MIKE KENNEALY IS FULL OF LOTS OF "HOPES" BUT SURROUNDED BY FAILURES & BAGGAGE!
LOTS OF RHETORIC THAT IGNORES THE EXPENSIVE FAILURES OF THE WHITE TOOTHED GOVERNOR WHO CREATED THE MESS IN THE MBTA... LOTS OF TYPICAL MAGA GOP MANURE ABOUT ENERGY...IGNORING THAT CHINA IS PROMOTING CHEAP CLEAN ENERGY & THEIR ECONOMY IS PROSPERING!
REPUBLICANS HAVE DONE NOTHING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS BEYOND LIES! "r" VOTERS ARE CONSPICUOUSLY ILL-INFORMED & REFUSE TO SCRUTINIZE CANDIDATES!
IT'S TIME TO IGNORE THE BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG & OTHERS, & DO SOME RESEARCH!
TRUMP HAS TANKED THE ECONOMY WITH HIS TARIFF LUNACY & OTHER POLICIES THAT HAVE DESTROYED GOVERNMENT FUNCTION - IS THAT WHAT YOU SUPPORT?
SUGGEST EVERY VIEWER REVIEW MASSIVE ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS THAT CORPORATE MEDIA IS IGNORING!
BERNIE SANDERS, AOC & OTHERS ARE CONDUCTING "FIGHT THE OLIGARCHS" TOURS...WHO'S GONNA ELECT OLIGARCHS IN MASSACHUSETTS?
ALL POLITICS IS NATIONAL — It’s still early in the 2026 campaign cycle, but dueling Sunday show appearances by Gov. Maura Healey and GOP hopeful Mike Kennealy underscored the federal vs. local debate that’s likely to be a theme of the budding governor’s race.
Healey and Kennealy both spent much of their airtime Sunday talking about affordability. But they disagreed over who’s to blame for high costs that have sent some Bay Staters packing , looking for refuge in less expensive locales.
Kennealy blamed Healey and Beacon Hill for rising housing and energy costs, “affordability issues” that “are being driven by state policy,” he told WBZ’s Jon Keller during an interview that aired Sunday.
But Healey, hitting the national Sunday cable show circuit, pointed the finger at President Donald Trump.
“I'm working hard every day to lower costs in my state, cut taxes, build more housing,” Healey told CBS’s Weijia Jiang during an interview on “Face the Nation” Sunday. “And Donald Trump is just making life more expensive for all of us.”
Healey’s comments are an example of the larger messaging battle over the economy that will play out in the midterms. Democrats have already seized on Trump’s tariff rollout — and partial rollback — and the economic turmoil it stirred. Some are mixing those messages into their campaign launch videos as they look to tie congressional Republicans to the president’s risky economic policies in an effort to win back working class voters.
Unlike congressional candidates, however, Kennealy and other GOP candidates running at the state level won’t have to actually vote on Trump’s policies, and they could attempt to avoid weighing in on them altogether.
But there's little doubt that Healey and the state Democratic Party will take every opportunity in the deep blue Bay State to tie Kennealy and other GOP challengers to the president.
NOTE TO MAGA CANDIDATES: YOU WERE IN OFFICE WHEN THE WHITE TOOTHED GOVERNER CREATED THE DISASTERS ON THE MBTA...WHERE WERE YOU?
CHARLIE BAKER HIRED OVER PAID OUT-OF-STATE HACKS WHO NEVER TRAVELED TO THE COMMONWEALTH TO OVERSEE CONSTRUCTION & MUCH ELSE!
CHARLIE BAKER WAS FULLY AWARE THAT NEWLY INSTALLED RAILS WERE DEFECTIVE YET NEVER ADDRESSED IT LEAVING IT TO NEWLY ELECTED GOV. HEALEY...
AND THEN THERE'S THE MISSPENT BILLIONS CHARLIE BAKER LEFT THAT WILL BE PAID BACK....WHERE WERE THESE WEALTHY MAGA CANDIDATES WHO WERE IN OFFICE WHEN THIS HAPPENED?
