Tuesday, April 9, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Santiago’s mission status

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THE SANTIAGO INTERVIEW — Jon Santiago’s mission couldn’t have been clearer when he took over as the state’s first veterans secretary 13 months ago: Restore confidence in Massachusetts’ ability to serve those who served.

At that point three years after deadly Covid-19 outbreaks swept through the Holyoke and Chelsea Soldiers’ Homes, confidence in the state’s veterans services was still shaken. Santiago, an Army reservist, Boston Medical Center emergency room doctor and former Boston state representative, faced the tall task of trying to earn back the trust of veterans and their families while building up a new secretariat.

So, Santiago set up an engagement office. He and his staff visited every county in the state within his first 90 days on the job. “I’ve met with more providers than I can count, just to solicit their thoughts, to hear their concerns and to validate what they were thinking — and to let them know we are going to take a different approach here,” Santiago told Playbook. “And we may disagree at times. But that’s OK, as long as we’re coming from a good place and a desire to move the ball forward when it comes to veterans services.”

Those conversations helped inform the Healey administration’s 17-point HERO Act to overhaul benefits and services for veterans. Santiago was also by Gov. Maura Healey’s side when she launched a $20 million campaign to end veteran homelessness, when construction got underway on the new Holyoke veterans’ home in August and when the new Massachusetts Veterans Home in Chelsea opened in December.

“It’s a 360 with Jon Santiago,” said John Paradis, a veteran advocate from western Massachusetts who resigned as deputy superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home in 2015 and helped create the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Coalition in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak there. Santiago and his staff are “making a big effort on outreach,” Paradis told Playbook, “and that had been sorely lacking for some time.”

Veterans Secretary Jon Santiago | Joshua Qualls/Governor's press office courtesy photo

Still, more challenges lie ahead. Now four years on from the soldiers’ home tragedies, families are still looking for accountability as the Holyoke facility’s former leaders avoid jail time . The Healey administration’s efforts to combat veteran homelessness — a HUD survey on a single night in 2023 found that 545 veterans in the state were experiencing homelessness; of those, Santiago said, only about 33 are unsheltered and the vast majority are in “transitional housing” — are running up against a multifaceted housing crisis.

The linked article is from the NY POST, a Murdoch
Tabloid that is factually incorrect and provoked
predictable uninformed comments. The numbers
reported are outdated.

And the governor’s plan to use the former Chelsea Soldiers’ Home as an overflow shelter site for migrant and homeless families is being met with blowback from some Republicans and conservative outlets — despite the fact that the building is vacant and slated for demolition to become a parking lot for the new soldiers’ home.

“The bottom line is: Each and every one of us, irrespective of our politics, needs to be working toward supporting our veterans,” Santiago said. But at the same time, he said, “we’re not going to pull veterans from transitional housing, who are receiving services, to put them in a place that’s going to be torn down.”

Playbook spoke with Santiago about his Year One efforts to overhaul veterans services (bringing in new leadership, engaging more on employment, expanding the Massachusetts Women Veterans Network); how the increasing diversity of veterans affects the services the state provides (his office is about to launch a yearlong project to update the profile of the state’s veteran community); and his jobs outside of state government (he still picks up shifts in the emergency department).

We also talked about his big goal for Year Two: Doing more work on mental health — including preventing veteran suicide.

“Every veteran who takes their life is a tragedy and one that we always try to avoid,” Santiago said. “We put forward a working group to look into this early on in the administration and they came out with a variety of recommendations. And so over the course of the next year, you’ll be hearing me speak more about that.”

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Happy Red Sox home opener day!

TODAY — Healey , DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu present the “Reversed the Curse” sign to the 2004 Red Sox World Series championship team at 12:15 p.m. at Hotel Commonwealth. Healey attends the opening dinner for the MassCEC and ARPA-E Regional Clean Energy Innovation Showcase at 6 p.m. in the Seaport. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at Autism Advocacy Day at 10:30 a.m. and chairs a Local Government Advisory Commission meeting at 1 p.m., both at the State House. Wu is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. and attends a gala for Boston United Track and Cross Country at 5:30 p.m. at Big Night Live.

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

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

MONEY TRAIN — The state’s turbulent fiscal times aren’t stopping the House from trying to throw a record amount of money at the MBTA.

Top House Democrats will call to invest $555 million in the beleaguered transit system in the fiscal year 2025 budget they plan to unveil on Wednesday and that the full House will consider later this month. They’re also calling for a 41 percent increase in overall transportation funding from the current fiscal year, paid for through the general fund and with money raised through the so-called millionaires tax.

“Ensuring that the Commonwealth is equipped with a safe and reliable public transportation system is critical for the prosperity of our residents and communities and will be vital in our future efforts to grow the economy,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a statement.

The House plan matches the $314 million that Gov. Maura Healey wants to give the T in direct operating aid.

And it eclipses the governor’s proposal in several ways. The House would provide $40 million for recruiting and training efforts for the MBTA. Regional transit authorities would also see a $184 million infusion — level with last year’s appropriation, but a bump up from Healey’s proposed $169 million.

But the House is only proposing $20 million for reduced MBTA fares, compared to the $45 million that the governor is seeking for such a program. Dive deeper with The Boston Globe's Taylor Dolven .

— “After warning of ‘political theatre,’ Goldberg to close hearing to determine cannabis regulator’s fate,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “After months of sparring in courtrooms and the press, state Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and Shannon O’Brien this week will retreat behind closed doors, marking what could be the beginning of the end of O’Brien’s short tenure as the state’s top cannabis regulator. O’Brien is scheduled to appear Wednesday and Thursday in a two-day administrative hearing on Beacon Hill."

