The Shoestring

How extreme right-wing forces use front groups to shape Massachusetts politics Blair Gimma and Will Meyer The radical far-right billionaires Charles and David Koch are infamous. Invoking the Koch Brothers is synonymous with the tired lament of how money in politics distorts the democratic process. The Brothers are notorious for funding right-wing academics, think tanks, […]

How the President of Massachusetts’ NRA affiliate Walked Through Charlie Baker’s Revolving Door Will Meyer In July, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker appointed Ron Amidon (pictured above), the then-president of GOAL (Gun Owners’ Action League), the Commonwealth’s NRA affiliate group, to head the state’s Department of Fish and Game. The $27 million office is responsible for […]

On March 15, the Northampton City Council held its fifth meeting of the year. Approximately 70 people attended. Reporters from the Gazette and MassLive were present. The meeting lasted for just shy of five hours, clocking in at 4 hours and 49 minutes long. Public comment lasted one hour and thirty one minutes.

Bombastic wonky bluster in five acts The Shoestring When we applied for our grant from the Northampton Arts Council, we promised cultural reporting. In that spirit, here is a review of David Narkewicz’s new play. Background Setting: Two Fridays ago, the Mayor of Northampton tweeted a string of angry comments at The Shoestring. To our […]

On reading last Wednesday’s Daily Hampshire Gazette LES MACK The Daily Hampshire Gazette is an outstanding example of the subtle politics of representation. As the local paper of record that fancies itself a historically trusted and objective news source, the organization of the paper and its allocation of space prove otherwise. The Gazette locates itself […]