Archive for November 18th, 2010

November 18th, 2010

Major changes in Massachusetts Homestead Law

by DickH

By filing a Declaration of Homestead at the Registry of Deeds, a Massachusetts homeowner is able to protect the equity in his home from the laws of debt collection. The Homestead has been available for more than a century and there’s really no downside – it’s purpose is to prevent a family from being thrown out of its home for the payment of a debt. But a number of ambiguities have engulfed traditional homestead law, the most notable being whether you must file a new homestead after refinancing.

The Massachusetts state legislature recently completed work on a bill that would completely revise existing homestead law in a very positive way. The bill is on its way to the governor’s office where it will hopefully be signed. We’ll keep you posted on its progress.

This new law would grant all homeowners an automatic homestead exemption of $150,000. Any homeowner desiring more protection (and all existing homesteads are grandfathered in here) could file a written homestead declaration at the registry of deeds. This would provide $500,000 in protection.

While the law is quite comprehensive and will take some time to fully digest, it does clarify many previously ambiguous items. For example, the new law specifically states that a new mortgage (which is what you get when you refinance) does not void an existing homestead so there would be no need to record a new declaration. The law also makes clear that property held in trust may be the subject of a homestead.

This is just a sampling of the provisions of the new homestead law, the full text of which is available here. As soon as it is signed by the governor, we’ll let you know.

CategoryCurrent Events | Comment3 Comments »

November 18th, 2010

Mainers Snowe and Collins: Lilly Ledbedder “Yes” but Paycheck Fairness “No”

by Marie

 GOP members of the U. S. Senate Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine

From the HuffingtonPost this afternoon:

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats were unable to overcome a Republican filibuster of the Paycheck Fairness Act on Tuesday, with the chamber falling two votes short of the 60 needed to end debate and proceed to a vote on the measure that would help combat wage discrimination on the basis of gender.

The vote broke down along party lines with the exception of Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), who sided with Republicans and voted against cloture. Not a single member of the GOP broke rank.
Observers closely watched the votes of Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-Tex.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), all women senators who voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which provides basic protections against wage discrimination.

“Senate Republicans had their latest opportunity to do the right thing, work with Democrats to reduce wage inequality for women, and help the American families they support,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in a statement after the vote. “This was a prime opportunity to enact the kind of common-sense, bipartisan solutions to our economic problems that the American people are demanding, but Republicans spurned it.”

 Read the full article here.

 

CategoryCulture, Election 2010, History, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

November 18th, 2010

Independent Review Finds “Systemic Abuse” in Probation Hirings

by Marie

The Independent Counsel/Ware Report of the Massachusetts Probation Department ordered by the State Supreme Judicial Court has been completed. The findings include:

*The Hiring and Promotion Process in the Probation Departmentis Corrupt and Has Disproportionately Favored Politically-Connected Candidates

*The Fraud is Systemic and Not Episodic

*Commissioner O’Brien and Certain Others Refused to Cooperate with this Investigation

According to a report on WBUR News & Wire Services:

 The Massachusetts’ highest court is ordering a major shake-up of the state Probation Department after an independent review discovered what the justices described as a system of “systemic abuse and corruption of the hiring and promotion processes.”

The Supreme Judicial Court ordered Chief Justice for Administration and Management Robert Mulligan to begin steps to remove senior officials in the department most responsible for the alleged abuses. 

Mulligan told the court he will immediately seek to remove Probation Commissioner John O’Brien.

Read the full article here. The WBUR article includes a link to the full 307-page Independent Counsel report as well as to the Supreme Judical Court 5-page statement on the report.

CategoryCurrent Events, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

November 18th, 2010

Rep Lynch Enjoys NPR

by Marie

We knew it was coming. Over on HuffingtonPost there’s a report that the “the first GOP-ordered House vote since the election” – to wit  – to take away all federal funding from National Public Radio (NPR) was on tap today.  The thing is according to HuffPo – “it was over before it began, with GOP lawmakers’ procedural trick to force a vote on the issue failing on Thursday.”

The proposal to defund NPR was the latest winning item on the Republicans’ gimmicky YouCut site, which allows the public to pick the cuts they would like to see receive an up-or-down vote on the House floor. In order to get these votes, they try to make a procedural vote on an unrelated piece of legislation the vote on the YouCut item.

Speaking to HuffingtonPost on the issue  - Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) said that he really enjoyed NPR’s work and would “certainly hate to see that go away.”

Read the full article and watch GOP House Minority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) stand up for Fox News commentator Juan Williams, who was recently fired by NPR here.

CategoryCulture, Education, Election 2010, Politics | CommentNo Comments »

November 18th, 2010

Betty White’s Girlhood Dream Realized

by Marie

We all had dreams of what we want to be when we grew-up. A teacher… a firefighter… a doctor… Well, Betty White of  Life with Elizabeth, Mary Tyler Moore, Golden Girls, Password and Saturday Night Live fame – seven-time emmy winner, iconic Senior Citizen, animal advocate extraordinaire and for some a national treasure – wanted to be a Forest Ranger. Back in her day – as with many occupations and professions  - it wasn’t a job for a woman. Now after many roles,  the 88-year-old Betty White - albeit in an honorary capacity – is a U. S. Forest Service ranger. Last week – the honor was bestowed at a Kennedy Center ceremony.

Associated Press (AP) writer Jessa Gresko notes:

 …the Forest Service presented her with a badge and a ranger’s Stetson hat, which she donned during a ceremony at the Kennedy Center. When Smokey Bear arrived mid-ceremony, White gave him a big bear hug and later asked to take the Forest Service mascot with her. She settled for a toy Smokey with its own small hat. “Wilderness is harder and harder to find these days on this beautiful planet, and we’re abusing our planet to the point of almost no return,” White said. “In my heart I’ve been a forest ranger all my life, but now I’m official.”

White said some of her first memories as a child are riding in front of her father on a horse into the High Sierras. They would stay for three weeks and never see “another two-legged soul,” she said. The family also went camping in Yellowstone National Park. White said her teachers eventually asked that she write essays on topics other than Yellowstone.

She did ask if it was appropriate to wear the “Smoky” hat at  ceremony later that day noting-  ”it’s a formal affair” – referring to her gig at the Kennedy Center / Mark Twain  Award for American Humor ceremony  honoring her Saturday Night Live friend Tina Fey.

Read the full Honorary Forest Ranger AP article here. Read about the Mark Twain Humor Award ceremony here in USA Today.

CategoryCulture, Current Events | Comment1 Comment »

November 18th, 2010

The Lowell High tube

by DickH

Tony Sampas photographs the “tunnels” – pedestrian walkways over the canal – that connect Lowell High School’s buildings.

CategoryLowell | Comment1 Comment »