
	Hack the ‘hack holidays' Friday, July 03 Tomorrow is July 4, a holiday that state Senator Jack Hart has claimed will be jeopardized in Massachusetts should efforts to remove Bunker Hill Day and Evacuation Day from the list of paid holidays for state employees succeed. Full Story What more will it take? Friday, July 03 Powerful testimony this week on Beacon Hill, and yet another accident involving an elderly driver, should finally tip the scales in favor of the passage of tough legislation regulating older drivers. Full Story Curbing predator banks Four years ago, when his political career was on the rise, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, worried about the predatory lending practices of Full Story Phasing out Quinn Bill With the state having cut $40 million from the police bonus program known as the Quinn Bill, there is confusion in many communities as to their Full Story Pushing the public option Wednesday, July 1 Tuesday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee nudged the health care reform debate forward by releasing a draft summary of a public option insurance plan to be run by the federal government. Full Story Court finds smoke, no fire Tuesday, June 30 Ruling by the familiar 5-4 majority, the U.S. Supreme Court Monday succeeded in making a federal case out of an effort by New Haven, Connecticut to right a wrong. Full Story A shattered glass house Monday, June 29 South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford doesn't appear to be a very good husband, which is his wife's business. Full Story Afghanistan: A tough, necessary war Sunday, June 28 To successfully combat an insurgency, it is necessary to have plenty of troops, ideally from a wide alliance. Full Story A solid ethics bill Saturday, June 27 Scandals and the recession have cast a cloud on Beacon Hill, but the silver lining is passage of an admirable ethics reform bill. Full Story Back Wind Siting Act Friday, June 26 Unless we plan on moving back into caves we will continue to need energy, and unless we are content to continue polluting the atmosphere and fueling the scourge of global warming, we will need alternative sources of energy. Full Story State's health care burden Thursday, June 25 The $115 million in cuts to the state's landmark health care program made by its overseers at the Connector Authority are painful but unavoidable. Full Story Deadline on reform Wednesday, June 24 Should Governor Deval L. Patrick proceed with his threatened veto of the state sales tax hike in the absence of a strict ethics reform bill, the Legislature could probably override the veto and assume the electorate will forget about the failure to enact reform soon enough. Full Story Court's missed chance By sidestepping a ruling on the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court enabled both advocates and opponents to spin the decision concerning the actions by an Austin, Texas utility district in their favor. Full Story Ballot initiative reform Before the ballot referendum silly season gets underway in anticipation of the 2010 state election campaign, we hope the Legislature will pass bills designed to both clarify the process and remove the corrupting influence of big money. Full Story Pittsfield shines on watery day Our neighbors to the north in Pittsfield deserve a big round of applause. In the midst of the deluge and hail Monday, they got soaked to the skin Full Story