Monday, September 28, 2015
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By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) with Sara Brown
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Today: Baker calls sudden press conference to speak on DCF
Gov. Charlie Baker called a press conference with Lt. Gov. Polito, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, Commissioner for the Department of Children and Families Linda Spears and DCF Chapter President of SEIU Local 509 Peter MacKinnon to discuss policies and procedures at the Department of Children and Families. 10 am at the Press Briefing Room.
Mayor Marty Walsh kicks off the first American Association of University Women salary negotiation workshop for the working women of Boston at YWCA Boston, 140 Clarendon St., Boston, 4 pm; Walsh then attend the grand opening of the Roxbury Innovation Center, Bolling Building, 2300 Washington St., Boston.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a 1972 graduate of Northeastern University, and NU President Joseph Aoun host a reception for NU alumni. Senate President Stanley Rosenberg also attends, Hall of Flags, State House, 6 pm.
Tomorrow: Clean energy bill hearing
Gov. Baker's bill to tap into hydropower will be among several clean energy-related bills considered at tomorrow's Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy hearing. The governor's solar power bill also will be heard. The hydro bill promises to be controversial, as opponents worry it will crowd out other forms of clean energy. MassLive's Shira Schoenberg has more: http://bit.ly/1L020kl
Random data from media coverage this weekend:
* Heroin and prescription opioids overdoses were linked to 1,200 deaths in Massachusetts in 2014.
* Massachusetts families living in hotels and motels: 1,259. Families in shelters: 3,233.
* Average rent in Boston for a one-bedroom apartment: $2,250
* Number of signatures on a petition urging management to keep Red Sox broadcaster Don Orsillo on NESN: 60,000
* Average price for a gallon of gas: $2.19. (New data to be released this morning)
The curious case of anti-privatization at Weston ski track
Who says the Baker administration is hell-bent on privatization? In a move that still has faithful cross-country skiers scratching their heads, the state announced it was taking over the management of the Weston Ski Track, a popular x-country skiing destination on the grounds of the Leo J. Martin Golf Course. The site has been managed by Charles River Recreation for 40 years, but the state Department of Conservation and Recreation announced this summer it would run the ski center itself. Here's a case of in-sourcing, or anti-privatization, and longtime skiers are slightly nervous about the change. Is it possible the state will save money by cutting the private sector out of the action? The Globe's Emily Sweeney has more details in this story: http://bit.ly/1MSZCxK
Auditor Bump on DCF crisis: Break out of silos
In an op-ed that ran online on the BostonGlobe.com site, state Auditor Suzanne Bump points to a less-publicized issue she believes is affecting DCF: a lack of coordination with other state agencies. "If we really want to help the families served by DCF, the administration needs to create greater collaboration and support from agencies that provide the social services DCF families need. DCF families don't live in silos, and neither should DCF." http://bit.ly/1Jy9kOt
DeLeo blocks Baker homelessness plan
On Friday, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo said he and other leaders would block a proposal from Gov. Baker to tighten the eligibility requirements for families seeking state-funded emergency housing-which often ends up being costly motel rooms, the Globe reports. Baker had wanted to reduce the number of families who qualify for the motel subsidies and spend $5 million to divert those families to other services. But DeLeo now says the change will not be part of the supplemental spending plan due to be voted on soon. http://bit.ly/1O4BEQu
The Globe's Joan Vennochi also doesn't like the Baker administration's tighter eligibility requirements, saying it won't work unless there are more places for the homeless: "The Baker administration said it will commit $5 million to help find more permanent living situations. That sounds good. Except that shelters are full, rental voucher programs are tapped out, and affordable housing is essentially nonexistent - which is why families become homeless in the first place."http://bit.ly/1R6a1VA
BRA: Sorry about that whole West End thing
The Boston Redevelopment Authority is partnering on an exhibit about the old West End neighborhood the agency essentially wiped out in the 1960s -- actions it now is offering apologies for, according to Boston Magazine. BRA Director Brian Golden delivered the apology at the exhibition opening: "The BRA of today in no way condones the destruction of neighborhoods and the displacement of residents that happened in urban renewal's wake. And I want to offer my heartfelt apology on behalf of the agency to the families of the West End that were affected." http://bit.ly/1Jy89P2
Globe goes inside Trump's AC days
