Mayor Menino Spends $400K on Firefighters' Fight; "state of emergency" in Boston; and Juwan Howard Being Stalked by Boston Guy!

The taxpayer tab for the Boston firefighters contract dispute has reached $400,000 - and counting. Read my story in today's Boston Herald.

Also, the Rev. Bruce Wall wants Boston City Council to declare a "state of emergency" because of the latest violence to hit the city.

Finally, check out this great exclusive by my colleagues Katy Jordan and O'Ryan Johnson. Crazy - Trailblazers' Juwan Howard is (allegedly) being threatened and harassed by some angry dude from Dorchester. Only in Boston . . .

Court Workers Union vs. Judges and Boston vs. Arizona and

The union that represents Massachusetts court workers is fuming that judges are playing hooky to meditate while their members are getting wage freezes and facing layoffs. Read my story in the Boston Herald.

And the Boston City Council waded into the Arizona immigration flap, followed by Mayor Thomas M. Menino, who says he's going to cancel contracts with companies that support the controversial new Arizona law.

Mass. Judges Skip Work to "meditate" - Boston Herald

Harvard doc helps judges open minds

By Dave Wedge
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 - Updated 0m ago

Dozens of Bay State judges followed their bliss and abandoned the bench to mellow out with a meditation guru who taught them how to boost their “concentration” in the courtroom.

The six-hour conference - scheduled for a Friday - featured noted Harvard meditation expert Dr. Daniel Brown and attracted 66 of the state’s 80 superior court judges.

It was such a hit other judges are shedding their robes for some deep reflection . . .

Read the rest here

Fatcats dare you to find out how much the hacks make - Boston Herald

Here's a shining example of the lack of transparency going on at the State House these days:

More than three-quarters of Beacon Hill lawmakers - including the House speaker and Senate president - threw up “a veil of secrecy” when pressed for the size and salaries of their taxpayer-paid staff, even as they are muscling through wallet-crippling tax hikes.

For nearly two months, some 155 of 200 House and Senate lawmakers have stonewalled a Herald request for a list of their staff and salaries - public information that should be readily available upon request.

“They have an obligation to the people who elected them to be forthright with their actions, how they’re spending money, and be accountable,” said Edwin Bender, executive director of the Montana-based National Institute for Money and State Politics. “If lawmakers are not willing to tell you something as simple as their employees and their salaries, what else are they hiding?”

Read the whole story here . . .