-- Call him Governor Patrick-agressive. Deval Patrick unveiled his 2009 budget, and it had a little surprise. $300 million of revenue is set to come from taxes on three casinos that do not yet exist. Patrick wants to license casino gambling in Massachusetts but faces heavy opposition in the legislature. It's a battle he has already won in his own mind. Nearly half -- $124 million -- of the speculative funds will shore up a projected lottery shortfall. [Boston Herald]
-- Massachusetts residents are no strangers to the downside of financial speculation. 7,563 homes were foreclosed in the Commonwealth last year, the largest figure since 1992 and triple the number of foreclosures in 2006. The number is only expected to increase in 2008. State efforts to help troubled borrowers have thus far been hampered by eligibility requirements. A plan to refinance subprime adjustable rate mortgages into more manageable fixed rate loans only helped four families. [Boston Globe]
-- The Longfellow Bridge is rusting. State officials banned traffic from the left hand lanes, those closest to the MBTA Red Line tracks. Another thing to put out of your mind on your Red Line commute. Suddenly, the audible counting from the man next to you doesn't seem so scary, does it? [Globe, Previous Bostonist coverage]
-- Despite an explosive contempt for the media, Mitt Romney still somehow won in Nevada. [Globe]
Image of Longfellow Bridge labeled "Bostonist" by flickr user Pear Biter
add to digg
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
