News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DIEHL dials it down on TRUMP — JOCKEYING BEGINS over FED AID

Wednesday, July 7, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DIEHL dials it down on TRUMP — JOCKEYING BEGINS over FED AID — UNPACKING Boston mayoral FUNDRAISING

Jul 07, 2021

DIEHL DIALS IT DOWN ON TRUMP — Geoff Diehl co-chaired Donald Trump's campaign here in 2016 and just months ago called on GOP Gov. Charlie Baker to "retract" his support for the president's second impeachment. But now that he's running for governor, Diehl appears to be distancing himself from the former commander in chief.

"I did want people to support the president back in 2016 because he was speaking to me about issues that I was trying to talk about here on Beacon Hill," Diehl, a former state representative, said. "At the time, I felt it was important to support him."

Trump was an outsized presence in Diehl's failed 2018 bid against Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who frequently sought to tie her GOP opponent to the president as national Republicans up through Vice President Mike Pence lined up behind Diehl in hopes of blocking her return to Washington.

A source close to Trump told me it's too early to make a determination as to whether the ex-president, who's been wading into races across the country, will weigh in on the 2022 gubernatorial contest here. There's clearly no love lost between Trump and Baker. But Diehl doesn't exactly seem to be seeking out Trump's endorsement, either.

"Truthfully, I'd rather leave national politics out of this race," Diehl said when I asked him yesterday. "I think it's always been the endorsement of the voters that I look for in everything that I do at the local level."

Diehl also isn't fully embracing Trump's continued stolen-election rhetoric, telling NBC 10 Boston's Alison King "I don't think that it was necessarily stolen" while also calling for election integrity to be upheld.

Trump has lost twice by landslide margins in the Bay State. Diehl's betting voters will instead get behind more local issues like rejecting the Baker-backed Transportation Climate Initiative, supporting law enforcement and bolstering an education system he says collapsed during Covid-19.

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The numbers are in, and state Rep. Jon Santiago and former Boston economic development chief John Barros are lagging in both polling and fundraising in the city's mayoral race.

Santiago raised $89,796 in June and had $410,048 in his coffers by the end of the month. Barros had less — $59,972 in receipts and $319,868 in the bank.

Acting Mayor Kim Janey's war chest isn't much larger at $537,250, but the effective incumbent is raising front-runner-level cash to replenish it, leading the field with $257,065 in June. City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George raised $182,194 and has $665,822 on hand. Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell are both sitting on more than $1 million, with Wu raising more than $150,000 and Campbell raising slightly over $100,000 last month.

The June campaign finance reports dropped not long after a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll showed a tiered field with Santiago and Barros mired in the single digits. Now their comparatively lower cash is compounding questions among political watchers about their viability through the September preliminary election, and whether more super PACs or unions will wade into the race to give them a boost. Rumors of a super PAC to back Santiago have been swirling, but nothing appears to have materialized so far.

When it comes down to it, "folks have just decided this is the moment to elect a woman of color," said Boston state Rep. Russell Holmes.

Yet, if the New York City mayoral race proved anything, it's that a lot can change in 69 days. This far out from primary day in NYC, Andrew Yang was still leading polls and top-finishers Kathryn Garcia and Maya Wiley were back in the pack.

TODAY — Environmental groups and climate leaders supporting Wu in the Boston mayoral race rally at City Hall Plaza at 10 a.m. as she rolls out another environmental group endorsement. Santiago releases a climate policy plan at 10 a.m. at the Chinatown Gate. Reps. Katherine Clark, Lori Trahan and Ayanna Pressley host White House Council of Economic Advisers Chair Cecilia Rouse for a tour of Nurtury Early Education in Cambridge at 1 p.m. followed by a roundtable on the American Families Plan and a 2:45 p.m. presser outside the Cambridge City Hall Annex. Campbell hosts a press conference on how Boston Public Schools is spending $400 million in federal aid at 2:30 p.m. outside the William M. Trotter K-8 School in Dorchester. Sen. Elizabeth Warren hosts a meet and greet event at the Lexington Visitors Center at 6 p.m. Janey gives remarks at the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation's celebration to mark the acquisition of affordable housing units for individuals in recovery at 6 p.m. in Allston. Diehl is a guest on GBH News' "Greater Boston" at 7 p.m.

Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito join Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides and Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Jim Montgomery to kick off the 7^th Annual DCR Summer Nights program at 11 a.m. in Springfield. Baker and Polito then join Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at North Square at the Mill District in Amherst at 1 p.m.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports 6 coronavirus deaths, 269 cases over last four days," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts health officials on Tuesday reported six more coronavirus deaths and 269 new cases from over the long holiday weekend, continuing the trend of lower deaths and infections amid the vaccine rollout. ... There were 80 total COVID patients in hospitals across the state on July 4, which was the lowest hospitalization count of the entire pandemic."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker renews push to spend bulk of federal ARPA funds on housing, tourism," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Baker administration officials renewed their push for a $2.9 billion spending plan to drive housing production, workforce training and tourism. Administration & Finance Secretary Michael Heffernan said the swift approval of a spending plan using American Rescue Plan funds would offer homeownership assistance in the short term and kickstart infrastructure and housing development projects that would need to be completed before 2026, the federal government's deadline for spending the funds."

