News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: JANEY'S first AD — CLARK'S stock disclosure WOES — Baker admin shifts on SCHOOL MASK MANDATE

Monday, August 23, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: JANEY'S first AD — CLARK'S stock disclosure WOES — Baker admin shifts on SCHOOL MASK MANDATE

Aug 23, 2021

NEW THIS MORNING: JANEY JUMPS ON AIR — Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey wants a full term in office, and she's betting her "experience" will convince voters to give her that shot.

That's the logic behind — and the title of — Janey's first television ad, a 30-second spot that will begin airing Tuesday. The campaign doled out $164,000 to air the ad this week alone, and is planning additional buys through the Sept. 14 preliminary election.

An increasingly familiar face through her press conferences and the associated media coverage, Janey's ad is less an introduction to voters and more a glimpse of how she believes her experiences with busing, raising a child as a teen mom and spending a brief period in a shelter inform her actions as mayor — like pumping tens of millions of dollars toward affordable housing.

She also works to flip the script on her handling of the coronavirus resurgence, highlighting her vaccine mandate for city workers while ignoring the pummeling she took from several of her competitors for not moving faster to issue one.

Janey's campaign is airing versions of the ad in both English and Spanish, following a similar move by City Councilor Michelle Wu last week, as the candidates work to reach as many voters as possible in an increasingly diverse city with just three weeks left until the preliminary election. More than a third of the city's residents speak a language other than English at home, including 16% who speak Spanish, followed by 4% who speak Chinese and just under 4% who speak Haitian, according to the most recent statistics from the city.

Janey speaks Spanish and her campaign is doing multilingual outreach through television, radio, mail, print advertising and signs, as well as through its field program.

Wu speaks Spanish and Mandarin, and her campaign is printing literature in six languages and doing digital, radio and print advertising in Haitian, Chinese, Vietnamese and Brazilian outlets.

Former city economic development chief John Barros is conversational in Spanish, and is fluent in Cape Verdean Creole and Portuguese, according to his campaign, which is distributing literature in English, Spanish, Cape Verdean and Haitian Creole, Chinese and Vietnamese, and is spending on ethnic radio and newspaper ads, and digital ad buys on Univision and YouTube.

City Councilors Annissa Essaibi George and Andrea Campbell don't speak other languages. But both campaigns have literature in Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Haitian Creole. Essaibi George is running digital and radio ads in those languages as well as Portuguese and Cape Verdean Creole. Campbell has included foreign-language captions in major campaign videos, like her announcement, and is doing multilingual outreach in key neighborhoods.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Henri isn't done with us yet. While the storm knocked out power across southern New England, sent trees crashing into homes and toppled one man to the ground, a couple folks told WBZ: "I've seen worse."

TODAY — State Attorney General Maura Healey participates in "Ask the AG" on GBH's "Boston Public Radio" at 11 a.m. Campbell is a guest on WBUR's "Radio Boston" at 3 p.m. and participates in an Allston Brighton Virtual Town Hall at 6 p.m. Janey delivers remarks at the Mayor's Garden Contest Awards Ceremony at the Boston Public Garden, 5:30 p.m.

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

INTRODUCING OTTAWA PLAYBOOK : Join the growing community of Politicos — from lawmakers and leaders to pollsters, staffers, strategists and lobbyists — working to shape Canada's future. Every day, our reporting team pulls back the curtain to shed light on what's really driving the agenda on Parliament Hill, the true players who are shaping politics and policy across Canada, and the impact it all has on the world. Don't miss out on your daily look inside Canadian politics and power. Subscribe to Ottawa Playbook today.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Rep. Hill appointed to Gaming Commission," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Rep. Brad Hill a Republican from Ipswich, is leaving the Legislature after nearly 22 years to become a member of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Hill is a joint appointment of Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg. He is replacing Bruce Stebbins, who left the Gaming Commission to join the Cannabis Control Commission, and will serve the remainder of his term through 2025."

Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, who unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Seth Moulton in the Democratic primary for the 6th Congressional District seat last year, is exploring a bid for Hill's seat. Belsito is a nonprofit leader who founded the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance.

– "July Jobless Rate Stays at 4.9 Percent," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "Massachusetts employers added jobs at a robust pace in July, while the statewide unemployment rate held flat at 4.9 percent for the second month in a row, labor officials announced Friday. Based on a survey of employers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that the state added 43,400 jobs in July to push total employment above 3.5 million for the first time since the pandemic hit."

– "MassCOSH leads call for revision of workplace safety standards as state plans for full repeal," by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: "The state Department of Labor Standards stopped enforcing COVID-19 safety standards when the state of emergency expired in June. Yet, the delta variant has led COVID-19 transmission in the state to surge once more. Public health and labor leaders say the lack of enforcement leaves workers without a key line of defense against working conditions that may increase their exposure to the virus."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "In shift, Baker administration moves to impose K-12 school mask mandate this fall," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "After resisting calls for a K-12 school mask mandate this fall for weeks, Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is changing course. In a press release Friday, state Education Commissioner Jeff Riley said he will ask the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education for the authority to mandate masks for all public K-12 students, educators, and staff through at least Oct. 1."

– "MBTA, Massachusetts law enforcement unions push back on Charlie Baker vax mandate," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "MBTA workers and Massachusetts law enforcement unions are pushing back against Gov. Charlie Baker's recent order mandating coronavirus vaccines for all public workers as education officials mull a student mask mandate."

– "A stark choice: COVID-19 fall forecasts show deaths increase, but toll depends on path taken," by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: "One respected disease modeler from the University of Washington said that simply adopting universal mask mandates now could avoid roughly 1,300 deaths in Massachusetts by Dec. 1 and 50,000 deaths nationwide."

– "Massachusetts resumes reporting racial COVID-19 hospitalization data, as rates continue to rise," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Following pushback from local Democrats and a rebound in COVID-19 rates, Gov. Charlie Baker's administration resumed reporting demographic data on hospitalizations due to the virus in Massachusetts this week."

FROM THE HUB

– "Janey Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate For Boston," by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced Friday a city-wide mandate requiring people to wear face masks in indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status, beginning August 27."

– More from the Boston Herald's Sean Philip Cotter: "...the Massachusetts Restaurant Association worries this 'step backwards' will hurt the industry. … The administration said masks must be worn indoors in public spaces at all times except while eating and drinking, and in spots 'including but not limited to retail establishments, restaurants, bars, performance venues, social clubs, event spaces and municipal buildings.'"

– "Boston woman sets record for fastest subway trip to every T station," by Meghan Ottolini, Boston Herald: "With a time of 7:04:29 (7 hours, 4 minutes, 29 seconds), a Boston woman shattered the world record for the fastest subway trip to every T station on the map. Boston commuters know getting from point A to point B on the train can come with delays and diversions, but 29-year-old Maya Jonas-Silver executed her plan to a T."

– "Two city councilors want a 'Towing Bill of Rights.' Here's what that means," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com.

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Amazon wants to get even bigger in Boston. The five would-be mayors are wary," by Jon Chesto and Pranshu Verma, Boston Globe: "For at least the last couple of years, the e-commerce giant has wanted to build a distribution center in Boston. So far, its efforts have fizzled amid concerns about traffic and lower-wage, non-union jobs. But Amazon's not giving up, and has recently hired two top Walsh administration officials to help with its expansion efforts. Whoever wins the mayor's race in November will need to grapple with Amazon before long. None of the five major candidates say they would shut the company out entirely, but all expressed wariness about a new distribution facility — particularly about wages and working conditions."

– "Where Boston's mayoral candidates stand on renaming Faneuil Hall," by Marcus E. Howard, Boston.com: "For years protesters have called on the city to rename Faneuil Hall, a historic marketplace and meeting hall that traditionally draws about 20 million annual visitors, because its namesake profited in the ownership and trade of Africans."

– "As preliminary election looms, City Council candidates race to introduce themselves," by Jasper Goodman and Jack Lyons, Boston Globe: "For the candidates running in this fall's Boston City Council elections, breaking through the noise of a historic mayoral election, never-ending COVID-19 news, and volatile national politics has proven difficult."

– FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Boston City Councilors Julia Mejia and Ricardo Arroyo, who are both running for reelection, will host a relational organizing training Sunday afternoon for Latino leaders and residents. They hope to engage more of the city's growing Latino population through GOTV efforts surrounding the upcoming municipal elections.

– "Push To Unite Black Vote Behind Janey Prompts Pushback In Boston Mayoral Race," by Anthony Brooks, WBUR.

– "Essaibi George accuses Janey of 'weaponizing' mayor's office," by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter.

– "A new generation of leaders is pushing a city-level Green New Deal and cuts to the police budget. Can Boston's next mayor transform the city?" by David Scharfenberg, Boston Globe.

– "Matt O'Malley endorses Mary Tamer to replace him on Boston council," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald.

BALLOT BATTLES

– "Uber-backed group says California ruling won't affect Mass. ballot drive," by Don Seiffert, Boston Business Journal: "The group behind a Massachusetts ballot initiative stipulating that app-based workers such as Uber and Lyft drivers shouldn't be entitled to the benefits full-time employees receive says a California court ruling striking down a similar measure will have no effect on its plans in the Bay State. On Friday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch in California declared that Proposition 22 is 'unenforceable,' according to the Washington Post, because several sections of the measure are unconstitutional under California state law. Proposition 22 is a ballot measure passed by 59% of voters in November that defines Uber and Lyft drivers as independent contractors."

PARTY POLITICS

– "Nearly a year on, Berkshire Democrats continue push for Massachusetts Democratic Party to address complaints," by Danny Jin, Berkshire Eagle: "Nearly a year ago, hundreds of Democrats lodged complaints against state party leaders for their involvement in the 2020 Democratic primary between U.S. Rep. Richard Neal and then-Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse. After the party's rules committee dismissed those complaints, several Berkshire County Democrats have continued to call for Massachusetts Democratic Party leaders to apologize for actions that a party-ordered investigation found violated one of its bylaws."

– Rising Covid-19 cases drove MassDems members to vote over the weekend to make their Sept. 25 platform convention entirely virtual after initially planning to hold a partially in-person event at the Tsongas Center in Lowell. "We must protect the health of our individual delegates and alternates, guests, and staff, and the public health of our host city, Lowell, and the Merrimack Valley," the group tweeted.

DAY IN COURT

– "'Completely shattered': Gannon family speaks out on second-degree murder conviction," by Jessica Hill, Cape Cod Times: "On Friday morning, a jury convicted 33-year-old Thomas Latanowich of second-degree murder in the 2018 killing of [Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean] Gannon who was shot while helping to serve an arrest warrant at 109 Blueberry Lane in Marstons Mills. Before sentencing, through tears and with voices choked with emotion, Gannon's family told Judge Locke what his loss meant to them."

FROM THE DELEGATION

– "Rep. Katherine Clark, a potential Pelosi successor, failed to properly disclose stock trades worth as much as $285,000," by Dave Levinthal, Insider: "Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, the fourth-highest-ranking Democrat in the US House and a potential candidate to succeed Nancy Pelosi as speaker, violated the federal STOCK Act by failing to properly disclose 19 stock trades, according to an Insider review of newly filed congressional records. Taken together, the trades are worth at least $19,019 — and as much as $285,000. Among the trades Clark disclosed after the 45-day deadline were shares of the Google parent company Alphabet, Best Buy, First Solar, the investment-management firm BlackRock, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, the data and records management company Iron Mountain, and the water technology company Xylem. Clark's untimely disclosures involve stock trades by her husband…"

Clark is the second member of the Massachusetts delegation who appears to have violated the STOCK Act, and Insider said Friday that her late reporting could prompt an ethics investigation or a fine starting at $200. Insider previously reported that Rep. Lori Trahan also violated the STOCK Act.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren tweeted Saturday morning: "I've said it before: Members of Congress should not be allowed to own individual stock. Period. #EndCorruptionNow." She didn't name names, and appeared to be referring to her bill that would prevent lawmakers from making individual stock trades.

– State Senate President Karen Spilka said she's "proud to be an early supporter" of Rep. Jake Auchincloss's reelection bid in an email to supporters Friday as the first-term congressman looks to ward off potential challengers — particularly from within his own party — next year. "If I can say one thing about Jake Auchincloss it's that he delivers," Spilka wrote in the endorsement email.

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

– "Massachusetts should be converting 100,000 homes a year to electric heat. The actual number: 461," by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: "According to the state's own plan, Massachusetts should be converting 100,000 homes a year from fossil fuels to electricity for heating and cooling. The reality is much different: Just 461 homes made the switch last year, according to data reviewed by the Globe."

FROM THE 413

– "'What the hell's going on downtown?' Pittsfield's North Street retailers want answers. Mayor Tyer says, 'It's a work in progress'," by Felix Carroll, Berkshire Eagle: "Cutting crosswise through the Dunham Mall pedestrian side street to North Street, [Pittsfield's mayor] has a choice. Turn left, toward the restored commercial space where a cheerful Brooklyn couple hopes to open a brewery next spring, or right, in the direction of a florist whose owners recently posted a photo of their vandalized window splattered with raw egg and who declared they will leave this city because conditions have 'gotten worse and worse.'"

– "Baystate Health, Berkshire Health systems seek bigger 'safety net' as state readies 5-year Medicaid plan," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "Baystate Health, Berkshire Health Systems and other hospitals outside Boston caring for Medicaid recipients, and losing money doing so, say they risk being further shortchanged as the state prepares to send a new five-year Medicaid waiver plan to the feds."

– "Northampton schools push the envelope with anti-bias proposal," by Greg Kerstetter, CommonWealth Magazine: "In September, the School Committee will take up a proposal to ban two other symbols of hate — swastikas and nooses — while also establishing a wide-ranging system in which various types of bias can be reported and investigated. It would make Northampton the only community in the state, and possibly the only one outside of Oregon, to enact such a far-reaching, anti-bias policy."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Braintree's Paul Veneto begins his push to honor 9/11 flight attendants," by Fred Hanson, Patriot Ledger: "The journey began with a pause at Logan Airport's 9/11 Memorial, which bears the names of those who died on the two planes that left Boston and crashed into the World Trade Center nearly two decades ago. Among those names are those of Paul Veneto's fellow flight attendants on United Flight 175, people he had flown with from coast to coast and back again many times. ... He plans to push an airliner drink cart more than 220 miles from Boston to the site of the twin towers of the World Trade Center that were leveled by hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 and United Flight 175. He began his journey Saturday, and hopes to reach ground zero on Sept. 11."

– "Hungry Mass. households doubled during pandemic," by Tonya Alanez and Jack Lyons, Boston Globe: "The number of Massachusetts households lacking enough food to get by doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study from Project Bread. More than half a million residents, more than a quarter of them children, who are eligible for SNAP, or food stamps, don't receive benefits for the nation's No. 1 anti-hunger program, according to the research by Project Bread, a Boston nonprofit that works to end hunger in the state."

TRANSITIONS – Vaira Harik is now assistant county administrator for Barnstable. She was previously deputy director of the Barnstable County Department of Human Services and regularly briefed media on the county's Covid-19 metrics. Ruby Robles has been promoted to be deputy press secretary for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. She most recently was Warren's digital press assistant.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Springfield state Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, Everett state Rep. Joe McGonagle, Joshua Ostroff, George Schadler, Dianne Bagley Smith, Shelley Long (the actress who played 'Diane Chambers' in Cheers) , Robert Solow and Yanisa Techagumthorn. Happy belated to Cheryl Chen, Rafael Reif and Mark Martinez.

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. The Recast is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel.