Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Wu’s critics join forces over food fight

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Wu’s critics join forces over food fight

BOILING OVER — The clash between Mayor Michelle Wu and North End restaurateurs isn’t just about outdoor dining anymore.

Restaurant owners unwilling to fork over $7,500 to run outdoor dining in the neighborhood this summer are being backed by anti-vaccine protesters and general critics of Wu. Her opponents are intermingling online, outside her house, at City Hall and in the North End, taunting the mayor and, in some cases, the restaurateurs who are siding with her.

Shana Cottone, the Boston police sergeant who’s been prominent in the push against Wu’s vaccine mandate for city workers, showed up yesterday alongside the restaurateurs protesting Wu at City Hall and in the North End. Wu later tweeted that some of those restaurateurs “have taken part in the yelling outside my house, bullied City staff & fellow restaurant owners.”

Wu has offered a compromise. But that hasn’t stopped the pushback. Her office moved yesterday’s event announcing flexible payment plans for restaurant owners from the third-floor mezzanine of City Hall to behind closed doors in the fifth-floor Eagle Room due to protesters. Undeterred, restaurateurs and others including Cottone headed for the mayor’s office to say their piece.

“Let’s be clear. We will not normalize harassment as acceptable behavior,” Wu tweeted afterward, in response to a viral video of the restaurateurs. In another post, she said the city “hosted multiple public meetings on this open to everyone over the last few months. That’s how to shape policy decisions, NOT by teaming up with antivax protesters finding every opportunity to harass people.”

Getting lost in this feud are the residents who are pressuring their elected leaders to make changes to the outdoor dining pilot program this year after navigating clogged streets and parking and trash woes last summer. And some of those residents vote: Wu won the North End last fall, and the neighborhood’s city and state representatives are all up for election this fall.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. House Speaker Ron Mariano is endorsing former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell for state attorney general, lauding her “lived experience” and expressing “utmost confidence” in her vision for the office.

“Andrea has dedicated her entire career not only to advocacy, but to action,” the Quincy Democrat said in a statement shared first with Playbook. “She has defended the rights of children and their families as an education lawyer, pushed for greater equity in our education and transportation systems under the Patrick Administration, and passed historic housing and criminal justice legislation as president of the Boston City Council.”

Mariano’s latest foray into this year’s statewide races follows a surprise statement of support for state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor during a State House News Service event last week. Campbell said she’s “incredibly grateful” for the top House Democrat’s support. Mariano didn’t back Campbell in the Boston mayor’s race last year; he somewhat infamously endorsed former state Rep. Jon Santiago.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito hear from survivors at a Worcester roundtable on the administration’s dangerousness and “revenge porn” bills at 10 a.m. Polito chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon. Healey visits the Chelsea Boys & Girls Club at 8 a.m. Interim Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. Rep. Lori Trahan and colleagues host a virtual summit on college sports inequities at 12:15 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Going to Chris Rock's show at the Wilbur? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Massachusetts reports pandemic low for intubated coronavirus patients,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The nine patients on ventilators is the lowest count of the pandemic, tying last July 7. … The state Department of Public Health reported 882 COVID-19 cases, a 14% increase from 773 infections recorded last Tuesday. … In the state’s weekly breakthrough report, the state Department of Public Health reported 3,892 breakthrough infections last week — a 43% jump from the 2,732 fully vaccinated cases during the prior week.”

— “Mass. case numbers, coronavirus levels in waste water tick up from low levels,” by Martin Finucane and Ryan Huddle, Boston Globe.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— BALLOT BATTLE REVS UP: Opponents of the proposed legislation and ballot question to classify drivers for app-based companies like Uber and Lyft as independent contractors rather than employees are holding events in Boston, Lynn, New Bedford and Springfield ahead of this afternoon’s legislative committee hearing on the matter. Secretary of state hopeful and NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan is among those joining Massachusetts Is Not For Sale in Roxbury at 10 a.m. Meanwhile, proponents of the proposals will hold their own press conference at noon near the Brewer Fountain on the Boston Common.

State Attorney General Maura Healey and labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan plan to testify at the Legislature’s 1 p.m. hearing. Liss-Riordan opposes the ballot initiative and Healey has sued Uber and Lyft for misclassifying workers as independent contractors.

— “Post-COVID recovery: Massachusetts must invest in housing, child care, transit, new report finds,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “The COVID-19 pandemic irrevocably altered workplace dynamics — and now, Massachusetts must invest in job training, public transportation, child care and mental health supports, among other key arenas, to ensure a resilient post-coronavirus economy, a new legislative report concludes. Remote and hybrid work formats will continuously evolve the next decade, the Future of Work Commission — co-chaired by state Sen. Eric Lesser and state Rep. Josh Cutler — said in a report unveiled Tuesday. While technology and innovation must adapt to ensure Massachusetts retains its competitive edge, other human infrastructure needs like housing and education also warrant overhauls to sustain a fluid labor market.”

