News: Wu’s agenda beyond vaccines

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Wu’s agenda beyond vaccines

Feb 23, 2022

A SPRINT AND A MARATHON — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is closing in on 100 days in office, a significant, though arbitrary, milestone already prompting reflections on her brief tenure.

Before Playbook looks back at Wu's opening weeks as mayor, we want to cast ahead. Wu's twin searches for police and school leaders will likely take center stage as winter turns to spring. And she's pledging to fight any attempts at a state takeover of Boston Public Schools — even though receivership doesn't appear imminent.

Playbook sat down with Wu for a wide-ranging interview in which she said a top cop who's already familiar with the Boston Police Department would "be a plus" and that locking in a new school superintendent before the fall is achievable. Here are excerpts from our conversation, edited for length:

Are you hoping to bring in someone local as the next police commissioner or someone who's not from Boston?

We've gotten a lot of feedback on that very question from the town halls and from different groups. People are landing on all different perspectives on that. In Boston especially, having a connection and knowledge of our communities is so valuable. We also need, most of all, someone who aligns with the vision for building community trust in this role and ensuring that we are connecting all of our public safety efforts with public health.

It sounds like you might want an internal candidate, or someone who's at least pretty familiar with the BPD?

I wouldn't say it. I mean, I think it's definitely a plus. But the [search] committee is definitely charged with looking at all options. I don't have a personal stake in someone who is internal versus external. I think there is a need for fresh perspectives in the department as well. I don't think the committee, from what I can tell, has a clear commitment one way or another.

For a school superintendent, is there going to be a preference for someone internal because of the short timeline?

We won't make a decision specifically because of the timeline, but I do believe it is possible within this timeline to find the right person. … There are a lot of exciting reasons to be here and I know we will see strong interest from people potentially all around the country.

You said you would fight receivership if it came to it. Would receivership be the worst thing for BPS?

Even within this one city, the needs of different communities, the experience of different school communities, is unique. And to think that a state reaching down to oversee a district of this size and complexity, with so many engaged residents ready to be involved — to think that that will result in stability or the type of progress that we need is false.

Has Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley mentioned receivership as a possibility for Boston? Is that why you're worried about it?

Yes. I mean, I wouldn't say I'm worried about it. But he has.

Is that district-wide or just for a few schools?

We didn't talk specifics besides me saying I was going to fight it.

You're using $8 million in ARPA funding to make three bus routes fare-free for two years. What happens when the pilot program ends?

I am constantly in communication with Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Ed Markey, as they have filed legislation at the federal level that would generate funding for fare-free public transportation across the country. We have similar legislation focused on fare-free buses up at the State House.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. We'll have more from our interview with Wu in tomorrow's Playbook.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito make a MGCC small business grant announcement at 10 a.m. at Luanda Restaurant and Lounge in Brockton. Wu makes an early childhood education and care announcement at 10 a.m. at the East Boston YMCA and hosts a media availability on the 2022 Boston homeless census at 11:30 p.m. outside City Hall. Markey and Fall River officials host a virtual roundtable on substance-use prevention and treatment initiatives at 11 a.m.

Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com . Also, we're aware that some links may be missing from Playbook when we publish. Our engineers are still working on it.

JOIN THURSDAY TO HEAR FROM MAYORS ACROSS AMERICA: The Fifty: America's Mayors will convene mayors from across the country to discuss their policy agendas, including the enforcement of Covid measures such as vaccine and mask mandates. We'll also discuss how mayors are dealing with the fallout of the pandemic on their local economies and workforce, affordable housing and homelessness, and criminal justice reforms. REGISTER HERE.

ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Jordan Meehan, a former state representative candidate and past legislative and policy manager for the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth, is now campaign manager for labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan 's bid for state attorney general. "Jordan Meehan is an incredible progressive activist and I couldn't be prouder to have him on board," Liss-Riordan said in a statement.

— GETTING IN: Chelsea City Councilor Judith Garcia is running for state representative in the newly created 11th Suffolk district. Garcia, who was born and raised in Chelsea, said in a statement that "this new district gives our communities a once-in-a-life time chance to seize the power that is rightfully ours. … I will be a voice for all of us." Chelsea School Committee member Roberto Jiménez-Rivera, a fellow Democrat, is also running for the seat.

— (ALMOST) GETTING IN: Worcester Mayor Joe Petty has filed paperwork with state campaign finance regulators to run for the state Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Harriette Chandler. A formal announcement is expected within the next couple of weeks, a person familiar with Petty's planning told me. Petty also appears to have purchased a website, petty4senate.com , which is still under construction but is attributed to "The Committee to Elect Joe Petty."

— "State Rep. David LeBoeuf running for reelection — not Sen. Harriette Chandler's seat," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "State Rep. David LeBoeuf will run for reelection in the 17th Worcester district, his campaign committee announced Tuesday as he nixed the possibility of running for Sen. Harriette Chandler's seat instead."