Massachusetts owes the federal government $2.1 billion. Here's why.
BOSTON - Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced Monday that the state has agreed to repay the federal government $2.1 billion because of a mistake made years ago with pandemic-era unemployment benefits.
An audit revealed "an improper overdraw of federal pandemic unemployment benefits," a statement from the governor's office said. Healey said that former Gov. Charlie Baker's administration "misspent billions of dollars in federal relief funds" on unemployment payouts that were supposed to be covered by the state.
Massachusetts to pay back money over 10 years
Healey said her administration has negotiated with the U.S. Labor Department for the past year and a half to reduce the state's tab that could've been more than $3 billion with penalties and interest. Starting in December, Massachusetts will pay the money back over a 10-year period. Anyone who received jobless benefits during that time will not be impacted, Healey's office said.
"It is incredibly frustrating that the prior administration allowed this to happen, but we are going to use this as a moment to come together with the business and labor community to make meaningful reforms to the Unemployment Insurance system," the governor said in a statement.
The agreement was finalized with former President Joe Biden's administration, just before President Donald Trump took office.
"Monumental error"
The National Federation of Independent Business said that small businesses in the state are already being "crushed" by unemployment insurance taxes.
"It is incomprehensible that the state made a monumental error, and it's Massachusetts small employers that are required to today foot the $2.1 billion bill," Christopher Carlozzi, the group's Massachusetts state director, said in a statement.
Healey said businesses won't see a hike on unemployment insurance rates through at least 2026. Whether they go up in the future depends on what the state does to reform the unemployment insurance system, she said.
The system is expected to be giving out more money than it takes in by 2028.
"We know Massachusetts' unemployment insurance requires reform, especially as we focus on the long-term solvency of the UI trust fund," Labor and workforce development Sec. Lauren Jones said in a statement. "Our administration is committed to working with all partners to propose and implement policy and system improvements that support employers and impacted workers."
‘Chaos and chainsaws’: Mass.
Democrats link GOP gubernatorial
candidate Mike Kennealy to Donald
Trump
Venture capitalist Brian Shortsleeve says he is ‘taking a close look at the race’
The Massachusetts Democratic Party slammed Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy Monday and immediately linked him to President Donald Trump just as another potential conservative candidate made clear he was taking a close look at running for governor.
The early messaging against Kennealy, released the same day he announced plans to challenge Gov. Maura Healey, gives clear insight into Democrats’ playbook for the 2026 gubernatorial election — tie any conservative opponent to Trump and the “Make America Great Again” movement.
In a video released to social media, a narrator alleged that Kennealy “helped bankroll Mitch McConnell and national Republican super PACs that stabbed the courts and took away reproductive freedoms.”
“Kennealy will bring Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s agenda to Massachusetts, an agenda of chaos and chainsaws,” the narrator said while dramatic music played in the background and footage of Musk and Trump rolled alongside pictures of Kennealy.
A campaign advisor for Kennealy’s campaign did not respond to a Herald inquiry, and Healey’s campaign referred questions to a statement from the Massachusetts Democratic Party where its leader, Steve Kerrigan, described Kennealy as the “biggest threat to Massachusetts.”
Federal campaign finance records show Kennealy has donated tens of thousands since at least 2012 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to elect Republicans to the U.S. Senate and is currently chaired by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Kennealy, a former Baker administration official, may soon find himself in competition for the Republican gubernatorial nomination with another person from former Gov. Charlie Baker’s political orbit.
VULTURE CAPITALIST WHO DID WHAT ON THE MBTA?
Venture capitalist and former MBTA Chief Administrator Brian Shortsleeve said he is “taking a close look at the race.”
