POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook, GOV field snapshot — DEM triumphs in Attleboro — New FUNDRAISING numbers

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook, GOV field snapshot — DEM triumphs in Attleboro — New FUNDRAISING numbers

CHARLIE FLUNKS AGAIN! ANNOUNCING CHANGES PUBLICLY AND FAILING TO INCLUDE THE UNION? 

CHARLIE BAKER IGNORED EXPLODING OVERTIME OF THE STATE POLICE & MBTA, EXCUSES FAILURES OF POLITICAL HACKS...TEFLON CHARLIE? NO MORE! 

- "Baker's State Police overhaul already is contending with hurdles," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Baker's announcement Monday that the State Police would eliminate the troubled Troop E unit, activate GPS tracking on police cruisers, and develop a body camera program was intended to begin restoring public trust in an agency that's been battered by months of scandals, including the alleged theft of overtime pay. Its rollout, however, quickly met turbulence, including the admission by State Police officials that the plan to "immediately" activate GPS technology on marked cruisers wasn't possible ... the intention to equip troopers departmentwide with body cameras - would need to be approved through collective bargaining, a potential hurdle that could further slow its implementation."

MORE GIVEAWAYS WITHOUT REASONABLE COST ANALYSIS LIKE THE GE SCAM?

- "Governor Baker seeks more money to lure companies to Mass.," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Like it or not, Massachusetts can't always lure companies here on our reputation alone. That's why Jay Ash, Governor Charlie Baker's top economic aide, made his case to lawmakers last week for a new economic development package with more financial firepower."

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MASSterList: Worse than thought? | Reverse commuting | JOB BOARD MONDAY

MASSterList: Worse than thought? | Reverse commuting | JOB BOARD MONDAY

-- At an event timed for the beginning of Holy Week and shortly before Passover, more than 50 religious leaders plan to confront Gov. Charlie Baker about his ‘refusal to meet with them regarding their concerns about climate change,’ starting at State House steps, 12 p.m.

CHARLIE BAKER ASLEEP AT THE HELM? Is State Police scandal worse than thought?

Nine State Police troopers were suspended and nine others suddenly resigned in connection to the going investigation into alleged overtime scams at the agency, authorities announced late last week, as reported by Scott Croteau at MassLive. But the Globe’s Matt Rocheleau and Todd Wallack report this morning that troopers’ actual overtime earnings are much higher than previously disclosed, raising “further questions about the agency’s spending, oversight, and transparency.” In addition, they report, the payroll records for one entire division at State Police have been “hidden from public view and weren’t filed with the state comptroller for several years.” Commission seeks ouster of loverboy judge The lawyer for embattled Belchertown District Court Judge Thomas Estes thinks his client should be suspended and forced to apologize for a sexual affair he had with a courthouse worker. The Judicial Conduct Commission would go a bit further: It wants him off the bench, permanently. The Globe’s Andrea Estes has more. The Herald’s Howie Carr notes that the judge’s attorney is trying to portray him as being lured by a sultry temptress into the affair, which included regular afternoon romps at the courthouse: “You think Paris or Rome is a great spot for swingin’ young lovers? Have you ever been inside the Belchertown District Courthouse?” NECCO may be headed for bankruptcy Forget layoffs. It appears NECCO is fighting for its survival at this point. From Greg Ryan at the BBJ: “Revere-based New England Confectionery Co. has defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and should be put into receivership, a lender said in a new legal filing, but a judge on Friday wondered whether bankruptcy might make more sense for the candymaker. NECCO has been looking for a buyer to allow it to continue its operations.” BBJ

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Polling WARREN — DIZOGLIO eyes the Senate — DEVAL’s college Dems meeting

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Polling WARREN — DIZOGLIO eyes the Senate — DEVAL’s college Dems meeting

CHARLIE BAKER ASLEEP AGAIN?

- "20 state troopers face possible discipline in overtime scam probe," by Mark Arsenault, Travis Andersen and Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: "In another black eye for the scandal-ridden Massachusetts State Police, 20 active troopers face potential sanctions for the apparent theft of overtime pay, with the most egregious alleged offenders putting in for as many as 100 no-show shifts, officials said Tuesday. State Police officials said they have reported their findings, which stemmed from an investigation launched last fall, to Attorney General Maura Healey's office for review and potential prosecution. "

A DISTRACTION BY CHARLIE BAKER FROM THE SCANDALS THAT SURROUNDS HIM?

- "Baker pushes more 'urgency' in changing fentanyl trafficking law," by Joshua Miller, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker and top law enforcement officials urged the Legislature Tuesday to make it easier to prosecute traffickers of fentanyl, the ultrapowerful opioid that is often mixed into heroin and plays an increasingly deadly role in Massachusetts' overdose crisis. But because of how a 2015 bill by Attorney General Maura Healey was drafted, prosecutors say it's extremely difficult to charge someone with fentanyl trafficking. Healey ... backs tweaking the fentanyl law."

DeLeo's COVER-UP!

