Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: On the frontlines of the shelter crisis

Monday, November 13, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: On the frontlines of the shelter crisis

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With help from Kelly Garrity

VELIS' VIEW — A young boy was wandering around the room at the hotel where John Velis and his fellow National Guard members were stationed. He couldn’t have been more than 6 years old. The boy was hungry. But, because of a language barrier, he didn’t know how to ask for something to eat.

One Guard member handed him a granola bar as another spoke to his parents. The boy struggled to open it. He tried biting the packaging. When Velis ripped it open, the boy beamed. He reminded Velis of his own son.

“The human side of this is something that I didn’t anticipate,” Velis told Playbook. “Talking to these folks, finding out about their life journey. It was something that I didn’t think I would get out of this. And I most certainly did.”

State Sen. John Velis was activated by the National Guard to help with the state's emergency shelter system. | Office of John Velis/Courtesy

Velis was one of the hundreds of National Guard members activated by the state to help out across dozens of hotels and motels serving as shelters for more than 3,800 migrant and homeless families. Now the state senator is back on Beacon Hill with firsthand knowledge of the situation on the ground just as he and his colleagues prepare to take a critical vote on $250 million to help float the state’s emergency shelter system for a few more months.

The Westfield Democrat said he would “proudly” support more money for the program. And he wants the state to have “flexibility” around how to spend it because “so many things can pop up, particularly on the ground.” The spending bill sent over from the House includes stipulations like designating $50 million specifically for overflow shelter. The Senate has yet to release its version.

The shelter system exceeded Gov. Maura Healey’s 7,500-family capacity limit last Thursday . Starting today, the state is teaming up with federal officials for the first of two legal clinics aimed at shortening the work-authorization process for hundreds of migrants to weeks instead of months — something Healey argues is essential to accelerating their departure from the shelter system.

Velis said the migrants he spoke with want to work. “It was literally across the board, at every hotel, that every single person that I spoke to said, ‘We want to work.’ And they said it with such conviction,” he said.

“There’s this misperception out there that we have this group of individuals who are kind of just loving life [in the shelter system]. And that’s not the case," Velis continued. "They’re incredibly grateful that they have a spot to be in. But they also want to get out there and they want to provide for their families.”

But Velis said the federal government has to do more than just process work permits faster. While he was deployed, Velis said he encountered asylum-seekers with court dates scheduled as far out as 2027 — another sign of laggardness within the nation’s immigration system. And he worries about the state’s ability to keep funding an emergency shelter program that was never meant to handle this much volume.

Massachusetts needs an “off ramp,” Velis said. Asked if that means the state should consider changes to the “right-to-shelter” law, the senator said “every single factor should be on the table” — particularly with the feds “abdicating their authority” on the issue.

“The status quo is unsustainable without incredibly adverse financial consequences to the commonwealth,” Velis warned. “I’m not suggesting repeal. I’m not saying preserve. But is a conversation worth having about modifying [the shelter law]? I would certainly engage. I would certainly say that's a worthwhile conversation.”

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Get ready for a busy few days on Beacon Hill before formal sessions end for the year on Wednesday.

TODAY — Healey kicks off apprenticeship week at 11 a.m. at Boston Carpenters and hosts a contract celebration with SEIU 1199 at 2 p.m. at the State House. Rep. Seth Moulton addresses The New England Council at 9:30 a.m. at the Hampshire House in Boston. Gabe Amo is scheduled to be sworn in as Rhode Island’s 1st District U.S. representative in the evening.

Tips? Scoops? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com .

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Conservation Law Foundation is separating fact from fiction when it comes to the role of bioenergy in cutting climate-damaging pollution and transforming our economy to one built on clean energy. The economic, environmental, and public health of our communities and businesses demand that we invest in energy efficiency and clean energy sources – while moving with caution and care on bioenergy resources. Get the full story.

BALLOT BATTLES

RENT-CONTROL CAMPAIGN FOLDS — Tracking tens of thousands of signatures short before a crucial deadline, the group pushing a 2024 ballot question on local-option rent control ended its campaign Friday night.

The ballot committee — led by state Rep. Mike Connolly and supported by former Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone and state Sen. Jamie Eldridge , among others — had collected just 10,175 of the 74,574 signatures that are due to local officials next week. While public and private polling showed majority support for a ballot measure that would let cities and towns implement rent control, the effort was splintering progressives and housing advocacy groups. And it was meeting fierce resistance from conservative and real-estate industry groups, which cheered the campaign’s demise.

Connolly said the decision to abandon the ballot campaign was made in part to refocus efforts behind similar legislation that’s up for a hearing on Tuesday .

But that, too, is an uphill battle. House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz said in a recent interview on NBC10’s “At Issue” that voters “got rid of [rent control] for a reason.” While Michlewitz said he’ll “keep an open mind” as rent-control bills — including a home-rule petition being pushed by his mayor, Michelle Wu — wind through the legislative process, “I need to be convinced and I think that a lot of my colleagues need to be convinced.”

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

FROM THE HUB

— “Boston Mayor Wu downplays reported Mass and Cass spillover spike at nearby hospital,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Mayor Michelle Wu downplayed statements from Boston Medical Center’s top executive, saying that there hasn’t been a spike in the number of people loitering outside and sheltering in the emergency department since tents were removed at Mass and Cass. Wu did say, however, that the city has been targeting ‘hotspots,’ particularly at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square and the Massachusetts Avenue MBTA station.”

— RELATED: “Life after Mass and Cass: Ex-Homeless talk ‘Opportunity’,” by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald.

— “Boston’s plan to ban fossil fuels in new buildings goes up in smoke,” by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: “More than three years after introducing her Green New Deal plan for Boston as a mayoral candidate, Mayor Michelle Wu said in an interview last week that the city will not be participating in a state program that will allow 10 communities to ban developers from including fossil fuels in new buildings. … Wu said, ‘it breaks my heart,’ but that the city was not applying for the state program because it appears it was not actually intended for a city as complex as Boston.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

AROUND AND AROUND — Acting Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt wants to “find solutions, and not just a long-term solution” to one of the state’s most crash-prone intersections.

The state wants to replace the intersection of Route 28 and Chickatawbut Road in Milton with a roundabout. But the plan has drawn opposition from residents and local officials who would rather see dedicated left-turn lanes and other fixes. A push to reduce the speed limit in the area was pocket-vetoed by Gov. Charlie Baker just before he left office. Tibbits-Nutt pledged more partnership during a recent visit to the town. More from the Herald’s Lance Reynolds.

A message from Conservation Law Foundation:

2024 WATCH

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST — Sen. Tim Scott dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Sunday night in a Fox News interview . The South Carolina Republican said he has no plans to endorse one of his rivals. POLITICO’s Natalie Allison has more .

Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy is apartment hunting in New Hampshire as the Ohio entrepreneur shifts his campaign staff to the Granite and Hawkeye states in a bid to boost his longshot campaign, POLITICO’s Adam Wren reports .

And Donald Trump echoed dictators as he campaigned in Claremont, N.H., on Saturday, calling those on the political left “vermin.” The former president remains the polling frontrunner in New Hampshire and nationally by a sizable margin.

PETER DURANT IS A CLOWN FOR ENDORSING DESANTIS, THE BOOK BANNER, RE-WRITES HISTORY, DON'T SAY GAY DIM WIT!

That's before defining the ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION in FLORIDA or the numerous other issues...homeowners insurance? radioactive roads? DEAD MANATEES?

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook:

DESANTISLAND — One of GOP state Rep. Peter Durant ’s first big actions as state senator-elect: endorsing Ron DeSantis for president, per the Florida governor's campaign.

THIS IS THE CLOWN THAT PETER DURANT ENDORSED:

NOTE: GREAT BARRINGTON DECLARATION is a DIRTY ENERGY KOCH fund think tank - it's a SCAM!

