10/19/2017 06:59 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) and Rebecca Morin (rmorin@politico.com; @RebeccaMorin_)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Sunny with a high of 73 today.
IT TAKES HQ2 TO TANGO - Today's the deadline for cities across the country to submit proposals for Amazon's new headquarters and Massachusetts alone has fielded more than a dozen bids from all corners of the state with municipalities offering up tens of acres of land and resources in return for a potential $5 billion investment.
It would be a major coup for any city to land HQ2 - and some are trying harder than others to woo Amazon through different incentives like a $500 million in local real estate tax savings in Worcester, or Somerville's regional proposal, which would include a tower next to TD Garden.
The politics of luring a big company like Amazon can be tricky, especially in Boston. The top-secret deal to bring GE to Boston has been hailed as a shining example of bipartisanship and proof of Boston's bright future for big companies. And it helps that a majority of Bostonians polled earlier this month support bringing Amazon to Boston. Those polled were evenly split between support for and opposition to offering tax incentives; 59 percent of Boston voters said they want bid details to be public. Boston's Amazon bids are being kept private - Mayor Marty Walsh said four were submitted but reportedly winked when talking about emphasis on an East Boston parcel (it's expected to be Suffolk Downs, the rundown racetrack that straddles Boston and Revere).
Concerns around the Amazon proposal's secrecy harkens to criticism around the Boston 2024 Olympic bid, where many key details were only made public through investigative reporting and FOIA filings. For what it's worth, Walsh is offering up the bid details for Boston's proposal to the public on Friday - after they've all been officially submitted to Amazon.
For the record, the Mass. proposals in the works, by my latest count are Boston, Worcester, Weymouth, Lawrence, Somerville, Lynn, Billerica, Leominster, Foxborough, New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, and Springfield.
But none of Massachusetts' HQ2 bids can shine a light to New York City's - which literally was lit Amazon orange last night to draw attention to its HQ2 bid. And lest we forget New Hampshire, whose Londonderry-based proposal trash talked Boston's "congested, decaying roads and overcrowded subways."
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - The state Senate meets in full formal session - Rep. Joe Kennedy III travels to Michigan for events focused on health care and the opioid epidemic, including a keynote speech at Crain's Health Care Leadership Summit in Detroit - Rep. Richard Neal hosts a forum on opioid abuse in Shelburne Falls.
NEW THIS MORNING - NEW BOSTON POLL SHOWING MARTY SITTING PRETTY - A WGBH/Anderson Robbins Research poll of likely Boston voters found 58 percent support Boston Mayor Marty Walsh while only 19 percent support Councilor Tito Jackson ahead of November's election . Eighty-three percent feel Boston is becoming a better place to live and 91 percent would "recommend their neighborhood to a friend." However, things broke down along racial and economic lines. Sixty-two percent of white voters and 67 percent with incomes over $100,000 rated their quality of life as good or very good, while only 36 percent of black voters and 49 percent of those with annual incomes under $60,000 said the same. Check out WGBH's toplines here.
** A message from New England Clean Power Link: Poised to supply Massachusetts with 1,000 MW of clean, renewable power, the New England Clean Power Link is ready to roll. The only project with a Presidential Permit, full site control and full host state support, the innovative buried project will help Massachusetts meet its legislative requirements for lower carbon emissions. More **
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "Mass. Senate holds public hearing on bump stock ban, but no one shows up," by Shira Schoenberg, Masslive.com: "After the Massachusetts Legislature sped restrictions on bump stocks, a tool to increase the firing rate of guns, through the legislative process, senators opened the issue up to a public hearing. No members of the public showed up."
- "MBTA GM Mum On Bus Privatization Bidding," by Mike Deehan, WGBH: "The MBTA board could vote later this fall on whether to privatize some of its bus maintenance facilities, but the union representing the jobs that might be outsourced says the T only has one bidder for the work. Mike Vartabedian of IAM Local 264 claims that only one contractor, First Transit, has bid to take over bus maintenance work."
