Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The Tim Walz tour

Thursday, August 15, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The Tim Walz tour

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CASHACHUSETTS — Massachusetts Democratic donors are the gift that keeps on giving.

Vice President Kamala Harris picked up $2 million in Provincetown just before the campaign shake-up, and more than $1.4 million in the Berkshires in one of her first events after ascending to the top of the ticket. Her newly minted vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stopped in Boston last night to headline a(nother) fundraiser for the Democratic presidential ticket.

This one raised $1.35 million. But unlike the others, it came together in just six days, according to one of the organizers — drawing several of the state’s top Democrats, including Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

“Boston is sometimes referred to as an ATM for the Democratic Party. And we do raise a lot of money,” Alan Solomont, a regular fundraiser who served as ambassador to Spain during the Obama administration, told the crowd of roughly 50 donors, politicians and staffers who gathered at a glitzy Back Bay hotel

But the speed with which money poured in this time around is a testament to the energy the campaign has been riding recently. Harris has seen a wave of good polls and good vibes — though it's unclear how long the good will will last.

Walz is trying to keep the good times flowing. While the campaign “is going to be hard,” he told last night’s crowd, “don’t underestimate the sense of joy that’s starting to emanate from this.”

The Minnesota governor also used his remarks to highlight his connections to the Massachusetts heavy-hitters in the crowd. He and Clark, he noted, share a penchant for colorful language. For him, a result of his time in the military, and Clark… “maybe it’s just a Boston thing,” he joked.

And his friendship with Healey, he reminisced, got real during an Atlantic City excursion.

“You are never truly a friend until you ride the bumper cars and the ferris wheel in Atlantic City together. We had the bumper car fight,” he said. The comment drew a particularly big laugh from Healey and her partner, Joanna Lydgate — probably because Healey had just told the same tale during the private dinner for donors held before Walz arrived, according to multiple people who attended.

Walz was fresh off a fundraising stop in Denver, and he’s not done yet. Next stop: nearby Newport, Rhode Island, for an event featuring several of that state’s top Democrats.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Meanwhile in Melrose, local officials, including Melrose Mayor Jen Grigoraitis and former Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur, helped raise $10,000 for the Harris Victory Fund at a “Melrose for Harris” event.

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and state and local officials host the groundbreaking of the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal at 10 a.m. Driscoll attends LEAP for Education’s gallery walk at 11:30 a.m. in Salem. Healey signs “An Act relative to the reduction of certain toxic chemicals in firefighter personal protective equipment” at 12:30 p.m. at the State House and visits Novo Nordisk at 4:30 p.m. in Lexington.

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A message from Uber:

Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers now earn at least $32.50 while working on the app, making them some of the highest paid drivers in the country. This new rate sets a high standard for driver pay across the nation. Learn more about what higher pay means for the state.

2024 WATCH

WHAT ELSE WALZ SAID — The Minnesaota governor was quick with a joke and a jab last night.

Walz took a swing at Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “I feel like one of my roles in this now is to be the anti-Tommy Tuberville, to show that football coaches are not the dumbest people,” he said.

He sounded a message of hope on Democrats’ chance of holding the Senate — floating the possibility of a pick-up in Texas: “I got to tell you what, Ted Cruz is not in Cancun right now,” he said. The Republican incumbent is “fighting for his life” in his Senate race there, Walz said. Maybe he knows something we don't — the RealClearPolitics polling average in that race shows Cruz with a 7.5 percentage point lead over Democratic Rep. Colin Allred.

Walz knocked former President Donald Trump for his policies on NATO, abortion and energy prices. And he celebrated his impending Oct. 1 debate with Vance ("I'm really looking forward to how that goes,” he said) , a match up Markey likened to Notre Dame competing against the Little Sisters of the Poor.

