NECN covered a Boston chamber of commerce meeting today at which Deval Patrick said he will either try for an increase in the gas tax or an increase in turnpike tolls, but not both. There's a show of hands starting around 4:30:

We'll be number 1 if Gov. Patrick's proposal goes through.

Blue Mass. Group discussion.

Red Mass. Group discussion.

Just saw one of the most substantial exchanges I've ever seen on Twitter:

rdsahl Gov Patrick: WashPost blog floats your name for HHS. Are you in the mix? Would you take if offered. Thanks.

(and, about an hour later...)

MassGovernor @rdsahl As the Governor has said countless times, he is staying put and running for re-election. - Kyle Sullivan, Press Secretary [approx. 2 pm]

I'm struck by this in several ways:

HubSpot, a Kendall Square company that helps companies market themselves on social networks, heard yesterday that Deval Patrick would be in their building today, so they posted on Twitter about how cool it would be if His Excellency would stop by for a visit and lo and behold, he did.

Deval Patrick has a Twitter account.

Xconomy covers Patrick's visit to the Cambridge Innovation Center.

The Outraged Liberal compares the coverage of Sal DiMasi's possible imminent departure and the news that Gov. Patrick is cutting $128 million from local aid - which helps pay for police, firefighters and road repair:

... Welcome to a journalism feeding frenzy -- created by a local press corps that doesn't routinely cover the daily ins and outs of a $26-plus billion industry, prefers gossip and rumor over facts and wouldn't know context if it hit them in the face. ...

He does give props to the Globe for putting the local-aid story on the front page.

This week on WBUR, Governor Deval Patrick will talk with Radio Boston host, Jane Clayson at the middle of his first term as Governor. With the economy in the dumps, and the state's budget in the red, will Patrick be able to move on any of his legislative priorities, or will he have to settle for only limiting the effects of budget cuts? Submit your questions for the Governor at www.radioboston.org

The Globe reports he would use part of an expected federal stimulus package to build such things as highway ramps and parking garages for developers who are ready to build within six months.

Gov. Patrick has released proposed legislation for finding and punishing corrupt public officials - proposal calls for expanding state wiretapping (currently limited to organized-crime investigations). Good thing or not?

Like $1 billion more, atop the $1.2 billion already in the works.

Is that woman flipping him the bird?

Flush with the success of their effort to completely bollix up the turnpike by paying tolls in pennies (oh, wait, that didn't work too well, did it?), the Stop the Pike Hike people are now having a guy in a chicken suit follow Deval Patrick around until he agrees to a debate on the merits of KFC vs. Burger King the proposed massive turnpike toll hike. He is shown here waiting for Patrick to exit the State House.