News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GIG ECONOMY fight ESCALATES — EARLY SALVOS in AUDITOR race

Monday, August 9, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GIG ECONOMY fight ESCALATES — EARLY SALVOS in AUDITOR race — DEBATES RAGE on vaccine, mask mandates

Aug 09, 2021

GIG-ECONOMY BATTLE ESCALATES — The coalition mobilizing against a proposed ballot initiative to classify drivers for companies like Uber, Lyft and DoorDash as independent contractors plans to file a complaint today asking state campaign finance regulators to investigate whether proponents of the measure violated the law.

In the letter being sent to the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, the Coalition to Protect Workers' Rights accuses the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work of lying about its expenditures on paperwork submitted to OCPF last week to form its ballot question committee, according to a draft of the letter reviewed by POLITICO.

The "Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers" committee checked a box on its filing paperwork that said "no money had been raised or spent prior to the organization of the ballot question committee with OCPF." That paperwork was received by OCPF shortly before noon on Aug. 3.

But the Coalition to Protect Workers' Rights argues that's a "false claim." Pointing to a section of state law that requires the disclosure of "all expenditures" to promote or oppose a ballot question, including "certain expenditures made in anticipation that a question will appear on a ballot," the coalition alleges that its rivals spent money on consultants to gear up for its ballot-question campaign launch; on signs and stickers for an Aug. 3 press conference; and on digital advertisements in certain publications starting that same day. (The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work sponsored Massachusetts Playbook last week, from Aug. 4-6).

"These out-of-state Big Tech companies are currently in violation of Massachusetts labor, civil rights, and consumer protection laws," workers' rights coalition director Mike Firestone wrote of his group's industry-backed rival in the letter to OCPF. "Given the industry's record of unprecedented corporate spending on misleading advertisements, more than $220 million in 2020 alone, we ask that OCPF hold them accountable to the transparency requirements under our statute."

The call for a campaign finance investigation is another early salvo in a brewing ballot battle that seems destined to grow ugly and costly — not unlike the similar effort to classify gig-economy drivers as independent contractors that proved successful in California last year — should the question clear the state attorney general's office.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . State auditor candidate Chris Dempsey was ostensibly discussing outgoing Auditor Suzanne Bump's legacy when asked on WCVB's "On the Record" Sunday how he'd do things differently.

But he set up a clear contrast with his current rival in the auditor's race, state Sen. Diana DiZoglio.

"I'll arrive as auditor as someone who understands how Beacon Hill works but is not part of Beacon Hill," Dempsey said. "I've never been a member of the Legislature. I've never been an elected official. For me, this is not about a stepping stone to the next point in someone's career. This is about me wanting to dig in to every corner of the executive branch."

Dempsey, who co-chaired No Boston Olympics and was most recently director of Transportation for Massachusetts, is positioning himself as an outsider against a lawmaker who's often considered an outsider on Beacon Hill.

DiZoglio is now in her second term as a state senator after six years in the state House. She's built a reputation for bucking the establishment and needling leadership over transparency issues, and is now leading the push to raise staffers' pay.

"What's worse than his ignorance of her well-known record of challenging the establishment is his attempt to discredit a hard-working member of the Senate," DiZoglio spokesperson Chris Keohan said in a statement.

As the auditor's race gets underway, DiZoglio is rolling out an endorsement from Worcester's Teamsters Union Local 170 today, per her campaign. The Methuen Democrat has more money in the bank than Dempsey, but he's raised more money than her over the past two months, per their OCPF filings.

TODAY — Boston mayoral candidate and City Councilor Michelle Wu hosts a press availability at 10 a.m. outside City Hall to discuss the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. Wu joins environmentalist Bill McKibben for a Facebook Live at 7 p.m. followed by an event with Dominican leaders at Boston's Mozart Park. Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey takes her Neighborhood Coffee Hour Series to Langone Park in the North End at 10:30 a.m. The Boston City Council hosts a hearing on the creation of a "Boston-Cambridge Tourism Marketing District" at 1 p.m. Rep. Lori Trahan joins Middlesex Community College leaders for a roundtable on ARPA funding at 1 p.m. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Angus King (I-Maine) host a press call to announce revenue legislation to include in the upcoming reconciliation package at 3:30 p.m. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) hosts a reelection fundraiser at Wellfleet Preservation Hall at 5 p.m.

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

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Six Massachusetts counties deemed high risk for COVID transmission; majority of state designated as substantial risk," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "Only Hampshire County is listed at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 'moderate' level of transmission; the rest are described as at 'substantial' or 'high' risk, with Berkshire, Hampden, Bristol, Suffolk, Dukes and Nantucket counties at the highest risk level based on rising case totals among the population."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— GALVIN (BRIEFLY) IN CHARGE: Both Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito were out of the state over the weekend, leaving Secretary of State Bill Galvin as acting governor, per State House News Service's Michael P. Norton. Polito returned Sunday.

— "Massachusetts needs advance planning if it wants to capitalize on Biden infrastructure plan, economists say," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "President Biden's $550 billion infrastructure bill to boost spending on highways, ports, broadband and green initiatives could be a boost to states, but economists warn Massachusetts could squander its potential windfall if it doesn't line up 'shovel-worthy' projects. … 'This is the biggest chance for an East-West rail probably ever,' said Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow."

— "Beacon Hill weighs ban on childlike sex dolls," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: "Lawmakers want to ban sex dolls that look like children, which victims advocates say are used by pedophiles to simulate child abuse and rape."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "'This is not political': Boston restaurateurs devise their own public health measures amid absence of mandates," by Kara Baskin, Boston Globe: "This is in sharp contrast to New York City, where officials announced that patrons will need to show proof of vaccination if they want to eat indoors. But on the same day that New York City authorities announced those rules, Boston's Acting Mayor Kim Janey said she doesn't support such a measure here. So some local restaurants are taking matters into their own hands. At The Quiet Few in East Boston, owner Josh Weinstein is done taking chances. Guests must show proof of vaccination before stepping inside, and unvaccinated guests can eat on the patio. He said he made the decision after the restaurant had to shutter recently because of a COVID case."

— "In Boston, CDC Director And U.S. Education Secretary Press For Masks In Schools," by Max Larkin, WBUR: "[CDC Director Rochelle Walensky] reiterated that while the CDC cannot dictate policy at the state or local level, their current guidance is that 'anybody who is entering the school — students, staff, teachers, visitors — be masked at all times in the school.' Several Massachusetts school districts, including Boston, Springfield and Cambridge, plan to require students and staff wear masks indoors when classes resume in a few weeks."

— More: "Spilka joins calls for school mask mandate," by Lily Robinson, CommonWealth Magazine.

— "COVID Testing Spikes Statewide As Delta Fears Grow," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "State testing numbers show the number of tests administered statewide nearly doubled from the first Wednesday in July to the first Wednesday in August."

— "Quincy woman sues UMass-Boston over school's vaccine mandate," by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Patriot Ledger: "Cora Cluett, a senior at the school and a real estate agent with Blue Marble Group in Hingham, filed the federal lawsuit along with University of Massachusetts-Lowell junior Hunter Harris, of Medway, last week. The pair are asking a federal judge to issue an injunction against the schools to allow them to go to in-person classes without being vaccinated."

— "Massachusetts coronavirus breakthrough deaths: 73% had underlying conditions, median age was 82.5," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "There have been 100 breakthrough case deaths in the Bay State, which is 0.002% of all fully vaccinated individuals, or about two for every 100,000 residents who got their shots. ... Of the 100 breakthrough case deaths, 73% of these cases were reported to have underlying conditions that made them more likely to have severe disease. "

FROM THE HUB

— "'If they don't pay their rent, I'm gonna be homeless': Small landlords struggle as eviction moratorium is extended," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "While the extension of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's federal eviction moratorium allowed renters to breathe a sigh of relief, landlords across Massachusetts are still worried about how they'll keep a roof over their own heads. 'There's all kinds of articles about the tenants who are about to be homeless. You know, if they don't pay their rent, I'm gonna be homeless,' said Paulette Houston, 67, who rents out a three-bedroom apartment in her two-family Roxbury home she inherited from her mother."

— "A group of doctors, medical students seeks to prohibit Boston's hospital chiefs from working on corporate boards," by Liz Kowalczyk, Boston Globe: "Dozens of physicians from Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and other Harvard-affiliated medical centers have signed a petition calling for stronger ethics rules to prohibit top executives from working on corporate boards, outside jobs that can earn them millions of dollars but create conflicts of interest. … Its text references findings from a Globe Spotlight Team report in April showing that Boston is an outlier among major cities in the large number of hospital chiefs who accept lucrative outside board work, mostly for drug makers and other health care companies. "

— "From back alleys to backyards, rats descend on Boston neighborhoods," by Kate Lusignan, Boston Globe: "When restaurants closed at the start of the pandemic and people began eating more at home, rodents abandoned downtown and migrated to more residential areas, pest control experts said. With a smorgasbord of kitchen scraps and bird seed laid out before them, the rats have made themselves at home, much to people's chagrin."

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THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— "Young, Black, and energized: These voters could play a pivotal role in the Boston mayoral race," by Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: "Some will be casting their first ballot. Some are community organizers. Others are new to the city. Some are all of the above. But they have one thing in common: They're an important voting bloc. Across the country, young Black people are becoming more engaged in the political process than in years past, according to national polls, emboldened by a racial reckoning and an increase in candidates of color competing in municipal elections."

— "Boston Black Activist Group, Hoping To Unite Black Vote, Endorses Janey For Mayor," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "A group of Black Bostonians working to marshal the city's Black voters behind a single African-American candidate for mayor endorsed acting Mayor Kim Janey Saturday. WAKANDA II members said they went through six months of weekly meetings, forums, surveys from 200 locals, and almost a hundred pages of returned questionnaires from mayoral candidates before deciding they would back Janey."

— "Janey Rivals Demand City Release Records For Boston Police Accused Of Misconduct," by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: "Three of the four major candidates running against acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey blasted her administration for withholding records on police officers accused of domestic violence or sexual assault. WBUR reported Thursday that Boston police found 13 officers committed domestic violence over the past decade. But the city refuses to provide any information about the cases, including the names of the officers and whether they remain on the force."

