Who is this asshat? Stephen Adams of Pioneer Institute-RW ed in Globe

[Kathy in Cambridge]

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/01/24/why_massachusetts_has_the_blues/

Why Massachusetts has the blues

While the president spoke of "four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen," the political tide in Massachusetts has tended toward limiting liberty in favor of government-centered policies. But even in Massachusetts, there is evidence that the tide may be turning, and for some this is unsettling.

snip

Many of the policy debates underway in Massachusetts reveal a battle between individual freedom and responsibility on one hand, and government-centered decision making on the other. While the big-government side is not going away any time soon, there are clear signs that liberty may be making headway here in the Commonwealth.
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This asshat is basically saying we're a big government state with no concept of liberty...someone PLEASE write a letter to the Globe! I'm going to.

[salvorhardin]

1. Trying to turn Mass. from blue to red

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=3153
http://www.stcc.edu/whatsnew/pressreleases/nov04/PioneerSTCCEvent.html

Basically a PR firm masquerading as a think tank with a $2.5 million budget whose purpose appears to be what amounts to turning Mass. into a "right to work" state by doing things like deregulating workman's comp. Also pushing for charter schools.

[paineinthearse]

2. Out the PR firm

Who and what they are should be the subject of reply letters. That and the Globe's allowance of this kind of drivvel as op-ed. It belongs in the "letters to the editor" area, if at all.

[rox63]

3. I have a friend in a "right-to-work" state

I have a friend who moved to Arizona, which is a "right-to-work" state. She says what it really means is it's a "right-to-fire-your-ass-for-any-reason-the-boss-wants" state.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. Thanks for the info

I left a message on the Ombudsman line, and I'm going to write a LTTE.

[salvorhardin]

5. You're welcome

I should clarify. "right to work" is usually equated with union busting and I used it in a much looser way. This is what AFLCIO says:
http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/stateissues/righttowork.cfm

[midnight armadillo]

6. The Pioneer Institute

They're a group that works to privatize and corporatize state services and functions. They've been very big in ed reform in the state, and I believe have a member or two on the state board of ed...but I could be wrong on that.