Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Amplifying Latino priorities

Saturday, January 28, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Amplifying Latino priorities

PROPAGANDA!

NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!

NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!
MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!

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THE LATINO LANDSCAPE — Latinos make up more than 12 percent of the state’s population, are fueling its growth and are making inroads in state and local politics. Yet there’s been no large-scale survey of their political leanings or policy priorities — until now.

Amplify Latinx teamed up with the MassINC Polling Group to survey 1,203 Latinos in Massachusetts. The expansive project also included two Spanish-language focus groups of Latino residents, one in the eastern part of the state and one in the west, and interviews with elected Latino officials from the municipal level up through the Legislature.

The results provide a roadmap for policymakers. Housing and health care affordability top the list of what Latino residents want state leaders to prioritize over the next year, followed by creating jobs and ensuring access to high-quality K-12 education. Two-thirds of respondents "strongly support" limiting how much landlords can increase rent each year, in a potential boost for rent control policies. And 63 percent strongly support expanding access to financial support for small businesses.

Amplify Latinx is tackling the economic concerns raised in the poll by supporting legislation to help microbusinesses — independently owned entities with fewer than 10 employees and less than $250,000 in annual gross income. Bills filed by state Rep. Carlos González and others would create an employee training and workforce development fund for microbusinesses and establish a department focused on micro and minority-owned businesses within the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

Beyond policy, the survey should also ring some alarm bells about top pols’ outreach efforts to Latinos.

More than half of Latinos have never heard of Katherine Clark, the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House, and 49 percent have never heard of Rep. Ayanna Pressley. The two women combined represent several cities with higher Latino populations.

Maura Healey doesn’t fare much better: 42 percent have never heard of the new governor. And 41 percent don’t know Sen. Ed Markey. By contrast, just 19 percent haven’t heard of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the state’s senior senator and former presidential hopeful. Those numbers improve slightly among registered voters — the majority of which, according to the survey, lean toward or identify as Democrats.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Dive deeper into the poll on this week’s episode of The Horse Race .

TODAY — Healey speaks at the Mass Health and Hospital Association’s annual meeting at 8:45 a.m. at the Westin Copley hotel and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Awards at noon at the Omni Boston Seaport. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh addresses the New England Council at 9:30 a.m. at the Seaport Hotel. Warren is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m.

THIS WEEKEND — Former President Donald Trump returns to New Hampshire for the first time since 2020 on Saturday to keynote the state GOP's annual meeting. Former GOP auditor hopeful Anthony Amore is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. UMass President Marty Meehan is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.

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

PROPAGANDA!

NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!

NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!
MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!

A message from NextEra Energy:

A Beacon Research poll of Massachusetts’ voters conducted in July 2022 showed that a majority support the use of clean, low-cost, carbon-emissions free nuclear energy to fight climate change . Over 70% of informed voters support including nuclear energy to fight rising energy costs and climate change.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Boston’s COVID data shows promising trends but ‘important to remain vigilant,’ Massachusetts virus cases drop 15%,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “On Thursday, the state Department of Public Health reported 5,797 virus cases over the last week. The daily average of 828 COVID cases from the last week was down 15% from the daily rate of 972 virus infections during the previous week.”

— “New coronavirus waste water surveillance program reveals neighborhood disparities,” by Zeina Mohammed, Boston Globe: “Earlier this month, the City of Boston began sampling waste water from 11 manholes in as many neighborhoods across the city. The goal is to get a more localized look at how the coronavirus is spreading. What emerged was a picture of glaring, though unsurprising, disparities. According to the most recent report, released Monday, Roxbury had the highest coronavirus levels in the city — more than three times those of Roslindale/West Roxbury and Charlestown, which had the lowest levels. Allston/Brighton, Mattapan, and Dorchester also had above-average counts.”

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Workforce shortages are at 'crisis point,' Healey says,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “[Gov. Maura] Healey’s address to hundreds of executives and corporate leaders at a Newton Marriott marked the new governor’s first time speaking directly to the state’s business community, an audience pondering how the Democrat might shift dynamics after eight years of Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, a former health insurance executive. During her campaign and in first three weeks on the job, Healey has pegged affordability and the state’s competitiveness as among her focal points. She stuck to those themes Thursday, reiterating some broad-strokes plans that line up with business concerns.”

— “Maura Healey’s pending equity audit will focus on taxpayer dollars,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “At the Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ executive forum Thursday, Healey emphasized the pending equity audit would prioritize studying which taxpayers and constituents are accessing services from state government — rather than on ‘personnel and headcount’ at agencies.”

— “Lawmakers push for universal free school meals,” by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: “Massachusetts is one of only a handful of states that continued offering free school meals after COVID-19 restrictions lapsed, but Beacon Hill lawmakers are considering a plan that would make the changes permanent. A bipartisan proposal filed for consideration in the upcoming two-year session would make breakfast and lunch free for all public school students, regardless of their family’s income. The move would make permanent a pandemic-related policy that provided free school meals for students in the past three years.”

— “Boston Chamber pushing ‘congestion pricing’ bill,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is backing legislation that would create a commission dedicated to studying ways to reduce traffic, including a congestion pricing option that could increase costs for drivers traveling in and around the city.”

— “Two elected officials drafted legislation to regulate artificial intelligence technology — with some help from ChatGPT,” by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: “Last week, state Senator Barry R. Finegold and Representative Josh S. Cutler used the controversial computer program, which has swept the Internet in recent months, to help draft two separate proposals to regulate its usage, moves that are believed to be among the first of their kind. … As part of the bill, ChatGPT was asked to include a line indicating that the proposal was drafted with its help. … ‘Any errors or inaccuracies in the bill should not be attributed to the language model, but rather to its human authors,’ ChatGPT wrote.”