— Chicopee City Councilor Shane Brooks is running for the state House seat being vacated by state Rep. Joseph Wagner, who said last week he won't seek reelection, WWLP's Brett Willand reports.

— ENDORSEMENT RECAP: Harvard professor Danielle Allen made her first political move after ending her bid for governor, endorsing fellow political newcomer and NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan's Democratic primary challenge against veteran Secretary of State Bill Galvin.

— ICYMI: Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss has one less Republican challenger. Emily Burns, the first GOP candidate to announce a run in MA-04, bowed out of the race earlier this month. She said in a blog post her family has decided to relocate to Austin, Texas, and that she intends to refund her donors. "My trust in the political and cultural leadership of this state is totally broken," Burns wrote. "When I entered the race the choice was run for Congress and try to start this conversation here — or move."

— WATCH: State auditor hopefuls Chris Dempsey and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio make their pitches on GBH's "Greater Boston."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

The Massachusetts State House is pictured.

The Massachusetts State House reopened to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022, after 708 days of restricted access due to the pandemic. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

— THE "PEOPLE'S HOUSE" WELCOMES BACK PEOPLE: Visiting the State House had been on Richard Gergel's bucket list for decades. He was in luck Tuesday — the building reopened to the public after its prolonged pandemic closure, hours before Gergel was due to fly back home to Michigan.

"It's very exciting," Gergel, an art history professor and architecture buff, told Playbook in between snapping photos of the building designed by famed architect Charles Bulfinch.

Gergel was among the tourists, lobbyists, lawmakers and staffers who strolled through the marble hallways on a muted reopening day during school vacation week. Gov. Charlie Baker and A&F Sec. Michael Heffernan testified on the administration's nearly $700 million tax-relief plan in front of a handful of lawmakers and about two-dozen staffers and members of the media, while several more people participated in the hearing via video conference. Senators snapped selfies in their offices as they invited the public to drop in, while other offices remained closed. Some visitors dropped in on the informal House and Senate sessions. Your Playbook scribe only spotted one person without a mask over several hours.

— "Lawmakers push back on Baker's plan to slash short-term capital gains taxes, double estate tax threshold," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "While there was little pushback on plans to double tax credits for dependents and child care, double the allowable maximum for the senior property tax credit and increase the cap on rental payment deductions from $3,000 to $5,000, [Gov. Charlie] Baker's proposal to slash the tax rate on short-term capital gains from 12% to 5%, and to double the threshold at which the estate tax kicks in to $2 million irked some. … Baker said the measures are 'not partisan ideas,' noting that Democratic lawmakers have also filed bills with similar proposals to increase the threshold for the estate tax, rental deduction and senior tax credit."

— Baker told reporters outside the first-floor hearing room that he's "thrilled" lawmakers are already taking a look at his proposal, though he expects "it will change. I think the most important thing for me is that at the end of this, we've done some things to modernize our tax code."

Gov. Charlie Baker and A&F Sec. Michael Heffernan testify.

Gov. Charlie Baker and A&F Sec. Michael Heffernan testify before the Joint Committee on Revenue on the day the Massachusetts State House reopened to the public. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

— "Senator Wants Probe Of RMV Road Test Scandal," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "[State Sen. Diana DiZoglio], who's also running for higher office wants to launch an oversight hearing into the latest controversy at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, but legislative leaders remained quiet Tuesday about whether they want to probe how 2,100 drivers apparently received licenses without taking road tests."

— "Cost of Massachusetts elections rises by 11% due to redistricting, State Auditor Suzanne Bump's office says," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Almost 90 cities and towns across Massachusetts face costlier price tags for administering elections this year due to redrawn district maps — which, in turn, the commonwealth must address with more financial assistance. Massachusetts municipalities need about $2.08 million to cover extra polling hours during the September state primary and November general election, State Auditor Suzanne Bump said in a letter to Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin."

— "25 Investigates: EEC Commissioner resigns, under investigation by MA Inspector General," by Kerry Kavanaugh, Boston 25 News: "The Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care {EEC} resigned. ... Sources tell 25 investigates there is an active investigation by the Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General into EEC Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy. According to our sources, it involves a contract that she arranged herself and gave to an individual."

— More: "Wave of high-profile departures in education hit Massachusetts," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "The state's Department of Early Education and Care Commissioner Samantha Aigner-Treworgy has announced her departure from the position as of early next month, the latest in a series of high-profile exits up and down the education leadership spectrum."

— "Defense lawyer dismisses Baker marijuana bill as 'junk science'," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Gov. Charlie Baker has been pushing for legislation he says would give 'law enforcement more tools to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers.' John Amabile, president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, used other words to describe the bill: 'a classic use of nonscientific junk science to potentially cause a person to be convicted of a serious crime.'"

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports 4,118 coronavirus cases over the long weekend, hospitalizations fall," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The daily average of 1,030 virus cases over the weekend was down from the daily rate of 1,288 infections from the previous weekend. … In the state's weekly breakthrough report, the state Department of Public Health reported 6,312 breakthrough infections last week — similar to the 6,494 breakthrough cases during the prior week."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "COVID-19 lockdown measures may have caused brain inflammation that impacts mental health, MGH study says," by Susannah Sudborough, Boston.com: "[N]ew research from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) indicates that for some people, societal and lifestyle disruptions during the pandemic may have triggered inflammation in the brain that can affect mental health. According to the study, this inflammation can happen regardless of whether or not you have contracted COVID-19."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Why is Boston's Aquarium MBTA stop always so wet?" by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The unfortunately aptly named Aquarium MBTA stop continues to be swamped with puddles of standing water on its train platforms, a chronic issue that's long frustrated riders — and that the T says it's working to patch up."

— "Free the T? Some just want a discount," by Darryl C. Murphy, WBUR: "[Atiea] Kemp would like to apply for a reduced MBTA fare — but there is currently no program for people in her situation. Despite years of calls from transit advocates, the T has no income-based discount for adults between the ages of 26 and 64, a group that includes many essential workers, like Kemp."

— "Video footage sheds light on BU professor's fatal fall at MBTA station, but key details remain unclear," by Elizabeth Koh, Boston Globe: "After authorities released surveillance video earlier this month, the Globe analyzed the footage and photos of the staircase, which provided a fuller picture of what happened to [David K. Jones] in the moments leading up to his death. Lawyers for Jones's family have suggested part of the stairs collapsed, causing him to fall."

DAY IN COURT

— "Ex-chief of staff to Jasiel Correia reaches plea deal with prosecutors," by Tim White and Steph Machado, WPRI: "Genoveva Andrade, the ex-chief of staff to former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia, has again reached a plea deal with prosecutors that would spare her prison time if approved by a judge. The plea deal filed Tuesday in Boston Federal Court comes just three weeks before she was scheduled to go to trial at federal court in Boston."

FROM THE DELEGATION

— UNLIKELY ALLIANCE: Reps. Jim McGovern and Ayanna Pressley were among the 43 lawmakers who signed onto a letter demanding that President Joe Biden seek congressional authorization before directly involving any U.S. troops in the escalating Russia-Ukraine situation. The bipartisan missive was co-signed by other members of the Squad and Republicans including Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

BALLOT BATTLES

— NEW NAME, SAME CAMPAIGN: Opponents of a proposed ballot initiative that would classify app-based drivers as independent contractors have rebranded as "Massachusetts is not for Sale." The name reflects how the tech companies spent over $200 million to pass a similar ballot initiative in California, and are already pumping millions of dollars into the Massachusetts effort. Wilnelia Rivera of Rivera Consulting has been brought on as general consultant and Wes McEnany as campaign director.

FROM THE 413

— "Springfield Mayor Sarno accepts SJC decision on civilian Police Commission; says commissioner Clapprood isn't going anywhere," by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: "Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said Tuesday he accepts a ruling of the state Supreme Judicial Court that said the City Council is within its rights to create a police oversight panel, but said he retains the authority of who will run the daily operations of the department. And that person will continue to be Police Commissioner Cheryl C. Clapprood. … The SJC ruling on Tuesday brought a sudden end to a six-year struggle between the mayor and the council over the operations of the police department."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "'People are preparing for the worst,' Harvard scholar with relatives in Ukraine says," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "'People are trying to stay as calm as possible, but at the same time people are preparing for the worst,' said Oleh Kotsyuba, manager of publications at Harvard's Ukrainian Research Institute, who has family in southern Ukraine. 'Relatives of mine are taking classes in self-defense and shooting, just kind of learning how to defend themselves and their families' homes.'"

MEDIA MATTERS

— "Boston 25 TV station part of giant $8.6B deal," by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Standard General L.P. and Cox Media Group announced in a press release Tuesday that the former Fox 25 is now part of a swap that lands the local station under new ownership."

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— "Gov. McKee launches campaign for a full term, flanked by mayors," by Ted Nesi, WPRI: "Democratic Gov. Dan McKee kicked off his campaign for a full term on Tuesday, urging voters to give him four more years in the job as he seeks to fend off four primary challengers."

— "Mueller found RI candidate sought help from Russians in 2016, docs reveal," by Ted Nesi, WPRI: "A Rhode Islander recently released from prison has been identified as the previously unidentified congressional candidate who received hacked information from Russian operatives during the 2016 campaign."

TRANSITIONS — Laura Oggeri , communications chief to former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, is now senior director of external communications at Mass General Brigham.

— Matt Bonaccorsi, communications director for Rep. Jim McGovern, will also serve as communications director for the House Rules Committee that McGovern chairs beginning next week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Bob McGovern and Neil Levesque.

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