- "State Rep. Shines A Light On NDAs On Beacon Hill," by Meghna Chakrabarti and Kassandra Sundt, WBUR: "The Massachusetts Legislature has been roiled for a couple of months now by accusations of tolerating a culture of sexual harassment on Beacon Hill. House Speaker Robert DeLeo has promised to confront the issue head on. But last week, as the House was voting on new procedures to deal with harassment, Rep. Diana DiZoglio rose in support of her own amendment to the proposed rules, and to tell her story about how she'd specifically been told to sign a non-disclosure agreement after she'd been harassed in the workplace."

FACT CHECKING TRUMP - "Study cited by Trump polled just 20 drug users," by Allison DeAngelis, Eagle-Tribune: "Lawrence's status as the source of New Hampshire's drug addiction scourge isn't quite as clear-cut as President Donald Trump portrayed it to be, according to a researcher from the study he cited in his national speech in Manchester on Monday. While announcing new opioid initiatives, Trump cited a July 2017 report from Dartmouth College and the National Drug Early Warning System as evidence that Lawrence played a large role in New Hampshire's drug problems. However, the study Trump referenced does not support the declarations he made this week."

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MASSterList: State Police crisis update | Santa in NH | Divestment push

MASSACHUSETTS SHOULD IMPLEMENT A STATUTE REQUIRING EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL AND MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE TO TAKE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - THEN WE'D SEE HOW QUICKLY THE GRIDLOCK AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM GETS CORRECTED.


GOVERNOR BAKER PRESIDED OVER THE MASSIVE FAILURE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN 2015, PROMISED TO CORRECT IT.......WE'RE STILL WAITING!

NOT ONLY WERE FARES RAISED AND NIGHT SERVICE ELIMINATED, BUT CHARLIE APPOINTED OVERPAID INCOMPETENTS FOCUSED MORE ON PRIVATIZATION AND NONSENSE THAN MAKING THE SYSTEM WORK TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.

RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION, CHARLIE BAKER ESTABLISHED A TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION THAT EXCLUDES THE SOUTH COAST, ANNOUNCED HIS 'BIG DIG' FOLLY

CHARLIE BAKER'S $935 MILLION BIG DIG!

CHARLIE BAKER CANCELLED FUNDING FOR THE MIDDLEBORO ROTARY, A COLOSSAL FAILURE AFFECTING 47,000 VEHICLES EACH DAY AND GRID LOCKING THE REGION. CHARLIE BAKER CANCELLED THE RESTORATION OF THE HISTORIC  TAUNTON SUPERIOR COURT HOUSE AND MUCH ELSE. 

CHARLIE BAKER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DOWNGRADING OF MASSACHUSETTS AND THE DOWNGRADING OF MASSACHUSETTS' BOND RATING THAT WILL COST TAXPAYER DOLLARS. 

AND THE MEDIA CONTINUES TO GIVE HIM A PASS? EVEN LOUDMOUTHED HOWIE CARR CAN'T SEEM TO MUSTER THE COURAGE TO ADDRESS CHARLIE BAKER'S NUMEROUS FAILURES. 

MASSterList: State Police crisis update | Santa in NH | Divestment push

MASSterList: Amazon Prime | Leadership crisis | City Manager Donoghue

MASSterList: Amazon Prime | Leadership crisis | City Manager Donoghue

CHARLIE BAKER'S MISMANAGEMENT IS COSTING TAXPAYER DOLLARS!


FROM: 

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DEMS hammer BAKER over new ranking — HOUSE harassment report incoming — LOWELL suing over opioids

RAKED OVER RANKINGS - Massachusetts' drop on the US News and World Report's ranking of top states - from first in the nation to eighth - has provided a new opportunity for Democrats to hammer Gov. Charlie Baker.

While Massachusetts continues to be the top state in the country for education, it's fallen to 40th for fiscal stability and 45th for infrastructure. The top overall spot is now occupied by Iowa.

The criticism over the drop is fair game. Baker himself had repeatedly touted the best-in-the-country ranking from 2017 - even going so far as to mention it (among over top rankings) in his state of the commonwealth speech this year. And for the Democrats eager to find the governor's Achilles heel, it's a welcome chance to hit Baker where it hurts - like the state's first bond rating downgrade in 30 years that came in 2017.

Baker's Democratic challengers say it's a sign the state can't settle for the status quo, as Jay Gonzalez put it yesterday: "If Charlie Baker were CEO of a company, he would be fired."

Setti Warren had a similar criticism: "In many ways, Massachusetts has been on a roll for a while, but our state government is failing. A creature of Beacon Hill like Charlie Baker just can't fix it."

CHARLIE BAKER IS DIRECTLY RESPONSBILE FOR STATE POLICE - ANOTHER CHARLIE BAKER FAIL!

Are State Police in a leadership crisis? The Globe, in an editorial, says the recent staff “restructuring” move at the Massachusetts State Police sure looks like a “leadership and institutional crisis at the agency,” tied to the recent TrooperGate controversy and the highly questionable hiring of State Trooper Leigha Genduso, an admitted drug dealer and money launderer. Meanwhile, the Herald’s Howie Carr continues to pound away at State Police, saying the unfolding drama is starting to resemble scenes from ‘The Departed.”