The Globe sent reporter Matt Viser south to dig into Donald Trump's adventures in Atlantic City, where the mogul amped up the glitz factor before using bankruptcy court protections four separate times since 1991. Although some bear grudges in the New Jersey city, Trump's personal touch helped him remain a player despite his financial failings. http://bit.ly/1YIiVxx
Herald: Patrick appointees still 'entrenched' at Transportation
Several of former Gov. Deval Patrick's appointees to the Transportation Department continue to collect six-figure paychecks, despite Gov. Baker's efforts to tighten budgets, Hillary Chabot of the Herald reports. Among those who outlasted the Patrick administration are Dana Levenson, formerly CFO and now a "Special Assistant to the Secretary for Public-Private Partnerships" and Celia Blue, who served as registrar under Patrick at a salary of $141,000 and stayed on as a "senior advisor" until July. http://bit.ly/1Fvsuda
State's future water bill a whopper
The EPA estimates Massachusetts is facing as much as $7.7 billion worth of infrastructure upgrades and other investments in order to ensure a long-term supply of clean drinking water, according to a story by the Associated Press carried by WBUR. Advocates note that residents often rail against even minor increases in water and sewer rates, but more funds will be needed as systems that date to the 1800s in some cities continues to crumble. http://bit.ly/1jpDMpl
Lawmakers pushing to make college police reports public
In the ongoing movement to open up more records to the public, some lawmakers are pushing a bill to allow police reports at private colleges public. "State Representative Kevin Honan's bill would revise the public records statute to expressly cover law enforcement records of all campus police. Honan, a Brighton Democrat, sees the measure as a matter of consumer choice as much as public interest," the Boston Globe reports. However, some argue that if the bill is passed, it could change students' willingness to go to the campus police. "Will a fellow student or professor share any concerns about another student's erratic behavior if the information provided to campus police could appear in the school newspaper the following week?" The Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Massachusetts Senior Vice President Robert McCarron said to the Globe.http://bit.ly/1FCB4X6
Some confused over SJC's ruling
Many are criticizing the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's ruling on not allowing police officers to pull residents over if they smell marijuana in a car. Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr said the decision was "horrible." "I just couldn't believe it," he said. The SJC, in its ruling, "pointed to the 2008 ballot question approved by Massachusetts voters that decriminalized possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. The court argued that because of the new law, the smell of unburned marijuana no longer constitutes probable cause to believe that a criminal amount of the drug is present," the Telegram reports. http://bit.ly/1WsYxOT
Martin Richard statue revealed
Jane Richard, sister of Martin Richard, the boy who died during the Boston Marathon bombings, gave her older brother's statue bunny ears at the statue's unveiling. The statue is in front of Bridgewater State University. "The statue has Martin holding the "No more hurting people. Peace." sign he made in school. The photo of him holding the sign became an iconic image following the bombings," Boston.com reports. "I find some peace in knowing what kind of man he would have become," Bill Richard said of his son at the unveiling. http://bit.ly/1FvN8d4
Warren stands by Black Lives Matter movement
Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for broad police reform, embracing the Black Lives Matter movement. ''None of us can ignore what is happening in this country. Not when our black friends, family, neighbors literally fear dying in the streets,'' Warren said according to the Washington Post. ''This is the reality all of us must confront, as uncomfortable and ugly as that reality may be. It comes to us to once again affirm that black lives matter, that black citizens matter, that black families matter.'' Activists have applauded Warren's comments. ''Senator Warren's speech clearly and powerfully calls into question America's commitment to black lives by highlighting the role that structural racism has played and continues to play with regard to housing discrimination and voting rights,'' said DeRay Mckesson, a prominent activist said to the Washington Post. http://bit.ly/1WsYK4A
Non-answer of the day
Attorney General Maura Healey, when she weighed in on DCF and marijuana legalization on WCVB's On the Record, said this when asked if she thought Charlie Baker was doing a good job:
"I think we're all doing the best we can. These are hard jobs, they're difficult jobs. There are any number of issues as you look across the state and we certainly look to put our best forward forward every day. I know that's what he's doing, that's what I'm trying to do."
How to reach me and MASSterList
Nothing makes me happier than comments, tips, suggestions. Also, opinion articles also will be considered. Please don't hesitate to weigh in on what we're missing and where we should look. Reach me at gdonnelly@massterlist.com or on Twitter @geodonnelly.
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