Today: Former governors Dukakis, Weld make a visit; poetry slam
Former Govs. Michael Dukakis and William Weld plan to meet at the State House with Gov. Charlie Baker to pitch him on the need for an underground rail corridor to connect South Station with North Station... Mayor Walsh serves as luncheon keynote speaker at a two-day convening event, "Preparing for Postsecondary Through Children's Savings Accounts," hosted by the National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education and Families, Westin Copley Place, 10 Huntington Ave., Boston 12:00pm... Boston's national championship poetry slam team will perform at 4pm at the State House steps. The House Slam Poets, from Roxbury's Haley House Bakery Café, are the 2015 National Slam Champions and will perform a victory mini-slam.
Protest brewing for Chamber event
When Mass Mutual CEO Roger Crandall comes to town Thursday to speak at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event at the Four Seasons, he may encounter some political commotion. That's because Mass Mutual, through its subsidiary OppenheimerFunds, owns a heap of Puerto Rican debt -- about $4.6 billion worth, making it PR's largest single debt-holder. The government of Puerto Rico, drowning in some $73 billion in debt, or about $30,000 per island resident, has been looking to postpone payments and renegotiate. Crandall likely will hear from activists asking that he go easy on the commonwealth, which legally cannot declare bankruptcy. "OppenheimerFunds managers will be among the louder voices (due to the percentage of debt they own) when the call for austerity measures begins," says a Facebook posting looking to gather protesters. "Members of Alianza por Puerto Rico APPR Alliance for Puerto Rico AFPR will deliver a letter to Mr. Crandall on Thursday morning explaining the human cost of drastic austerity measures."
Just in time for the season opener: Pats dragged through dirt
If you thought the Patriots had emerged from the Deflategate scandal vindicated, think again. An ESPN report portrays a culture of cheating within the organization and claims the overzealous investigation into the deflated footballs was payback for sweeping the Spygate scandal under the rug in 2007. The ESPN report "cites several former Patriots coaches and staffers describing a culture of unethical trickery in which low-level team employees during the Belichick era have been instructed to commit such covert acts as sneaking into opposing teams' locker rooms during pregame warm-ups and stealing play sheets containing the opponent's first 20 or more offensive plays." Here's the Globe's Bob Hohler's report on these new developments, which promise to only further inflame the loyalty of the Church of Patriotology. http://bit.ly/1UGGeTz
Early Retirement ruling: Define 'critical' as you will
The odyssey of a few dozen state workers who were denied the Baker administration's early retirement incentives because they were deemed "critical" has met a legal defeat. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Linda Giles on Friday dismissed the lawsuit of the National Association of Government Employees against the Secretary of Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore and the state Retirement Board, saying the Lepore had wide discretion to define who is "critical" employee for the purposes of the incentive. Under Lepore's definition, state workers in departments funded by industry fees were automatically ruled ineligible for the incentive because their retirements would not save the state money. The judge dismissed the common-sense argument that all state employees should be treated the same, and be allowed to avail themselves of the same retirement incentives, and not be arbitrarily labeled "critical." The union hasn't decided if it will appeal. Shira Schoenberg of MassLive has the whole story here: http://bit.ly/1JRCTMt
Bennett and Walters: We need a new war on drugs
William Bennett, drug czar under President George H. W. Bush, and John P. Walters, drug czar under George W. Bush, have penned a provocative op-ed in today's Globe asking why America doesn't attack the supply of drugs, especially heroin, that are creating the scourge of addiction. "... Administering antidotes is not a strategy unless we address the underlying contaminants causing the disease. In the case at hand, that cause is the growing supply of cheap, potent heroin," they write. http://bit.ly/1Oy2xsR
Developers may face more T subsidy requests
A move by the city of Cambridge to collect a fee from Kendall Square developers to help fund public transit projects may become a model elsewhere and could become a key funding mechanism for projects such as the troubled Green Line extension, the Globe reports. The practice is widespread in other cities and has worked here too, the Globe notes: New Balance kicked in $20 million for a rail stop near its headquarters. http://bit.ly/1K8DHjv
Newcomer Campbell bests Yancey
First-time candidate Andrea Campbell handed longtime City Councilor Charles Yancey his first preliminary election defeat in 32 years, according to the Dorchester Reporter. And hers was a sizeable margin of victory. Amid a near-record low turnout, Campbell topped the field of four candidates and Yancey placed second, setting up a head-to-head contest between the two in November for the District 4 City Council seat. http://bit.ly/1icG8Y4
Tempers flare in Chicopee election
It may have been only preliminary election day in cities across the Commonwealth Tuesday, but that doesn't mean any lack of political passion. In Chicopee -- where just one city council seat was contested yesterday -- a mayoral candidate clashed with police, was threatened with arrest, and then took to social media to complain about how he was treated, MassLive reports. Former Mayor Michael Bissonnette was seen wearing a campaign button or sticker near the polling station at a city middle school. When the officer working a detail at the polls asked him to remove it, a confrontation ensued. Additional officers were called to the scene and arrest was threatened before the situation was defused. Bissonnette himself took to Facebook to rant about the incident, accusing police of an "incredible abuse of power," MassLive reports.
