Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Browsing Baker’s new book

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Browsing Baker’s new book

BOOK REPORT — Much will be written about Charlie Baker’s legacy in the coming months. But the outgoing governor is preempting the press by penning his own narrative about his time in office.

For those hoping Baker’s new book would unravel the secrets of his administration and yield insight into the most popular governor in America’s decision not to seek a third term, you’re out of luck.

“Results: Getting Beyond Politics to Get Important Work Done” is a 268-page guide to governance from a health care executive-turned-governor who built his reputation on his managerial expertise. It was co-written with his former chief of staff, Steve Kadish.

The book explains the Baker administration’s approaches to the crises that marked his two terms as governor — the crippling 2015 blizzards, the Registry of Motor Vehicles scandal and the coronavirus pandemic. But it avoids deep dives on certain controversies like the deadly Covid-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.

Here are a few newsy nuggets:

OFF THE RAILS — Advisors warned Baker in 2015 that if he took on fixing the beleaguered T, he “would be stuck with the issue — forever.” That certainly proved prescient.

‘TROUBLING’ TEACHERS — Baker and teachers’ unions have butted heads throughout the pandemic. Baker called union leaders’ approach to returning to in-person schooling “troubling.”

“For the fall of 2020, most of the teachers’ union leaders seemed opposed to many reasonable attempts to open our schools,” he wrote. “I don’t believe that this can be written off as a Republican governor versus a union. Not in Massachusetts. Not with me.”

‘HAIR’S ON FIRE’ — Baker acknowledged his early vaccine rollout was bumpy. He said he “failed to follow my own advice on launching a website” when recounting the spectacular crash of the state’s vaccine registration website in February 2021. He said he “underestimated” the reaction from local officials when he prioritized mass vaccination sites over boards of health to administer the jabs.

He also had to battle his friends. “Friends of mine who were neither old nor physically frail began to call me up and explain why they belong in phase one” of the vaccine rollout, Baker wrote. “They had friends in Florida who had been able to ‘cut through the red tape’ and get vaccinated there, and they couldn’t understand why they couldn’t do the same thing here.”

BIPARTISAN BAKER — Baker’s book is light on politics. He mentions the Trump administration by name just twice — calling out its “botched” handling of Covid testing but praising “Operation Warp Speed.” There are similarly scant mentions of the Biden administration. It's in the epilogue that Baker urges officials to move past “the way that partisanship dominates our national politics and big pieces of our state and local politics” to deliver for the people.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. We’ll soon see if Baker will get results in his push for tax relief. The Senate budget debate, which includes amendments with some of Baker’s proposed tax breaks, gets underway today. And State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski reports that the Revenue Committee has moved up its timeline for issuing a recommendation on Baker’s tax relief legislation to July 1.

TODAY — Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and MassDOT Secretary/CEO Jamey Tesler speak at MassDOT’s 2022 Transportation Innovation Conference at 9:30 a.m. in Worcester. Baker speaks at the Massachusetts High Technology Council’s annual meeting at 12:30 p.m. in Boston. Baker and Kadish discuss their book at Harvard Kennedy School at 4:30 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testifies at the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting at 9:15 a.m., is on GBH News’ “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m., hosts a press conference on Mass. and Cass at 12:30 p.m. at City Hall and attends Boston magazine’s 100 Most Influential Bostonians event at 6:15 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Comments? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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CAMPAIGN MODE

— AXE FILES: State Sen. Eric Lesser has been leaning on his Obamaworld connections to boost his bid for lieutenant governor.

Now David Axelrod — Lesser’s former boss, senior advisor to President Barack Obama and campaign consultant for former Gov. Deval Patrick — has penned a letter urging delegates to vote for Lesser at the party’s convention. He’s also hosting a virtual fundraiser for him next week.

“In the Obama-Patrick tradition, Eric believes in politics as a vehicle to bring about real, meaningful change that touches lives, and he’s lived that cause,” Axelrod wrote in the letter obtained by Playbook. “I have no doubt he would be a tremendous asset to the next governor and the people of Massachusetts.”

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Harvard professor and former Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Danielle Allen is endorsing former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell for attorney general, per her campaign. “Massachusetts needs a leader who will be a true partner in creating change from the ground up — and never compromise on putting the needs of our communities first,” Allen said in a statement.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Sydney Levin-Epstein has been endorsed for Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester state senator by the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts.

