MASSterList: ‘March four'easter’ | RMV going dark | Poor Wellesley

MASSterList: ‘March four'easter’ | RMV going dark | Poor Wellesley

CHARLIE BAKER HAS NEVER MET AN INCOMPETENT POLITICAL HACK HE DIDN'T EMBRACE....REMEMBER THOSE DOR FAILURES?  THIS IS THE DUMBEST DEFENSE CHARLIE BAKER HAS OFFERED YET!

Baker: ‘We’re going to outlaw people from Wellesley from working in the administration?’   In an apparently testy exchange with reporters, Gov. Charlie Baker yesterday gave a “vigorous defense” of his budget chief’s past hiring of Wellesley pals, associates and country club members at the Department of Revenue, reports Matt Stout at the Globe. “Every single one of those people was qualified to do their job,” Baker said. “So we’re going to outlaw people from Wellesley from working in the administration?” As Stout notes, the governor’s remarks yesterday were in contrast to his comments on the campaign trail in 2014, when he vowed “strong medicine” on patronage hirings, etc. The Democratic Party, typically, is calling for an investigation into the DOR matter. Why always an investigation? They should be just swinging away at the hypocrisy and having a political joie-de-vivre time on this one. SHNS’s Katie Lannan (pay wall) has more. Boston Globe BRISTOL COUNTY SHERIFF TOO BUSY MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF TO DO HIS JOB?     Inmate suicides spike in Massachusetts   From Chris Burrell and Jennifer McKim of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, writing at WGBH: “Fourteen inmates died by suicide in Massachusetts prisons and jails in 2017, the highest such number of deaths since 2014, according to state and county data. Those who died include four who hanged themselves in state prisons and 10 who died in county jails that together house about 20,000 prisoners, according to data collected by the New England Center for Investigative Reporting.” WGBH  STOUGHTON PETER BUCKLEY RACIST POST In Stoughton, selectman candidate not backing down from 2012 Facebook photo   Will a six-year-old social media post matter in a 2018 election? The town of Stoughton may help answer that question after a candidate for selectman defended his 2012 posting of an image that the NAACP deemed “offensive” at the time. Joe Pelletier reports in the Enterprise that Peter Buckley says he felt the image was ‘humorous’ at the time -- and still does -- and is willing to talk to anyone offended about his decision to repost it. Buckley is one of four candidates seeking two seats on Stoughton’s select board; he also serves as legal counsel for the town of Arlington.  Enterprise

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MassterList: Shot heard ‘round the world | DeLeo’s turn, Part II | JOB BOARD MONDAY

MassterList: Shot heard ‘round the world | DeLeo’s turn, Part II | JOB BOARD MONDAY

CHARLIE BAKER IS INCAPABLE OF GOVERNING!

Heffernan sure likes his Wellesley and country club pals   Speaking of the governor: The Globe’s Frank Phillips has more on Gov. Charlie Baker’s budget chief Michael Heffernan and how his past tenure as the state’s revenue commissioner was a “bonanza for a half-dozen of his associates, including Wellesley residents, former co-workers, and Wellesley Country Club golfers.” The Baker administration is defending the hiring of so many of Heffernan’s pals at DOR, saying the agency has “attracted highly talented individuals with impressive professional credentials.” Keep in mind: Some of the hirings occurred during an alleged “hiring freeze.” Boston Globe

WAY TO GO CHARLIE! DON'T CLEAN UP THE PCBS!

Cash in hand, Berkshire Innovation Center still faces environmental hurdle   The Berkshire Innovation Center, which Gov. Charlie Baker delivered key funding for earlier this month, still faces a final environmental hurdle tied to the site’s past life as a GE manufacturing center, Larry Parnass reports in the Berkshire Eagle. The long-stalled project must still get the Department of Environmental Protection to lift a restriction that currently bans anyone form under the age of 18 from entering the property to avoid exposure to PCBs. Berkshire Eagle CLICK ON LINK FOR MORE!

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook TRUMP’s Mass. connection — BAKER defends hires — Taxing CHARLEMONT?

