Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Wu's insights from Italy

Monday, May 20, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Wu's insights from Italy

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TRAVEL LOG — Michelle Wu learned a lot of things at the Vatican climate summit. Perhaps the most surprising: the pope has a candy stash for kids.

The Boston mayor picked that one up when her two sons attended her audience with Pope Francis on Thursday. “The pope has a secret candy stash, so when kids come up in the line he's able to grab a few pieces,” Wu laughed. “They were shocked and delighted.”

In all seriousness, Wu is walking away from the climate conference with new ideas from leaders from home and around the world for how to tackle the threat climate change poses to her home city. Among them: protecting Boston’s coastline by creating “living shorelines” and working services for heat-related illness into the city’s emergency medical service system.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends the opening session of the "From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience" summit at the Vatican. | Domenico Stinellis/AP

But the Vatican was just one stop on Wu’s week-long trip. The Boston mayor visited Rome’s city hall and a local school, talked “traffic and trash pickup” with the city’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, and of course spent time riding on the city’s subway system, which she said “worked really well.”

“Every two or so minutes, there would be the next train coming. They were clean and fast — didn't have any experience with slow zones here at all,” Wu said. But the buses, well, Wu said those got stuck in traffic just like they do here.

Her junket also included a stop in Sulmona , a city with ties to Boston’s North End, and one in Coreno Ausonio, where her husband and her two children can trace their heritage. Wu faced some scrutiny for having her family join her on the trip (Boston taxpayers covered the cost of the mayor’s airfare and her hotel in Rome, but the mayor footed the bill for her kids’ and husband’s flights, and for their hotels outside the capital city). But having her kids there, she said, helped her “see all the differences in how we do things between Boston and Rome and Europe.”

Playbook spoke with Wu about her “once-in-a-lifetime” experience meeting the pope, how she navigates being a Catholic Democrat, and her plans to keep the climate conversations going back home. Here are more excerpts from our interview, edited for length and clarity:

From left: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Gov. Maura Healey, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and California Gov. Gavin Newsom at the Vatican climate summit. | Gregorio Borgia/AP

Any shared takeaways or joint initiatives you want to work with Gov. Maura Healey on coming from this summit?

"It was really meaningful to be able to be there as a team representing our city and commonwealth. We're hoping that the action doesn't just end here and stay in Rome, but that we can be part of accelerating the progress around the world. [We’re looking at] potentially a convening similar to this, but back at home."

What weight does the pope carry with Boston residents?

"Pope Francis is a world leader who has been speaking with tremendous force and clarity about our moral obligation to pass on the world that our children and our children's children deserve. The address that he gave, even just those few minutes hearing his call to action for continued collaboration and urgency on this issue, was very inspiring and moving. We each got a few minutes to share a word, so I asked for his prayers for Boston."

Did the pope try the Red Sox hat on when you gave it to him?

"I did not witness that. I hope when he went back to his chambers that he tried it on, but we do have a picture of him receiving it with a big smile."

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GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . It’s Senate budget week, keep scrolling for more.

TODAY — Healey celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage at the State House at 3 p.m. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants lobby day at 10 a.m. at the State House, holds a press conference announcing housing grant awardees at noon in Gloucester, speaks at a roundtable on support for first-time homebuyers at 2:30 p.m. in Haverhill and speaks at the Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester’s New England Women’s Leadership Awards at 6:30 p.m. in the Seaport.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

SENATE BUDGET BUDGING — Senators begin their budget deliberations today (though they're not slated to take up any amendments until Tuesday). Senate President Karen Spilka got a head start on the debate during an appearance on WCVB’s “On the Record” in which she defended pursuing free community college for all — and spending on lawmakers’ pet projects — despite the state’s shaky revenues.

NO BAILOUT — Spilka is also joining top House Democrats and Gov. Maura Healey in nixing the idea of a taxpayer bailout for bankrupt Steward Health Care. “Not of Steward, because they should not get a penny for their gross misconduct,” Spilka said on OTR.

RELATED — “Canceled Steward contract leads to lawsuit from military healthcare provider,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald.

excerpt:

According to Steward’s bankruptcy attorneys, the company has about $9 billion in debt obligations.

Steward got its start in 2010 by buying six “struggling” Massachusetts hospitals in a $895 million deal approved by then Attorney General Martha Coakley. Caritas Christi Health Care CEO Dr. Ralph de la Torre, now the CEO of Steward, told the Herald in 2010 that the sale would benefit “our patients, employees and pensioners and tremendously benefits the communities.”

Gov. Maura Healey has activated an “emergency operations plan” to deal with the potential for bankruptcy-related service disruptions at Steward’s eight operational facilities in Massachusetts.

Steward operates St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton, Carney Hospital in Dorchester, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, Holyoke Hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen, Morton Hospital in Taunton, Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, and Saint Anne’s Hospital in Fall River. Norwood Hospital closed in 2020 due to flooding, and the company recently closed New England Sinai Hospital permanently on April 2.