— "Lori Trahan endorses Maura Healey for governor," by Cameron Morsberger, Lowell Sun: "U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan endorsed Attorney General Maura Healey in her run for governor during a group tour in Lowell on Monday. While stopped at Four Sisters Owl Diner — where Trahan waitressed through high school — Trahan said she has worked alongside Healey on a number of issues, including their support for the Roe Act and clean water initiatives, as well as their joint efforts in 'holding (former President Donald) Trump’s White House accountable' when it comes to environmental policies."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Massachusetts COVID cases drop over the weekend, Brookline brings back mask mandate for schools,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The state Department of Public Health reported a daily average of 2,542 COVID cases over the weekend, which was down 29% from the daily rate of 3,596 infections last weekend.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Report documented troubling environment of harassment in the state Senate. Staff now ask: What’s next?” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “A survey commissioned by the state Senate but never publicly released documented experiences of incivility, gender-biased behavior, unwanted or hostile sexual conduct, and in some cases, sexual coercion. The survey, conducted in March 2019 and obtained by the Globe this month, has gained new relevance as staff have refocused their attention on workplace conditions amid an effort to unionize.”

— “Senators push to expand school transportation funding,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “A bipartisan group of senators wants to carve out more funding for regional public school transportation in next fiscal year's state budget. … A proposed amendment offered by senators would add another $14.5 million to the budget for regional transportation to fully fund the program. Senate budget writers proposed a 85% reimbursement rate, or more than $82.1 million, in their budget plan unveiled two weeks ago.”

— "Mass. is poised to spend millions on forced addiction treatment, reigniting debate over system," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "While many states use civil commitment, Massachusetts is believed to be the only state that court-orders some men to treatment inside jails and prisons — even if they haven't committed any crimes. As legislators seem poised to add millions of dollars in funding for involuntary commitment programs under the law called Section 35, there are concerns among legislators, public health advocates and families on the state of forced treatment here."

FROM THE HUB

— “State releases blistering review of Boston Public Schools: ‘BPS needs immediate improvement’,” by James Vaznis, Jenna Russell and Bianca Vázquez Toness, Boston Globe: “Boston Public Schools is largely stuck in ‘entrenched dysfunction’ and its failure to achieve systemwide change on a number of fronts is causing thousands of students to languish in their classrooms, even as school district leaders have taken initial steps to help remedy some of the problems, according to a blistering state review released Monday. … And the report makes the case that state Commissioner Jeffrey Riley and the state Board of Elementary and Education will take action, although the report doesn’t state what specific steps will be taken. The state education board is scheduled to discuss the report’s findings at its monthly meeting Tuesday. … Four major operational areas emerge in the report as key areas of concern: transportation, facilities, data reporting, and school safety protocols.”

— “New housing strategy behind Mass. and Cass cleanup offers ‘hope, dignity’ — and may be a solution to homelessness, officials say,” by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: “Since January, some two dozen [former Mass. and Cass residents] who were living in similar transitional units have moved on to more permanent housing as well, including 11 who stayed at the Shattuck community of small white aluminum structures — dubbed ‘cabins’ — that the state quickly erected in December to house people who had been staying in tents. … Now, state health officials say they are expanding the effort that began near the Shattuck, working with social service organizations to create hundreds of supportive, permanent housing units across Massachusetts. The state has already approved 12 contracts, totaling $10.8 million, to fund 298 single-room occupancy units. From Springfield to Lawrence, 215 of these units could be up and running by June.”

— “Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden rules police were legally justified in using deadly force in Roxbury and Revere fatal shootings in 2019,” by John R. Ellement and Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “Officers from the Boston and Everett police departments were legally justified when they shot and killed two men on separate occasions in Roxbury and Revere in 2019, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden ruled Monday.”

ON THE STUMP

— DEBATING DEBATES: Now that they’ve both advanced from the GOP convention, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Chris Doughty and his running mate, former state Rep. Kate Campanale, are challenging their opponents to six and four debates, respectively, before the September primary.

“Our state is at a serious crossroads and there needs to be multiple discussions on the candidates’ backgrounds, experience and the critical issues before us,” Doughty said in a statement.

Geoff Diehl said on Bloomberg Baystate Business shortly before Doughty issued that call that he’s “sure we’ll have debates.” His campaign has yet to formally respond to Doughty's.

— “GOP candidate for governor calls convention comments ‘not appropriate,’ backs up claims of indoctrination in schools,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “Republican candidate for governor Geoff Diehl told reporters Monday that vulgar comments made about school curricula by a secretary of state candidate during the party’s convention Saturday were ‘not appropriate,’ but leaned into a separate controversial claim that permeated the weekend event, which is that Democratic control in the state would lead to ‘indoctrination’ of children in schools.”

— “Massachusetts Democratic attorney general debate features friction on outside spending and safe injection sites,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Three Democratic candidates for Massachusetts attorney general sparred over outside spending by third parties and legalizing safe injection sites in their latest debate on Monday night. The virtual debate, hosted by the Boston Ward 4 and 5 Democratic Committees, came hours after candidates Shannon Liss-Riordan and Quentin Palfrey gathered outside the State House to sign the ‘People’s Pledge,’ a commitment to limit third-party spending in the race.”

