Friday, January 22, 2016
By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) and Keith Regan
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Today: Vocational ed focus; Markey at the New England Council
Following up on his emphasis on technical and career education in his State of the Commonwealth speech, Gov. Baker joins his Workforce Skills Cabinet, Northeastern University professor Barry Bluestone, the Alliance for Vocational Technical Education, and business, community and educational leaders to launch a coalition to increase opportunities for vocational technical education. Education Secretary Jim Peyser, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Ron Walker and Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash also attend. Federal Reserve, 600 Atlantic Ave., Boston, 11 am.
U.S. Senator Edward Markey addresses business leaders at a "Congressional Roundtable Luncheon" hosted by The New England Council, The Seaport Hotel - Lighthouse Room, 1 Seaport Lane, Boston, 12 pm.
What the governor didn't say
Gov. Baker was expected to focus in on charter schools, the opioid crisis, and hydropower, and he didn't disappoint. He was passionate about charters and the need to take strong action to combat the scourge of opioid addiction. (The passion about hydropower quickly came after his speech from opponents: "Subsidizing an over-dependence on one foreign government-owned source of electricity will lead to lost jobs and soaring energy bills for decades to come," said Dan Dolan, president of the New England Power Generators Association.)
It's also interesting what Baker didn't say, a theme that was quickly pounced on by the MassDems directly after the speech. Baker did not utter the words "income inequality," one of the leading political themes of the past year. In fairness, he emphasized policies, including charter schools and vocational training funding, that are designed to address income inequality. Boston and the Boston area have one of the largest gaps between the well-off (the top 5 percent) and the poor (bottom 20 percent) in the country.
He did not expound on exporting Boston's economic success to other parts of the commonwealth. The governor did say the words "innovation economy" once, but he proposed no specific policies to try to improve ours. Nor did he mention the $120 million the state committed to bring GE's headquarters to Boston. You can read all the things the governor did say here in the text of his speech: http://bit.ly/1PrT6d6
Other takes: Garrett Quinn of Boston magazine has four top takeaways from the speech:http://bit.ly/1nBTK1u
And this pithy summary from David Scharfenberg and Joshua Miller of the Globe: "...The thrust of the televised address was to embrace his inner wonk." http://bit.ly/1QiaDrr
What Baker did say on the upcoming budget
The Baker administration reportedly faces upwards of $1 billion in a structural deficit in putting together the 2017 budget. All the same, Baker did not mince words on what he plans to deliver later this month in his budget proposal:
"In keeping with our previous efforts, it will increase local and education aid; continue our generous support for public transportation; and offer a number of important reforms in the way we operate. It will add money to the Stabilization Fund, and it won't raise taxes or fees. The people of this state live within their means, and we should too."
Baker aspires to be an over-deliverer
Gov. Baker has given many interviews in the past month as he marked his first year in office. Baker's Q&A during a stroll with Garrett Quinn was full of some interesting remarks about how he sees his job.
"I hope when ... it's all over, I am a governor who underpromised and overdelivered. Government has the tendency to overpromise and underdeliver. I want to be the guy who at the end of my term, people say, "He took on some issues nobody else was willing to take on and were critically important to the public and he kept his promise on 'em and stayed with 'em despite the fact that change is hard." http://bit.ly/1Tb3zzq
Could Baker land on GOP ticket?
Lowell Sun political columnist Peter Lucas expects Gov. Baker's name to come up as a potential vice presidential candidate in coming weeks, and despite the obvious geographical shortcomings, says the governor "would be an asset to several of the GOP candidates running for president." Lucas says Baker will only burnish his resume further by steering the state and its transit systems safely through the rest of the winter of 2016. http://bit.ly/1RYuPCk
Boston snow equipment to the rescue?
The Washington DC area anticipates getting 2 feet of snow, which inspired Mayor Marty Walsh, in DC for the US Conference of Mayors, to offer some heavy equipment help. Specifically, the mayor would loan out two giant snow blowers. As the Globe's Steve Annear reports, Walsh seemed to be enjoying his DC visit.http://bit.ly/1P9aSGe
Op-ed: The charter school imperative
The governor's emphasis on lifting the charter school cap was not lost on Boston parent Dawn Foye, whose son will be forced out of his charter school unless the cap is lifted. The charter school movement reflects "our belief that in Massachusetts, every family and every child should be able to share in the prosperity that so many already enjoy." http://bit.ly/1nBTvUa
Jobs: First the good news
The number of jobs created in 2015: 74,000. It's the largest gain since 2000. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is economists are not nearly as optimistic about this year's job-growth prospects as China's economy slows. http://bit.ly/1PrWMeX
DraftKings adopts AG's rules
Daily fantasy sports company DraftKings will announce it has begun to implement some of the regulatory changes requested by Attorney General Maura Healey, according to the Globe's Curt Woodward. DraftKings will publicly identify highly experienced players and will ban software that enables players to rapidly assemble hundreds of lineups, but continues to oppose Healey's proposed minimum age of 21 to play and a monthly limit on deposits. http://bit.ly/1PmLlLJ
Medical marijuana lobbyist will oppose ballot question
Daniel Delaney, a former health official-turned-lobbyist who has helped medical marijuana dispensaries obtain licenses, says he plans to lead a push against a ballot question that would legalize recreational marijuana, Boston.com's Adam Vaccaro reports. Supporters of the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol say Delaney is simply trying to guard his client's business interests. http://bit.ly/1SACMx8
GE finds Wynn's elusive 'welcome mat'
CommonWealth Magazine's Bruce Mohl wonders how the welcome that General Electric has received-with tens of millions in tax incentives and promised public infrastructure upgrades-is playing inside the office, and mind, of Wynn Resorts's Steve Wynn. While the companies don't compare in scale, Mohl notes that Wynn's plans are more likely to have a positive impact on the region's income inequality issue than GE's because of the nature of their respective workforces. http://bit.ly/1QiZHtJ
Senate passes hands-free bill
As widely expected, the Senate easily passed a bill that would ban drivers from using a mobile device with their hands, the Globe's Nicole Dungca reports. A similar ban was already approved by the House and Gov. Baker has expressed his support for the move as well. http://bit.ly/1ZGGWD4
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