Ron DeSantis' New Surgeon General Appeared in 'Demon Sperm' Doctor's COVID Conspiracy Video

excerpt:

One of the video's main speakers, Dr. Stella Immanuel, is a physician who operates a medical clinic in a Texas strip mall next to her church, Firepower Ministries. In the video, she called hydroxychloroquine a "cure" and said, "You don't need a mask" to prevent the virus' spread.

Immanuel has claimed that ovarian cysts and endometriosis are caused by "demonic seed." Demons insert sperm into sleeping individuals when they have sex in their dreams, Immanuel claimed in articles on her church's website.

Ladapo has also promoted the anti-parasite medication ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 symptoms. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has advised against using ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment.

In October 2020, Ladapo signed the Great Barrington Declaration, a statement that called for developing societal herd immunity to COVID-19 through natural infection.

https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-new-surgeon-general-appeared-demon-sperm-doctors-covid-conspiracy-video-1631372

DESANTISLAND — One of GOP state Rep. Peter Durant ’s first big actions as state senator-elect: endorsing Ron DeSantis for president, per the Florida governor's campaign.

DAY IN COURT

— “Former Methuen police chief, ex-officer both plead not guilty at arraignment in corruption case,” by Nick Stoico, Boston Globe: “Former Methuen police chief Joseph Solomon and a former city councilor that he hired as a police officer both pleaded not guilty to fraud and corruption charges and were released on personal recognizance during arraignments Friday in Essex Superior Court, according to court records.” Inside the courtroom with the Eagle-Tribune .

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Cambridge bike lanes face murky path forward after City Council elections,” by Bob Seay, GBH News: “Cambridge has been on a tear to build separated bike lanes on city streets over the last four years, setting ambitious targets and bypassing traditional community engagement processes to set up safer biking infrastructure. But local elections … made the project’s future murky. Some supportive councilors declined to run for reelection, and one of the program’s most vocal opponents narrowly won a seat on the council.”

— “Truro wraps up voter registration hearings, clearing way for Nov. 16 town meeting,” by Walker Armstrong, Cape Cod Times: “The Truro Board of Registrars completed hearings Thursday on the 66 voter registration challenges filed with the town, wrapping up a contentious four-day process that saw nearly half of the challenged individuals either being taken off the voter rolls by the Board or removed prior to the week’s proceedings, according to records reviewed by the Times.”

— “No school in Andover on Monday as teachers strike continues,” by Abbey Niezgoda and Kaitlin McKinley Becker, NBC10 Boston.

MEDIA MATTERS

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY — CommonWealth Beacon’s Bruce Mohl reports that MBTA public relations officials were ordered to ignore calls from then-Boston Globe reporter Andrea Estes for the paper’s April story about top MBTA managers living far from the public transit system. The Globe issued multiple corrections to the story . Estes was fired, and is now trying to get her job back, per Mohl.

MEANWHILE IN MAINE

PORTRAIT OF A KILLER — A four-reporter team from the Boston Globe chronicles the circumstances that led up to Robert Card ’s deadly shooting spree in Lewiston.

ICYMI — Maine Gov. Janet Mills created an independent commission to investigate the shootings.

A message from Conservation Law Foundation:

Conservation Law Foundation is working to fight climate change and secure a livable and healthy future for all New Englanders. We know New England needs to end its reliance on fossil fuels, and that presents a pressing question: What role will bioenergy play in the region’s energy system as we move toward 2050? The fossil fuel industry is leaning hard on selling biofuels such as renewable natural gas as viable options to meet state mandates for cutting climate-damaging emissions. But what’s beneath the surface is more of the same climate-damaging fuels. We don’t have time or resources to waste on costly and ineffective solutions. Conservation Law Foundation is sorting fact from fiction. Bioenergy’s role in New England’s clean energy future is a limited and targeted one. Get the full story.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to NCAA president and former Gov. Charlie Baker, who turns 67; NECN/NBC10’s Sue O’Connell ; Sudbury state Rep. Carmine Gentile, Monica Scalpato Burke and POLITICO alum Jonathan Topaz .

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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