“To defeat Maura Healey, Republicans need to nominate someone with a Marine’s determination, a business person’s experience, and an outsider’s perspective,” the retired U.S. Marine Corps captain said. “So, I am taking a close look at the race because we cannot withstand another six years of disastrous policies and skyrocketing energy bills that made Massachusetts totally unaffordable for working people.”
Sen. Peter Durant of Spencer and local GOP donor Michael Minogue are also weighing runs for governor.
But for the moment, the Massachusetts Democratic Party has it sights set on Kennealy.
In an email to supporters Monday, the Massachusetts Democratic Party also took a shot at Kennealy’s eight years working in former Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration as an assistant secretary and then housing and economic development secretary.
“He failed to prevent skyrocketing housing costs and failed to cut taxes for hardworking Bay Staters — while Gov. Healey passed tax cuts in her first year in office,” the email said, referring to a package of tax cuts that were first drafted by the Baker administration. “Mike Kennealy is unqualified to address the biggest issues facing Massachusetts. In fact, when he announced his candidacy, he never mentioned the single greatest threat to our state — Donald Trump.”
Kennealy did not discuss Trump in his several-minute-long campaign launch video or in a press release sent Monday morning. But at a February event hosted by the Sandwich Republican Town Committee, he was asked whether he would support Trump.
“I will work with Donald Trump as governor to advance our interests here in Massachusetts. I am not being anti the president, he is the president,” he said before adding that he blanked the top of the presidential ticket, a response that drew groans from attendees.
Healey, the first woman and openly gay candidate elected to the Governor’s Office, said earlier this year that she plans to run for a second term.
In a radio interview, she said she is “really proud” of her record so far.
“I plan to run for reelection because there’s a lot more to do. I love my job. I feel incredibly privileged to be in this position, and I’d love to have the opportunity to continue to work for the great people of this state,” she said.
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office on Monday. (Pool via AP)
GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . The Celtics kicked off their play-off run with a win over Orlando Sunday night. And state Rep. Manny Cruz is already ready to start revving up the Duck Boats .
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu crown the winners of the Boston Marathon at 12:20 p.m. in Boston. Wu attends the city’s annual Patriots’ Day parade at 9 a.m.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .
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DATELINE BEACON HILL
****BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG HISSY FIT AFTER THEIR WARPED REPORTING! FOOD FIGHT OVER WARPED REPORTING! OFFERING NO SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN ATTACKS!****
— Herald blasts DiZoglio over attempt to ‘chill’ reporting of legislative audit by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “State Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s use of taxpayer resources to threaten the Boston Herald over the fact that she admitted conflicts with her impartiality in auditing the Legislature is being called a blatant attempt to stomp on the paper’s First Amendment freedoms. Herald lawyers state the auditor’s letter ‘threatening legal action … appears to be a not-so-subtle attempt to chill the Herald’s fair and accurate reporting on a public official’s statements because the State Auditor finds it unflattering to her personally.’ DiZoglio’s objection stemmed from Herald reporting on an ‘Annual Independence Certification Form’ where she checked off that, ‘threats exist that would compromise at the following audit entities.’”
****36 PATIENTS FOR $31 MILLION!***
BOTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG IGNORES FACTS!
IF THEY REQUIRE HOSPITAL LEVEL CARE, THEY BELONG IN A HOSPITAL!
— Massachusetts Gov. Healey’s pause on hospital closure sparks doubt: ‘Out of their minds’ by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: “Community members say Gov. Maura Healey’s pause on closing a state-owned children’s rehab hospital in Canton doesn’t appear to be happening, arguing that patients are being discharged at an alarming rate. Families and staffers are raising the alarm after Healey announced in late February that she’d halt her plans to close Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children.”
***THERE ARE SURELY BETTER & LESS EXPENSIVE OPTIONS!****
36 PATIENTS IN THAT MASSIVE BUILDING?
WHERE IS THE MASS GOP THAT PROMOTES COST SAVINGS?
