John Kerry interview

Each month I write a question and answer bit that features a local politician for the Gazette. This month my editor and I decided upon John Kerry, given the news about the supercommittee's failure, the new round of protests in Egypt and the alleged killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers by NATO on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.  

But for logistical reasons, we only got Kerry's answers on the foreign policy questions into the paper. Here is the rest of his comments, delivered via email. 

Game of Thrones: Congressional Redistricting

The Joint Committee on Redistricting won't likely release their map of the state's new congressional districts until next month at the earliest. But the Review's getting antsy and every other talking head in the commonwealth seems to have offered up their own opinion on the subject, so why not take a gander at which Rep. is most likely to end up on the wrong end of the redistricting ax?

What's the methodology for ranking the Bay State's good 'ole boys and girl here? Seniority matters and the amount money in the bank can denote political strength. Also how much a given congressman is plagued by scandal, or lack thereof, certainly should be taken into consideration. Add those three things up and you get political stature, which seems the most important thing going in this politically infused version of musical chairs.

Other factors that rate? The Beacon Hill boys have disregarded the Voting Rights Act in the past (we're looking at you Tom Finneran),  but the Joint Committee on Redistricting co-chairs say they are serious about not running afoul of the law this time round. A district's growth rate is suppose to matter too. And then there's that whole thing about making sure districts are compact and contiguous, though Bay State map drawers have this funny habit of producing strange looking districts that are anything but.

So here's one more guestimate to add to the pile. A ranking of 1 means that Congressman is most likely to loose his or her seat, 10 is the least likely.

A Republican for Franklin County?

Is the GOP facing a revival in the Bay State? That is the question many political observers are asking themselves one day after Republican Scott Brown shook the state's, and indeed the nation's, political foundations with his surprise trouncing of the Democratic candidate- state Attorney General Martha Coakley- in the race for the US Senate.

While the jury remains out on whether or not Republicans will see more electoral gains in Massachusetts this year, early indications are that the party of Brown has an early lead in the race to fill the Franklin County House seat, which is being vacated by State Rep. Chris Donelan, D-Orange,  after he decided to seek the Franklin County Sheriff's post.

The Review Returns: With A Bit of Election News

An Editorial Note: The Review will be returning in the coming weeks. Expect a post detailing the blog's new approach in the coming days.

The field to replace State Representative Chris Donelan, D-Orange, appears set to become more crowded in the coming weeks. Greenfield Planning Board Chair Roxann Wedegartner has filed papers with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance to run for the Franklin County Second Legislative District.

Mid-Day Mail: A Shot of Stimulus Please

With the $787 billion economic stimulus bill arriving on the President's desk today, the focus here in the Commonwealth turns to how much federal aid the state might receive and how such funds will be spent. Accordingly, today's Mid-Day is dedicated to taking a quick look at how Massachusetts might spend its piece of the stimulus pie.

The Globe reports that Massachusetts will receive $11.7 billion in federal stimulus aid. By the the paper's account, the state will receive $947 million for infrastructure projects while the Massachusetts Cultural Council could receive $400,000- the result of a House provision that will grant $50 million in additional funding to the National Endowment of the Arts. High speed rail projects could be a big winner in the Commonwealth, the Globe points out, following an $8

billion provision to fund such initiatives nationwide.

The Weekly Wonk: Surviving the Storm

The Weekly Wonk takes an in-depth look at policy issues facing Massachusetts each week. This week's version examines the state's health insurance programs amidst a deteriorating economy. 

A deteriorating economic climate poses a stern test to Massachusetts's innovative health care system. The Commonwealth's health care programs have seen the state achieve a coverage rate of  97%, the highest in the nation. Yet a projected fall in state revenues, 6.3% in fiscal year 2009 and 3.0% in 2010 by some estimates, threaten Massachusetts's ability to afford the universal health care initiative. This fiscal year Gov. Deval Patrick has already cut $1.1 billion from the state budget and next year promises to be even more difficult.  The Governor himself reckons the state faces a $3.5 billion deficit in FY2010.

Mid-Day Mail: Taxing the Pump

Equipped with dwindling dollars and faced with ever growing need, state policy makers are considering a variety of reforms and new revenue sources to help stabilize the Commonwealth's coffers. Gov. Deval Patrick's most recent proposal to raise the state's gasoline tax by 27 cents per gallon has proven especially prickly, setting off a round of criticism from lawmakers, editorial boards and taxpayers alike.

The proposed gasoline tax stems from a budget shortfall in Massachusetts's transportation system. A Transportation Finance Commission report filed in September of 2007 found that the state was $15 to $19 billion short of the funds necessary to maintain the Commonwealth's infrastructure over the next 20 years. The Commission noted that such a budget shortfall was a conservative estimate, as it did not include the cost of any expansions or improvements to the current system.