Residents are yearning for ways to get involved in local government, to share their opinions, and to roll-up their sleeves. But to participate, the pathway has to be flexible and responsive to the very busy lives we all live. That's why I am workin...
The recent recession has hit Brockton hard. We have the worst foreclosure epidemic in Massachusetts and one of the highest unemployment rates. But we can also boast about several major assets—Brockton's location and public works infrastructur...
Cities and towns that "out-teach us today will out-compete us" tomorrow. This is true for our K-12 system, as well as for our workforce. This is why I support advanced training programs for workers who wish to improve their skills while meeti...
While crime has decreased in Brockton, we continue to struggle with youth violence that is destroying families, tarnishing our image, and scaring off investors. Whether it's after-school programming for our teens, proven re-entry programs and ...
While the quality of life in Brockton is diminished by health and economic disparities across the board—from a high number of Brownfields to polluting industries—we are also challenged by an increasing number of residents and business owner...
Brockton’s history is filled with the spirit and drive of great leaders—entrepreneurs, inventors, sports champions, and visionaries. William McGunnigle invented the baseball glove. Davis DeBard saved Brockton from the influenza epidemic. Th...
To close the gaping hole in Wisconsin’s state budget, Gov. Scott Walker decided to pick a fight.
“With whom?” you ask.
Well, it’s not with corporations that ship jobs overseas. Nor i...
I know something about schools. I have a master’s degree in education from Boston University. I also started seven small high schools across the country, based on a model lauded as “an education stimulus for the nation’s cities&rdquo...
Across the country, local political leaders are doing the right things to put their cities back to work. As a development strategy, they’re using their public resources to dissect President Obama’s nearly trillion-dollar recovery package to...
Anyone looking for a cause or solution to the Brockton water billing mess probably walked away from Monday’s Finance Committee meeting wondering why the city paid $97,000 for an audit that gives little satisfaction.
Even wo...
We recently asked the 11 Brockton city councilors if they thought nepotism was an issue in the city.
Just one said yes.
We posed the patronage question, and several others, while reporting our recent three-...
