June 1, 2010: Gov. Deval Patrick

 

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON

"GREATER BOSTON," THE

MASSACHUSETTS

GUBERNATORIAL RACE IS

ALREADY A HEAVY WEIGHT

POLITICAL BATTLE.

TONIGHT GOVERNOR DEVAL

PATRICK ON HIS FOR THE

NEXT FOUR YEARS.

PLUS INSIDE THE WHITE

HOUSE WITH BARACK OBAMA.

JOHN THAN'S NEW BOOK "THE

PROMISE."

Closed Captioning

brought to you by AFLAC:

Ask about it at work.

>> Rooney: GOOD EVENING,

THIS YEAR'S GUBERNATORIAL

CAMPAIGN GOT OFF TO AN

EARLY AND CONTENTIOUS

START, LARGELY BECAUSE OF

THE THREE MAJOR PLAYERS IN

THE RACE.

GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK,

TIM CAHILL, AND ONE TIME

HARVARD HEALTH EXEC,

CHARLIE BAKER.

AND THEN THERE IS JILL

STEIN.

THE PULL AND TUG OF ISSUES

HAS RANGED FROM THE

SERIOUS, HEALTH CARE,

IMMIGRATION AND THE

ECONOMY, TO THE SLIGHTLY

SILLY, THE DEFINITION OF

SEDITION AND A WRONG

ANSWER ON A POP QUIZ.

TONIGHT WE KICK OFF A

SERIOUS OF INTERVIEWS WITH

THE CANDIDATES.

AND FIRST WE WELCOME THE

GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS.

GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK.

>> NICE TO SEE YOU.

SORRY, I'M NOT SUPPOSED TO

GIGGLE.

>> Rooney: WHAT DID YOU

DO THIS WEEKEND?

>> I WENT TO A PARADE OR

TWO.

I WENT TO THE AGAWAM

VETERANS' CEMETERY FOR

THEIR MEMORIAL DAY EVENT.

WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL AND

ALWAYS IS.

AND I THREW OUT THE FIRST

PITCH AT THE PITFIELD'S

NEW MINOR LEAGUE TEAM.

>> Rooney: I USED TO GO

TO SOME OF THOSE.

>> IT'S A WONDERFUL TEAM

AND IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL

WEEKEND.

>> Rooney: WE HAD ONE

GOOD WEEKEND FOR THE

SUMMER.

>> INDEED.

>> Rooney: WE WERE

CHEWING THAT ON THE RECORD

PROGRAM FROM CHANNEL 5.

THERE IS A CAMPAIGN MAKING

MUCH ADIEU THAT YOU GOT

ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WRONG

TO A POP QUIZ.

I SAID, WHY DO YOU AGREE

TO TAKE SOME OF THE POP

QUIZZES.

CHARLIE BAKER, HE COULD

MISS ONE OR TWO HIMSELF.

>> I THINK HE MAY HAVE.

WHICH ONE WAS IT?

>> Rooney: IT WAS ABOUT

BRISTOL MYERS OF COURSE

PFIZER.

THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT

300 JOBS WERE LEAVING THE

STATE.

>> IN FACT, I DID.

I JUST DIDN'T REMEMBER.

I SPOKE TO THE PFIZER

FOLKS BEFORE I MADE THAT

ANNOUNCEMENT PUBLICLY.

AND I CERTAINLY HAVE, IN

THE CASE OF SCIENTIST

COMPANIES BECAUSE THEY'RE

SO IMPORTANT TO OUR

AGENDA.

AN REPORTER ASKED ME ABOUT

THIS EARLIER TODAY.

THAT THE NET LOSS IS

SMALLER THAN 300 BECAUSE

THEY'RE PICKING UP AND

TAKING SOME MOVES, WHICH

THEY WILL ANNOUNCE SOON,

THAT ACTUALLY HAS A VERY,

VERY PROMISING LONG-TERM

OR MEDIA-TERM SOLUTION.

NOT GOOD NEWS, OBVIOUSLY,

FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO

WILL LOSE THEIR JOBS IN

THAT 300-PERSON LAYOFF,

AND SOME OF THOSE ARE

POSITIONS THAT ARE

UNFILLED.

>> Rooney: I'M SERIOUS.

IN THOSE INTERVIEWS, AND

THIS IS ONE -- I DO A

DIFFERENT STYLE.

