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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: BAKER brushes off Trump’s ‘MUTINY’ claim — BATTLING to get on the BALLOT — Bay Staters buying GUNS

By Stephanie Murray

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. GETTING ON THE BALLOT CAN BE COMPLICATED — Ballot access is up in the air on Beacon Hill in light of the coronavirus pandemic, and the issue will come before the Supreme Judicial Court later this week. But in the meantime, legislative campaigns are hustling to get enough signatures to appear on the ballot in September. State Senate hopefuls need to turn in 300 signatures by April 28, and those running for state representative need 150 signatures by that date. A Senate bill that would lower the signature threshold for federal candidates (but does not include legislative campaigns) was blocked by a Republican lawmaker on Monday. Regardless, many campaigns are forging ahead in case guidelines do not change. Jordahn Meehan, a Democratic activist challenging state Rep. Kevin Honan in a primary, was able to collect the bulk of his signatures in February and March. Meehan's last push for signatures was Super Tuesday — the March 3 voting day that was more than a week before social distancing became reality for Massachusetts residents. Meehan said on Tuesday that his signatures were certified and he will appear on the ballot, but urged the legislature to reduce the number of signatures for all candidates anyway. "We've seen many candidates, incumbents and non-incumbents alike, are still struggling to meet the signature requirement. It only makes sense to adjust in light of this pandemic," Meehan said. Not every candidate running for a seat on Beacon Hill was able to collect signatures before the pandemic hit Massachusetts. State Rep. Angelo Scaccia announced he wouldn't seek reelection on April 7, opening up a seat that he's occupied since the early 1970s. Former Boston City Councilor Rob Consalvo operated on a tight timeline and was able to collect 218 signatures in a matter of days, even while social distancing. Campaigns aim to collect more than the required number of signatures in case some get tossed out during the certification process. "In order for me to be a candidate, I needed to be on the ballot," Consalvo told me. "I began to work the phones every night calling key supporters ... to let them know I was going to be a candidate, but also let them know that we have a looming deadline and to pitch this concept of bringing signature sheets personally to their home." From there, Consalvo's wife, his cousin and campaign manager Scott Smith would drive to the homes of supporters and deliver signature papers in fresh envelopes while wearing gloves. Supporters would take the papers inside and sign them. Later, the campaign would pick up the signed papers. Consalvo actually turned away volunteers who offered to gather signatures to minimize social contact. "I think the whole thing cost less than $40," Smith told me, factoring in envelopes and copies of the nomination papers. Consalvo didn't say whether he thinks the legislature should change the signature threshold for campaigns like his. "The reality is we have a deadline looming on the 28th. Regardless of what the legislature does, I wanted to make sure I was prepared for that 28th deadline," Consalvo said. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh speaks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce virtual event. Attorney General Maura Healey is a guest on WGBH's "Boston Public Radio." Sen. Ed Markey, state Rep. Tami Gouveia and Dr. Michael Goldberg host a livestream.

TODAY - JOIN CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ FOR A VIRTUAL PLAYBOOK: Join Playbook authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman today at 9:30 a.m. EDT for an important virtual interview with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). to discuss how the coronavirus is impacting New York, efforts to make sure African American and Latino communities get essential economic relief, and the impact that this global economic and health crisis will have on the 2020 elections. Have a question for Rep. Ocasio-Cortez? Tweet it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE TO PARTICIPATE.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

- "Coronavirus in Massachusetts: Baker administration says to brace for 'difficult days' ahead as health officials announce 113 new deaths," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Public health officials announced 113 new COVID-19-related deaths — the highest number reported in a single day since the outbreak began. Officials also confirmed 1,296 new cases of the virus, bringing the statewide total to 28,163."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

