roads

When natural disasters strike, such as Hurricane Irene,  it's our government that protects families and property, shelters the homeless, and revives communities adversely affected by the subsequent destruction.  It's up to all of us to continue to invest in our government so that it can continue to do this work, and carry out the other programs and services we rely upon every day.

...the National Guard was assisting evacuations in the towns of Charlemont, Ashford and North Adams. 200 National Guard troops were deployed to Greenfield in order to assist with evacuations in Franklin County and the Berkshires.  [Full Article: MassLive.com]

This letter is about the things we do through government...how we value it and how we can work together to create meaningful, productive jobs and improve the health and safety of our communities and our state.  [Full Letter: Wicked Local Hingham]

The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission covers 43 cities and towns.  That they want to have a comprehensive, long-term (4 - year) transportation plan with public input is admirable.

“This plan is our four-year snapshot of we are with our regional transportation system and where we expect to be in the next 20 years,” [Gary] Roux said Monday. “Everything we do, whether it is a construction project or a study project, needs to be in this document.”
Public hearings are set for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, at Northampton City Council Chambers, Puchalski Municipal Building, 212 Main Street, Northampton located behind City Hall and at 7 p.m., August 18 at Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, 60 Congress Street, 2nd Floor, Springfield. [Full Article: Mass live.com]

State reps Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) and Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley) met with constituents in Belmont last night to talk about tolls, taxes, road and rails (as reported in the Belmont Citizen Herald). What makes this meeting somewhat remarkable is that it’s relatively rare for lawmakers to talk so frankly and openly about taxes.

But with I-90, commuter rails and Green Line rails running through their respective districts, neither lawmaker can ignore the looming funding problems our state’s transportation entities are facing. Kudos to the solons for bringing in Mike Widmer, President of the Mass. Taxpayers Foundation, to explain the relative merits of several solutions being kicked around Beacon Hill: