News: No TV Diehl

Thursday, September 29, 2022

No TV Diehl

Sep 29, 2022

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STAY TUNED — Geoff Diehl laid out his ideas for combating high energy costs yesterday. But unless you happen to follow the Republican gubernatorial nominee on social media or stumble across one of the few articles that came out of his press conference, you wouldn't know it.

That's because Diehl has yet to air a television ad three weeks into the general election. And he appears unlikely to anytime soon.

"I'm hoping that obviously the news carries our message," Diehl told the handful of reporters assembled outside the State House yesterday. "We're certainly going to be putting a lot of this information out there through our website and through, I'm sure, video of [Wednesday's] event."

The problem is money, or lack thereof. Diehl entered the month with less than $17,000 in his campaign coffers and has only raised about $100,000 since the primary, according to OCPF. Asked whether he could afford to buy TV airtime, Diehl said: "We'll make sure that we get advertisements up everywhere we think we can hit the audience we want to hit."

Diehl's strategy of radio and social media messaging worked during the primary when he was playing to a narrow audience of Republican voters. But he now needs to widen his appeal beyond those who listen to conservative radio.

And he's up against Attorney General Maura Healey, a fundraising juggernaut who entered September with more than $4.7 million in her war chest and who has raised more than $350,000 since the primary, per OCPF. The Democratic gubernatorial nominee is airing her second ad in what is expected to amount to a $4.5 million ad campaign ahead of Nov. 8. While both candidates are advertising on Facebook, Healey eclipses Diehl's follower count there and on Twitter.

Diehl is broadening his reach by doing more interviews with mainstream news outlets. He said he's also counting on debates — plural — to help get his message out. But so far Healey has only agreed to one. And with mail ballots being sent out, Diehl is running out of time to reintroduce himself to general-election voters who may not remember his name from his last statewide run in 2018.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Speaking of debates, we've got another one coming.

Attorney general rivals Andrea Campbell and Jay McMahon will face off in an Oct. 20 debate that will air on WBZ that weekend, moderator Jon Keller announced. It's the first and so far only debate between the two, though McMahon has asked for seven. And it's just the third to be scheduled this fall, joining the pending gubernatorial showdown and a WBZ-hosted auditor debate.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito speak at a municipal conference hosted by MARPA, MAPC and DLS at 9 a.m. at Holy Cross in Worcester. Polito attends a first responder recognition ceremony in Mattapoisett at 1:30 p.m. and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Cape Cod Community College at 3:30 p.m. Healey addresses the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce at 8 a.m. in Millbury. Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins a Capitol Hill press conference on student debt cancellation at noon. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at Massachusetts Recovery Day at 9:30 a.m. on the Boston Common, addresses the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce at 10 a.m. and attends the East Boston Resiliency Summit at 4:30 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— "Massachusetts lawmakers ask Buttigieg to investigate DeSantis migrant flights," by Lisa Kashinsky, Oriana Pawlyk and Alex Daugherty, POLITICO: "Massachusetts lawmakers are asking Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to investigate whether the migrant charter flights organized by GOP Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis broke the department's rules by allegedly misleading those on board. Sen. Ed Markey, in a letter to Buttigieg signed by five other members of the all-Democratic Massachusetts delegation and shared first with POLITICO, invoked a charter-broker rule issued during the Trump administration that prohibits charter operators from 'misrepresenting' information like the 'time of departure or arrival, points served, route to be flown, stops to be made, or total trip-time.'"

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "64% of Beacon Hill lawmakers face no reelection challenge Nov. 8," by Katie Lannan, GBH News: "Millions of residents will be greeted by just one name on the general election ballot for their House or Senate district, or both. That's because nearly two-thirds of the races for state Legislature are uncontested in November's election: 109 of 160 state House districts, and 18 of 40 Senate districts. That group includes both incumbents who faced no formal challenge this cycle and candidates with no further contests after prevailing in the Sept. 6 primary. The dearth of general-election challengers benefits some newcomers who will bring more diverse backgrounds to Beacon Hill — including what will be an all-Latino delegation representing the majority Latino city of Lawrence — but more than half of the Legislature's open seats are held by incumbents who will cruise to reelection without even having to campaign."

— Related: "Justin Thurber vies for Haddad's rep. seat in Fifth Bristol District," by Jeffrey D. Wagner, Herald News: "In over 20 years as a state representative, Pat Haddad has rarely faced a challenger. On Nov. 8 Haddad will face off against political newcomer Justin Thurber, a retired United States Air Force reserve whose path to the General Election has been unconventional. ... Due to campaign laws, Thurber couldn't appear officially as a candidate for the recent primary election. However, he learned in June that no Republican had come forward to challenge Haddad so [MassGOP Chair Jim] Lyons encouraged Thurber to run a write-in campaign."