- "For Gov. Charlie Baker, criticism from President Donald Trump about multi-state effort to reopen economies is 'noise,'" by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's decision to join multi-state council to coordinate safely reopening the Northeast after the worst of COVID-19 may put him in the middle of a 'mutiny' in the eyes of the president. President Donald Trump targeted Democratic governors Tuesday morning, saying 'a gold old fashioned mutiny every now and then is an exciting and invigorating thing to watch, especially when the mutineers need so much from the captain.' The tweet came less than a day after Baker, a Republican, joined a multi-state council of mostly Democratic governors who are planning to coordinate a safe reopening of the Northeast." - "State economists grapple with 'unprecedented times,'" by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The state economy will tank and unemployment will rise. But how bad will it get and how long will the recession last? Top Massachusetts economists, testifying at a legislative budget hearing Tuesday, gave stark estimates of the financial pain that will be felt in the state, but all stressed the uncertainty of their predictions." - "With Legislature stalled, Mass. high court to tackle coronavirus ballot issue," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts' highest court will hear oral arguments Thursday over whether it should relax the legal requirements for candidates to get on the ballot, wading into an issue bogged down by partisan squabbling in the state Legislature. The Supreme Judicial Court is scheduled to hear arguments by telephone in the lawsuit brought by three candidates who say the state's signature requirements present unconstitutional barriers to the ballot in the midst of a deadly pandemic." - "Coronavirus pandemic prompts Massachusetts lawmakers to file vote-by-mail bill," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The latest Beacon Hill bill created in response to the coronavirus pandemic would allow early voting by mail ahead of the state primary and general elections if the state of emergency remains in effect. Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem filed legislation that would make early voting by mail an option due to COVID-19 and send personal protective equipment to poll workers." - "Healey pushes insurance regulators to cut auto rates amid coronavirus pandemic," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Attorney General Maura Healey is asking the state to make auto insurance companies cut rates during the coronavirus crisis, when travel has dropped significantly. 'There is already data showing a large decrease in travel in Massachusetts,' Glenn Kaplan, chief of Healey's Insurance & Financial Services Division, wrote in a letter Monday, saying that recent data has shown that people are traveling 50% to 55% less." - "One response to coronavirus anxiety in Mass.: try to buy a gun for the first time," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "As COVID-19 has upended everyone's day-to-day routines, anxiety has rushed to fill the void, be it fear of losing one's job or stockpiling toilet paper. Even in Massachusetts, home to some of the nation's strictest firearm laws, others say they're weighing something else: whether to buy — or trying to buy — a gun for the first time in this uneasy reality. Less than 17 percent of Massachusetts residents who responded to a recent Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll said they owned a gun. But of those who don't, about 1 in 7 said they now wish they did." - "Massachusetts hailed as coronavirus contact tracing model to opening up economy," by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Hunting down every new case of coronavirus once the peak is over is the only safe way to lift the nationwide lockdown, Johns Hopkins University researchers said Monday citing Massachusetts as a model. The Maryland university has been at the forefront of COVID-19 tracking with its hugely popular worldwide map of the pandemic. Now the school's public health experts say opening up America will require 'a robust and comprehensive' contact tracing system." - "Murray, Fattman decry news that feds took personal protective equipment ordered by Milford," by Alison Bosma, Milford Daily News: "Two local state legislators are calling for state and federal leaders to work together, not against each other, when taking on the coronavirus. 'The stakes of this unprecedented public health crisis are too high for communities and states to not only have to combat this insidious virus, but also battle with our federal government to secure necessary protective gear for our public safety and health personnel,' part of a letter from state Rep. Brian Murray, D-Milford, and state Sen. Ryan Fattman, R-Sutton reads." - "Baker Mum On Whether State Troopers Sent To NYC To Protect Medical Supply Shipment," by Steve Brown, WBUR: "Gov. Charlie Baker wouldn't say for sure Tuesday whether Massachusetts State Police troopers were sent to New York City to protect a shipment of masks and other medical protective equipment bound for the Bay State. Baker was asked about a tweet from the official state police account, which said troopers were escorting the Patriots tractor-trailer to JFK Airport to bring more medical supplies back to the state." FROM THE HUB - "29-year veteran of Boston Police Department dies after contracting coronavirus," by Gal Tziperman Lotan and Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Boston police Officer Jose Fontanez had served District E-13 in Jamaica Plain since 1996, nearly the entirety of his 29-year career with the department. That service ended on Tuesday, when Fontanez died at Boston Medical Center because of complications from COVID-19. Fontanez is the first Boston police officer to die as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He was 53, and had four children and one grandchild." - "With PPP funds drying up quickly, Mass. businesses have scored billions in loans," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: "As of Monday, Massachusetts businesses had been approved for more than 27,000 loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program that are worth a combined $7.07 billion. The SBA data, made public for the first time Tuesday afternoon, show that a remarkable number of Massachusetts firms lined up the financing in the program's first 11 days." - "Coronavirus pandemic shines a light on gig workers' scant protections," by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: ""Derek Henderson spends 11 hours a day, five or six days a week, picking up groceries and takeout orders and delivering them to people hunkered down at home as they try to avoid being infected by the highly contagious coronavirus. Henderson, 46, doesn't have that luxury. He needs to make a living. And like other gig workers still on the job, he works for platforms — Instacart, DoorDash, and Grubhub — that don't provide basic employee benefits." - "'I've never seen it so quiet': Chinatown restaurateurs face financial ruin," by Diti Kohli, Boston Globe: "At China King last month, the phone rarely rang. 'One day, there was nothing,' said owner Doris Huang of a day without a single order. 