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Politics, i deas & civic life in Massachusetts Ending the one-party state Minnesota offers a guide for adding a little color to the ballot BROKEN HOMES: The real cost of foreclosure Visit www.CWunbound.org WINTER 2009 $5.00 WINTER 2009 CommonWealth 1 CommonWealth editor Bruce Mohl [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 105 executive editor Michael Jonas [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 124 managing editor Robert David Sullivan [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 121 senior associate editor Gabrielle Gurley [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 142 associate editor Alison Lobron [email protected] | 617.742.6800 senior investigative reporter Jack Sullivan [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 123 REALtalk is a lively series about art director Heather Hartshorn what young professionals and contributing writers Dave Denison, Dan Kennedy, Neil Miller, Laura Pappano, Robert Preer, Phil Primack, B.J. Roche working adults can do to make a washington correspondent Shawn Zeller living, raise a family, and build proofreader Jessica Murphy editorial advisors Mickey Edwards, Ed Fouhy, Alex S. Jones, stronger communities for us all. Mary Jo Meisner, Daniel Okrent, Ellen Ruppel Shell, Alan Wolfe Join in the discussion and become publisher Gregory Torres [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 103 one of the more than 1,000 sponsorship and advertising Rob Zaccardi [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 101 participants involved in RealTalk. circulation Krisela Millios [email protected] | 617.742.6800 ext. 145 For information about upcoming RealTalk programs—including our > Full contents, as well as online exclusives, are available at www.massinc.org networking events—log on to CommonWealth (ISSN pending) is published quarterly by the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth (MassINC), 18 Tremont St., Suite 1120, www.massinc.org. Boston, MA 02108. Telephone: 617-742-6800 ext. 109, fax: 617-589-0929. Volume 14, Number 1, Winter 2009. Third Class postage paid at Holliston, MA. To subscribe to CommonWealth, become a Friend of MassINC for $50 per year and receive discounts on MassINC research reports and invitations to PRESENTEDBY: MassINC forums and events. Postmaster: Send address changes to Circulation Director, MassINC, 18 Tremont St., Suite 1120, Boston, MA 02108. Letters to the MassINC and ONEin3 Boston and editor accepted by e-mail at [email protected]. The views expressed in this supported by over a dozen Greater Boston publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of MassINC’s civic organizations. directors, advisors, or staff. CommonWealth is a registered federal trademark. Education reporting in CommonWealth is sponsored in part by the RealTalk is supported in part by generous Nellie Mae Education Foundation. contributions from the Boston Redevelop- MassINC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. The mission of ment Authority, The New Community Fund, MassINC is to develop a public agenda for Massachusetts that promotes State Street Corporation, Schraftt Charitable the growth and vitality of the middle class. MassINC is a nonpartisan, Trust, and Zipcar. evidence-based organization. MassINC’s work is published for educational purposes and should not be construed as an attempt to influence any election or legislative action. 2 CommonWealth WINTER 2009 For information on The joining The Citizens’ Circle, contact MassINC CITIZENS’CIRCLE at (617) 742-6800 ext. 101 MassINC’s Citizens’ Circle brings together people who care about the future of Massachusetts. The generosity of our Citizens’ Circle members has a powerful impact on every aspect of our work. We are pleased to extend significant benefits, including invitations to our private Newsmaker series, to those who join with a minimum annual contribution of $1,000. Anonymous (8) Susan & William Elsbree Julie & Mitchell Kertzman R. Robert Popeo David Abromowitz Wendy Everett Klarman Family Foundation John & Joyce Quelch Tom & Marsha Alperin Scott D. Farmelant Richard L. Kobus Mitchell T. & Adrienne N. Rabkin Joseph D. Alviani & Juliette Fay & Bill O’Brien Stephen W. Kidder & Judith Malone John R. Regier Elizabeth Bell Stengel Fish Family Foundation Deanna Larkin Richard Rendon Carol & Howard Anderson David Feinberg Anne & Robert Larner Thomas & Susan Riley Ronald M. 