— “Healey slammed for looking at children’s rehab hospital as a ‘budget problem’,”by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: “Staffers at Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children are calling on Maura Healey to visit their Canton facility after the governor vowed to reconsider her closure plan in the face of fierce backlash. … Healey has paused closing the multifaceted facility and moving the essential services for those with severe disabilities to Western Massachusetts Hospital in Westfield, over 100 miles away. She proposed the closure to save costs in the next fiscal year’s budget. Staffers, though, want full assurance that Pappas will not be shuttered and that their patients will not be displaced. A visit from the governor, they say, could carry that magnitude.”
excerpts:
The patients range in age from 7 to 22 years old and have physical and cognitive disabilities as well as chronic and medically complex conditions requiring hospital-level care
Pappas provides 24/7 nursing care and therapeutic services including speech and language, occupational, physical, and recreational therapy, and programming to advance independent living skills, among other services.
On the 160-plus acre campus, patients learn music, technology, physical education, and art in addition to a general curriculum in classrooms and in other settings.
The campus offers a fully accessible swimming pool, an arena for horseback riding, a kitchen where patients learn to prepare snacks and meals, specialized equipment for children in wheelchairs to walk in the hallways, specialized tricycles, and more.
The Healey administration has emphasized how legislative approval is not needed for the hospitals to be consolidated, a move that officials have projected would save the state roughly $31 million. At least 281 state jobs would be at risk of being eliminated.
Arnstein, who provides nursing care for roughly six patients in the evening, said she’s seen Pappas’ patient count drop from 100 when she joined 17 years ago to now, roughly 36.
FROM THE HUB
NOTHING SPECIAL — It looks like there probably won’t be a special election to replace Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson after all.
The council on Friday approved the home rule petition t hat would waive the special election the city would be required to hold should the indicted District 7 councilor step down more than 180 days before November’s election.
The city still needs a sign-off from Beacon Hill before it’s official — but the proposal might be moot anyway. Fernandes Anderson popped into the emergency meeting to point out that she plans to stay in her seat until after the May 8 deadline has passed (though it’s still unclear exactly when she will step away).
She lit into some of her council colleagues for debating the petition anyway, accusing Council President Ruthzee Louijeune of “grandstanding” after she conveyed her intentions to stay in her seat until a special election would be out of the question.
But Louijeune told Playbook that she and Councilor Liz Breadon filed the petition out of “abundance of caution” and in response to advocates and organizations in the area like Reclaim Roxbury and MassVOTE.
“There's just too much uncertainty that lies outside of what the council can control,” Louijeune. Putting the home rule in place means candidates and voters in the district can start to plan.
***MUST READ! A GREAT DEAL HAS BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT TRUMP'S ILLEGAL DEMANDS TO DICTATE & MONITOR CONTROL...TRUMP IS ANTI-EDUCATION & ANTI-SCIENCE, HAS NO COMPREHENSION OF RESEARCH & INNOVATION BEING CONDUCTED...IT'S TIME TO STAND UP TO THE BULLY!****
— Boston at risk of ‘wealth spiral’ as Harvard fight ripples through economy by Konrad Putzier and Chao Deng, The Wall Street Journal: “President Trump’s financial fight with Harvard University risks economic fallout far beyond the ornate gates surrounding Harvard Yard. The Ivy League school is a major local presence in its own right, with more than 20,000 employees and campuses that spill onto both sides of the Charles River in Boston and Cambridge, Mass. Harvard also has deep ties to almost every major economic sector in the Boston area, from biotechnology and real estate to the array of shops and restaurants that fill Harvard Square.”
***EVEN US CITIZENS ARE BEING HELD UP AT THE BORDERS & BEING DETAINED! OTHER NATIONS HAVE ISSUED TRAVEL ADVISORS WARNING AGAINST TRAVEL TO THE US!*****
— Boston Marathon and city insist all are welcome. But some runners say politics will keep them home by Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press: “The Boston Marathon and Mayor Michelle Wu insisted on Friday that international runners and other foreign visitors remain welcome in the city and said there is no evidence that travel for this year’s race has fallen off in the face of increased border scrutiny. … But as U.S. officials track plummeting tourism numbers, with many would-be visitors angered by President Donald Trumps’ tariffs and rhetoric and alarmed by stories about tourists being arrested at the border, reports say at least some potential marathon attendees have decided to skip the race.”
excerpt:
“We have a lot of demand this year, as we do every year,” he said.