'Nobody at all. I have never seen it so quiet.' The rent for her modest Chinatown restaurant is past due. One employee remains on the payroll, and Huang's small pool of savings ebbs lower each day. The money China King needs to stay afloat is simply not there, and there's no sign profits will start pouring in soon. So Huang closed her beloved 25-year-old restaurant last week — at least temporarily — after sparring with the decision for a while." DAY IN COURT - "Gun shops sue state over coronavirus closures," by Kim Ring, Telegram & Gazette: "A group of gun owners, gun shop proprietors and a sportsmen's club is suing Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Attorney General Maura Healey, alleging that their rights were violated when they were forced to shut down or were prevented from purchasing firearms after the shops were deemed nonessential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic." - "State's Highest Court Upholds Release Of Prisoner Due To Coronavirus Risk," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "A Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court justice has upheld the release of a prisoner because of the coronavirus. Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins had argued against the man's release, saying he's a threat to public safety, despite having led the charge for decarceration amid the pandemic. Rollins argued that a Superior Court judge abused her discretion in releasing 40-year-old William Utley from prison." FROM THE DELEGATION - "Aquarium, zoo, and museums appeal for federal aid," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Top officials at six of the Boston area's top cultural attractions said on Tuesday that their survival and the survival of other institutions like them depends on a huge increase in federal aid to the nonprofit sector. In a letter to the Massachusetts congressional delegation, the leaders of the New England Aquarium, the Boston Children's Museum, the Museum of Science, Zoo New England, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Institute of Contemporary Art outlined a very specific set of requests." MARKEYCHUSETTS - "Ed Markey introduces bill in response to fringe movement to fire Anthony Fauci," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "The #FireFauci effort may have ties to Massachusetts, but so does a proposal to stop the fringe movement in its tracks. Sen. Ed Markey unveiled legislation Tuesday to limit President Donald Trump's ability to fire National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has risen to prominence during the coronavirus pandemic as the federal government's top — and most trusted — expert on infectious diseases." MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS - "Is marijuana 'essential'? Recreational firms tussle with Baker in court," by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: "Lawyers representing a consortium of cannabis companies and Governor Charlie Baker clashed in court Tuesday over Baker's decision to close recreational marijuana shops amid the coronavirus pandemic. The companies, joined by a military veteran who said he relies on recreational marijuana shops to obtain the drug for medical purposes, sued Baker last week, saying his order to shutter the stores and their suppliers was an unfair overreach." - "Weld parts with Baker on pot sales," by former Gov. Bill Weld, CommonWealth Magazine: "Massachusetts recently concluded that while adult-use cannabis dispensaries should be closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, medical cannabis dispensaries can stay open. There are a number of reasons, some relating to public health and some relating to social justice or economic harm, why the Commonwealth might wish to reconsider this distinction between the two types of cannabis stores." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "LOST A HERO," — Globe: "DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT LINES," "Trump, governors parry over authority." FROM THE 413 - "Amid virus fallout, Great Barrington reschedules annual town meeting, election," by Bob Dunn, The Berkshire Eagle: "Public health concerns and social distancing guidelines prompted the Select Board on Monday to move the town's annual town meeting and election to the end of the current fiscal year. The board also approved extending due dates, and waiving interest and fees on some tax payments." - "Coronavirus impact: Springfield city revenues slip by $2.3 million as officials eye federal relief," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "City revenues are down by $2.3 million in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic when compared to the same time last year, with the shortfall being tracked for future federal aid. Timothy J. Plante, the city's chief administrative and financial officer, said that 'every penny' is being tracked, as the city watches over the budget and its revenues, and pursues grants and disaster aid." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "A Different Kind of Catholic Church Scandal at a Winchester Parish," by Mariya Manzhos, Boston Magazine: "St. Mary's Director of Ministries Sal Caraviello was milling around at a lunch service when he got the panicked call. It was a chilly Thursday morning in February 2017, and Caraviello, a longtime fixture at the Winchester parish, had driven two and a half hours southwest to Branford, Connecticut, for a funeral earlier that day before following mourners to an Italian restaurant a few minutes down the road to eat." - "Fourth staff member at Bristol County prison tests positive for coronavius," by David Linton, Sun Chronicle: "A mental health clinician at the Dartmouth House of Correction has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Bristol County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday. The employee is the fourth staff member of the sheriff's office to be infected with the highly contagious virus. However, no inmates have contracted it, according to the sheriff's office." REMEMBERING STEVE ALLEN, JR. ... via Dot News: "Steve Allen, Jr., a staple at community events as a news photographer in Dorchester since the 1970s, died this week from an illness caused by the coronavirus. Allen, 62, contracted the COVID-19 disease while he was recuperating from a medical procedure last week, according to his friend and fellow photographer, Bill Brett." Link. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Asher MacDonald, scheduler for Rep. Seth Moulton; and Andrés Garcia. NEW EPISODE: FLOUR POWER - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray speak with Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz about the coronavirus pandemic. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud or watch the Zoom video. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.   COMING SOON - The Long Game: A newsletter from POLITICO that explores the convergence of private sector leaders, political actors, and NGO/Academic experts on the key sustainability issues of our time. Subscribe for a high-level look at sustainability news, trends, solutions and the players focused on building a sustainable future. SIGN UP TODAY.       Follow us on Twitter Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters Follow us POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

