Gregoire, Naughton Opposed on Transportation Bill Vote

Rep. Gregoire said communities have resources to fix their own infrastructure.

State Rep. Danielle Gregoire, D-Marlborough, voted against, while Rep. Harold Naughton, D-Clinton, voted for the transporation bill that recently passed through the House. Denying higher taxes for projects communities can pay for on their own was Gregoire's reason for voting against the bill. "I was hearing overwhelmingly that now is not the time for tax increases," said Gregoire, who represents the 4th Middlesex District, which covers Marlborough, Northborough and Westborough. Naughton, who represents 12th Worcester District, which includes parts of Northborough, said he believed that the House’s Transportation Bill "provides a much more reasonable and responsible plan than that proposed by the Administration, without unfairly burdening …

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What Do You Think About Gov. Patrick’s Travel Ban?

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 …

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What is a Gubernatorial State of Emergency?

Governor Deval Patrick has declared a State of Emergency, but what does that mean?

Governor Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency today banning car travel after 4 p.m. According to information from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, a state of emergency can involve different measures and does not always affect travel or private businesses. There may be a request for drivers to stay off the roads and for businesses to change their hours, but the governor may also order roads to be closed to non-emergency traffic. There has not been an ordered ban on travel since the Blizzard of '78. Violators could be fined up to $500 and be sentenced to a year in jail, although Governor Patrick says the main purpose is to get non-essential people off the roads. The state of emergency does not mean the state will …

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Patrick: We Need to Increase Income Tax to Invest in Our Future

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 …

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Ken B.

1:00 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013

Ayca/MC, So the best you got is a claim that since SC is corrupt we should throw more money down the demotax rathole under the guise of improving education and transportation ? Where's your proof that it will ?.....oh, nevermind, you said so, so it must be true. (Sound of buzzer) Dissss-missed !   more ›

Massachusetts Legislators To Receive Pay Cut

A drop in the state's median household income led to the salary reduction.

Massachusetts lawmakers will get a pay cut this year, in accordance with a state law that links legislators’ salaries to the state’s median household income. Governor Deval Patrick’s office announced the drop in wages this week. “As required by Article CXVIII of the Amendments to the Constitution, for the purpose of adjusting the base compensation of members of the General Court, we have ascertained, from the federal census American Community Survey and reports of average weekly wages, that the median household income for the Commonwealth for the preceding two-year period decreased by 1.8 percent,” Patrick said in a Jan. 2 letter to State Treasurer Steven Grossman. The pay cut amounts to about $1,000 annually from legislators’ current base…

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Alice Mask

12:27 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

As it should be.   more ›

TELL US: Did NStar, National Grid Perform Well During Hurricane Sandy?

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.

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What Would You Ask Gov. Patrick?

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.  

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Patch Facts

5 Things: No Cars This Week; The Warrior Needs a Home; Discount Halloween Costumes

Report to home room. It's Monday.

1. Today starts a Car-Free week in Massachusetts, instituted by the Patrick Murray administration. So, are you going to ditch your car for the week? 2. The Peaslee school's PTO is kicking off two fundraisers this month, one of which gives you a chance to get an awesome Halloween costume at a fraction of the store price. 3. Petfinder.com always has some wonderful pets up for adoption. This week, our featured pet from petfinder is Blackie. Find out why they call him "The Warrior." 4. Work it out: every Monday morning, the Northborough Senior Center hosts an aerobics session. 5. Did you go to Applefest? Share your photos and feedback with us here! And be sure to look for images and coverage of the fest from Northborough Patch.

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Shirley Lundberg Named to New Educator Preparation Advisory Group

Lundberg, secretary of the Northborough School Committee, was named a member of this new advocacy group.

Information courtesy of the Executive OFfice of Education Massachusetts Education Secretary Paul Reville today announced the formation of the Educator Preparation Advisory Group (EPAG), a group of education, business and advocacy organization leaders tasked with developing a 21st century educator preparation system in Massachusetts.  Shirley Lundberg, secretary of the Northborough School Committee and Director of Academics at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School in Marlborough, has been named one if its members. This enhanced system will reflect the evolution of teaching and leadership in the Commonwealth as well as the Patrick-Murray Administration’s ongoing efforts to create a more unified, aligned, and coherent public education…

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