— "Veterans' Services identifies just 1 in 20 veteran women, state auditor finds," by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: "A scathing report by the state auditor found that the Department of Veterans' Services had only been able to identify a tiny fraction of women veterans eligible for services. … 'The Women Veterans' Network had only identified approximately 6% of the approximately 25,000 women veterans living in Massachusetts,' [Auditor Suzanne] Bump's office said when releasing the report."

— "Medicaid waiver makes money available for housing, nutrition," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The U.S. government on Wednesday approved a five-year, $67 billion agreement with the state of Massachusetts that will govern how the state administers its Medicaid program. Gov. Charlie Baker said the so-called 1115 waiver is the primary way in which Massachusetts has historically been able to implement new, innovative programs within MassHealth, including paving the way for universal coverage. The latest agreement includes initiatives aimed at addressing social issues that affect health, like housing and nutrition, while also putting additional money into areas like primary care, behavioral health, and workforce training."

— "Massachusetts SNAP benefits will increase next month," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "The nearly 550,000 Massachusetts households that receive SNAP benefits are about to see additional aid. Monthly benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will rise by 12% starting in October, equating to a boost of about $25 to $30 per person per month, the Baker administration announced Wednesday. ... The expanded relief comes as the federal government responds to mounting inflation, and as the Baker administration took into account rising energy costs that impact SNAP benefit level calculations."

— "Report blames staffing issues for 'boarding' crisis," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "The state's hospitals have expanded beds for psychiatric patients but staffing issues are keeping them from filling them, according to a new report. A report by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association found that of 56 facilities that have 2,858 licensed inpatient psychiatric beds, 568 of those beds, about 20%, are offline because of staffing shortages. The majority of the vacancies are for college-educated mental health workers, the report noted."

— "Report shows how putting cities and towns first, building trust was key to Baker-Polito strategy," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "The woes of Western Massachusetts, where residents and local officials often feel forgotten by state leaders in Boston, stuck with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito as she transitioned from the campaign trail to Beacon Hill. But she continued to constantly traverse Massachusetts in her role as the 'champion of municipal issues,' forging a signature plank of the Baker-Polito administration's commitment to engaging directly with all 351 cities and towns, including garnering feedback and actively connecting them to resources."

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VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "The level of coronavirus in Eastern Mass. waste water just shot up," by Martin Finucane and Ryan Huddle, Boston Globe: "An important indicator of the prevalence of COVID-19 infections, the levels of coronavirus detected in Eastern Massachusetts waste water, shot up sharply in recent days. … The northern MWRA section saw five days of increases. The seven-day average count reached 1,016 copies/mL of the virus on Monday. The number had been as high as 1,273 on May 17 during a spring bump in infections. But it had been as low as around 100 in March during a lull after the winter's devastating Omicron surge. In the southern section, the seven-day average count rose over the same five-day period, ending at 993 copies/mL on Monday. The number had gone as high as 1,332 on May 17. In March, it had dropped into the low 90s."

WU TRAIN

— KEEPING IT 100: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's run of good national press continues. She's now made the cut for TIME100 Next , the magazine's annual list of rising stars curated by its journalists. And her glowing blurb was written by none other than her former City Council colleague, Rep. Ayanna Pressley.

— "Downtown Boston organization pans Michelle Wu's zoning-board moves for leaving area out," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The organization that includes civic groups around downtown from Fenway to the North End to the South End is panning the mayor's ballyhooed slate of ZBA members for only offering up one person from the city's urban core."

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ON THE STUMP

— "Trump and Geoff Diehl haven't spoken lately, may need to," by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: "Republican candidate for governor Geoff Diehl has not heard from former President Donald Trump since he became the party nominee. 'I haven't talked to him since before the (primary) election,' he said when asked if the 45th president, who endorsed him last year, would make his way to Massachusetts ahead of the November election."

— "Republicans blame green policies for energy spike," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl claims the state's aggressive green policies are driving up energy costs for consumers, arguing that his rival, Democrat Maura Healey, would only make the problem worse. At a press briefing outside the Statehouse on Wednesday, Diehl criticized the state's clean energy incentives aimed at promoting wind and solar power and said as governor he would push for more natural gas pipelines through the state to help reduce energy costs."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Feds investigating after female MBTA employees allege workplace harassment, discrimination," by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: "Federal transportation officials are investigating complaints of workplace harassment, discrimination and unfair treatment made by a group of women who work at the MBTA. The group, which is calling itself the Concerned Women in the MBTA Engineering and Maintenance Track Department, met with the Federal Transit Administration on Sept. 12 and 19 to report a number of complaints that they say have fallen on deaf ears at the T."