+ 16,000 DEAD AMERICANS

60 Minutes DROPS THE HAMMER on Trump after advisor whines about mistreatment

BREAKING: 60 Minutes reporter just DROPPED THE HAMMER on Trump after his advisor WHINES about mistreatment during the COVID-19 outbreak. Way to BRING THE RECEIPTS!

Republicans Don’t Want to Save Jobs

Even as China was announcing that its deaths from the novel coronavirus had surpassed its toll from SARS, President Donald Trump released a proposed budget for 2021 that slashed funding for our chief defender against epidemics by 18 percent.Within the overall proposed cuts detailed on Feb. 10 for th...

news.yahoo.com

Trump Didn’t Just Botch the Coronavirus Response. He Enabled Its Spread.

Even as China was announcing that its deaths from

Billions for oil, nothing for nurses and teachers.

nytimes.com

Opinion | Republicans Don’t Want to Save Jobs

Billions for oil, nothing for nurses and teachers.

Billions for oil, nothing for nurses and teachers.

TomDispatch

 

The last couple of Paul Krugman columns have been grimly on target on the realities of the age of Trump. Here's a striking one. Tom

"Recent job losses have been nothing short of apocalyptic. Almost 17 million workers — more than 10 percent of the work force — filed for unemployment benefits over the course of just three weeks. Independent economists suggest that the unemployment rate may already be close to 20 percent, which is similar to its level in the depths of the Great Depression.

