Today: St. Patrick's Day, Evacuation Day, casino reviews
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh participates in ceremonies commemorating the 240th Anniversary of Evacuation Day hosted by South Boston Citizens' Association, Dorchester Heights, G Street, South Boston, 10 a.m.
The state Gaming Commission meets with expected updates on the play management system at Plainridge Park Casino and a review of Wynn MA LLC Section 61 findings,101 Federal St., 12th floor, 10 a.m.
Gov. Charlie Baker makes his monthly appearance on public radio's "Ask the Guv" series with co-hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, WGBH-FM 89.7, 2 p.m.
The governor joins Sen. Eileen Donoghue and Lowell city manager Kevin Murphy for the Mill City's annual St. Patrick's Day event, with Congresswoman Niki Tsongas and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan also in attendance, UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, 50 Warren St., Lowell, 6 p.m.
Baker's weird secret trip
It's more than a little odd to learn that Gov. Charlie Baker embarked on a secret trip earlier this month to Georgia, without publicly disclosing he had left the state, to attend the "World Forum," an elite gathering of conservative leaders sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute, a right-leaning think tank in Washington. As the Globe's Jim O'Sullivan reports, there are issues at stake involving use of taxpayer funds for security and constitutional shifts in governing power here in Massachusetts.
But here's the question many are wondering this morning: Why did the governor feel compelled to keep the trip secret in the first place? Maybe it had something to do with being associated with an elitist event with millionaires galore swooping into the posh resort area on corporate jets. Maybe it had something to do with the thorny GOP presidential campaign or Baker not wanting to be perceived as getting too involved in national politics.
But could it also have something to do with Baker being embarrassed to be seen at a conservative event? One suspects this is partly the case. If so, it's silly. Baker is a moderate Republican, no doubt. But he's always made clear that he does indeed hold conservative views on many issues, such as on taxes and spending, while being socially liberal on other issues, such as on gay marriage. He's made no secret of this. So why the trip secrecy? On the Richter scale of controversies, this is a minor one that will blow over soon. But it'll leave behind nagging doubts: Why the defensiveness? Why the weird secrecy? http://bit.ly/1MoQhcw
Herald: Republicans better re-think their stance on Obama's court pick
By many accounts, President Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court was a wise and politically smart move. Garland is a moderate and widely respected federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. He's a centrist with strong cross-aisle appeal. Yet Congressional Republicans are digging in their heels, saying they won't even consider holding hearings on his nomination.
So the Herald's Kimberly Atkins asks the right question: "Do Republicans really think they'll get a better high court candidate from either a President Hillary Clinton or a President Donald Trump?" http://bit.ly/1UC9mhT
A Herald editorial agrees and adds: "With this nomination the president has called the bluff at least of thinking Republicans, who should be making some serious re-calculations long about now. ... (Do) the more sober among them really want to leave a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court hanging in the balance when a legitimate consensus nominee has been put before them?" http://bit.ly/1PdANId
Yes, Walsh will march in Southie on Sunday
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will march in the St. Patrick's Day parade on Sunday, despite losing a court battle after his administration sought to shorten the event's route, Garrett Quinn of Boston Magazine reports. It will be the second time Walsh has marched in the parade. http://bit.ly/1R0hkiy
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T's overdue late-night study shows impacts on lower income residents
The MBTA decision to end late-night service this week will have a disproportionate impact on low-income and minority riders, according to a study the T was ordered to complete by the Federal Transit Administration, Isaiah Thompson of WGBH reports. The T found that half or more of late-night riders are either minority or low-income residents and indicated it would explore alternatives, including buses, to replace the service.http://bit.ly/1QZNBHG
The state's high-tech sector will suffer if FBI prevails over AppleColin Angle and Paul Sagan argue in the Globe that more is at stake in the FBI-Apple showdown than just important individual privacy issues: "As a business matter, forcing tech companies to write code to enable government spying would undermine trust in high-tech products made in America. If the FBI gets its way, the government could, in routine criminal investigations, force companies to deliver alternative code disguised as regular software updates. That would create a crisis of mistrust." Remember: A huge swath of the state's software sector along Route 128 is dedicated to cyber security matters and services. http://bit.ly/1R0lV4r
Charter school opponents launch all-out offensive
Charter school critics gathered on the State House steps yesterday to blast what they call a growing two-tier educational system in Massachusetts, the State House New Service's Katie Lannan reports. The dispute between charter school backers and critics is expected to once again dominate education matters this spring and summer on Beacon Hill. http://bit.ly/21wHtZ4 (pay wall)
Well, is he or isn't he endorsing Kasich?The Globe's Joshua Miller notes there's a sure-fire way to get a sour face from Gov. Baker: Ask him who he's going to endorse for president. It worked again yesterday, prompting a sour-faced governor to repeat he's no fan of Trump. Then he added: "As I said before, I think governors, as a general rule, have had a lot of the experience that's appropriate for somebody who is seeking the presidency." So does that mean he supports moderate Republican Gov. John Kasich? No, it doesn't mean that, a Baker spokesman said. http://bit.ly/25612fl
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Housatonic cleanup battle continues
The Environmental Protection Agency will now decide how far-reaching General Electric's cleanup of the Housatonic River after settlement talks among the agency, GE and state officials failed to produce a settlement agreement, Shira Schoenberg of MassLive reports. At issue is how GE approaches the cleanup of PCBs in parts of the river that weren't immediately adjacent to its Pittsfield factory, including whether the company will be required to truck contaminated dredged material out of state.http://bit.ly/1RQnC1P
Worcester gets state's biggest pot dispensary payments
The city of Worcester will support a proposed medical marijuana dispensary and will receive what are believed to be the most lucrative payments in return, Paula J. Owen of the Telegram reports. Good Chemistry of Massachusetts Inc., which plans to open a dispensary near Kelley Square, will pay the city $450,000 over three years plus an percentage of gross sales that rises over time. The company will also donate $10,000 annually to city charities. http://bit.ly/1ppMNBh
Quincy says it won't pay for T station upgrades
Officials in Quincy are reassuring taxpayers they won't have to pony up for the renovation of the Quincy Center MBTA station, a project the city is leading the charge for, Patrick Ronan of the Patriot Ledger reports. The City Council voted to add the station to the city's Urban Revitalization District but before the vote, Assistant City Solicitor Paul Hines offered assurances the bill will be sent to the state. "This is a state transportation project," he said. "The reason the city of Quincy is the lead agency is to have somebody moving the ball." http://bit.ly/1pvTxy9
'Friends' star Matthew Perry to play Ted Kennedy in miniseries
Matthew Perry, an alum of the now long-ago 'Friends' television series, will play U.S Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in the upcoming miniseries "The Kennedys - After Camelot," writes MassLive's Ray Kelly. Matthew Perry is a native of Williamstown, so maybe his Kennedy accent won't be too atrocious. http://bit.ly/1UCa5zN
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