— "Kim Janey: The Boston.com interview," by Christopher Gavin, Nik DeCosta-Klipa, and Zipporah Osei, Boston.com: "Kim Janey has three words for how she approaches her work in City Hall: equity, justice, and love."

— "Michelle Wu: Mandating Vaccines For City Workers — And Others — 'Is Urgent'," by Zoe Mathews, GBH News: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey said she is 'leaning towards' a mandate for city workers, but has not yet done so. [City Councilor Michelle] Wu said she supports mandating vaccines for all city workers, including school employees. … Wu said she also supports mandating vaccinations for places like gyms and restaurants, but with the help of city resources to move the burden of enforcement away from businesses and workers. "

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: United Auto Workers Region 9A is endorsing Alex Gray for Boston City Council at-large, per his campaign. "Alex's past work on affordable housing, transportation, and education position him well to tackle these issues city-wide," UAW Region 9A regional director Beverley Brakeman said in a statement. "Alex's lived experience with blindness has prepared him to be an exceptional advocate, skills that he can now employ in fighting for an equitable Boston."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Speeding shot up amid the pandemic and continues to outpace 2019, data show," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "In Massachusetts, a spike in speeding citations that emerged last year amid the pandemic has largely carried into 2021 — but to a smaller degree, MassDOT data show."

DATELINE D.C.

— "Biden extends freeze on student loans as progressives push to cancel them," by Michael Stratford, POLITICO: "The Biden administration announced Friday that it would extend the pause on federal student loan payments until the end of January following growing pressure from Congressional Democrats, including progressives who want to cancel large swaths of the outstanding debt. … 'While this temporary relief is welcome, it doesn't go far enough,' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) said in a joint statement."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "Seven Berkshire County towns among those left vulnerable by state's new biomass rules, observers say," by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: "New state regulations effectively protect 90 percent of Massachusetts municipalities from new wood-burning energy facilities, which scientists say are dirtier than fossil fuel plants. But, those rules leave 35 towns, including seven in Berkshire County, open to new biomass plants. That doesn't sit well with lawmakers, scientists and activists, who want the state to go further and fully eliminate the possibility of new biomass generation."

— More: "State wants to expose 5 South Shore towns to wood-burning power plants," by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Patriot Ledger.

— "With the window to act narrowing, a stark report from the world's climate experts," by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: "The Earth's climate is warming at a faster rate than previously thought, and with greater and more widespread consequences, according to a landmark report by the world's top climate scientists."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "100 permanent replacement nurses hired as St. Vincent strike hits 155 days," by Kim Ring, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "More than 100 replacement nurses have been hired by St. Vincent Hospital to fill some of the roles left vacant by the ongoing nurses' strike, according to a statement released by hospital officials Sunday. After viewing a strike schedule that shows events listed for the picket line extending into December, hospital officials have concluded that the nurses, 'have minimal interest or intention to end the strike.'"

— "'This is a crisis on top of a crisis': Patients with mental illness are waiting for overwhelmed hospitals to treat them," by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts hospitals estimate that more than 500 patients across the state who need mental health treatment are stuck in emergency departments and medical units right now — a phenomenon known as 'boarding.' Many are reeling from the stress and trauma of a pandemic that has upended normal life and stubbornly will not end."

— "Methuen PD moves toward transparency, accountability," by Allison Corneau, Eagle-Tribune: "Eight months after a scathing audit painted the police department as rife with mistrust and favoritism and lacking basic policies and procedures, the agency is on its way to addressing those concerns and others as Mayor Neil Perry prepares to name the person who will take over for retired Chief Joseph Solomon."

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MEDIA MATTERS

— "Boston Globe sues City of Boston over public records," by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe: "The Boston Globe filed a lawsuit against the City of Boston on Thursday, accusing government officials of failing to comply with state law in their handling of more than two dozen public records requests the newspaper has filed, including inquiries for police records involving former police commissioner Dennis White and former officer Patrick Rose."

SPOTTED — at former President Barack Obama's 60th b-day bash on Martha's Vineyard: Beyoncé and Jay- Z, CBS's Gayle King, Erykah Badu, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Questlove, H.E.R., Tom Hanks . John Legend sang "Happy Birthday," as did Alicia Keys, per the Daily Mail.

— A Playbook tipster also spotted Obama brunching at Beach Road restaurant in Vineyard Haven on Sunday.

SPOTTED — at Josh Gee and Crissy Rea-Bain's wedding in New York (per the tweets and IG stories): Garrett Quinn, Megan Johnson, Jennifer Smith, Gustavo Quiroga, Gintautas Dumcius and Amy Derjue, Michael Ratty and Amy Deveau, Jeff Israel, Jamie Chisholm, Caroline Holland and Massachusetts Playbook alum Lauren Dezenski.

TRANSITIONS — "Makeeba McCreary is leaving the MFA to run New Commonwealth fund and will adopt a 'start up' approach," by Shirley Leung, Boston Globe.

HAPPY BELATED — to Ed Lyons, who celebrated Friday.

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