WHY DO YOU TAKE A QUIZ?

>> I GUESS YOU HAVE THE

RIGHT TO SAY THAT.

DOES THAT MEAN YOU'RE NOT

GOING TO ASK ME ANY

QUESTIONS.

>> Rooney: CAN YOU NAME

THE NINE SUPREME COURT

JUSTICES OFF THE TOP OF

YOUR HEAD?

>> I PROBABLY COULD.

>> Rooney: I BET YOU

COULD.

I BET ED HARD -- HARDING

COULDN'T.

>> WE WERE ASKED SOME

QUESTIONS IN THE

ADMINISTRATION TO KEEP THE

LID ON THE INCREASES FOR

SMALL BUSINESSES.

BY USING THE AUTHORITY

THAT THE COMMISSIONER HAS

TO DISAPPROVE THE RATE

INCREASES.

AND THOSE 25%, 40%

INCREASES IS WHAT I HEAR

OVER AND OVER --

>> Rooney: I'VE GOTTEN

LETTERS, IT IS INCREDIBLE.

>> AND THEY'RE GOOD

PEOPLE.

BUT THE FIRST THING THEY

SAY IS, IT IS COMPLICATED,

GOVERNOR.

AND THEN THEY GO ON TO

TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT ON

THEM AND THEIR PRICING OF

THE COSTS CHARGED TO THEM

BY HOSPITALS AND PROVIDERS

OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER.

SO I ASKED THEM, AND I

WILL YOU: DO YOU KNOW

WHAT THE NATIONAL MEDICAL

COST INFLATION RATE IS.

>> Rooney: 43%.

>> IT IS 3.4%.

THIS IS A HIGH COST

REGION.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT IS

HERE?

IT'S 5.1%.

>> Rooney: THEN WHY ARE

THINGS GOING UP 43%?

>> THAT'S THE POINT.

THE VERY FIRST RESPONSE

IS, IT'S COMPLICATED.

THE LONG-TERM OR

MEDIUM-TERM SOLUTION IS

PAYMENT REFORM.

THIS IS THE ANSWER FROM

THE INDUSTRY AND MANY,

MANY OTHERS A GREAT

COMMISSION THAT WORKED ON

THIS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS

AND GAVE US THE

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE

FALL.

THE PROPOSAL WAS TO MOVE

AWAY FROM PAYING FOR THE

AMOUNT OF HEALTH CARE, AND

MOVING TOWARDS GLOBAL

PAYMENTS OR QUALITY CARE.

SOMETIMES IT IS CALLED BY

DIFFERENT NAMES.

THE VERY FIRST THING THEY

SAID WHEN THEY DELIVERED

THE UNANIMOUS

RECOMMENDATIONS --

GOVERNOR, PLEASE DON'T

HURRY.

TAKE FIVE YEARS BECAUSE

THIS IS A BIG, BIG CHANGE.

ALL RIGHT, WE'LL DO THAT.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN

EMERGENCY, SPECIAL FOR

SMALL BUSINESS.

>> Rooney: I'M SURE YOU

READ THE

ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S -- SHE

DIDN'T POINT THE FINGER.

AND NOW THERE IS ALL THIS

TALK IN THE INDUSTRY ABOUT

WHO'S FAULT, THE DOCTORS'

OR THE HOSPITALS'.

AND MOST HEAD RIGHT TO THE

INSURANCE INDUSTRY BECAUSE

THEY'RE JACKING UP THE

PRICES.

>> THAT'S PART OF IT.

THEIR ACCESSORY SERVES --

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT

EXCESS RESERVES IN THE

INDUSTRY ARE BILLIONS OF

DOLLARS.

AND THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE

ACCUMULATED BENEFIT OF ALL

OF THOSE HIGH PREMIUMS.

AND YOU TALK TO SMALL

BUSINESSES, EVERY YEAR

THEY'RE JUMPING FROM ONE

COMPANY TO ANOTHER, TRYING

TO PAY THE SAME, AND

GETTING LESS COVERAGE,

JUST SO THEY CAN HOLD IT

TOGETHER FOR THEIR

EMPLOYEES.

AND WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE

FACT THAT SMALL BUSINESSES

REPRESENT 85% OF THE

BUSINESSES HERE IN THE

COMMONWEALTH, AND THEIR

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IS

COMING BACK -- IF THEY

DON'T HIRE, WE DON'T GET A

RECOVERY.

IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.

I DON'T WANT A REGULATORY

FIX TO BE THE FINAL ANSWER

TO COST CONTROL.

I THINK PAYMENT REFORM IS

RIGHT.

BUT WE NEED A BRIDGE FROM

HERE TO THERE.

SO WE USE THIS AUTHORITY

FROM THE INSURANCE

COMMISSIONER, AND,

FRANKLY, AFTER HAVING

TRIED US AND TESTED US IN

COURT, THE INDUSTRY IS

COMING TO THE TABLE NOW.

>> Rooney: SOME OF THE

EMOTIONAL ISSUES -- AND

I'M SURE YOU HAVE SEEN THE

POLLS, IMMIGRATION, THE

ECONOMY -- PEOPLE REALLY

BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD

ROLL BACK THE SALES TAX,

THE ALCOHOL TAX.

84% OF PEOPLE ARE IN

SUPPORT OF THESE MEASURES

THAT WOULD LIMIT THE

RIGHTS OF ILLEGAL

ALIENS -- ILLEGAL

IMMIGRANTS IN THE STATE.

WHEN YOU SEE THAT, YOU

PERK UP AND NOTICE AND

SAY, WELL, IF THE HOUSE

PASSES, FOR INSTANCE, ON

THE IMMIGRATION THING, A

VERSION OF WHAT THE SENATE

JUST PASSED, WHAT WILL YOU

DO WITH THAT?

WILL YOU VETO IT?

WILL YOU PASS IT?

>> WELL, I'M STILL -- I'VE

SAID THIS FOR A COUPLE OF

DAYS, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN

AROUND TO READING THE

AMENDMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY.

THEY BELIEVE WHAT THEY DID

IS AFFIRM A WHOLE NUMBER

OF MEASURES AND SCREENS

THAT WERE ORIGINALLY

THERE.

>> Rooney: THAT'S WHAT

THEY ORIGINALLY DID.

AND THEN THEY CAME BACK

AND PASSED SOMETHING

TOUGHER.

>> THEY HAD A COUPLE OF

TWEAKS.

NOTHING ALL THAT DRAMATIC.

WE HAVE A VERY INTRICATE

SERIES OF SCREENS TO MAKE

SURE ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO

ARE SUPPOSED TO GET

BENEFITS GET THEM.

THEY ARE IN STATE LAW AND

THEY ARE IN FEDERAL LAW

THAT WE, AT THE STATE

LEVEL, ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR

ENFORCING.

AND I BELIEVE THOSE ARE

RIGHT.

>> Rooney: PEOPLE DON'T

BELIEVE THAT.

>> AND YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE

THEY THINK?

THEY THINK THIS PROBLEM IS

A LOT BIGGER THAN IT IS.

14% OF THE PEOPLE WHO

RESIDE IN THE COMMONWEALTH

ARE IMMIGRANTS.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE OF THEM

ARE HERE LEGALLY, PAYING

TAXES AND WORKING.

ONE OUT OF FIVE ARE

HERE --

>> Rooney: 190,000,

ROUGHLY?

>> ABOUT THAT.

ONE OUT OF FIVE ARE

UNDOCUMENTED, AND A

FRACTION OF THOSE TRY TO

GET PUBLIC BENEFITS.

AND WHEN THEY DO, THEY'RE

SCREENED OUT.

AND YOU KNOW, EVERY ONCE

IN A WHILE SOMEBODY WILL

GET THROUGH.

JUST AS SOMEBODY GETS

THROUGH WHO DOESN'T MEET

THE INCOME.

>> Rooney: I KEEP

THINKING OF WHAT HAPPENED

IN BEDFORD.

PEOPLE WERE OUTRAGED THAT

PEOPLE WERE BEING BUSED TO

TEXAS AND TEARING PEOPLE

APART.

THEY HAD THAT EMOTIONAL

RESPONSE, BUT AT THE SAME

TIME, THEY HAVE THIS

REACTION -- AS SOON AS

THEY SEE A FACE ON THE

EXAMPLE --

>> IT IS ALSO INTERESTING,

I THINK, WHAT FACE IS

PORTRAYED AS THE FACE.

>> Rooney: THAT'S TRUE.

