Why Did the State’s Top Tax Official Ignore Boston’s Tax Mess?
What’s up with state Commissioner of Revenue Geoffrey Snyder? Why won’t he look into Boston’s admission that it hiked taxes on 150 struggling commercial buildings?
Want More ‘Gentle Density?’ Process Matters as Much as Zoning
You can pass all the zoning reforms you want, but they won’t make a dent in the housing crisis. Local officials still have too many ways to delay or stop projects.
I Saw the Cost of Mass. Failure to Rebuilt Highway Rest Stops
Thanks to a botched contracting process last year, Massachusetts is stuck offering the equivalent of a gap-toothed smile to travelers for years to come.
Campaign to Resurrect Nuclear Power in Mass. Deserves to Succeed
As electric bills soar, Tim Cahill, the former state treasurer turned regional business leader, thinks nuclear energy could make an unlikely comeback in power-starved Massachusetts.
Boston Hit 150 Buildings with Higher Tax Bills After Appeals
The Pioneer New England Legal Foundation says new documents, turned over by city officials as part of its lawsuit, proves the retaliation they allege was widespread.
The Mass. Innovation Economy Has New Competitor to Fear: Ohio
It’s time for Massachusetts to get its competitive mojo back, and fast. From Silicon Valley to Ohio’s Silicon Heartland, everyone else is eating our lunch.
Will MassHousing Get the Investigation It Deserves?
Reports of million-dollar fraud at MassHousing should have everyone demanding a thorough inquiry that holds even the quasi-public lender’s CEO accountable.
Massachusetts Is Missing Out on Both Parts of the AI Boom
The AI revolution is increasingly happening everywhere but Massachusetts. Both data centers and the tech firms that need them are bypassing us, wholesale.
Reasonable Fix to Boston’s Property Tax Problem Passes Senate
A bipartisan measure passed the state Senate last week to finally give seniors in Boston a break on their property taxes, fixing a problem the city’s mayor can’t.
Beacon Hill Won’t Go Big on Housing. But That’s Not the End of the Story
Hoping Beacon Hill will demolish NIMBY zoning in one grand bill? Consider the saying that insanity is doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results.
In Maine and Mass., Dems’ Economic Tightrope on Display
Amid the fallout from Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign, an overlooked intra-party fight over data centers shows how big of a problem Democrats have across the country.
Is Boston Headed for Stagnation? Or Is This Slowdown Just Temporary?
Boston was a boomtown in the 2010s, with tower cranes dotting the skyline. That era is definitely over, and a new report makes you wonder about where we’re headed.
Housing Is the Ultimate Numbers Game
That we have a housing shortage in Massachusetts, and that it is getting ever more dire by the year, is not some arcane economics debate.
Focusing on Income Inequality Misses the Forest for the Trees
It’s a cost-of-everything crisis, and it has put large swaths of the middle class under financial siege, especially here in Massachusetts.
Rent Control ‘Deal’ Is Just a Negotiated Surrender
The much-touted agreement between rent control advocates and a handful of developers is no compromise. And it will do nothing to lower housing costs.
Boston’s Top Taxman Is Out, But Big Questions Linger
Boston’s Assessing Department is the target of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit by building owners claiming the city jacked up their tax bills in retaliation for seeking abatements.
Fixing ADU Failings Could Pave Way for More Homebuilding
By standardizing rules for things like septic systems and setbacks, state legislators could also help revive our anemic single-family construction industry.
This Essay Has Boston’s Real Estate Scene Talking About Texas
Boston and Austin cities could not be more different in how they have dealt with the crushing cost of housing, and the seriousness with which local pols take the issue.
For Fort Point Artists, It’s Now or Never to Land a ‘Signature’ Venue
But the jury’s out on whether the Wu administration is ready to go to the mat for an arts, culture and civic palace of the size and scale some artists have set their sights on.
Why You Should Care About the MWRA’s Crappy Sewer Plan
Amazingly, after more than three decades, we are just now approaching the final act of the multibillion-dollar Boston Harbor cleanup. But advocates say state officials are backtracking.
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