— “Spilka Looks Forward To Senate Licensing Bill Debate,” by Chris Van Buskirk, State House News Service (paywall): “Senate President Karen Spilka said she looked forward to debating legislation in her branch that would provide some undocumented immigrants a pathway to obtain a driver's license in Massachusetts, though the Ashland Democrat did not offer a timeline for when the bill could come up in the Senate during pre-recorded remarks aired Tuesday at a virtual [MIRA Coalition] advocacy event.”

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— “How clean is the air in your school or workplace? Hint: Many places are lacking,” by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: “In Massachusetts, with its abundance of historic buildings and aging schools with decrepit heating and cooling systems, the quality of indoor air is also a concern. At least half of the ventilation systems in public schools have yet to be upgraded, one expert estimated.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Michelle Wu offers ‘hardship exemptions’ to North End outdoor dining fee as restaurant owners continue to fume,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Mayor Michelle Wu softened the city’s stance on North End outdoor dining, allowing ‘hardship exemptions’ to the neighborhood-specific $7,500 opt-in fee — though that did little to calm angry business owners who say they shouldn’t be alone in having to pay. … Things got salty after the press conference ended. City officials directed people out a side entrance to the mayor’s offices, away from the protesters. As some of the pro-Wu restaurant owners walked out across the lower mezzanine, the anti-Wu contingent rained down insults from the walkways above, calling them ‘rats.’”

— “Owner of firm overseeing Government Center garage demolition has history of OSHA violations,” by Chris Burrell, GBH News: “The owner of the company in charge of demolishing the Government Center garage when it partially collapsed last weekend has a history of worker safety violations, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.”

— "Company overseeing Boston garage demolition has faced lawsuits from other injured workers," by Beth Healy and Christine Willmsen, WBUR: "The Brockton-based company has paid large settlements in recent years in at least three lawsuits brought by workers who got hurt on the job and blamed JDC and other contractors."

— “At UMass Boston, racial tensions rise during search for new dean,” by Kirk Carapezza, GBH News: “At UMass Boston, a white professor’s criticism of a Black dean being selected to lead a search for the next education dean has generated heated exchanges.”

— “‘Gentrification is destroying the community’: In Eastie, first-generation Bostonians lament a changing neighborhood,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Pricey development continues to rapidly transform this neighborhood, long known as a landing pad for immigrants but drawing more affluent white-collar workers and students by the day. Over the last decade, luxury high rises have sprouted along the once-industrial waterfront while broader upheaval has more quietly changed Eastie’s interior — a surge of money, property values, and developer activity that has the neighborhood’s working-class residents worried they won’t be able to hang on.”

— “As Boston weighs a reparations commission, questions of cost and control arise,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “As Boston moves to establish a commission charged with crafting a municipal reparations policy, District 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards is raising questions about the potential cost of such a commission and how its membership would be determined.”

ON THE STUMP

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: The Collective PAC, which helps elect Black candidates, has endorsed NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan for secretary of state and former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell for state attorney general.

— “Labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan snags government employee union endorsement in AG campaign,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “The National Association of Government Employees, a Quincy-based union which represents 22,000 public-sector employees in Massachusetts and more than 40,000 nationwide, announced Tuesday that its members unanimously voted to back Liss-Riordan.”

— “Councilor Shirley Asack vows to 'get more for Brockton' if voters send her to State House,” by Chris Helms, Brockton Enterprise: “City Councilor Shirley Asack’s pitch for your vote in the new all-Brockton State House seat is all business. … [Asack is] running in the Democratic primary against fellow City Councilor Rita Mendes, an at-large councilor who was the top vote-getter in November’s election. Businessman Fred Fontaine is also running as an independent.”

— ON THIS EPISODE OF: State Attorney General Maura Healey appeared on Kara Swisher’s “Sway” podcast for NYT to talk about everything from her lawsuits against former President Donald Trump to her campaign for governor. She cast the governor’s race as a contest between her and Trump-endorsed Geoff Diehl — without actually saying his name. Pressed on what she’d do on Day One as governor, Healey talked about “having great teams” in place with “diverse leadership” and mentioned the concerns she’s hearing from voters about mental health care, child care and workforce development.

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DAY IN COURT

— “Boston activist Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband plead not guilty to defrauding donors to anti-violence nonprofit,” by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: “Prominent community organizer Monica Cannon-Grant and her husband pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that they defrauded donors who donated to their nonprofit, Violence in Boston Inc., illegally collected pandemic unemployment benefits, and lied on a mortgage application when purchasing their Taunton home last year. … During a 10-minute hearing, Assistant US Attorney Adam Deitch told the judge that the government’s case against the couple is ‘complex’ and involves a ‘massive’ amount of evidence.”

— “Lawsuit challenges statute that denies homeowners profit from foreclosed homes,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The California-based Pacific Legal Foundation is using [Deborah] Foss’s case to challenge a Massachusetts law that lets a municipality seize a property due nonpayment of property taxes, then sell the property and keep any profit above the amount owed.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

— “Elizabeth Warren on Biden’s billionaire tax: ‘I would have gone further’,” by Jess Bidgood, Boston Globe: “A proposal in the Biden administration’s budget, released Monday, would require anyone worth more than $100 million to pay at least 20 percent of their income in taxes — and include the increase in the value of their investments, or unrealized gains, as part of that income. It’s not a carbon copy of Warren’s original idea. And Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has already expressed reservations about it, which could doom its chances. But the inclusion of the concept in the presidential budget shows how Warren’s call to tailor a tax to the very richest Americans — and to broaden what they are taxed on — has woven itself into the fabric of Democratic politics nearly three years after she first extolled it from crowded primary debate stages.”

