The Springfield City Council held the equivalent of a double feature Monday night. A regularly scheduled Hearings meeting, during which the council approves or denies permits, followed a special meeting where numerous items were debated. City Council President Jose Tosado had scheduled the meeting to
**This post has been updated to reflect new information obtained from the governor’s office.** Councilor Rivera (Facebook) It is always hard to measure what impact scandals will have on a politician. Nobody seemed to care that Rick Perry received a $25,000 donation from Ken Lay
(WMassP&I) In a rare display of expediency (or small agendas) the Springfield City Council breezed through its appointed task Monday night and in the process actually did a few useful things other than the typical housekeeping. Items on the agenda included resolves opposed to the
(WMassP&I) Today we debut a new series, “The Great Experiment,” a look at the transition that has begun at City Hall since the switch to Ward Representation in the City of Springfield. In the coming weeks and months, it is our goal to investigate the
Internet Cafe elsewhere in the Valley (Spfld Intruder) The Internet Cafe phenomenon in Springfield (and the region) continues to intrigue and test the limits of state and local law. The trouble started when Attorney General Martha Coakley ordered Internet Cafes that were alleged to engage
(WMassP&I) It may be hard to believe, but it is only twenty weeks until the next municipal election in Springfield. July 26th marks the point at which the door closes for political aspirants to join the field to be a part of our humble democracy.
**UPDATED** The following post has been updated as of 6/9/11. Data on the slots votes has been corrected. The Springfield City Council held their first meeting since last week’s tornado sliced through the heart of Springfield and neighboring towns. The council had a great deal
**Programming Note** WMassP&I will be live-tweeting today’s BioMass Meeting. Check out Hashtag #Biomass or visit our Facebook page or Twitter Feed. (WMassP&I) Yesterday’s City Council meeting in Springfield had some wind taken out of its sails when three potentially contentious issues were unceremoniously withdrawn from
As Western Mass Politics & Insight arrogantly takes credit for starting the cascade of news stories about Scott Brown’s sudden love for family planning and women’s health, the Springfield City Council got short shrift again. Monday’s meeting emphasized the importance of committee. Much of the
Today we start a new series on WMassP&I called “The Insight” consisting of interviews of politicians, officials and other newsmakers within the Greater Springfield universe. Councilor Rivera (Facebook) Springfield, like many cities, has long been a place where politics is a contact sport. Campaigns can