Tension between the town and the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is growing as both sides stake out their positions in the squabble over a now-defunct deal to put a casino in Middleboro.  Selectmen on Monday voted unanimously to send a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick asking him to insist the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe work with the town to resolve differences over their agreement and  to cease any negotiations with the tribe until the matter is resolved.   The tribe entered into an agreement with Middleboro in 2007 to put a resort casino on land  in Middleboro. But the deal fizzled and the tribe began Continue reading >>>

The Fight Over How Deeply To Cut Health Care Costs A behind the scenes fight about what goal Massachusetts should set for cutting health care costs burst into the open tonight. The Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO) and the state’s largest employer group, Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) are both calling for an a target that would mean deep cuts. Although health care spending has been growing at least twice as fast as the rest of the state’s economy, these groups say the state must hold health care spending to two points BELOW the Continue reading >>>

Burlington officials have already voiced several concerns about the potential impact of proposed MBTA cuts on the town, as have others throughout the greater Boston area. Now the Metropolitan Area Planning Council has added health concerns to the long list of arguments against reducing public transportation options and raising fares. The MAPC on Tuesday, March 13 released a report stating that the proposed changes to MBTA fares and service "would carry significant human and financial costs for the region, resulting in avoidable losses of life and hundreds of millions of dollars in preventable Continue reading >>>

Days after the Patrick administration reported that the state added 12,200 jobs last year, or more than 30,000 fewer than initially reported, Senate Republicans on Tuesday called on Auditor Suzanne Bump to audit the methodology for determining state employment figures. In a letter to Bump, the four-member Senate Republican caucus wrote, "Being able to accurately gauge the number of jobs being created on a monthly and yearly basis is crucial to determining how effective the state’s regulatory and tax policies are . . . " The senators also referenced a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce report Continue reading >>>