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Walsh: Refugees welcome
Against a national debate on the role of the U.S. in addressing a global refugee crisis that is rattling Europe, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh told the Herald he'd be open to welcoming some refugees to the city. "We are waiting to see what happens and what the situation is," the mayor said. "If we needed to, we would take them."
Opioid bills pass US House
Massachusetts lawmakers saw two of their bills aimed at providing federal support for states battling the opioid crisis easily clear the U.S. House of Representatives, the Herald reports. A bill sponsored by Joe Kennedy III boosts funding for programs that screen prescription drug users to identify potential future addicts and a measure filed by Katherine Clark would create national standards for diagnosing and treating newborns exposed to opiate use while in the womb. http://bit.ly/1MaH8bX
Quincy fundraiser for Baker -- hosted by George Regan
Gov. Charlie Baker is expected tonight along with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito as a special guest at a re-election reception for MassGOP Chair Kirsten Hughes, who is running for her third term as Quincy City Councilor in Ward 5. The Common Market Restaurant fundraiser in Quincy, however, is just the appetizer for Baker. Boston PR guru George Regan is hosting a fundraiser for the governor at his Marina Bay townhouse with a 100+ guest list that includes a who's who of Boston power players and suggested donations of $500 or $1,000. Those expected to attend include Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, Quincy construction magnate Jay Cashman, Republican analyst Gene Hartigan, Hampshire House/Cheers founder Tom Kershaw, attorney Michael McCormack, Suffolk University Board Chairman Drew Meyer and VP of Government Affairs John Nucci, Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe, Southworth Development founder David Southworth, former SBLI CEO Bob Sheridan, Village Automotive Group owner Ray Ciccolo, Suffolk Construction CEO John Fish, South Shore author Casey Sherman, Seaport Hotel GM Jim Carmody, Davio's CEO Steve DeFillippo, Century Bank CEO Barry Sloane, musicians James Montgomery and Charlie Farren, Reverend Charles Stith, New England Council CEO James Brett, and the Boston Athletic Association's Executive Director Tom Grilk. -Matt Murphy, SHNS
Football fan Baker is following the Dutchmen
As the football season shifts into full gear, no one is more ready than Gov. Baker. While the governor has been known to keep a prolific weekend schedule of festivals and neighborhood barbecues, if you were hoping to get Baker to attend a Saturday event this fall, you might be out of luck. Baker told the mayor of Gardner and a city councilor from Leominster on Tuesday that he would not be able to make it to the annual Gardner Chair Luge race (yes, it's what you think it is) or the Johnny Appleseed Festival later this month. His excuse? He will be attending his youngest son A.J.'s football game in Schenectady, New York. A.J. is a senior wide receiver and co-captain of the Union College Dutchmen football team. At 6 feet tall, 192 pounds, A.J. led the Dutchmen with eight catches and 81 receiving yards in Union's season opening loss to Ithaca on Saturday. With A.J. healthy after breaking his arm last season, a spokeswoman for the governor said Baker plans to attend as many games as he can this fall, with most games to be played in New York, Connecticut and even two in Springfield, Mass. "Someone bring me some apple crisp," Baker requested after bowing out of the Johnny Appleseed festivities. -Matt Murphy, SHNS
Baby boy for the Beatons
And congratulations to the Beatons, who became new parents last week. Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton and his wife Laura last Thursday welcome their third child, Theodore Angus Beaton, who weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 19 ¾ inches. The Beatons already had two young children, Samuel and Lillian. As far as we know, there's no truth to the rumor that young Theodore has a solar powered mobile above his crib, but it might be coming. Mother and son are doing well. -Matt Murphy, SHNS
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