Title: On the Record: Positive news for the economy

" Fewer claims for jobless benefits positive news for the economy as a whole what does it mean for Massachusetts on the record tonight with a Greater Boston chamber of commerce. Executive vice president in for Jim -- tonight or Virginia clocking in for Paul does it tonight in gym is at the BB changes -- Jim are you. And better thank you let's start with the should jobless claims of the lowest number of new jobless claims since January certainly good news but out of those national numbers play out in Massachusetts and Buick."

" I think they're good sign for us as well if you look at those jobless claims they reach their worst levels back in the beginning of march. And slowly they've been getting better since then. If you look at jobs in Massachusetts we're still losing jobs but we're losing them at a much slower pace the last few months in fact until last month. We're kind of bouncing along the same level. Is one of the number out today a big increase in productivity the national level which some people think is the first step before jobs start to grow so lots of signs at the national level. That job growth is coming soon and I think when that happens we'll begin to see job growth in Massachusetts to."

" A report on the MBTA finances this year David D'Alessandro reporting to Governor Deval Patrick. But talking about all ongoing financial problems that fatigue and the impact on safety."

" Two big issues those finances in safety. This really lays out in excruciating detail. The -- financial problems and raises important safety flags. On the financial front the T reformed its financing method back in 2000 something called forward funding. That was an improvement over what used to happen to -- used to operate all year and set the legislature of bill at the end of the year probably expenses they have accrued during the year. We wisely abandoned that but the problem was that with this new method. We haven't had enough growth in sales tax revenue. To really support this new forward funding so we need to fix the funding. But frankly we need to implement reforms first the bill that was passed in legislature few months ago is beginning to be implemented. That really needs to go all the way down the road before we can look at any more revenue options the party."

" So the problem with shortfall in revenue and the sales tax side. And growing bills for maintenance. Replacing equipment. This is this not a pretty."

" Picture no it's not and it really affects the t.'s ability as you say to maintain equipment but also to do any kind of capital expansion. The reports pretty clear we need to go slow and NET expansion. Until we get these safety and maintenance issues fully addressed. And I think it before until we get the reforms fully implemented we can go back to people and ask for more money with a system that's as inefficient as this report documents."

" President Obama was in Madison Wisconsin this week talking education specifically the race to the top program. We're talking a lot of money -- public schools. Several hundred million potentially for Massachusetts. "

" It brings back a familiar refrain we talked a few months ago at the state level about reform before revenue. With the federal government is saying to states is that if you put some significant reforms in your education system. They will give you a lot of revenue there's a federal pot of money over four billion dollars at stake here. If they -- that's not every state according to the population of the state we would get about a hundred million dollars. We think we can do better than that we shouldn't excuse it should be aiming for three to 400 million dollars in these funds. That in order to have access to them we need to expand the supply of Charter Schools. We need to innovate in other public schools and we also need to do some more things to try to get underperforming schools turned around. Tough political issues but frankly there -- important if we get them done. It means better schools for thousands of kids across Massachusetts on the record tonight with a Greater Boston chamber thanks to Jim Clark conceded Jim Sierra --"