SPOTTED — at the fundraiser: Alan and Susan Solomont, Bryan Rafanelli, Mark Walsh, Herb and Charlotte Wagner, Meredith DeWitt, Chris and Hilary Gabrieli, Marcus Samuelsson and Carol Fulp.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Why frustrated activists can’t rely on the ballot box for change in Massachusetts,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “All 200 seats in the Massachusetts Legislature are up for election this year, as they are every two years. But millions of voters across the state effectively have no choice in who represents them in the state House and Senate, though they can opt to write in a candidate or vote for no one at all. Almost two-thirds of incumbent lawmakers — 65% — will face no official challengers on the ballot in either the Sept. 3 primary or Nov. 5 general election. That includes the powerful Democrats who control the flow of bills through the Legislature: House Speaker Ron Mariano of Quincy, Senate President Karen Spilka of Ashland, and their Ways and Means Committee chairs, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz of Boston’s North End and Sen. Michael Rodrigues of Westport.”

****STEWARD*****

— “Labor fight brews over Carney Hospital employees’ severance pay,” by Tori Beford, GBH News: “Public pushback against [Steward Health Care's] decision has grown since the health provider announced in bankruptcy documents its plan to close Carney and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer ‘on or around Aug. 31.’ More than 750 employees are expected to lose their jobs when Carney closes, according to Dana Simon, a union organizer with the Massachusetts Nurses Association.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Applications to Boston’s exam schools have tumbled by half over four years. Here’s what’s behind the drop,” by James Vaznis, The Boston Globe: “Applications to Boston’s highly sought exam schools have fallen by nearly 50 percent over the last four years, amid a series of significant changes to the admission process and continuing declines in the school-age population. The smaller school-age population, however, only partially explains the dramatic drop in applications; enrollment in the sixth and eighth grades in Boston Public Schools, which is when students apply to exam schools, has declined at a slower pace than the applications themselves, according to a Globe review of state data.”

— “City officials herald ‘desperately needed’ accessibility, infrastructure updates for East Boston School,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald.

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MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “For new migrants, the search for shelter gets harder,” by Cristela Guerra, WBUR.

— “‘I have a dream to go to Boston’: For Haitians waiting at the border, Mass. remains a top destination,” by Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio, The Boston Globe.

— “State watchdog is auditing the emergency shelter system,” by Simón Rios, WBUR: “Massachusetts State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is auditing the state's overburdened emergency shelter system as part of a broader review of the agency that oversees it. In an interview Tuesday with WBUR, DiZoglio said her office started a review of the state Department of Housing and Livable Communities in November. Audits typically take a year to complete.”

WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET

PAYDAY — Uber and Lyft drivers will start seeing a bump in their pay starting today, thanks to an agreement Attorney General Andrea Campbell brokered with the rideshare companies that kept a question about their workers’ classification off the ballot, while delivering a boost in pay and benefits to employees.

Uber recently launched a $3 million ad campaign to highlight the deal on TV and online (you may have seen the ads pop up in this newsletter). But Campbell is making clear this morning that she takes credit for compromise.

“Starting today, Uber and Lyft must pay their drivers at least $32.50 per hour. While their ads try to take credit for doing this, let's be clear: They're paying because they have to, not because they want to,” Campbell said in a statement shared with Playbook. “My office took Uber and Lyft to court, forced them to account for exploiting drivers, and delivered drivers an unprecedented package of benefits and protections including a minimum pay standard, earned sick time, and stipends for health insurance and paid leave.”

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— “Republican candidate for Massachusetts Senate arrested three times, court records show,” by Chris Van Burkirk, Boston Herald: “A Republican running for a Massachusetts Senate seat has been arrested three times over the past two decades on either disorderly conduct or assault-related charges, including after one alleged altercation inside a Fenway bar in 2007, according to police and court records. The charges against Nick Pirro of Lunenburg, a 44-year-old business owner looking to unseat Sen. John Cronin, a Fitchburg Democrat, were dismissed in all of the incidents, which date back to 2004, according to court records obtained by the Herald.”
PAYWALL NOT WORTH THE PRICE FOR BOSTON HERALD GOSSIP!

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — 350 Mass Action is rolling a slate of endorsements this morning, including for two Democratic primary challengers: Evan MacKay, who is challenging state Rep. Marjorie Decker in the 25th Middlesex district; and Tara Hong, who is up against state Rep. Rady Mom in the 18th Middlesex district.

