants who obtain a federal work permit should pay in-state tuition. In statements to the media on Monday, Patrick said that the policy is in line with what President Obama authorized last summer — that young illegal immigrants, who were brought here before age 16 with their parents, could obtain a federal work permit and remain in the U.S. without threat of deportation. He said that students who have obtained these federal work permits in the past have been allowed to pay in-state tuition, according to a report in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. But some legislators are concerned about the financial impact, including …
Thursday, November 1, 2012
The two utility companies have had complaints in recent storms—Hurricane Irene and Snowtober—but say they stepped it up for Sandy.
Hurricane Sandy blew out of the region earlier this week, but not without causing massive power outages, some of which have yet to be fixed. Both National Grid and NStar say they did a better, faster job in fixing power outages than in previous storms, according to WBUR. Not everyone agrees, however. According to the story, Newton Mayor Setti Warren said NStar was faster, but there's still work to be done. Gov. Deval Patrick also told WBUR the companies worked faster, but said a "total victory" can't be declared. Do you agree? Have they improved since the last storm? Or is there still work to be done? Tell us in the comments.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Gov. Deval Patrick speaks with Patch readers live at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Which questions do you want him to answer?
If you could ask Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick one question, what would it be? Patrick will join Patch Thursday at 1:30 p.m. for a live chat with readers. Now isyour chance to ask the executive of the commonwealth your question about casinos, the economy, elections or whatever else you want to know. Can't make it to the live chat? Leave your questions for Patrick in the comments to have them considered for the live Q&A session. We'll be sure to ask about the most popular topics when we chat Thursday. To join our chat, head on over to our homepage from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. on Thursday.
Ask Gov. Deval Patrick about any topic you like during our live chat at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Gov. Deval Patrick will take your questions live on Patch this Thursday. The governor will spend 45 minutes fielding your questions as they come. Head to our homepage from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. on Thursday to join our chat. You'll simply have to provide your name, and you'll be able to ask your questions immediately. If you can't make the live chat, leave your questions as comments to this article, and we'll do our best to add them to the queue. We will publish the live chat transcript immediately and a recap first thing on Friday morning. Questions submitted will be subject to moderator approval. No vulgar or libelous comments will be allowed. Because we expect a high volume of questions for the chat session, we will keep the questions …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The program is set to begin today, May 15, despite objections by Gov. Deval Patrick.
With a new fingerprint sharing program to determine the immigration status of suspects set to start today, May 15, federal immigration authorities are taking steps that would mitigate concerns. The Secure Communities program, which Massachusetts officials preparing to start Tuesday, May 15, will send fingerprints of people arrested in local communities through federal databases to determine whether a suspect is in the country illegally. ICE spokesman Ross Feinstein said the agency's policy is confirm the program's start only after it is actually launched. As it prepares to roll out the program, ICE has taken the following steps to improve its implementation, according to a federal immigration official. At a meeting at Mass Bay Community …
Saturday, January 28, 2012
A tax on cigarettes and junk food has a goal of raising money for the state and making residents healthier.
Under a proposal by Gov. Deval Patrick, "sin taxes" on cigarettes will increase and new sales taxes on candy and soda will be put into place. Patrick is proposing the increase as a way to raise $260 million in new revenues for the state budget, according to an Associated Press article on Wednesday. Under the plan, the cigarette tax will be increased from $2.51 per pack to $3.01 per pack - an increase of 50 cents. The plan will also ask to impose the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax on candy and soda — both items are currently exempt from the tax — and expand the state’s bottle deposit law to include bottled water, sports drinks and other beverages, the Associated Press reported. The plan would also double the taxes paid on other tobacco …
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A delegation of more than 50 Massachusetts professionals will accompany Patrick when he visits three Brazilian states in December, on a privately financed trip.
Editor's Note: This article first appeared on Framingham Patch. Gov. Deval Patrick unveiled Wednesday the details of a trade mission trip to Brazil. Patrick is following the footsteps of 15 governors, including Rick Scott, of Florida, and Tim Pawlenty, of Minnesota, who visited Brazil in the past three years. Called Innovation Economy Mission, the Governor will visit Brasilia, Brazil’s capital, and companies and universities in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo between Dec. 4 and 9. “The trip will be focused on creating jobs in Massachusetts in life sciences, information technology, clean energy, and education,” Patrick said, at a press conference held at the Governor’s office in Boston Wednesday. There will be three delegations going to Brazil…
Monday, October 3, 2011
The fatal crash that claimed the life of Matthew Denice has put Gov. Deval Patrick on the defensive for his decision to not support Secure Communities.
JT
3:40 pm on Sunday, February 10, 2013
People should use their common sense in situations like this--but there are always some who won't and will endanger others in the process. The ban was good in that respect, and the $500 fine certainly should have made folks think twice if they were hesitating over driving or staying home for no particular reason. However, the threatened jail time was absurd--and enough's been said about that here… more ›