Below is the text of a letter I sent today to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, asking it to disqualify the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance from submitting comments or giving testimony in an upcoming regulatory hearing, based upon MassFiscal’s refusal to comply with OCPF’s directive in CPF 16-20.
Month: November 2018
The United States, Asylum Policy, and Central America
One of the constants about immigration as a topic is how emotional people of all stripes get talking about it despite little to no understanding of immigration law. This is not necessarily their fault. The salience of the immigration phenomenon and the complexity of the rules, coupled with misinformation stemming from politicians, media organizations and…
Let the Longmeadow voters have their say.
Elected officials often find themselves on the horns of a dilemma. Should they be more focused on accurately representing the sentiments of those who elected them or should they rely on their own judgment to make decisions about which they have more information than voters? In other words, should they act as delegates or trustees?…
Day 827. Office of Campaign and Political Finance Held Hostage by Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance
Remember Zippy Chippy, the race horse that lost one hundred consecutive races? That pretty much sums up the recent fortunes of Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. But thanks to a two year old decision of the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance unearthed by the Boston Globe’s Scot Lehigh, things are about to get…
Yes on Three
Coming out of the grocery store yesterday afternoon, I was miffed to see that there was a flyer stuck under my windshield wipers. For those of you who don’t know me, this is one of my pet peeves, most likely because I rarely notice them until I am driving down the road and they start…
Question 2 and the Myths about Citizens United
Guest post from Professor Raymond J. La Raja of UMass Amherst and Professor Brian Schaffner of Tufts University. With Election Day in just a few days, Massachusetts voters must make up their minds on three important ballot questions. Unfortunately too little attention has been paid to Question 2. We have several concerns about it. Question…
Will #MaPoli Go Green in 2018?
While the 2018 election season has been marked by spirited debate over an array of issues, few have garnered more attention from candidates running for office in Massachusetts than the environment and, more specifically, climate change. David Abel of The Boston Globe deemed climate change one of the central topics in the gubernatorial election, adding…
Baker’s Re-Election is Business-as-Usual in MA Politics.
The coverage of the Bay State’s gubernatorial election this year is both business as usual and just a bit surreal. A Globe headline in today’s paper illustrates my point. It reads “Charlie Baker says he’s been tough on Trump when it matters. Is that enough for Mass. voters?” Average Massachusetts voters have taken no great…
Massachusetts Election Season: More Buckeye, Please
Less than a week from the November 6th election and I am here to write on Massachusetts politics. Folks, all I got is a longing for the Buckeye state where I grew up. Sure, I far prefer living in Massachusetts when it comes to public policy. State commitment to universal healthcare, prioritization of funding for…