– "Jockeying starts over how to spend $5b in federal aid," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The federal American Rescue Plan Act provided Massachusetts state government with an unprecedented $5.3 billion in direct aid to the state. State officials have until 2024 to allocate the money, and 2026 to spend it. The US government is giving states a wide amount of latitude to spend the money on COVID-19-related costs, economic stabilization, public health challenges, and to replace lost revenue. That broad flexibility has set lawmakers and the governor up for a high-stakes debate over how the money should be spent. Advocates in virtually every area of life are seeking a share of the pie – which while large, is limited, and will only be available this one time."

– "House Set to Debate Rules, Extend Emergency Measures," by Sam Doran, State House News Service (paywall): "All House sessions would permanently be livestreamed, committee chairs would have discretion to hold hybrid-format hearings, and published committee votes would not require the disclosure of how any individual lawmakers voted, under a proposed House rules package teed up Tuesday for debate in less than 24 hours. Some representatives were hurrying Tuesday to file amendments to the rules after the package (H 3930) was introduced during an informal session after 1 p.m. and the House agreed to an amendment deadline of 5 p.m. … 'I now have 3 hours and 30 minutes to go through 115 pages of the new rules package,' Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven tweeted minutes after representatives voted on the deadline. ' ... This is exactly how one of the least transparent legislatures in the country operates.'"

– "Massachusetts bill to cut red tape for military families could also aid Barnes Air National Guard Base's quest for new fighter jets," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Legislation filed by Sen. John Velis would cut down on certain licensing requirements for service members and their spouses seeking to use their out-of-state credentials in Massachusetts. It would also expedite the enrollment of their children in Massachusetts schools. Such a move could help make the Westfield military base a top choice for federal investments, like the next-generation F-35A Lightning II fighter jets that [Barnes Air National Guard Base] is on the short list to receive."

– "Hundreds of dog bites reported during pandemic," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: "At least 430 insurance claims were filed by people whose dogs were involved in biting incidents last year, the state Division of Insurance reported."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– All aboard: "'Vax Express' mobile clinic for COVID shots is back with stops in Boston, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence and Fitchburg," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The 'Vax Express,' a mobile vaccination train, plans to make a second trip to several Massachusetts cities this week, offering baseball tickets and other giveaways in exchange for COVID-19 shots. "

– "As COVID reporting scaled back, some still want the data," by Jacquelyn Voghel, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "While [Easthampton] ended its state of emergency on July 1, some residents are still proceeding with caution into the so-called new normal: [Public Health Nurse Amy Hardt] and the Health Department had originally planned to halt the weekly updates after the Tuesday morning dashboard, anticipating that interest in the statistics had stopped at this point in the pandemic. But health officials received requests from residents and other city officials to continue posting the updates…"

FROM THE HUB

– "Boston City Council staff looking at raises in new budget," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The occupants of the City Council wing of Boston City Hall have something to drink to: The COLA is no longer flat. That's as in 'cost-of-living increase,' as the new budget approved last week bumps up the City Council's departmental budget by $400,000 in the first increase since 2018."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Kim Janey leads in Boston mayoral fundraising for June," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey led the way with mayoral fundraising last month as political watchers say it's time for the various similar-politicked candidates to begin to figure out creative ways to differentiate themselves and win over voters."

FEELING '22

– Chris Dempsey is stepping down as director of Transportation for Massachusetts as he prepares to run for state auditor in 2022, according to an email he sent to coalition members and supporters yesterday that was obtained by POLITICO. State Sen. Diana DiZoglio is already in the race.

– "Geoff Diehl says he's the 'underdog' most likely to win the Republican nomination for governor," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "[Geoff] Diehl, an avowed conservative, offers a counterweight to the growing number of progressive Democrats making a bid for the corner office. The Whitman resident hits heavily in favor of ramping up support for law enforcement, imposing stricter immigration laws and lowering taxes. He says that balance would hold up even if Baker decides to run, accusing the governor's politics of falling 'slightly left of center.'"

– "Democrats running for governor are pitching fundamental change. Is that what Mass. voters want?" by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: "In the early days of the primary campaign, the three Democrats running for governor next year are voicing strikingly similar messages: Don't settle for Governor Charlie Baker's narrow, slow incrementalism! Elect me, they exhort, and we'll build a better, fairer state together — sooner. But their pitch faces the strong headwind of public opinion: Many are happy with the Massachusetts they've got, and more still approve of the governor who's currently leading it."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "T Holding Off on GLX Corridor Development Talks," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "Land near the under-construction Ball Square Station could become a target for mixed-use real estate projects featuring transit access as a focal point, but talks about the development will not take place until well after the Green Line Extension fully opens in May 2022, an MBTA official said Tuesday."

