Friday, January 8, 2016
By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) and Keith Regan
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Mark your calendars: Walsh's State of the City address is scheduled for Jan. 19 at Symphony Hall. Baker's State of the Commonwealth address will be Jan. 21.
Baker, year 2: A different reality sets in
Gov. Charlie Baker took the oath of office a year ago today, and the consensus is he's hit the cover off the ball. Year two, however, will present a different set of challenges, as the Globe's David Scharfenberg writes in an incisive analysis. One is being on the hook for government services, such as public transportation, that are really hard to fix. The other, less-discussed challenge, is the emergence of strong ideological differences with Democrats on controversial issues, including charter schools and criminal justice reform.
The Globe's Frank Phillips takes a look at the Big Three, assessing their individual challenges as the 2016 political season begins. http://bit.ly/1RdqrP7
Let the digital health revolution begin -- efficiently
It's not every day that the Governor, the Speaker of the House, the Mayor of Boston, the former CEO of Raytheon, and the president of Boston Children's Hospital are in a room together. But yesterday marked the emergence of a public-private partnership designed to put Massachusetts in the forefront of the digital health industry. Usually economic initiatives have lofty price tags. But this one, originated and driven by the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership, a business group, would is a highly economical effort to win the lion's share of what is predicted to be a $32 billion market. The commitment is $250,000, according to a story by the Boston Business Journal's Jessica Bartlett. She breaks down the initiative here:http://bit.ly/22NHZ8y
Does Bernie have a fighting chance in Mass.?
Bernie Sanders will open his Massachusetts campaign office Saturday in Charlestown, and he has the endorsement of Sen. Jamie Eldridge. The question is, how strongly is Massachusetts feeling the Bern? WGBH's Mike Deehan looks at Sanders' chances in a state that last had Hillary Clinton comfortably leading by about 25 points in a fall poll. But what about the passion for Sanders in the state, where 30,000 people would assemble to hear him speak? "The challenge for the Sanders camp is to capitalize on that raw enthusiasm and channel it into an effective grassroots campaign," Deehan writes.http://bit.ly/1n7w5Gb
NBC plans to dump WHDH
In a move that is sure to shake up the local TV industry, NBC announced yesterday it plans to sever its longtime affiliate relationship with WHDH and will build out its own station in Boston. Comcast, the owner of NBC, already owns NECN and Telemundo Boston in the local market. WHDH owner Ed Ansin told the Globe's Shirley Leung he will fight the move through the FCC on several grounds. "I have a feeling a year from now we will still be the NBC affiliate. That's how serious we think the violations are," Ansin said. He said he met yesterday with Sen. Ed Markey about the matter. http://bit.ly/1kPJnoL
Henry's critical tweet
John Henry, who has 450,000 followers on Twitter, took to the social media platform Wednesday to criticize Emily Rooney's story about his role in the ongoing delivery problems at the Globe, saying he ignored internal warnings the changeover wasn't going to work.Tweeted Henry: "WGBH now has added a fiction writer to its news lineup. Makes for great stories!" No social media response from Rooney as of yet, but expect Rooney and others to weigh in on the delivery debacle tonight, 7 pm, on "Beat the Press."
And here's some criticism of Henry's open letter about the delivery crisis from a reader who just wants her paper: http://bit.ly/1Rdpnef
Kennedy takes on Iran's missile testing
Congressman Joe Kennedy plans to introduce a bill to expedite the procedure for imposing additional sanctions on Iran. The move comes after Iran's recent test of a ballistic missile and reflects frustration with the slow response from the Obama administration. "No response is in effect, a response... if responses are nonexistent, ineffective or delayed, those are also responses," Kennedy told the Washington Post. http://wapo.st/1VNrmoK
EMC job cuts loom
The fallout from Dell's acquisition of Massachusetts' tech bellwether, EMC, has yet to be felt, although the restructuring costs that have been put aside -- $250 million -- suggest a large number of job cuts. EMC cut 2,100 jobs in 2014 at an estimated cost of $120 million."Michael Dell knows how to run a big business in a low-cost way. He knows how to compete in a commodity business, and he knows there's a lot of cost to be taken out of EMC," one observer tells the Globe's Scott Kirsner. http://bit.ly/1S87Iov
Less bock for your buck?
Eggs prices "will almost certainly go up" if voters if November support a ballot initiative that would require egg-laying hens be kept in cage-free conditions, the Globe's Joshua Miller reports. Estimates for the increase range from a few cents to 80 cents per dozen, or about $12 a year for the average egg-eater. bit.ly/1PSsua5
DeLeo skeptical on T fare hikes
House Speaker Bob DeLeo says he isn't yet convinced the MBTA needs to raise fare and pass prices now, the Herald reports. DeLeo says all other options for boosting revenue should be explored before prices are hiked. "The fares, I feel that that really should be our last item that we address," he said. bit.ly/1S83j4V
And see Bruce Mohl analysis in CommonWealth magazine about how the intent of the Legislature -- to limit fare increases to 5 percent every two years -- was usurped by a single word change in the 2013 transportation bill. http://bit.ly/1n7GvFx
T discounts eyed for low-income riders
The Globe, meanwhile, reports that in the face of planned fare increases, the T is exploring ways to offer discounts to low-income riders, something that has proven difficult to implement in other cities. Advocates say the approach would help keep public transit affordable for those who rely on it the most, but the revenue that would be lost is seen as a major hurdle.bit.ly/1PSx1JG
Warren unloads on GOP, NRA
Seeking to provide cover for President Obama's executive actions on access to guns, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says Congress must now take up the fight to tighten gun controls to prevent Obama's actions form being un-done by a future president. Writing in CommonWealth Magazine, Warren singles out some Republican presidential candidates for their rhetorical responses to Obama. bit.ly/1OEef7U
After deleting, Walsh now says texts are public record
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has shifted his stance and now says texts send to and from his work phone are public records, WCVB's Mike Beaded reports. Walsh had previously deleted messages sent to his work phone, making it impossible for the city to respond to public requests for them. Walsh's new stance is also a contrast with Gov. Baker's, whose office has insisted texts are not subject to the state's public records law. bit.ly/1OfcHNV
Will Pike condition keep tolls in place?
The western end of the Massachusetts Turnpike is supposed to go toll-free early next year as the agency pays off long-term bonds. But officials say the Pike's overall condition and need for repairs may mean the tolls stay in place longer, the Telegram reports. bit.ly/1Ro7Y2N
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