But as U.S. officials track plummeting tourism numbers, with many would-be visitors angered by President Donald Trumps’ tariffs and rhetoric and alarmed by stories about tourists being arrested at the border, reports say at least some potential marathon attendees have decided to skip the race.
Canadians have been especially put off by Trump’s talk of making the country the 51st U.S. state. Paula Roberts-Banks, a writer and photographer from Rosseau, Ontario, who has run Boston 12 times, wrote in Canadian Running magazine that she earned a coveted bib for this year’s race but decided not to run because she has “soured” on the U.S.
MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS
****MORE ICE ABUSE! TRUMP HATES FREE SPEECH & OPPOSITION! REVOKING VISAS WITH NO DUE PROCESS OR NOTIFICATION? THIS IS WHAT DICTATORS DO! MASSACHUSETTS ENJOYS INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WHO COME TO STUDY & SHARE! TRUMP HATES DIVERSITY! SHE'S ENTITLED TO REASONABLE PROTECTIONS!****
— Judge says detained Tufts student must be transferred from Louisiana to Vermont by Holly Ramer and Kathy McCormack, The Associated Press: “A Tufts University student from Turkey being held in a Louisiana immigration facility must be returned to New England no later than May 1 to determine whether she was illegally detained for co-writing an op-ed piece in the student newspaper, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge William Sessions said he would hear Rumeysa Ozturk’s request to be released from detention in Burlington, Vermont, with a bail hearing set for May 9 and a hearing on the petition’s merits on May 22. Ozturk’s lawyers had requested that she be released immediately, or at least brought back to Vermont, while the Justice Department argued that an immigration court in Louisiana had jurisdiction.”
***THANKS TO ALL FOR CONTINUING TO SPEAK OUT FOR FREE SPEECH & LEGAL RIGHTS! NOTE THAT SHE WAS PICKED UP BY UNIDENTIFIED ICE AGENTS - TYPICAL ICE ATTACKS!
MASSIVE ANTI-TRUMP RALLIES HAVE TAKEN PLACE ACROSS THE NATION THAT CORPORATE MEDIA DOES NOT REPORT!
CROWDS ARE FAR LARGER THAN ANY WHO EVER ATTENDED A TRUMP RALLY!****
Öztürk has yet to be charged with a crime, but the government claims she supports the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Plain-clothed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested her on the streets of Somerville on March 25, and she has been in their custody in several different states since that time.
In their op-ed, Öztürk and the other students’ didn’t celebrate Hamas, Goorno wrote. They simply urged Tufts administrators to reconsider resolutions passed by the student government demanding that the university divest from Israel.
“Ozturk wasn’t inciting violence. She was sharing an opinion. In the opinion section. In her college newspaper. A newspaper that is financially independent and student-run specifically so it can ensure free speech,“ Goorno wrote. ”Now, that free speech is in danger.”
Both international and American students are now scared to speak out in the wake of Öztürk’s arrest, Goorno wrote. They fear retaliation from the Trump administration and future employers.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has taken a variety of actions that can have a chilling effect on free speech, from opening investigations into left-leaning news outlets to revoking funding from universities for their diversity initiatives and alleged antisemitism, Goorno wrote. Most recently, officials requested that the IRS rescind Harvard University’s tax-exempt status after Harvard publicly refused to comply with the Trump administration’s demands.
“Ironically, President Donald Trump and his colleagues have long been outspoken about the attacks on speech,” Goorno wrote.