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Joshua Tolkoff Dorothy & Edward Colbert Harold Hestnes Edward Murphy & Ann-Ellen Hornidge Gregory Torres & Elizabeth Pattullo Ferdinand Colloredo-Mansfeld Arnold Hiatt John E. Murphy, Jr. Thomas Trimarco Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld Joanne Hilferty Pamela A. Murray A. Raymond Tye Woolsey S. Conover Michael Hogan & Margaret Dwyer Paul Nace & Sally Jackson Tom & Tory Vallely William J. Cotter Liz & Denis Holler Bruce & Pam Nardella E. Denis Walsh William F. Coyne Jr. Ronald Homer Scott A. Nathan Michael D. Webb John Craigin & Marilyn Fife Maria & Raymond Howell Richard Neumeier David C. Weinstein Cheryl Cronin Laura Johnson Fred Newman Robert F. White Michael F. & Marian Cronin Philip Johnston Elizabeth Nichols Michael J. Whouley Stephen P.Crosby & Helen R. Strieder Jeffrey Jones Paul C. O’Brien Helene & Grant Wilson Bob Crowe Robin & Tripp Jones Joseph O’Donnell Leonard A. Wilson Sandrine & John Cullinane Jr. Sara & Hugh Jones Andrew Paul Ellen Zane Sally Currier & Saul Pannell Ronnie & Steve Kanarek Randy Peeler Paul Zintl Thomas G. Davis Martin S. Kaplan Hilary Pennington & Brian Bosworth William A. Delaney Dennis J. Kearney Finley H. Perry, Jr. Richard B. DeWolfe Michael B. Keating, Esq. Daniel A. Phillips Gerard F. Doherty Dennis M. Kelleher Jenny Phillips Roger D. Donoghue William E. Kelly Diana C. Pisciotta William & Laura Eaton Tom Kershaw Michael E. Porter Philip J. Edmundson WINTER 2009 CommonWealth 3 chairman of the board Ann-Ellen Hornidge board of directors Gregory Torres, ex officio Joanne Jaxtimer Jay Ash Tripp Jones David Begelfer Elaine Kamarck Andrew J. Calamare Bruce Katz Neil Chayet Paul Mattera Philip Condon William P. McDermott Jay Curley Melvin B. Miller Geri Denterlein Michael E. Porter Mark Erlich Mark E. Robinson David H. Feinberg Charles S. Rodgers Grace Fey Paul Scanlon Robert B. Fraser Tom Trimarco Tom Green Eric Turner C. Jeffrey Grogan David C. Weinstein Harold Hestnes Karyn M. Wilson honorary Mitchell Kertzman, founding chairman John C. Rennie, in memoriam president Gregory Torres executive vice president John Schneider director of development Rob Zaccardi research director Dana Ansel programs & policy associate Samantha Vidal research associate Ben Forman director of public affairs Emily Wood director of finance & administration David Martin office manager Krisela Millios interns Rachel McCloskey, Christina Prignano > For information about upcoming MassINC events, transcripts of past events, and an archive of current and past MassINC research reports, visit our Web site at www.massinc.org. The fiscal policy brief “Capital Gains: Avoiding Harm to the State Budget” is now available as a PDF file. > We welcome letters to the editor. Send your comments to [email protected], or to Editor, CommonWealth magazine, 18 Tremont Street, Suite 1120, Boston, MA 02108. Please include a city or town, as well as a daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and length. 4 CommonWealth WINTER 2009 CommonWealth volume 14, number 1 | winter 2009 70 DEPARTMENTS 37 11 | EDITOR’S NOTE 13 | INQUIRIES 97 20 | STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT BY ROBERT DAVID SULLIVAN 23 | STATE OF THE STATES Massachusetts residents tend to stay 27 put. BY ROBERT DAVID SULLIVAN 25 | HEAD COUNT Foreclosures: The communities hit ARTICLES hardest. BY ROBERT DAVID SULLIVAN 44 | ENDING THE ONE-PARTY STATE What can Massachu- 27 | WASHINGTON NOTEBOOK setts learn from Minnesota, where political competition is Frank, Syron, and the Washington blame game. BY SHAWN ZELLER thriving? BY ALISON