CommonWealth: Politics, Ideas & Civic Life in Massachusetts

CommonWealth is published quarterly by the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC). 18 Tremont St., Suite 1120, Boston, MA 02108. Telephone: 617-742-6800 ext. 109, fax: 617-589-0929. Volume 13, Number 2, Spring 2008.

Founded in 1996, the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth – known as MassINC – is an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute. MassINC brings together diverse perspectives – including those held by conservatives and liberals, business and labor, advocates and policy makers – to focus on the challenge of achieving the American Dream in Massachusetts. To pursue our goals, we use independent research, a wide range of public events, and a unique approach to journalism.

MassINC is a new kind of think tank – one that combines the intellectual rigor of academic research with the timeliness and energy needed to get our ideas into the public debate. Headquartered in Boston, MassINC is a tax-exempt, 501(c) 3 organization funded through grants and contributions from individuals and sponsors, which include foundations, businesses, and labor unions representing the full range of viewpoints in our community.

Download CommonWealth Magazine, Spring 2008

PDF format, 11.3MB, 100Pages.

ARTICLES

36 | ON THE COVER SUBSIDIZING THE STARS More than ever, the state is using tax breaks to attract favored industries— from life sciences to movie making. BY BRUCE MOHL

48 | NEWS FROM A NEW GENERATION In tight times, investigative journalism is being re-energized by colleges and nonprofits. BY GABRIELLE GURLEY

DISCUSSION

60 | CONVERSATION Bill Brett, the marathon man of Boston photography
BY BRUCE MOHL

71 | PERSPECTIVES The inner workings of a state task force on corporate taxes BY STEPHEN KIDDER
What Insurance Commissioner Burnes didn’t let the public hear BY BIRNY BIRNBAUM

83 | CONSIDERED OPINION The state budget is based on an unsustainable level of risk and volatility. BY CAMERON HUFF AND DANA ANSEL

89 | THE BOOK CASE The Soiling of Old Glory shows how a Herald photograph pricked the conscience of Boston. BY GABRIELLE GURLEY Nudge offers a blueprint for coaxing people to do the right thing. BY ROBERT DAVID SULLIVAN

93 | TWO BITS The Images of America series has a fast-food quality as it preserves local history. BY JAMES V. HORRIGAN

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