IF IT'S MEXICAN, THEY'RE

AGAINST IT.

>> IT'S A LITTLE

DIFFERENT.

LOOK, WE NEED IMMIGRATION

REFORM.

I'VE SAID THAT OVER AND

OVER AGAIN TO MANY, MANY

PEOPLE.

THE CONGRESS HAS TO TAKE

THAT UP.

YOU READ EVERY ONCE IN A

WHILE, THE CONGRESS IS

READY TO GO.

I THINK THAT OUGHT TO HAVE

A COMBINATION OF BORDER

CONTROL, BUT ALSO A PATH

TO CITIZENSHIP TO PEOPLE

WHO ARE WORKING HERE AND

CONTRIBUTING.

>> Rooney: WOULD YOU

SUPPORT A HOT LINE FOR

SUPPORT?

>> I THINK THAT IS IN THE

SENATE AMENDMENT.

I GUESS THE QUESTION THERE

IS: WHAT IS PRACTICAL?

THE IDEA OF ADDING

SOMETHING ELSE TO DO WHEN

THERE IS NOT ENOUGH

RESOURCE TO DO WHAT WE ARE

ALREADY ASSIGNED TO DO IN

THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS,

TO ME, UNREALISTIC.

>> Rooney: IT IS NOT

LIKE CHILD ABUSE WHERE YOU

REALLY WANT TO INTERVENE

RIGHT AWAY.

THAT WOULD CREATE A WHOLE

OTHER --

>> LOOK, WE OUGHT TO BE

ABLE TO HAVE A MATURE

CONVERSATION ABOUT

IMMIGRATION, LEGAL AND

ILLEGAL, WITHOUT BEING

HYSTERICAL AND WITHOUT

USING IT AS A WAY TO

DIVIDE US.

I THINK, FRANKLY, IT IS A

POLITICAL SEASON.

>> Rooney: OH, IT'S

DIVIDED US.

>> YOU BET.

BUT THAT'S ON PURPOSE.

THAT'S ON PURPOSE.

IT'S A TIME WHEN WE HAVE

TO COME TOGETHER BECAUSE

WE HAVE A LOT OF BIG

ISSUES FACING US IN THIS

COMMONWEALTH AND IN THIS

COUNTRY.

AND WE HAVE TO FIND A

PATH --

>> Rooney: ONE OF THEM,

OF COURSE, IS JOBS.

YOU HAD SOME GOOD NEWS A

WEEK BEFORE ABOUT THE

CREATION OF 19,000 NEW

JOBS IN THE MONTH OF

APRIL.

YOU SAID WE'RE ON TRACK TO

INCREASE BY 200,000 JOBS

IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

BUT WE COULD HAVE CREATED

MORE NEW JOBS IF IT

WEREN'T FOR THE INCREASE

IN SALES TAX --

>> LOOK, WE HAD, IN APRIL,

THE LARGEST SINGLE MONTHLY

JOB GAIN IN 17 YEARS.

GREAT NEWS.

THE THIRD MONTHLY JOB GAIN

IN A ROW.

OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO KEEP

THAT GOING.

THAT IS GREAT NEWS FOR

THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE NOW

EMPLOYED WHO WEREN'T.

IT IS GREAT NEWS IN EVERY

CORNER OF THE

COMMONWEALTH, AND JUST

ABOUT EVERY SECTOR OF THE

ECONOMY, INCLUDING

CONSTRUCTION, WHERE WE HAD

4,000 NEW JOBS.

BUT IF YOU'RE THE ONE OUT

OF WORK, YOU COULD CARE A

LOT LESS ABOUT THE

STATISTICS.

WE MADE DECISIONS THAT I

KNOW ARE NOT POPULAR.

BUT WE HAVE AN EVEN

GREATER UNEMPLOYMENT

PROBLEM.

AND FOLKS WOULD BE

COMPLAINING EVEN LOUDER

THAN THEY DO NOW ABOUT THE

LACK OF SERVICES.

WE ARE TAKING A BLENDED

APPROACH.

WE HAVE ELIMINATED ALMOST

3,000 POSITIONS IN STATE

GOVERNMENT.

WE'VE GOTTEN CONCESSIONS

FROM THE PUBLIC EMPLOYEE

UNIONS, THE FIRST

ADMINISTRATION EVER TO ASK

FOR THEM AND TO GET THEM.