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook TRUMP’s Mass. connection — BAKER defends hires — Taxing CHARLEMONT?

CHARLIE BAKER DEFENDS INCOMPETENT POLITICAL HACKS!

- "Gov. Charlie Baker defends Massachusetts Revenue Department hiring practices," by Shira Schoenberg, MassLive.com: "Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday defended the hiring practices at the Massachusetts Department of Revenue after a Boston Globe story reported that the state's former revenue chief hired several of his neighbors and friends. 'Every single one of those people was qualified to do their job,' Baker said. 'I have full confidence in Secretary Heffernan.'"

CHARLIE BAKER'S POLITICAL HACKS!

- "The Right to Bear Influence," by Will Meyer, the Shoestring: "In July, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker appointed Ron Amidon (pictured above), the then-president of GOAL (Gun Owners' Action League), the Commonwealth's NRA affiliate group, to head the state's Department of Fish and Game. The $27 million office is responsible for maintaining wildlife and fisheries and issuing hunting licenses. GOAL has lobbied aggressively to change the state's fish and wildlife laws and has pushed for standard NRA-style legislation, including but not limited to attempting to repeal Massachusetts' ban on assault weapons."

BRISTOL COUNTY SHERIFF HODGSON TOO BUSY GRABBING HEADLINES TO DO HIS JOB?

- "Bristol County report on suicide deaths leaves out key details," by Christopher Burrell and Jenifer McKim, New England Center for Investigative Reporting: "The two jails there hold 13 percent of county inmates but account for more than one-quarter of county jail suicides in Massachusetts. Over the last dozen years, 16 inmates have killed themselves in the jails located in North Dartmouth and New Bedford. And lawsuits against Sheriff Thomas Hodgson and his department are mounting."

MASSterList: ‘Shoots of rebellion’ | It’s time, Part II | Fashion show postponed

MASSterList: ‘Shoots of rebellion’ | It’s time, Part II | Fashion show postponed

A FEW TIDBITS....CLICK ON LINK FOR MORE!

Hey, there’s a gubernatorial election this year …

Speaking of gubernatorial races (past and present), the Herald’s Howie Carr, coming from the conservative right, asks: “What exactly has Charlie Baker accomplished as governor?” But the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld is basically asking: What are the three gubernatorial candidates doing? His answer: “Flailing away, failing to stir up much money or interest in their uphill battle to unseat Baker.”

The politics of riding the T   It’s an issue, albeit a small one, that probably will never go away for Gov. Charlie Baker, to wit: Why doesn’t he ride the T? His answer, as SHNS’s Colin Young reports (pay wall), is that his schedule doesn’t lend itself to taking the T. In an editorial, the Herald says Baker, a Swampscott resident, should probably ride the T now and then, just to see what riders endure on a daily basis. “But to hound the governor for not relying on mass transit every day to keep his complicated schedule is really just dopey,” the Herald says. Democratic gubernatorial candidates, obviously, have a different viewpoint. Btw: There was a T train derailment yesterday (MassLive) and a man was struck by an MBTA commuter rail train in Belmont (Globe). Just saying.

Warren goes after Kushner’s company loans   This may spark another round of Pocahontos insults from the president – but we have a feeling Elizabeth Warren doesn’t care. The Massachusetts senator, along with other Democrats, has sent a letter to Apollo and Citigroup asking about the timing of loans to Jared Kushner’s company, Politico is reporting. This is most definitely an escalation in the never-ending fight between Warren and Trump, Kushner’s father-in-law.

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson MUST BE TOO BUSY BASKING IN THE NATIONAL RIGHT WING SPOTLIGHT TO DO HIS JOB PROPERLY, MAYBE THERE'S A CANDIDATE RUNNING AGAINST HIM....

Lawsuits keep coming Tom Hodgson’s way   There’s now at least four lawsuits filed by family members or current inmates against the Bristol County jail, run by Sheriff Tom Hodgson, alleging the system “fails to care for its mentally ill, drug addicted, and suicidal inmates,” reports Jenifer McKim and Chris Burrell of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, in a piece published in the Boston Globe. “Each lawsuit claims that jail officials put troubled inmates alone in cells — sometimes for long periods — instead of providing special treatment to deal with mental illness or drug withdrawal.”

DAY LATE CHARLIE! THESE ARE THE OVERPAID INCOMPETENTS YOU PUT IN PLACE

About that $100,000 bathroom …   Appearing on a WAAF radio show, Gov. Charlie Baker said yesterday that he will look into reports of a new $100,00 bathroom and kitchenette at the Department of Transportation’s headquarters building – the bathroom just off the boardroom used by the DOT board of directors and MBTA Fiscal Control Board, reports Gintautas Dumcius at MassLive. WCVB-TV has been pounding away at the story over the past month. MassLive

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WARREN’s town hall circuit – BAKER optimistic on TRUMP’s opioid efforts – Playbook Pool RETURNS

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WARREN’s town hall circuit – BAKER optimistic on TRUMP’s opioid efforts – Playbook Pool RETURNS

CHARLIE BAKER ABDICATING RESPONSIBILITY!   

YOU'RE IN CHARGE CHARLIE!

- 'If you have bad actors, you need to deal with them,' Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says when asked about State Police," by Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com: "As investigations continue into the alteration of an arrest report involving a judge's daughter, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the new State Police superintendent is dealing with the issues within the law enforcement agency."

DAY LATE CHARLIE! THESE ARE THE OVERPAID INCOMPETENTS YOU PUT IN PLACE

- "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker plans to look into $100,000 in taxpayer funds spent on new bathroom," by Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said he will look into reports of a new $100,000 bathroom in the Department of Transportation's downtown Boston building. The new private bathroom for board members was built despite a public restroom being located steps away from the boardroom."

THIS REALLY REALLY MATTERS! 

WE ALL REMEMBER THE COLLAPSE OF THE ECONOMY BECAUSE OF LACK OF REGULATIONS....THIS IS NOT BIPARTISANSHIP TO ROLL BACK REGULATIONS UNDER PRETEXT!

TAXPAYER PICKED UP THE TAB OF THE CASINO GAMBLING BANKERS - LET'S NOT REPEAT THE DISASTER BECAUSE OF GENUFLECTING TO LOBBYISTS!  

THE WARREN REPORT -

- "Warren rankles colleagues in bank fight," by Alexander Bolton, the Hill: "Liberal Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is calling out fellow Democrats by name for backing what she is panning as the 'Bank Lobbyist Act' and it's not sitting well with colleagues up for re-election in November. Team Warren urged supporters to circulate an image of the vote tally, listing the names of 16 Democrats who voted to begin debate on the legislation. That rankled fellow Democrats who accused Warren of trying to profit by making them look bad."

Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson MUST BE TOO BUSY BASKING IN THE NATIONAL RIGHT WING SPOTLIGHT TO DO HIS JOB PROPERLY, MAYBE THERE'S A CANDIDATE RUNNING AGAINST HIM....

- "Lawsuits add up over Bristol County jail inmate suicides," by Jenifer McKim and Chris Burrell, New England Center for Investigative Reporting: "Bristol County accounts for just 13 percent of the inmates in the state's 13 sheriff-run county jails, which collectively house nearly 11,000 inmates who are awaiting trial or serving sentences of up to 2 1/2 years. But, over the last six years, Bristol has accounted for more than a quarter of all jail suicides, 13 out of 49."



POT GROWERS HOWLING!

- "Skeptical of LED lights, marijuana growers decry lighting efficiency rule," by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: "On its face, the idea hardly seems objectionable: With the state obliged to reduce greenhouse gases by 2020, regulators should act now to address the large amounts of electricity consumed by major indoor pot-growing operations where energy-hungry high-pressure sodium lamps can burn 24 hours a day. But a new regulation set by the Cannabis Control Commission to do just that - by limiting the amount of electricity that can be used for lighting to an average of 36 watts per square foot of cultivation space - has the industry howling in protest as it prepares for the debut of recreational sales this summer."


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