The newspaper editor accused the Trump administration of targeting young visa holders for detainment and deportation due to legal constraints that make it difficult to imprison American citizens.
“For Trump, this isn’t about freedom of speech, nor is it about easing antisemitism. It never was. It’s about spreading his views and his power,” Goorno wrote.
A less divisive society is created through dialogue and the free exchange of ideas — not the silencing of dissenting viewpoints, the newspaper editor argued. This should be encouraged on college campuses — not something students have to fear.
“Liberals have been quick to judge Republicans for their views and voting patterns, but Trump is perpetuating the same judgments — and going even further by using the power of government to suppress opposing positions," Goorno wrote.
Instead of quelling tempers, the Trump administration’s actions have led to a new wave of unrest with the “Hands Off!” protests that took place earlier this month, the newspaper editor argued. Now, “unity and bravery” is necessary to “combat Trump’s assault on democracy.”
“If you suppress free speech for one, you risk losing it for everyone,” Goorno warned.
Öztürk is currently imprisoned in a 14-person cell with two dozen other women in a Louisiana detention center. On Friday, a federal court judge ordered that she and her case be transferred to Vermont while the court considers her claim that her imprisonment is unlawful.
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
— Quincy's Kathy Thrun announces bid for city council seat by Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger: “As a chemist and engineer, Kathy Thrun traveled the globe cleaning up various messes, both environmental and political. In retirement, she became a community activist focused on preserving green space and keeping a watchful eye on the city's finances. Now she wants to bring her activism into government as Ward 3 city councilor. Thrun announced her candidacy April 1, the same day sitting Ward 3 councilor Ian Cain announced he will not seek reelection.”
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
***WORCESTER FREE FARE!****
— Worcester’s record-setting free bus program takes another victory lap by Adam Bass, MassLive: “The longest-running fare-free program in Massachusetts will continue into next year. The Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) advisory board voted to extend the agency’s fare-free program until June 2026, according to an announcement posted on the authority’s X page on Thursday. The fare-free program is part of the agency’s FY2026 budget, with the board voting unanimously to extend the program.”
FROM THE DELEGATION
IN CRISIS — Rep. Jim McGovern believes the “constitutional crisis” some legal scholars have warned about has arrived.
“I believe we're at a constitutional crisis — I'm not sure that we have a full consensus of that yet, but we're getting there,” he said during an interview on WCVB’s “On the Record” that aired Sunday.
“I'm not even sure Trump can spell ‘constitution,’ but the bottom line is that he's behaving in a way that is eroding the checks and balances in this country and moving in a direction that I think smacks of authoritarianism,” McGovern added.
— Springfield renews Water and Sewer Commission terms, despite concerns over expirations by Jeanette DeForge, The Springfield Republican: “Concerns about a failure to reappoint members of the Water and Sewer Commission on schedule has led to debates about fees, water quality and creating a stipend for the volunteers. The City Council approved reappointments of Vanessa Otero, Daniel Rodriguez and Matthew Donnellan to the commission after a 90-minute meeting at which a host of concerns were aired.”
Voters reject proposals that the town purchase the Housatonic and Great Barrington water systems by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: “Voters have rejected a pair of petitions calling on the town to purchase, and possibly merge, the two water systems that serve the community. At a special town meeting at Monument Mountain Regional High School, residents voted down the two petitions filed by resident Sharon Gregory. One asks if the town should acquire the Housatonic company for no more than $2.3 million; the other asks whether the town should acquire the Great Barrington Fire District Water Department for no more than $2 million.
***MASSIVE ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS WERE HELD ACROSS THE NATION & WIDELY REPORTED ELSWHERE IN THIS BLOG! THEY HATE YOU DONALD!****
— Worcester college presidents: Taxing endowments would 'substantially harm our institutions' by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: “The heads of five city universities and colleges are expressing serious concern over the City Council’s push to require annual payments from their endowments and resident representation on their boards. The presidents of Clark University, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute and Assumption University said in an April 17 joint letter that the contributions councilors are asking for would ‘substantially harm our institutions.’”