"So how are the Trump administration and its allies responding to this Covid-19-generated jobs crisis? Are they taking it seriously? Or are they doing what they did as the pandemic spread — dithering and refusing to take necessary action out of some combination of wishful thinking and political pettiness?

"You can probably guess the answer.

"By all accounts, Donald Trump, who insisted until very late in the game that the coronavirus wouldn’t be a problem, is now obsessed with the idea of reopening the economy in a few weeks — a move epidemiologists say would be disastrous. At the same time, he’s balking at taking action to help America cope with the extended shutdown we actually need.

"Thus, the Trump administration has flatly ruled out any bailout for the U.S. Postal Service, which is in financial crisis. Aside from being an essential part of our nation’s life — even more than usual in these times, when mail deliveries have become an essential lifeline to families sheltering at home — the post office employs 600,000 workers. But apparently those workers don’t count.

"Of course, Trump is famously hostile to the post office, because he believes (wrongly) that it subsidizes Amazon, whose founder, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post.

"More broadly, further relief from the economic impacts of Covid-19 is stalled in the Senate because Republicans, with White House backing, refuse to include aid to hospitals and state governments.

"Hospitals obviously play a vital role in dealing with the pandemic; but they also employ more than five million people — and they’re facing financial crisis thanks to the pandemic. State and local governments, which in general are required to balance their budgets, have seen revenues plunge and expenses rise — and they employ almost 20 million people, a majority of them in education. But again, apparently those jobs don’t count.

"Actually, many conservatives probably believe that public-sector workers, many of them represented by unions, don’t or shouldn’t count.

"However, while the Trump administration refuses to aid hard-pressed institutions that employ around 25 million Americans, it has gone all-out to help the oil industry.

"Trump’s possible success in brokering a deal to cut global oil production — I say “possible” because oil prices haven’t moved much, which suggests that markets aren’t impressed — made headlines Monday. But I haven’t seen much commentary about just how strange it is for a U.S. president to be playing that role.

"First, since when is it the president’s job to organize international cartels?

"Second, why are higher oil prices in the U.S. national interest? We’re not a major oil exporter — in fact, we import more oil than we export. And if Trump’s cartel were actually successful in raising oil prices back to what they were before the current price war, U.S. consumers would pay a heavy price, on the order of $200 billion a year.

"So why is propping up oil prices a priority? Trump says that it’s about jobs. But U.S. oil and gas extraction employs only around 150,000 workers. That’s less than 1 percent of the number of jobs America has lost in the past three weeks. It’s only around 0.1 percent of total U.S. employment. It’s a rounding error compared with the jobs at risk in hospitals and local government, which Trump is refusing to help.

"So what makes oil worthy of aid when hospitals aren’t?

"One answer is that investors have sunk a lot of money into oil, even though few jobs were created. Net fixed assets in oil and gas extraction are around $1.8 trillion, almost twice the total for hospitals, despite far smaller employment. So maybe this isn’t about protecting jobs, it’s about protecting capital.

"And this capital happens to be very G.O.P.-friendly: The oil and gas sector makes big political contributions, almost 90 percent of them to Republicans. This is, by the way, in strong contrast to education, which accounts for a majority of state and local government jobs and gives most of its contributions to Democrats.

"Finally, while America isn’t a net oil exporter, Russia and Saudi Arabia are basically petrostates that export oil and almost nothing else. So propping up oil prices is a way for Trump to help his two favorite autocrats.

"In sum, Trump’s response to the economic fallout from Covid-19 is looking a lot like his fumbled response to the virus itself. He’s in denial about the problem; he’s blocking essential action because of personal political vendettas; and his party is opposing desperately needed aid because of its anti-government ideology.

"The economics of dealing with a pandemic were never going to be easy. But Trump and company are almost surely going to make things even worse than they had to be."

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