Massachusetts ranks 37th in the nation in pay equity – with women earning an average of 77 percent of men for the same kinds of work. Gender-based discrimination is, of course, illegal, but that hasn't stopped this kind of thing from continuing. So what can we do? A lot, as it happens, if lawmakers will finally give the issue the full attention it deserves. Read more >>

If we believe one of the functions of our government is to protect the most vulnerable among us when they need a helping hand, what kind of leadership allows for rules like this? No child should have to sleep on the street - especially if it's just to help meet some sort of contrived quota that lawmakers have come up with to make their books look better.  Read more >>

Given that more than 52% of voters in Massachusetts are independent - unenrolled with either Republicans or Democrats - you'd think there would be more Independent candidates. At the least, you'd expect there to be even one Independent lawmaker in the legislature, but there are none. Why is this? Read more >>

In a speech yesterday, Wayne LaPierre, head of the NRA, said this:

"Imagine living in a large metropolitan area, where lawful firearms ownership is heavily regulated and discouraged.  Imagine waking up to a phone call from the police, warning that a terrorist event is occurring outside, and ordering you to stay inside your home.  I'm talking, of course, about Boston." Read more >>

We hear a lot about candidates "mulling" running for one office or another. Check out daily news, Facebook posts and radio blurbs, and you’ll see and hear it over and over again. “I’m mulling a run,” candidates hint, or “This race is something I’m really mulling over.”  Short of mulled wine, it's a word you never otherwise hear.  Read more >>

There's little question that the state of Massachusetts faces serious problems with its transportation system.  Decades of under-investment have created a system that has reached a breaking point. Read more >>

When the Republican candidates for the special election for Senate debated last night, the issue of reproductive freedom - particularly abortion - was front and center.  Read more >>

Did you know Massachusetts was one of only six states in the country to get an "F" on the transparency of the lawmaking process?  

 It's true.  Read more >>

I was reading today about how quickly even what might seem like permanent political systems can unravel.  To use a striking example, in the Arab Spring, countries like Egypt with powerful centralized authorities lost their grip on power in a matter of weeks. 

How does this kind of thing happen?  And what do examples like this from far away tell us about our own country? Read more >>

The current debate on taxes in Massachusetts is missing the point.  Governor Patrick started the debate by proposing - in a way that seemed to surprise voters and legislators alike - that the state spend about $2 billion a year in new taxes to pay for investments in transportation and education. Read more >>