PAY WALL
***THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO IS PROTESTING!
ONLY AN INCOMPETENT LUNATIC WOULD IMPOSE TARIFFS ON PENGUINS! THESE ARE ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTERS!*****
— Hundreds rally in Fairhaven: ‘This is what democracy looks like’ by Eleonora Bianchi, The New Bedford Light: “At the intersection of Main Street and Route 6, just steps from Fairhaven High School, about 400 people gathered on Saturday afternoon to voice growing concern over what they describe as the slow dismantling of American democracy. The protest was organized by the Fairhaven Democratic Town Committee and was part of a coordinated national day of action led by 50501 — a decentralized activist network whose name stands for ‘50 protests, 50 states, one day.’”
excerpt:
Other protesters brought a touch of satire. Mike Pol, of Wareham, walked with a plush penguin strapped to his back in a child carrier. “It’s because of the taxes that were imposed on the island that has only penguins on it,” he said. Then, more serious: “We really feel we are at risk of losing our democracy, of losing our country.”
Saturday’s event followed earlier protests in the area. On April 5, dozens of South Coast residents boarded a morning commuter train from New Bedford to Boston Common, while hundreds more gathered near the Dartmouth Mall — part of the nationwide “Hands Off” mobilization.
A blog called We (the People) Dissent, run by activist and author K. Starling, has been tracking protest activity across the country. According to its data, more than 50 demonstrations took place in Massachusetts alone on Saturday.
Jody Church, a retired schoolteacher from Rochester, stood by the roadside holding a poster from the 1973 film “Hitler: The Last Ten Days.” Her choice of prop was deliberate. “I don’t want my grandchildren to go through what my grandparents went through,” she said.
Tapping her chest, she spoke about the United States as a diverse nation — one that stands for freedom and must remain committed to it. “The Constitution of America is not something you can mess with.”
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING
***GREAT IDEA! MAGA GOP PASSED TAX CUTS TO THE WEALTHY - THEY SHOULD BE PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE!****
— They helped pass the Massachusetts ‘millionaires tax.’ Now they want to take their strategy national. by Tal Kopan, The Boston Globe: “When Massachusetts voters in 2022 approved the so-called ‘millionaires tax’ to raise rates on the ultra-wealthy, it was a watershed moment for taxation, not just in the Commonwealth but nationwide. Now, some of the leaders behind that successful effort are hoping to replicate that strategy at the federal level. As they work to block Republicans’ efforts to slash spending and extend the 2017 tax cuts, the coalition of advocates is also looking to wage a broader campaign to transform the way taxes are viewed politically in this country. And they’re not just targeting Republicans.”
***TRUMPER MIKE KENNEALY IS BRAIN DEAD TO NOT RECOGNIZE THE MANDATES OF THE MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT! THIS IS THE CLOWN WHO WANTS TO HOLD OFFICE?
NOTICE HOW THESE CLOWNS FLOCK TO THE BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG!
MUST READ!
GUESS MIKE KINNEALY MISSED THE MASSIVE ANTI-TRUMP PROTESTS!
IF YOU WANT TO ELECT TRUMP THE ECONOMIC DESTRUCTIONIST, SUPPORT MIKE KENNEALY!****
— GOP’s Mike Kennealy ‘never’ thought MBTA Communities Act would lead to lawsuits by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Mike Kennealy, a Republican candidate for governor and former housing and economic development secretary, blasted the Healey administration for targeting cities and towns that do not abide by a controversial transit-oriented zoning law with legal action. In an interview with the Herald, Kennealy said he would not advocate for the repeal of a contentious shelter law but rather push for further reforms. He also described a 2017 immigration-related state court ruling as a ‘real problem,’ and vowed to work with President Donald Trump if elected governor.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Ronia Stewart, Henry Brechter and Chuck Colbert.
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