— More: “Mass. lawmakers back Biden's billionaires’ tax,” by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport Daily News: “Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, says he also supports Biden’s effort to tax the nation’s top earners. … Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Westford, said she also supports Biden’s tax proposal and his administration’s effort to get the nation’s wealthiest to ‘pay their fair share’ of the federal tax burden.”

— “Senate climate hawks announce 500-day energy independence plan,” by Zack Budryk, The Hill: “Senate Democrats who are part of the chamber’s Climate Change Task Force are calling for a multistep strategy to achieve energy independence by transitioning to renewable energy over the next 500 days. At a meeting of the task force Tuesday, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) outlined a series of reforms that he said would achieve the goal without increased reliance on fossil fuels.”

— “Democrats in Congress ask Clarence Thomas to recuse himself from Jan. 6 cases,” by Jacqueline Alemany, Washington Post: “The letter, spearheaded by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), follows The Washington Post’s reporting on repeated efforts by conservative activist Virginia ‘Ginni’ Thomas, the Supreme Court justice’s wife, to pressure White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to pursue various avenues to overturn the 2020 election.”

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Opponents torch proposed rules for burning wood to create electricity in Mass.,” by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “Massachusetts is once again revisiting wood-burning biomass power regulations, and the public, it seems, is not pleased with the plan. The state’s Department of Energy Resources held a virtual hearing on Tuesday to get feedback on a proposal to change which biomass plants qualify for lucrative renewable energy subsidies, and how the state tracks and verifies the type of wood these plants burn. And for about two hours, the vast majority of speakers implored the department to leave the regulations alone.”

FROM THE 413

— “Report: Much of area’s rental housing out of reach for residents,” by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Housing affordability and segregation represent a serious problem in the Pioneer Valley, where the COVID-19 pandemic and a hot market have contributed to increasing housing inaccessibility. Those are some of the findings of a new study published by the UMass Donahue Institute’s Economic & Public Policy Research Group, which found that the region needs at least 17,000 more rental units at or below $500 a month.”

— “State’s workplace inspectors refuse Springfield courthouse visit,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “The state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has refused to send its workplace safety inspectors to Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse, frustrating the union representing 200 clerical workers assigned to the complex.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “New Census data confirms Massachusetts has some of the highest housing costs in the US,” by Daigo Fujiwara and Christina Prignano, Boston Globe: “New Census data released this month shows Massachusetts has the third-highest home values among US states, and costs are only increasing. Among owner-occupied housing units, Massachusetts had a median home value of nearly $400,000, according to the new data, collected as part of the American Community Survey 5-year estimates. … The survey also found rapidly rising home values in Greater Boston, with some cities, including Boston and Cambridge, reporting home values about 50 percent higher than they were in 2010, the last time a similar survey was released.”

— “Schools get fed money for lunch supply issues,” by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport Daily News: “Massachusetts schools are getting a tranche of federal funding to cover the rising cost of vegetables, meat and other school lunch staples that have been driven up by record high inflation and nationwide supply chain issues. The state has received a $17.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Supply Chain Assistance program.”

— “Cambridge City Councilor Assaulted While Being Interviewed About Homeless Problem,” by Christina Hager, WBZ: “A man hit the TV videographer and then hit the city councilor that was being interviewed. ‘I’m fine. I’m fine,’ said Councilor Marc McGovern. Coincidentally, McGovern has been studying the impact of the growing population of unhoused people in Cambridge. He’s also a social worker. ‘I do know that gentleman from the area. He is unhoused. He does have mental illness.’ ... He said the issue has been even worse since Boston’s sweep of the encampment in the area known as Mass and Cass months ago.”

— “Harvard drops from top three law schools, ties with MIT among best business schools,” by Benjamin Kail, Boston Business Journal: “Harvard University fell out of the top three in U.S. News & World Report's 2023 best law schools list, tying for fourth place with Columbia University.”

SPOTTED — at state Sen. Lydia Edwards’ reelection campaign kickoff on Monday: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu; Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins; state Reps. Adrian Madaro, Jeff Turco and Jessica Giannino; auditor hopeful and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio ; Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo; Boston City Council President Ed Flynn; Boston City Councilor Kenzie Bok; former councilor and current AG candidate Andrea Campbell; Revere City Councilors Patrick Keefe, Marc Silvestri and Steven Morabito ; Ed Cash, Ricardo Patron and Gabriela Coletta, per a Playbook tipster. Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark attended a supporter Zoom ahead of the in-person event.

TRANSITIONS — Patch reporter and editor Mike Carraggi is moving to the company’s product team.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Anna Duffy, Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter Dusty Christensen, Bill Ryan and Mark Daley.

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