— “Teaching climate change: High schoolers implore legislators to act on ‘greatest problem’ facing young generation,” by Colin Hogan, New Bedford Light: “For the second year in a row, a network of student organizations is proposing new learning standards that integrate climate science and civics into existing classes, such as biology and history.”

PROPAGANDA!

NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!

NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!
MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!

A message from NextEra Energy:

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “MBTA opens up about crippling subway car delivery delays,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The MBTA pulled back the curtain a bit on Thursday about what’s causing crippling delays in the production of new Red and Orange Line trains by a Chinese manufacturer and its assembly plant in Springfield. Jeffrey Gonneville, the T’s interim general manager, said the Chinese company, CRRC, was supposed to deliver all 152 new Orange Line cars by December 2022, but so far has delivered only 78. CRRC was supposed to deliver all 252 new Red Line cars by this September, but so far has delivered only 12.”

— “State settles on design type for new Sagamore, Bourne bridges. Here is the latest,” by Zane Razzaq, Cape Cod Times: “Officials from the state Department of Transportation have settled on a design type as they move forward with plans to replace the aging Sagamore and Bourne bridges. Twin arches are the right route because they would get traffic off the existing bridges the fastest, said state Department of Transportation Project Manager Bryan Cordeiro during a Tuesday meeting to update the public. … Cordeiro said the state is still waiting to see if the project can win funding under the federal Mega Grant program.”

DAY IN COURT

— “Mass. SJC chief justice calls for increase in state funding for civil legal aid for low-income residents,” by Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “The pandemic has spurred low-income people to seek out legal aid for unemployment, domestic violence, housing, and immigration cases. But there’s not nearly enough funding for legal aid organizations to meet the exploding demand, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd said on Thursday as she called for more state funding to address the growing equity concerns. … Budd and advocates called for $49 million in increased state funding in fiscal year 2024 for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, the largest funding source for civil legal aid organizations in the state.”

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Mass. leads nation in ‘green’ building development,” by Kathryn Carley, Dig Boston: “Massachusetts ranks number one in the nation for ‘green’ building development. The ranking is based on what’s known as LEED certification, which is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, judging factors related to health, efficiency and cost savings.”

FROM THE 413

— “Panel explores case for reparations in Northampton,” by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Proponents of establishing a commission on reparations in Northampton for African Americans are lobbying the City Council to pass a resolution on the issue in February, coinciding with Black History Month.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Civil service commission urges law enforcement agencies to bring charges against former Methuen police chief Joe Solomon,” by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: “Former Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon should face criminal or civil charges for engaging in ‘serious misconduct’ by hiring police officers who were untrained and unqualified, including the former chair of the city council, concludes a scathing new report by the state Civil Service Commission. Solomon, who was one of the highest-paid law enforcement officers in the country before he was placed on leave and then retired in 2020, allegedly circumvented civil services rules by hiring favored candidates out of their civil service order and by hiring part-time police officers who did not apply through the civil service system at all.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— 2024 WATCH: Former President Donald Trump is headed back to New Hampshire on Saturday for the first time since the 2020 election. Marianne Williamson, the author and activist who's considering a second run for the White House after flaming out of the 2020 Democratic primary before voting began, is also considering a visit, per the Washington Post's Michael Scherer . Williamson's pending trip comes amid turmoil over the state's first-in-the-nation primary status on the Democratic side.

PROPAGANDA!

NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!

NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!
MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!

A message from NextEra Energy:

Affordable, carbon-emissions free, reliable electricity from nuclear energy. Seabrook Station lowers consumer energy costs in Massachusetts and New England by providing a year-round, low-cost, baseload energy supply. And American-made nuclear energy supports hundreds of jobs across New England.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

SPOTTED — at Estella for Samuel Gebru of Black Lion Strategies’ new year’s party: state Sen. Liz Miranda, Falmouth Select Board vice chair Onjalé Scott Price , Colleen Fonseca of the Builders of Color Coalition, Imari Paris Jeffries of Embrace Boston, Bruce Stebbins of the Cannabis Control Commission, MassChallenge’s Damon Cox and Cindy Rowe of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action.

WEDDING BELLS — Congratulations to Tyler Carlton and Philippe Kelley on their wedding last weekend. Governor’s Councilor Eileen Duff officiated the ceremony. Guests included Auditor Diana DiZoglio , state Sen. Joan Lovely , Essex DA Paul Tucker , Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and Walter North , former U.S. ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

TRANSITIONS — Kate Donaghey is now undersecretary and chief of staff to state Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler. She previously was executive director of LearnLaunch.

— Former LG candidate and former state Rep. Tami Gouveia is now director of HHS audits under Auditor Diana DiZoglio.

— Alicia K. Mack has joined Nutter as chief business development and marketing officer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Anna Ornstein, Jenna Kaplan and Cherilyn Strader.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to 90 West’s Antonio Caban , former deputy communications director to Senate President Karen Spilka; former Rep. Peter Blute, Chrissy Raymond , former Rep. Peter Torkildsen, Christina Knowles and Katie Holzman , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Rep. Jake Auchincloss , Provincetown Town Manager Alex Morse , Dr. Natalia Linos , Mass. Playbook alum and Bloomberg’s Lauren Dezenski and Rich Rubino .

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: LATINOS IN MASSACHUSETTS — Dive deep into Amplify Latinx and The MassINC Polling Group's recent survey of more than 1,200 Latinos in Massachusetts — considered to be the "largest ever Latino focused poll on civic engagement and economic prosperity" in the state — with hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky and Amplify Latinx CEO & President Eneida Román . Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud .

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 .

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