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CommonWealth REINVENTION ECONOMY • CONVENTION HOPES • WHY EX-CONS CAN’T FIND JOBS MassINC would like to thank the individuals and organizations whose financial support makes CommonWealth and all of our other work possible. Their generosity is greatly appreciated. new commonwealth sponsors Chris & Hilary Gabrieli • Nellie Mae Education Foundation lead sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts • FleetBoston Financial • Harvard University POLITICS, IDEAS, AND CIVIC LIFE IN MASSACHUSETTS Liberty Mutual Group • Mellon New England • National Grid • Recycled Paper Printing, Inc. CommonWealthCommonWealth Fran & Charles Rodgers • State Street Corporation • Verizon Communications major sponsors Ronald M. Ansin Foundation • Citizens Bank • Irene E. & George A. 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PRESORTED STANDARD MassINC U.S. POSTAGE THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE FOR A NEW COMMONWEALTH PAID HOLLISTON, MA Publisher of CommonWealth magazine PERMIT NO. 72 18 Tremont Street, Suite 1120, Boston, MA 02108 BLACKBLACK Address Service Requested POWERPOWER WHYWHY DOESN’TDOESN’T BOSTONBOSTON HAVEHAVE MOREMORE OFOF IT?IT? FALL 2003 $5.00 Clockwise from upper left: FALL PLUS—WHY MIDDLE-CLASS Mel King, Charles Yancey, Andrea Cabral, Bruce Bolling, 2003 FAMILIES GO BROKE Charlotte Richie, Jean McGuire, Marie St. Fleur, Chuck Turner, Visit MassINC on the World Wide Web at www.massinc.org and Byron Rushing. An international company that takes its local responsibilities seriously. We’re National Grid, a leading energy delivery company. We build, own and manage electricity and gas networks. Our scope is global, but our service is local. You know us as Niagara Mohawk, Massachusetts Electric, Narragansett Electric, Granite State Electric and Nantucket Electric. All focused on deliver- ing safe, reliable energy to our 3.3 million customers in New England and upstate New York. National Grid ©2002 Verizon Communications ©2002 Verizon If you can read this you can help someone who can’t. CHECK THE BOX ON YOUR VERIZON PHONE BILL TO SUPPORT LOCAL LITERACY. Check YES by the Verizon Reads box and automatically donate $1 a month to Verizon Reads, a public charity that supports literacy programs in your area. Contributions can also be made via the World Wide Web at superpages.com.SM For more details just visit www.verizonreads.org. If reading this was enlightening for you, imagine what a lifetime of literacy could do for someone else. Just check the box. Make progress every day The CommonWealth MassINC editor chairmen of the board Commonwealth Robert Keough Gloria Cordes Larson Forums associate editors Peter Meade Michael Jonas, Robert David Sullivan board of directors art director Joseph D. Alviani Joanne Jaxtimer Heather Kramer Andrew J. Calamare Jeffrey Jones Heather P. Campion Tripp Jones A Joint Project of design consultant Kathleen Casavant Elaine Kamarck MassINC and the Ken Silvia Neil Chayet R.J. Lyman Massachusetts Foundation contributing writers Vincent Cipolla Paul Mattera for the Humanities Mary Carey, Christopher Daly, Mark Erlich Kristen McCormack Richard A. Hogarty, John E. McDonough, David H. Feinberg Melvin B. Miller Neil Miller, Laura Pappano, Robert Preer, Robert B. Fraser Hilary C. Pennington B.J. Roche, Ralph Whitehead Jr., Chris Gabrieli Michael E. Porter Katharine Whittemore C. Jeffrey Grogan Mark E. Robinson Hosted by washington correspondent Steve Grossman Charles S. Rodgers Raymond Hammond The Omni Parker House Shawn Zeller Alan D. Solomont Bruce Herzfelder Benaree Wiley Join us for the next proofreader Harold Hestnes Commonwealth Forum Gina Hahn honorary editorial advisors Mitchell Kertzman, Founding Chairman Mickey Edwards, Alex S. Jones, John C. Rennie, in memoriam PREVIOUS TOPICS INCLUDE: Mary Jo Meisner, Ellen Ruppel Shell, board of policy advisors Alan Wolfe Odd Fellows and Mugwumps: economic prosperity: Wayne M. Ayers, publisher Learning from the Past Peter D. Enrich, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Edward to Revive Civic Life Today Ian Bowles Moscovitch, Andrew Sum, David A. Tibbetts deputy publisher lifelong learning: Harneen Chernow, Carole Taking a Gamble: John Donato A. Cowan, William L. Dandridge, John D. Donahue, Michael B. Gritton, Sarah Kass, Risk, Reward, and Rolling the sponsorship and advertising Lori Davis Febbo, Ben Geffen Leonard A. Wilson safe neighborhoods: Jay Ashe, William J. Dice in Government and Society circulation Bratton, Mark A.R. Kleiman, Anne Morrison Innovation and Economy: Colleen Lynch, Emily Wood Piehl, Eugene F. Rivers 3rd, Donald K. Stern The Role of the Nonprofit interns civic renewal: Alan Khazei, Larry Overlan, Mindy Jeng, Stacy Kaplowitz, Jeffrey Leigh Sedgwick Sector in Tight Fiscal Times Jess Torres, Jan Wolfe executive director Ian Bowles No Ordinary Time: CommonWealth (ISSN pending) is published development & community affairs director quarterly by the Massachusetts Institute Advice for the New Governor Lori Davis Febbo in a Changed & Challenged for a New Commonwealth (MassINC), 18 Tremont St., Suite 1120, Boston, MA 02108. director of communications Commonwealth Telephone: 617-742-6800 ext. 109, Jennifer Armini fax: 617-589-0929. research director The State of the Union: Volume 8, Number 4, Fall 2003. Third Class Dana Ansel Understanding Marriage in postage paid at Holliston, MA. deputy research director To subscribe to CommonWealth, Rachel Deyette Werkema Massachusetts become a Friend of MassINC for director of policy planning $50 per year and receive discounts on The Political Gender Gap: MassINC research reports and invitations to Christopher Fox Women in Massachusetts MassINC forums and events. director, new skills campaign Politics Postmaster: Send address changes to John Schneider Circulation Director, MassINC, outreach director 18 Tremont St., Suite 1120, Boston, MA 02108. John Donato Letters to the editor accepted by e-mail executive assistant & operations director For details, contact at [email protected]. The views expressed Colleen Lynch MassINC at (617) 742-6800 in this publication are those of the authors assistant outreach director ext. 128 or the Massachusetts and not necessarily those of MassINC's Emily Wood Foundation for the Humanities directors, advisors, or staff. deputy development director at (413) 584-8440 The mission of MassINC is to develop a Ben Geffen public agenda for Massachusetts that controller/it director promotes the growth and vitality of the mid- David Martin Transcripts Available dle class. We envision a growing, dynamic center for education research & policy Transcripts of the forums, middle class as the cornerstone of a new provided by State House News commonwealth in which every citizen can S. Paul Reville, Director Service, can be found on the live the American Dream. Our governing Jennifer Candon, Assistant Director Internet (www.massinc.org). philosophy is rooted in the ideals embodied MassINC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable by the American Dream: equality of organization. MassINC’s work is published opportunity, personal responsibility, for educational purposes and should not be and a strong commonwealth. MassINC is a construed as an attempt to influence any nonpartisan, evidence-based organization. election or legislative action. 2 CommonWealth FALL 2003 PHOTO CREDIT AA ChanceChance toto AchieveAchieve Their Dreams This year, more than 720 non-traditional adult learners who face barriers to academic success will have an opportunity to earn a college degree. Through the New England ABE-to-College Transition Project, GED graduates and adult diploma recipi- ents can enroll at one of 25 participating adult learning centers located across New England to take free college preparation courses and receive educational and career planning counseling.They leave the pro- gram with improved academic and study skills, such as writing basic research papers and taking effective notes. Best of all, they can register at one of 30 colleges and universities that partner with the program. Each year, the Project exceeds its goals: 60 percent complete the program; and 75 percent of these graduates go on to college. By linking Adult Basic Education to post-secondary education,the New England ABE-to-College Transition Project gives non-traditional adult learners a chance to enrich their own and their families’ lives. To learn more, contact Jessica Spohn,