- "Diversity data gaps," by Colman M. Herman, CommonWealth Magazine: "Every year, the governor's Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity publishes a detailed report on the diversity of the workforce at each of the executive branch secretariats, now numbering nine. But many other parts of state government -the constitutional officers, the Legislature, the judiciary, and the various state authorities-rarely, if ever, release any diversity data on their employees. So we decided to ask them for the information. What we found is that many of these government agencies don't appear to track diversity data as a matter of course."
DATELINE DC -
- "Massachusetts congresswoman pushes bill to protect domestic violence victims and their pets," by Shannon Young, Masslive.com: "With studies suggesting that many victims of domestic violence delay leaving or remain in abusive situations out of fear for what may happen to their pets, a Massachusetts congresswoman is pushing a bipartisan-backed bill that would expand current protections to those animals and provide resources to better help victims and their pets. The so-called Pet and Women Safety Act, or PAWS Act, which U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Melrose, reintroduced in February, would broaden the definition of stalking to include threats or acts of violence against a victim's pet and provide grant funding to programs offering victims with pets shelter and housing assistance."
- "Congressman Richard Neal will help determine funds for local military bases," by Tamara Sacharczyk, WWLP: "From C5s in the sky to weapons on the ground, military bases are funded by the federal government. Congressman Richard Neal is now one of the lawmakers who will help determine whether our local military bases continue to grow... or get smaller."
WARREN REPORT -
- "Elizabeth Warren raising money for de Blasio off pre-K," by POLITICO New York's Gloria Pazmino: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren is lending a hand to Mayor Bill de Blasio's reelection bid. In an email to supporters, Warren highlighted de Blasio's universal pre-K program calling it one of 'the most ambitious, progressive education programs in the nation.'"
- "Warren takes lead role in fight against Trump tax plan," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Elizabeth Warren is focusing her trademark populist style on the next big item on the Republican to-do list in Washington: overhauling the US tax code. ... The Massachusetts senator kicked off her fresh national effort Wednesday morning by arguing that President Trump and his wealthy Cabinet members stand to reap huge financial rewards from their own tax plan."
MOULTON MATTERS -
- "The money fight heats up for N.J. Republicans weakened by Trump," by Jonathan D. Salant, NJ.com: "Sherrill was helped by Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a military veteran who has endorsed Sherill and other vets running as Democrats; his leadership PAC raised $45,000 for her."
ON THE STUMP -
- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MASSIE FUNDRAISING EVENT SCHEDULED IN NEW YORK: From the Bob Massie gubernatorial campaign: "Mark Green, former public advocate for New York City, and other co-hosts will be holding a fundraising event on November 13 in New York City with special guest Judy Collins."
- ALSO FIRST IN PLAYBOOK - VoteVets PAC has endorsed Setti Warren's gubernatorial bid. The Oregon-based group aims to elect more veterans to public office and has previously endorsed Rep. Seth Moulton. Warren served in the Iraq War as a Naval intelligence specialist.
- "Battenfeld: Geoff Diehl war chest leads GOP pack," by Joe Battenfeld, Boston Herald: "Republican U.S. Senate candidate Geoff Diehl raised more than $367,000 from donors in the last fundraising quarter, the most of any GOP candidate in the race, new reports show. Diehl's report also showed his campaign is spending nearly the same amount - $345,367 - leaving him with more than $281,000 in the bank at the end of September. He has raised a total of $710,000 since launching his campaign earlier this year."
- "5 Burning Questions for Tito Jackson and Marty Walsh," by WGBH News: "We've reached the stretch drive in Boston's mayoral race, with one Marty Walsh-Tito Jackson debate already on the books and one more slated for October 24. Adam Reilly and Peter Kadzis talk to Boston political scribe extraordinaire David Bernstein about the questions he thinks Jackson and Walsh still need to answer before voters head to the polls on November 7."
WOOD WAR - Herald: "GOLD STAR FLARE UP," "BAY STATE PUTS BEST FOOT FORWARD 24 TIMES." - Globe: "Ante is raised in bids for Amazon," "CLOGGED STREETS, UNHAPPY TOURISTS," "For tax brawl, Democrats turn to Warren," "Missing piece in a night of tradition," "ART entangled in new Weinstein scandal."