DAY IN COURT

— "Judge won't order write-in candidate's name added to ballot," by Julie Manganis, Salem News: "A Salem Superior Court judge has denied an emergency motion seeking to add the name of a last-minute candidate for state representative to November's ballot. In a one-page decision, Judge Elizabeth Dunigan also dismissed the lawsuit filed earlier this month by Michael Bean, a Danvers Republican who is seeking to unseat Rep. Sally Kerans, the Democrat incumbent, for the 13th Essex district."

— "Nahant loses to NU in court," by Charlie McKenna, Lynn Item: "After a lengthy court battle, the town lost its bid to block the expansion of Northeastern University's Marine Science Center after an Essex Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of the university in the years-long legal saga."

— "Smith & Wesson sued over link to July 4 parade mass shooting," by Kathleen Foody, The Associated Press.

— "Corey Lewandowski cuts deal on charge stemming from alleged unwanted sexual advances," by Alex Isenstadt, POLITICO.

FROM THE DELEGATION

— "Elizabeth Warren wants to let people erase student debt by declaring bankruptcy," by Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News: "The Consumer Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2022 would create a new provision in the U.S. bankruptcy code — Chapter 10 — under which student loans would be treated like credit cards, medical expenses and other consumer debt. Borrowers could file for Chapter 10 and have their student loan balance canceled with approval from a bankruptcy judge."

— "At conference short on GOP voices, Biden says US can end hunger," by Ellyn Ferguson, Roll Call: "President Joe Biden told several hundred people Wednesday that he envisions a U.S. with fewer deaths from diet-related diseases and parents better able to put food on the table. 'In America no child should go to bed hungry. No parent should die of disease that can be prevented,' said Biden, who opened the daylong White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. … [Rep. Jim] McGovern drew a standing ovation and cheers from the audience. He said he could barely believe the conference had become reality. 'What happens today is important but what happens tomorrow is even more important and the follow-up. We'll have to keep our commitment and word here. Food ought to unite us,' he said."

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MAHTY MONITOR

— "Walsh: Workers expect more from employers because of the pandemic," by Katie Lannan, GBH News: "Workers and businesses need to come together for a conversation about what the future of work should look like, U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said Wednesday. In a speech he described as somewhat of a homecoming, the former Boston mayor spoke to a crowd of labor leaders and state and city officials about what workers want as the country navigates changes from the COVID-19 pandemic, his approach while in City Hall, and recent negotiations that averted a freight rail strike. … As far as his own future, Walsh says he has 'no idea' what's next after serving in President Joe Biden's administration."

— "First annual Martin J. Walsh Alumni Award presented on nonprofit's 50th anniversary," by Nick Stoico, Boston Globe: "On Wednesday, [Trevor] McCarthy was honored as the first recipient of the Martin J. Walsh Alumni Award at the Gosnold Behavioral Health Gala at the Artists for Humanity Epicenter in South Boston. … The former Boston mayor now serving as labor secretary in the Biden administration has long been public about his own struggles with alcohol and continues to be a source of accountability and support for others dealing with addiction. Walsh entered treatment with Gosnold in April 1995. He said he hasn't had a drink since then."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Framingham passed an anti-begging law, but will it withstand legal challenges?" by Susannah Sudborough, Boston.com: "Framingham City Council passed an ordinance last week with the goal of stopping beggars from approaching cars, but it's not like previous anti-panhandling laws which have been struck down. Instead of restricting panhandling itself, the law limits pedestrian entry into roadways on most major roads in the city, making it illegal to walk along a road or get within five feet of a car if a sidewalk, island, median, or other such option is available."

— "Even in Boston's left-leaning suburbs, some police reforms remain elusive two years after Floyd murder," by Alexander Thompson, Boston Globe: "More than 1,000 people marched through Cambridge. Newton high school students led hundreds of marchers down Commonwealth Avenue. Protesters, police and political leaders among them, knelt silently in Somerville's Davis Square. But those liberal-minded communities, while redoubling their commitments to community policing and showing some support for broader reforms, have not met the demand for sharp reductions in police budgets."

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HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: WE'RE BACK — GBH News' Sarah Betancourt walks hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky through the latest legal fallout surrounding the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and SoundCloud.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Tommy Vitolo, Cassie Moreno, Tyler O'Day, David Nather, Greig Fields, Aron Chilewich, Yael Langer and British Consul General Peter Abbott.

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