WE'VE DONE FURLOUGHS AND

PAY RAISES.

AND IT'S NOT SO DIFFERENT

THAT FOLKS IN THEIR OWN

HOMES AND BUSINESSES HAVE

TO DO, FIGURE OUT HOW TO

MAKE DO WITH LESS.

AND THERE ARE STILL SOME

THINGS THE GOVERNMENT HAS

TO DO AND PEOPLE EXPECT

THE GOVERNMENT TO DO.

AND I'M SORRY TO GO ON --

>> Rooney: GO AHEAD.

>> FOLKS SAY CUT MORE

FOLKS.

BUT, FOR GOODNESS SAKES,

DON'T MAKE ME WAIT AT THE

D.M.V.

>> Rooney: UNDERSTAND IT

IS UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE

CONTROL, AND PEOPLE WANT

IT TO GO -- OTHERS ARE

SAYING WE SHOULD PUT IT IN

THE -- "THE BOSTON GLOBE"

FOUND 250 PEOPLE WHO HAD

BROTHERS AND NEPHEWS --

>> ISN'T IT INFURIATING --

>> Rooney: AS YOU

PUNCHED THAT THING ON THE

GRID -- I DON'T KNOW IF

YOU DID -- AND IT WAS

MIND-BOGGLING.

WHEN YOU SAID YOUR

REACTION, THE QUICK

RESPONSE, THE

INVESTIGATION BY THE

ATTORNEY-GENERAL'S OFFICE

AND PUTTING JOHN O'BRIEN

ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE

HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE

GLOBE'S REPORT?

>> I DIDN'T SAY THAT.

>> Rooney: YES.

I HEARD YOU SAY THAT ON

THE RADIO.

YOU SAID WE HAD THIS IN

THE WORKS --

>> WHAT WAS IN THE WORKS

BEFORE THE GLOBE

SPOTLIGHT, I PROPOSED AN

OVERHALL ON PROBATION --

>> Rooney: BUT HIS

SUSPENSION WAS IN DIRECT

RESPONSE --

>> NO, NO, I DIDN'T MEAN

THAT.

THE OVERHALL OF PROBATION.

PROBATION IS THE LEAST

TRANSPARENT DEPARTMENT.

>> Rooney: I HEAR G.O.C.

IS LIKE THIS, TOO.

>> NO.

G.O.C. I CAN PENETRATE.

>> Rooney: THERE ARE A

LOT OF PATRONAGE JOBS

THERE, TOO.

>> THAT PROBABLY GOES BACK

A LONG WHILE.

WHAT I PROPOSED IN

PROBATION -- WHAT I WANT

IS TO COMBINE PROBATION

AND PAROLE, AND HAVE A

MODERN POST-RELEASE

STEP-DOWN SYSTEM.

BECAUSE WE HAVE A WHOLE

LOT OF PEOPLE IN PRISON

WHO COME OUT MORE

DANGEROUS THAN THEY WERE

WHEN THEY WERNT IN.

97% OF THE FOLKS IN JAIL

AND PRISON COME OUT AGAIN.

SO WE OUGHT TO BE MAKING A

WAY FOR THOSE FOLKS TO

ASSURE THEY COME BACK OUT

HAVING DONE THEIR TIME,

BUT ALSO HAVING BEEN

PREPARED TO RE-ENTER

PRODUCTIVE LIFE.

AND YOU NEED A COMBINATION

OF PROBATION AND PAROLE SO

IT IS SEAMLESS, IN MY

VIEW.

>> Rooney: YOU THINK IT

SHOULD BE UNDER THE

EXECUTIVE --

>> IT'S NOT LIKE I NEED

SOMETHING ELSE TO DO, BUT

I'M WILLING TO TAKE THAT

RESPONSIBILITY.

I WANT IT TO BE

TRANSPARENT AND

PROFESSIONAL AND COMBINED

WITH PAROLE.

WE PROPOSED IT AS WE DID

SO WE CAN HAVE CONTROL

OVER IT.

AND BECAUSE WE HAVE, IN

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, SOME

RESPONSIBILITY FOR

MANAGING THINGS.

THAT'S LESS TRUE OF THE

COURTS, BUT IF IT NEEDS TO

BE THERE, WE CAN WORK WITH

IT THERE, TOO.