ICYMI: TURNING DOLLARS INTO SENSE - POLITICO's new Money podcast brings you to the intersection of Washington and Wall Street with the most influential minds on the economy. Every Wednesday, Ben White will help you understand the economic and financial policies that move markets. While money never sleeps, you have to - so let Ben keep you up to speed and turn dollars into sense. The first POLITICO Money podcast features Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Click HERE to subscribe.
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "Bill Linehan to make exit from Boston City Council," by Dan Atkinson, Boston Herald: "District 2 City Councilor Bill Linehan will step down today, three weeks before the election to fill his seat and more than two months before the end of his term, saying he wants to establish himself as a private consultant. And while he initially said he would not back a candidate to replace him while he was a sitting councilor, he is endorsing tomorrow as soon as he leaves office. Linehan did not say whether he would support Ed Flynn or Mike Kelley, and said the opportunity to endorse did not play any role in his decision to leave early."
- "Children's Hospital tower expansion survives lawsuit from garden supporters," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "Nearly a year after a major expansion project at Boston Children's Hospital won state approval, a Superior Court judge has rejected a legal challenge that sought to overturn that decision and stop the construction."
- "Mass. bio-pharma jobs, investments rose substantially in 2016," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "While growing spending on prescription drugs is a target of state and federal policymakers, employment and investment levels in the biopharmaceutical sector in Massachusetts continue to increase, according to a new report. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council's annual industry snapshot found biopharma employment grew 4.8 percent last year, with more than 3,000 jobs added."
WHAT PROJECT PLUM BACKERS ARE READING - "GE's New Chief Makes Cuts, Starting With Old Favorites," by Thomas Gryta and Joann S. Lublin, Wall Street Journal: "John Flannery, the leader of General Electric Co. for just 2½ months, has already begun dismantling the legacy of his predecessor, including the planes. For much of Jeff Immelt's 16-year run atop one of the world's largest conglomerates, an empty business jet followed his GE-owned plane on some trips to destinations around the world, according to people familiar with the matter."
MEANWHILE, IN RHODE ISLAND - "Top RI Dem Party official DeLorenzo dismisses calls for him to resign," by Ted Nesi, WPRI: "Rhode Island Democratic Party 2nd Vice-Chairman Joseph DeLorenzo on Wednesday dismissed calls for him to resign from Gov. Gina Raimondo and others after his controversial comments about 'left-wing whack jobs' and Rep. Teresa Tanzi's sexual-harassment allegations. 'Never going to happen,' DeLorenzo told Eyewitness News. 'I'm not going to resign, and I don't think there's any way to remove me.'"
MAZEL! - to Middlesex Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian, who has been elected by his peers to serve as president of the Massachusetts Sheriffs' Association.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Fall River state Rep. Alan Silvia, Democratic State Committee member and mind behind Donaghue's Democratic Dispatch Kate Donaghue, UMass Dartmouth Professor of Public Policy Michael Goodman, State House News alum and POLITICO's own Kyle Cheney.
THE HOME TEAM DID NOT PLAY.
FOR YOUR #MAPOLI LISTENING PLEASURE - The latest installment of The Horse Race, the new podcast about Massachusetts' most exciting races from yours truly and MassINC Polling Group's Steve Koczela. We "reined in" our horse racing puns this week to bring you a closer look at the warm fuzzies Democrats are sending Governor Charlie Baker, the new Morning Consult Trump approval poll, and who the latest contenders are in the MA-3, aka the Tsongas Arena. BUT FIRST -- There's a special election in Gillette Stadium Land! Subscribe and listen now on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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** A message from New England Clean Power Link : Poised to supply Massachusetts with 1,000 MW of clean, sustainable power, the New England Clean Power Link is ready to roll. The only project with a Presidential Permit, full site control and full host state support, the innovative buried project will help Massachusetts meet its legislative requirements for lower carbon emissions. The entire line will travel underground and underwater, and is expected to deliver low-cost electricity to the Commonwealth over the next 40 years. Massachusetts can expect to reap $19.9 billion in benefits over the next 20 years alone, while ratepayers can expect to save $655 million a year in energy costs. Most importantly, the project is 100% privately financed and comes with a fixed-price bid, protecting taxpayers and ratepayers alike from any cost overruns. The project's developers have also established a $20 million fund to assist low-income ratepayers in western Massachusetts. More **
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