— “State audit uncovers $4.4M in welfare fraud,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “More than 50 percent of the fraudulent activity was uncovered in MassHealth, the state's federally funded low-income Medicaid program, the office said. An additional $2 million involved people who misrepresented their income to falsely claim eligibility for programs such as food stamps and cash assistance, according to the bureau, which has the power to investigate welfare fraud.”

Access New York bill updates and Congressional activity in areas that matter to you, and use our exclusive insights to see what’s on the Albany agenda. Learn more .

ROE FALLOUT

JOHN DEATON has never held public office, his views
and positions are questionable, didn't even bother to
vote, moved to Massachusetts to run for office. Can
voters trust him?

UP FOR INTERPRETATION — Massachusetts Democrats slammed former President Donald Trump for saying on Monday that abortion should be left to the states. And they warned that he could still pursue a national abortion ban if reelected, even as he pointedly stopped of endorsing a blanket restriction .

Trump would “sign a national abortion ban as president,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren posted on X in response to Trump’s statement that “states will determine by vote or legislation or perhaps both” where reproductive rights go from here.

“Don’t let Donald Trump lie his way out of this," Healey said in a statement. “[W]ith today’s position, he is supporting horrific abortion bans across the country."

Healey repeated as much in a nighttime appearance on CNN, where the former attorney general was also asked point-blank if she would enforce a national abortion ban if Trump signed one.

“I have been trying to do everything I can as governor in my power to protect reproductive freedom,” Healey said. But she didn’t directly answer the hypothetical.

MEANWHILE — The abortion-rights advocacy group Reproductive Equity Now is urging the most prominent of Warren’s current Republican U.S. Senate rivals, John Deaton , to clarify his stance on abortion access. The group is also calling out Deaton over anti-abortion messages that his campaign manager, Michael Gorecki , posted online years ago, according to a letter that REN President Rebecca Hart Holder sent to Deaton’s campaign on Monday that was obtained by Playbook.

Deaton is “pro-choice,” and the father of three daughters has previously said Supreme Court justices “were wrong on Dobbs ,” campaign spokesperson Jim Conroy said. Deaton “supports the laws of Massachusetts and will fight to protect them in the Senate,” Conroy added.

As for Gorecki: “Deaton is in charge of his campaign — no one else — and his name and his positions are those on the ballot,” Conroy said.

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FROM THE HUB

BOSTON’S BUDGET BUMP — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu proposed a solid increase in city spending for the coming fiscal year as she moves to stave off potential budgetary woes from a projected dip in commercial property values.

Wu filed a $4.6 billion budget with the City Council on Monday, a $344 million increase over the current spending plan. Boston has experienced “solid revenue growth,” she wrote in a letter sent to the council. But Wu acknowledged the fiscal headwinds the city could face as it prepares for “shifts in the value of commercial real estate.” She highlighted the “protective action” her administration has taken, including filing a home-rule petition currently awaiting council and state legislative approval that would let the city bump up the tax rate on commercial real estate to avoid bigger bills for residential property owners.

— “Boston city councilor calling for hiring freeze amid economic uncertainty,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald.

— “‘It’s nonstop’: Striking BU grad workers struggle to balance teaching, studying, life,” by Katie Johnston, The Boston Globe.

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FROM THE DELEGATION

— “Biden’s next student debt relief plan will cover more than 30M borrowers,” by Michael Stratford and Bianca Quilantan, POLITICO: “The administration over the past several months had already outlined the contours of the new student debt plan, which takes a more targeted approach to loan forgiveness than the across-the-board reductions of $10,000 or $20,000 that Biden sought for more than 40 million borrowers in 2022.”

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, a major proponent of wiping out federal student loan debt, called the announcement “historic” in a statement that also made clear the fight for more broad-based relief isn’t over.

— “Elizabeth Warren says she believes Israel’s war in Gaza will legally be considered a genocide,” by Kelly Garrity, POLITICO.

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING

— “Sarno imports familiar name from across the river for next city solicitor,” by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass. Politics and Insight.

— “Majority of Mass. voters believe 2024 election could lead to violence,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

GRANITE STATE OF PLAY — Looks like the Republican Governors Association is joining former Sen. Kelly Ayotte in trying to make Massachusetts — and Healey — a cudgel in New Hampshire's gubernatorial race. The Boston Herald has more .

MEANWHILE, IN R.I. — “Mass. man charged with falsifying Matos nomination papers,” by Edward Fitzpatrick, The Boston Globe.

NBC 10 I-Team: Signature collector charged in Matos campaign scandal
excerpts:
It was the scandal that may have doomed Lt. Gov. Sabina Matos' Congressional campaign last summer.
The names of dead people on nomination papers, and others who told us and authorities they did not sign them.
Matos blamed the people her campaign hired to collect signatures, a company led by Holly McClaren, who had also worked on Gov. Dan McKee's campaign the year before.
According to the investigative documents obtained by NBC 10 News, when questioned about signatures he collected in Jamestown, authorities write Cotham, "ultimately admitted that he had looked up people's names and addresses on whitepages.com wrote them on the nomination papers and signed their names. He said he may have done the same for other sheets from different towns/cities as well."
Cotham told investigators McClaren told him he'd get $2 per signature.
He allegedly told investigators it was difficult to collect signatures and a lot of people didn’t want to sign.
WJAR

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HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

ECLIPSING THE DAY — A crazy news day didn’t stop your Playbook scribes (and pretty much everyone else in the region, from the State House to the ski slopes) from looking skyward for the eclipse. Rep. Jake Auchincloss headed to New Hampshire with his son and birthday boy, Teddy. Sen. Ed Markey got a new profile picture out of it. And Rep. Jim McGovern used the celestial spectacle as a chance to troll Trump . Here was Lisa’s POV:

An almost-total solar eclipse. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Rep. Dan Cullinane .

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