— State Sen. Becca Rausch has endorsed Dave Reservitz for Governor's Council in District 2, according to his campaign.

— State Rep. Jennifer Armini has endorsed Tom Driscoll for Essex County clerk of courts, according to his campaign.

SPRINGFIELD SENATE SHOWDOWN — State Sen. Adam Gomez and Springfield City Councilor Malo Brown will face off at 7 p.m. tonight, in a rare legislative primary debate. You can watch here.

A message from Uber:

FROM THE DELEGATION

— “At DNC, Democrats should highlight policy differences with GOP, Reps. Katherine Clark and Lori Trahan say,” by Jeremy Siegel and Gal Tziperman Lotan, GBH News.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Springfield to fight climate change with $20M grant for historically disadvantaged neighborhoods,” by Jeanette DeForge, The Springfield Republican: “The city will see more than 1,500 new trees planted, the Mason Square Library will soon have a more reliable, environmentally friendly air-conditioning system for its cooling center, and thousands of homes will be improved with new roofs, new windows, and mold and lead abatement over the next three years.”

— “Zoning commission rejects Mayor Wu’s preferred plan for climate-friendly buildings,” by Sabrina Shankman, The Boston Globe: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s plan to eliminate climate-warming emissions from new buildings hit a setback Wednesday when the Zoning Commission rejected an initiative to require large, new buildings to dramatically reduce their reliance on fossil fuels for power, heat, and cooling. The so-called Net Zero Carbon Zoning Initiative, which would have applied to newly constructed buildings over 20,000 square feet and housing projects with more than 15 units, had been considered a shoo-in to help advance the mayor’s climate agenda. Earlier this summer, the Boston Planning Development Agency approved the plan, leading many to expect the Zoning Commission to do the same.”

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MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Now more than 40 non-active Massachusetts cannabis business licenses,” by Chris Farone, Talking Joints Memo.

— “Amid upheaval, Cannabis Commission jostles over an audit and an acting director,” by Diti Kohli, The Boston Globe: “Members of the Cannabis Control Commission discussed the prospect of an internal audit and battled over their own leadership at a Wednesday meeting, as the state regulatory agency faces mounting criticism from Beacon Hill and some industry players. Commissioners Bruce Stebbins, Kimberly Roy, and Nurys Camargo spent much of the morning vying for the role of acting chair and ultimately decided to appoint Roy, though only through the end of next week. Four earlier motions to pick an acting chair — a move that requires the support of all three commissioners currently serving on the board — failed Wednesday.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “State to expand offshore wind terminal in New Bedford,” by Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light: “To cement Massachusetts’ position in the offshore wind industry, the state is expanding its first (and the country’s first) marshaling terminal to handle bigger and heavier turbine components as several staging sites come online along the East Coast.”

Vineyard Wind turbine components at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal two weeks after an installed blade broke offshore. Credit: Antonio Beltrán / The New Bedford Light

— “Low-income T riders to get break on fares,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle Tribune: “Low-income MBTA riders will get a taxpayer-funded discount on bus subway and commuter rail service beginning next month, but questions are being raised about a lack of funding for the new program. The Fare Equity program, which gets underway on Sept. 4, offers qualifying low-income T riders a roughly 50% discount on standard fares and passes across all transit modes — subway, bus, commuter rail, the RIDE paratransit service, and water ferries. The new program is projected to cost about $60,000 a year.”

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— “Here’s how Providence is spending its reparations money,” by Steph Machado, The Boston Globe.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Former Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley is the new board chair for the Environmental League of MA Action Fund. He has served on the board since 2022.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Mary Serreze, Mary Elizabeth Taylor and Gabe Mulley.

A message from Uber:

Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers now receive comprehensive benefits, including health insurance stipends for those working over 15 hours a week, paid sick leave, and occupational accident insurance. These protections ensure drivers have the support they need while maintaining their independence and mark a significant improvement in drivers’ quality of life.

See how these benefits are changing gig work.

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