Wednesday, June 19, 2013
The U.S. Senate candidates have one week to go before voters head to the polls.
Gabriel Gomez and Edward Markey spent their final debate before next week's U.S. Senate special election clashing over their records and who has the better vision for both their commonwealth and their country. The debate, taped in Boston, broadcast on several local networks and moderated by veteran city newsman and Boston University professor R.D. Sahl, was the last of three contests before voters head to the polls to fill U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's former seat. No matter the issue, be it taxes, gun control, abortion, national security and their own personal and professional histories, the two men found disagreements at every turn. Each candidate could agree on one thing: they believe the other candidate's ideas are "old and …
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Debate to air on WCVB Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Another U.S. Senate election for Massachusetts is drawing to a close, with the two combatants set to square off one final time before voters head to the polls June 25. Democratic Congressman Edward Markey of Malden and Republican businessman and former U.S. Navy SEAL Gabriel Gomez will hold the last of three debates Tuesday evening in the race to fill the seat formerly held by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. The debate will air live from 7 to 8 p.m. on WCVB (Channel 5). The debate will be moderated by R.D. Sahl of Boston University. The two previous debates for the candidates were held in Boston and Springfield. Recent polling has suggested an edge for Markey in the race. Both candidates have received visits from high-profile …
The bill, aimed at curbing abuse and fraud, will be debated by the Senate Thursday.
State Senate Democrats have introduced a new bill this week intended at reforming the Massachusetts welfare system, including forcing applicants to prove they have searched for employment through a state program. According to Boston.com, the bill is aimed at shaking up what Senate President Therese Murray called a "stagnant" system. And the Senate expects to act quickly with a vote coming Thursday. Boston.com reported the bill would also force adult welfare recipients to use EBT cards with "photographic identity." Penalties of perjury could be imposed on recipients who use a false identity. In a statement, Republican Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said the bill "reflects a comprehensive approach that seeks to transition recipients away …
Saturday, June 15, 2013
If the special election was today, who would you choose as our new U.S. senator?
A week from Tuesday, Massachusetts voters will decide who to elect in the special election to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. We want to know - if the election was today - who would you vote for? Candidates Democrat Ed Markey and Republican Gabriel Gomez have been pullling out all the stops in the last two weeks as the latest polls show the gap is narrowing between the two. After weeks of relative quiet, the negative ads have started to clog the airways and both candidates have had high-profile folks stumping for them. Rudy Guiliani was in town last week putting his support behind Gomez and President Obama came to Boston this week showing his support for Markey. So tell us, if you had to vote today who would …
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
His was not the story of Deval Patrick, or Mitt Romney or Bill Weld. Argeo Paul Cellucci started local on the Board of Selectmen in his beloved town of Hudson and worked his way up: state representative, state senator, lieutenant governor, governor, ambassador. He was the Calvin Coolidge of his time, according to former Minority Leader Richard Tisei, and Democrats, Republicans and Canadians, alike, loved and respected him for it. Cellucci passed away last weekend after a battle with Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 65, and on Thursday he became the 13th public figure to lie in state under the State House rotunda. The memorial service and public viewing for the former governor drew a who's-who to Beacon Hill, including Romney, Michael …
Friday, June 14, 2013
Patch offers mosquito prevention tips, and the map below shows the number of West Nile cases last summer.
After a particularly tough year for the West Nile virus in 2012, Massachusetts health officials are bracing for what could be another busy summer for the mosquito-borne illness. Although, with so many factors playing into the problem, the track of West Nile is not an easy one to predict, said Kevin Cranston, director of the Bureau of Infectious Disease for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. “We can’t pin down all of the elements that go into why one season is bad and another season is not,” Cranston said. But if this summer is similar to last summer—marked by extended periods of very hot weather—some parts of the state could see a high number of cases as occurred in 2012. To give residents a sense of West Nile’s prevalence in …
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Margin between the two Senate candidates was 52-35 a month ago.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez has narrowed the polling gap with Democratic candidate Edward Markey in a new Suffolk University poll. In a survey of what the university called 500 "tightly-screened" likely voters, Markey has garnered 48 percent of support to Gomez's 41 percent. Ten percent have not yet made up their minds while one percent refused to answer and another one percent are supporting Twelve Visions candidate Richard Heos. “Ed Markey continues to lead but the margin has dwindled,” said David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston in a statement along with Monday's poll results. “Markey’s core ballot test number has fallen below 50 percent and recent Obama administration…
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Former governor will lie in state in the Hall of Flags Rotunda Thursday before a funeral Mass in his hometown Friday.
Former Gov. Paul Cellucci, who passed away Saturday after a long battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, will be honored at the State House with a memorial service Thursday. A funeral Mass for Cellucci will be held Friday in his hometown of Hudson as well, according to a statement from the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Shortly after noon on Thursday, Cellucci's motorcade will be arriving at the State House with a formal procession up the State House front steps. An invitation-only memorial service for Cellucci will begin at 12:30 p.m. According to the Boston Globe, the service will be live-streamed. Thereafter, a public viewing for Cellucci will be held in the Hall of Flags Rotunda at the State House from 2:30 to 7 p.m., …
Saturday, June 8, 2013
The state may approve 18 more giant lighted boards as a way to boost revenue. Is it worth the money if the light burns all night long?
Are you ready for digital billboards on state land across the commonwealth? How about in your town or city? The Department of Transportation wants the glowing house-sized signs on its property across the state, and the revenue they'll bring to the state, according to The Boston Globe. Under the current deal signed with Clear Channel, the state would get a cut of each billboard's revenue—either 25 percent or $90,000 per year, whichever is higher. But other states negotiated more lucrative deals. Current state law allows these digital billboards, but prohibits any animation. So you won't see the latest Geico lizard ad or anything like that, but you may see a rotating set of images. It also requires the sign's owner to set aside time for …
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
It could have been a turning point in the race, the moment when the lights flicked on and the much-anticipated contest finally lived up to expectations for a U.S Senate race. Would Congressman Edward Markey finally slam the door on Gabriel Gomez and dash the GOP's dream of Scott Brown redux? Could Gomez shine, narrow the polls and entice national Republican donors to start paying attention? Instead, all anyone wanted to talk about Thursday morning was the thrilling Bruins double overtime victory in Game 3 of the NHL Eastern Conference finals. Tuukka Rask as a write-in? At long last, Markey and Gomez shared the same debate stage. In fact, they were so close to each other in the WBZ studios they practically shared a podium. It was all Markey…
Moudsie
10:40 am on Wednesday, June 19, 2013
First, Gomez' reply when asked about former employers, etc. will spout he was a Navy Seal. While good -- not an answer - - and did anyone check to see when he ran for selectman from his town - he didn't even make the top 3! That should tell people a lot -- his neighbors didn't want it. Also, he disses Markey for having Obama and Clinton campaign for him -- but I guess it was okay to have McCain … more ›