ZONE DEFENSE — Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll highlighted the “nearly 60 communities who have adopted” new zoning plans as required by the MBTA Communities law during an interview on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large.” But according to a Boston Globe report , the new zoning doesn’t necessarily mean a flood of new housing on the market. Dozens of towns have approved plans that look transformational, but that some experts say will stymie significant new development, Andrew Brinker reports.

Meanwhile, Driscoll, who has crisscrossed the state promoting the administration’s housing policy, shut down the idea that there’s unease in the executive suite about the lawsuit Attorney General Andrea Campbell filed to try to enforce the law in Milton. “[We] feel very comfortable about the legislation the way it is,” she told Jon Keller.

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MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

BORDERING ON MIGRANT AID — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) plans to make another run this week at passing the bipartisan border bill that Republicans tanked at former President Donald Trump ’s behest earlier this year. But it’s likely to fail — and even worse than last time, our colleagues report .

Bay State pols are still smarting from the initial demise of the bill that could have steered more money to Massachusetts and other states sheltering migrants, though top Democrats tend to leave out the fact that Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey cast a procedural vote against the already-doomed legislation. (Warren’s Republican opponents, who’ve already knocked her over the vote, will likely be paying close to what she does this time.)

The state is getting some federal funding in the meantime: nearly $7 million from the Shelter and Services Program and likely even more through an amended Medicaid waiver . That tracks with Spilka’s remarks on OTR that the state “may be getting some funding from the federal government” in “a few months.” But none of it is enough to cover what’s expected to add up to a $1 billion tab over the next fiscal year.

— “State placed migrant children in hotels with registered sex offenders, Globe investigation finds,” by Deirdre Fernandes and Stephanie Ebbert, The Boston Globe: “At least five of the hotels and one dormitory that the state has tapped as homeless shelters also housed or employed sex offenders who have been convicted of crimes against children, including child rape, indecent assault and battery on children, and child pornography.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Boston's Ruthzee Louijeune on Haitian pride, from flag to food,” by Hanna Ali, WBUR.

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

TOLL TALK — Healey shut down talk of tolls at the state’s borders after her transportation secretary, Monica Tibbits-Nutt , suggested it during a speech at an advocacy group’s event last month. But Spilka isn’t.

CAPE COD traffic gridlocks the entire region - new bridges will not solve the problem!

“We need to have an honest discussion” about tolls or other alternatives to pay for the state’s transportation needs,” the Senate president said on OTR . But she also said she’s not sure tolls “make sense” at the Cape Cod bridges — another idea Tibbits-Nutt has floated .

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

— “Harvard disciplines undergrads who participated in pro-Palestinian encampment, student coalition says,” by Laura Crimaldi and Hilary Burns, The Boston Globe: “A student coalition that led a 20-day pro-Palestinian encampment at Harvard University accused school leaders on Saturday of violating the agreement that ended the demonstration by imposing discipline that will prevent at least 12 seniors from graduating later this week.”

AUCHINCLOSS is fomenting antisemitism and his threats jeopardize academic independence, as do comments and ads by Bob Kraft. Student protests helped to end to VIETNAM WAR and are vitally important. Neither AUCHINCLOSS nor Bob Kraft have spoken out against ISRAEL's GENOCIDE & WAR CRIMES. There is evidence of torture, mass executions and much else.

— “U.S. college campuses ‘ransacked’ by antisemitism, Bay State congressman says,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss said Sunday that his visits to some Bay State’s college campuses, including his alma mater, Harvard University, have left him with concerns for the Jewish students studying at those schools in the midst of protests. … If schools cannot comply with their obligations under federal law to provide all students with a safe place to learn, regardless of their religious identity, Auchincloss said that it may be necessary to consider withholding federal funds from those institutions.”

— “Protests a part of the UMass Amherst commencement,” by Dave Canton, The Springfield Republican.

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Attorney General Andrea Campbell is endorsing former Methuen City Councilor Eunice Zeigler for the District 5 Governor’s Council seat.

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

WORDS OF ADVICE — Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie drew on his trademark self-deprecating humor to deliver some words of wisdom to Endicott College grads on Saturday, poking fun at his failed presidential bids to say that everyone can learn from defeat and encouraging the now-former students to put down their phones and "show up in life."

Presidential politics didn’t feature in another former candidate’s commencement speech over at North Shore Community College. But Sen. Elizabeth Warren did offer this “golden rule of politics and life: don’t post on TikTok after midnight.”

— “In wake of pandemic, Mass. achievement gap has widened,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Beacon: “While students across the country continue to struggle to make up the learning loss from the pandemic, with many states seeing the gulf separating the achievement of poor and non-poor students growing larger, a study led by researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities says Massachusetts has the seen the largest widening of that gap of any the states they examined.”

— “State bucks national trend on gun thefts,” by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News.

— “Commencement speaker gives UMass Dartmouth grads $1K from two duffle bags full of cash,” by Greg Sullivan, The Standard Times.

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HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to CTP Boston’s Corey Welford , HUD regional administrator and former state Rep. Juana Matias, Allison Goldberg, Kathy Giles, Matt Solberg, Charlotte Zanecchia, Bill Broadway, Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy and UMass journalism’s Kathy Roberts Forde . Happy belated to Francine Segan , who celebrated Sunday.

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