Week Ending October 29, 2010
With a week until Election Day, the four gubernatorial candidates participated in the final televised debate of the campaign on Monday night. Hosted by a Boston media consortium including WHDH, NECN, WBUR, WGBH, and the Boston Globe, the debate was moderated by former ABC World News anchor Charles Gibson and focused heavily on the economy and each candidate’s plan to put people back to work. Republican candidate Charlie Baker was forced to defend a memo on the Big Dig that he wrote in 1998 when he served as budget chief for then Governor Paul Cellucci. In the memo, leaked Sunday by the Associated Press, Baker wrote that Big Dig spending threatened to force “Draconian” cuts to other public transportation projects, an apparent contradiction to other public statements Baker made at the time regarding to Big Dig spending.
A barrage of polls was released this week. According to a poll released on Friday by Rasmussen, Gov. Patrick is locked in a dead heat with Baker, with Patrick up by two points and within the poll’s 4 percent margin of error. A State House News poll released on Friday show Patrick with a slightly larger lead, receiving 40 percent to Baker’s 37 percent and independent Tim Cahill’s 9 percent. The poll carries a 4.8 margin of error.
In addition, a Suffolk University/WHDH poll released on Thursday shows Patrick with a 6 point lead over Baker (43-37) and 10 percent undecided. When undecided voters are asked express a preference for a candidate, Patrick’s lead grows to 46-39. The poll also surveyed other statewide races, and found the following results:
- State Auditor’s Race: Suzanne Bump (D): 28%, Mary Connaughton (R): 26%, Undecided, 40 %
- State Treasurer’s Race: Steven Grossman (D): 39%, Karyn Polito (R): 36%, Undecided: 25 %
- Attorney General: AG Martha Coakley (D): 57%, James McKenna (R): 31%, Undecided: 12%
- Secretary of State: Sec. of State William Galvin (D) : 49%, William Campbell (R) 18%, James Henderson (I): 5 %
The poll interviewed 500 likely voters between Oct. 25 and Oct. 27 carries a 4.4 percent margin of error.
The House and Senate met briefly for informal sessions on Monday and Thursday. The House session ended abruptly when House leaders tried to bring up a welfare benefits bill that aims to prevent welfare recipients from using electronic benefit cards to purchase alcohol, cigarettes and Lottery tickets. On Monday, Rep. Elizabeth Poirier (R-North Attleborough) challenged the consideration of the bill (H 4830) by doubting a quorum, prompting House leaders to adjourn their session. During an informal session on Thursday, Poirirer doubted the presence of a quorum a second time, ending debate on the issue. Republican leaders say that Democrats are trying to force the bill through now to drum up additional support from voters pre-Election Day, and are now saying they will not support the bill unless an amendment is filed to create different fines and penalties than the ones Democrats included in the bill. House Minority Leader Bradley Jones said last week he would hold up the bill through the end of the year if Republicans are unable to have input. Rep. Vincent Pedone (D-Worcester), the bill sponsor, said he has not heard from Republican leaders about their objections to the bill, and he thinks there will not be any changes to the existing law until legislators return to formal session in January.
The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute reported this week that economic growth in Massachusetts slowed significantly in the third quarter, compared to the first half of this year. Forecasts released by UMass in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston project that the state’s economy is expected to grow at an even slower 3 percent annualized rate over the next six months due largely to a slowdown in national economic growth.
According to the Beacon Hill Institute’s State Competitiveness Report, released this week, Massachusetts ranked as the nation’s third most competitive state, behind North Dakota and Colorado. The report, published annually, is based on 43 indicators. Massachusetts strengths in human resources and technology are offset by lower scores in indexes measuring government and fiscal policy and environmental policy.
The Warren Group reported this week that September homes sales in Massachusetts plunged to their lowest level in 19 years and third quarter sales were off 20 percent compared to the same quarter in 2009. Year-to-date sales, boosted by a homebuyer tax credit, are up 6.5 percent from the same period a year ago.
John Nunnari, Assoc AIA
BSA/AIA MA Public Policy Director
jnunnari@architects.org
617-951-1433 x263
617-951-0845 (fax)
Boston Society of Architects/AIA
The Architects Building
52 Broad Street, Boston MA 02109-4301
www.architects.org
Medfield02052's Blog 