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 …
Friday, February 1, 2013
MassDOT's secretary and CEO visited Westborough this week to highlight the governor's plan to create jobs and expand economic opportunity.
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Friday, February 1
Press release submitted by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey visited the 495/MetroWest Partnership on Friberg Parkway in Westborough on Jan. 30. Davey was in town to discuss the governor's plan to create jobs and expand economic opportunity throughout Massachusetts. Davey highlighted the new growth opportunities and quality of life infrastructure improvements in store for the region as part The Way Forward: A 21st-Century Transportation Plan and also discussed strategies to build a 21st century public education system. “The business community has chosen to anchor itself in this region,” said Davey. “To keep business thriving across the …
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 …
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 …
Friday, August 3, 2012
Beaton served on conference committee.
Gov. Deval Patrick today signed into law a compromise bill designed to "strengthen many of the renewable energy programs that were created in the Green Communities Act," state Rep. Matthew Beaton (R-Shrewsbury) said. The Act Relative To Competitively Priced Electricity In The Commonwealth also seeks to take "further steps to protect the best interests of the ratepayer and taxpayer," Beaton, whose district includes Westborough precincts 1 and 4, said in a press release. Beaton served on the conference committee for the bill. "The bill addresses the high cost of electricity in Massachusetts in an effort to support job creation and economic recovery. It seeks to reduce the price of electricity by identifying cost-drivers, reviewing rates on a…
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 ›