DAY IN COURT

– "'Rise of the Moors' militia group arraigned in Malden District Court after highway standoff," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "Members of the Rise of the Moors militia group appeared in court Tuesday during a chaotic arraignment session, punctuated by interruptions by defendants, outbursts on Zoom by supporters following the proceedings, and exasperation by the judge on the bench."

– More: "'Rise of the Moors' member Quinn Cumberlander rejects authority of Malden court, declines interview with lawyer on firearms charges after I-95 standoff," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "Amid a heavy state police presence, the first 'Rise of the Moors' member appearing Tuesday in Malden District Court on several firearms charges after a highway standoff in Wakefield repeatedly objected to a judge's basic questions, declined to be interviewed by a public defender and insisted he had the 'right to bear arms.'"

– "MIT professor loses bid to sanction former U.S. Attorney Lelling," by Nate Raymond, Reuters: "A federal magistrate judge in Boston on Tuesday concluded that former U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling made 'inappropriate' pre-trial comments to the media about a former Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor accused of grant fraud but held Lelling's conduct did not warrant sanctions."

WARREN REPORT

– "Biden's Education Dept. just hired Elizabeth Warren's student-loans expert, who studied predatory lending at Harvard," by Ayelet Sheffey, Insider: "A new hire at the Education Department is another in the growing number of experts who have fought alongside Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to reform the student-loan debt system. Toby Merrill, founder of the Project of Predatory Student Lending at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School, was hired as the Education Department's Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel on Tuesday, according to a press release."

FROM THE DELEGATION

– WATCH: Rep. Jake Auchincloss talks troop withdrawal from Afghanistan with Rachel Maddow on MSNBC.

– LISTEN: Rep. Katherine Clark discusses the child tax credit and infrastructure spending on WBUR.

FROM THE 413

– "Legal costs to defend library petition count pile up for town," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Amherst spent more than $11,000 on legal expenses in April to protect the process of verifying signatures on a failed petition to have the Jones Library expansion and renovation project brought to a townwide referendum vote, according to those leading the petition effort. Supporters of the voter-veto petition, which fell 22 signatures short of getting the necessary 5% of registered voters for reconsideration of the $36.3 million project, learned of the legal fees charged by KP Law of Boston through a public records request, and argue that town money is being spent to suppress voters' rights."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Investigator found ex-Duxbury hockey coach accused of sexual assault lied about relationship with another teacher, interactions with students," by Elizabeth Koh and Hanna Krueger, Boston Globe: "A lawyer hired by Duxbury Public Schools to investigate allegations of sexual assault found that longtime hockey coach John Blake was not credible after he allegedly lied about a sexual relationship with another teacher and said he didn't remember the student he is accused of repeatedly molesting several years ago. The investigative report, obtained by The Boston Globe on Tuesday, was launched late last year after Duxbury parents Joseph and Melissa Foley accused Blake, then a coach and middle school teacher, of raping their son Parker multiple times when he was a Duxbury Middle School student from 2005 through 2007."

– "St. Vincent and nurses' union to resume negotiations Friday after nurses' trip to Tenet HQ," by Isabel Sami, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "Negotiations between St. Vincent Hospital and the striking nurses with the Massachusetts Nurses Association are set to resume Friday, following a trip by the nurses to the headquarters of Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare, the hospital's owner. … In a release from the hospital, St. Vincent management referred to the trip as 'theatrics'..."

– "Standing Bear Descendant Calls For Tomahawk's Immediate Return Following Harvard Announcement," by Matt Baskin and Arun Rath, GBH News: "Harvard University says it's planning to repatriate a tomahawk belonging to 19th-century Native American civil rights pioneer Standing Bear. But there's no set date for the tomahawk's return, and a descendant of Standing Bear, Brett Chapman, is reiterating his stance that the school should turn the relic over immediately."

– "'Forever chemicals' found tests of state's rivers," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: "Tests of surface water found a toxic brew of 'forever chemicals' in the state's major rivers and tributaries, environmental officials said Tuesday. The tests, conducted last fall by the U.S. Geological Survey, found per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in each of the 27 rivers and brooks sampled for the substances, which have been used to make products from frying pans to firefighting foam. In many cases, levels exceeded the state's standard for drinking water of 20 parts per trillion."

– "State audit critical of NECC's asset control," by Breanna Edelstein, Eagle-Tribune: "A recent audit of Northern Essex Community College revealed that long-standing issues had yet to be addressed, and raised new concerns surrounding the tracking of valuable property, expenditures and security."

TRANSITIONS – John Alvarez, a New Balance and Baker alum, joins Global Partners LP as government affairs and legislative manager.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Bryan Bowman, Megan Wessenberg, Mike Rigas, Roselle Chartock, Melisse Morris, Vanessa Gatlin and former Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.

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