Meredith Warren quoted in Boston Globe on MA Gov's race

Meredith Warren is quoted in the Sunday Boston Globe today, discussing a possible match-up between Charlie Baker, Republican candidate for MA Governor, and Steve Grossman, Democratic candidate and current State Treasurer:

"The strongest argument for Baker against Grossman is an insider argument, that Grossman is so tied into the Democrats that there’s no backstop," said Republican consultant Meredith Warren. "If the Democratic Legislature wants to raise taxes, Steve’s not going to stop them."

You can read the full story here: Steve Grossman hopes endorsements will pave the path to victory

Boston Globe's Editorial Gets One Right on Liquor Licensing

Of all the editorial pages in Boston, the Boston Globe's isn't always the one we agree with the most. But today, we think they make the right call, and we applaud them for it.

In a strangely conservative fashion, today's Globe editorial calls for a dramatic increase in local control through the abolition of Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission and by ending legislative approval of local alcohol licenses.

Abolition of the ABCC is long since overdue. As the Globe says, it's an anachronism, as well as a traditional source of political cronyism and patronage. And, it makes much more sense for local licensing and enforcement authorities to regulate the sale of alcohol across our state. If anything, local authorities could handle licensing and enforcement under the direction of a (small) statewide regulatory commission, preserving statewide standards and acting as arbitrator when necessary.

One thing the Globe did not mention is that, in today's world, the award of licenses to sell alcohol is an important matter of economic development, particularly when it comes to restaurants. Restaurant growth is important in its own right, but eating establishments are also important accessory uses for larger economic development projects. And, any restaurant owner will tell you that it's a lot more difficult (or impossible) to get started if you don't have a liquor license. Local licensing authorities are completely capable of making these decisions without legislative meddling.

But if you want these changes too, don't hold your breath. Liquor licenses are an important pawn in the horse trading that goes on up on Beacon Hill. And taking them away from state pols isn't likely to happen anytime soon.

The Republicans are coming! The Republicans are coming!

Today's Boston Globe sounds the alarm that Massachusetts could lose $200 million in federal funding for projects here in the Bay State as Congress fills up with fiscally-conservative Republicans.

But when you look deeper in the article, you see that this coveted federal money is not intended for job creation, schools, or some of the other things you'd expect the government to invest in with a national unemployment rate over nine percent and a $13 trillion national debt.

Here's some of what's actually on the list:

• Renovations for a new visitor's center abutting the Paul Revere House and new restroom facilities. Is this really a priority? We're sure Paul Revere would have liked more bathroom facilities in his house, too, but he didn't have the money for it either.
• A $10 million cash infusion for the Edward Kennedy Institute for the US Senate. Isn't the $38.3 million federal funding already reserved for the project enough? The Globe says the facility "is scheduled to open in 2013 and is meant to serve as an educational facility and research center for students, academics, and elected officials." Isn't there another worthy education cause that would benefit everyone?
• A $300,000 grant to replace a 911 communications tower in Newton. Newton just spent $200 million for a new high school. Could the community possibly have scrimped and saved a little bit to cover public safety costs?

This brings up two interesting issues related to last week's electoral results.

First, if Democrats in the Massachusetts Delegation lose their chairmanships and become less able to bring home the bacon for the Bay State with Republicans in charge of Congress, will they lose credibility going into the next election?

Second, with only a few weeks of Democratic hegemony left on Capitol Hill, what last-minute legislation will Democrats force through while they still have the chance? President Obama has two years left in his first term, but only two months left to accomplish his agenda without Republican interference.

Projects like the Paul Revere House and the Kennedy Institute both rely in part on private funding, but in times like these, maybe they need to rely on private funds even more. The Paul Revere House has been standing there for hundreds of years. Waiting an extra year or two until we can afford to put new bathrooms in isn't that long a wait, relatively speaking.

What do you think? Please post a comment below and let us know your thoughts.