Campbell didn’t attend the signing because of a conflict, but has also declined to disavow super PAC spending in the race. Last night she said she would recuse herself if necessary from any matters involving potential conflicts of interest, whether that’s because of super PAC donors or prison reform, given that she has “loved ones who are still incarcerated.”

Campbell has also likened Liss-Riordan’s self-funding to a super PAC, an argument Liss-Riordan batted back twice yesterday — once at the People’s Pledge signing and again during the debate — calling the two “apples and oranges.”

— “Massachusetts attorney general candidate Quentin Palfrey wants to shutdown Springfield courthouse; earns endorsement of City Councilor Jesse Lederman,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “Democratic attorney general candidate Quentin Palfrey is honing in on Central and Western Massachusetts issues in an attempt to lock in votes and pave his path to success.”

— “Dem Candidates for Bristol Sheriff Respond to SJC Ruling on Jail Calls,” by Marcus Ferro, WBSM: “[D]espite the legal authority outlined by the court, opponents of the law still believe there is still an ethical question of whether county sheriffs' offices should generate revenue by charging mostly low-income individuals and families for phone calls. The three candidates in the Democratic primary competing for the right to challenge Hodgson in the general election this fall – former Somerset Police Chief George McNeil, Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux, and former prosecutor Nick Bernier – all oppose this policy and say that they would discontinue it if elected sheriff.”

HAPPENING WEDNESDAY—A WOMEN RULE TALK ON THE MIDTERMS : Join POLITICO’S Women Rule for a conversation with the women running the midterm campaigns and how they are shaping messaging and strategy for their candidates. The program will look into what a win for either party could mean for access to reproductive health care, economic advancement of women, and how the final stages of the Covid-19 pandemic are managed. REGISTER HERE.

BALLOT BATTLES

— “‘Millionaire’s tax’ opponents launch campaign, cite potential impact on small business owners,” by Meghan Smith, GBH News: “Massachusetts voters will decide whether to implement a tax hike on high-income earners by constitutional amendment in November. The Coalition to Stop the Tax Hike Amendment, made up of more than 80 small businesses and trade organizations, says if voters pass the proposal, it would negatively impact the Massachusetts economy.”

DAY IN COURT

— “SJC allows former owners of Everett casino property to pursue suit seeking another $40 million for land,” by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: “The state’s highest court handed a win Monday to the former owners of the Encore Boston Harbor casino site, ruling that a judge had erroneously dismissed a lawsuit they filed against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in a bid to collect an additional $40 million for the Everett land.”

FROM THE 413

— “Phony signatures on papers for Puello’s failed 2019 Holyoke election bid,” by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “When Wilmer ‘Will’ Puello-Mota first ran for the City Council in 2019, two of the signatures on his nomination papers drew the suspicion of employees of the city clerk’s office. That’s because those people said they had never signed Puello’s papers.”

— “Easthampton police get OK for Tesla vehicles,” by Emily Thurlow, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

— “Mercy Medical Center laying off staff, including translators, nurses,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Everett officials step down after being criticized for racist and offensive behavior,” by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: “After weeks of tumult in the city of Everett, a city councilor and the mayor’s communications director resigned on Monday, following the public disclosures of private messages and exchanges involving racist and racially offensive language. In a belated action that Mayor Carlo DeMaria said was necessary to move the diverse city forward, his communications director Deanna Deveney and his cousin, district City Councilor Anthony DiPierro, both stepped down, effective immediately, hours before a planned rally against racism outside City Hall.”

— “Monkeypox case in Massachusetts: Department of Public Health tracking 200-plus contacts for patient,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “State health officials who are investigating the only confirmed monkeypox case in the U.S. are tracking more than 200 contacts of the Boston patient, the CDC said Monday. The ‘vast majority’ of the contacts of the Massachusetts man are health care workers.”

— “Barriers at the Beach: State law and town rules keep most of Mass. shoreline off-limits,” by Chris Burrell, GBH News: “Massachusetts should be a beach lover’s paradise, but access to the state’s shores is deeply uneven. Entry to most beaches is dependent on personal wealth, your home zip code and a shrinking allotment of ‘visitor’ parking spaces clustered far from the water and a system of parking restrictions aimed at out-of-towners. Just 12% of the state’s beaches are open to all members of the public, according to a coastal land inventory done by the state more than 30 years ago — the last estimate the state ever attempted, when the state had about 1 million fewer residents.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Kate Donaghey and Boston Globe crime reporter Evan Allen.

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