Should Baker Retire His ‘No Taxes’ Slogan?
Gov. Charlie Baker's biggest campaign promise when he first ran for office in 2014 was that he would not raise taxes. But during his time in office, he has implemented several revenue-raising measures: a fee for employers that don’t provide adequate healthcare for their workers; an $800 million increase in payroll taxes as a part of the sweeping "Grand Bargain" to pay for family and medical leave; an Airbnb tax; a recent pledge to develop a regional carbon cap and investment program; a newly-proposed 50 percent tax hike on real estate transfers to help fight climate change; and, in the budget proposal filed today, a 15 percent tax on opioid manufacturers and an expansion of the cigarette excise tax.
Some have criticized him for breaking a central campaign promise — but others have said that such measures have been a smart way to pay for necessary investments in infrastructure, public health, and the environment.
Jim Braude was joined by Shirley Leung, a WGBH contributor and interim editorial page editor at The Boston Globe, and Charlie Chieppo, senior fellow at the Pioneer Institute and former policy director for Gov. Mitt Romney.
Warren Calls For ‘Mashall Plan’ In Puerto Rico
Elizabeth Warren's 2020 presidential tour continues tonight in South Carolina, on the heels of a swing through San Juan. Sixteen months after the U.S. territory and was devastated by Hurricane Maria, Warren used the trip to call for a so-called "Marshall Plan" for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands
Advocates Push For Bill Banning Cell Phones While Driving
Gov. Charlie Baker has filed a new bill which would, among other things, ban all handheld phone use behind the wheel. The proposal is just the newest iteration, the latest of which was in 2017, when a bill passed the State Senate but died in the House over concerns it might lead to racial profiling. Past Boston Police data and a 2014 ACLU report showed that black residents of Boston are disproportionately stopped by police in general.
Earlier today, advocates took their case to the State House, urging lawmakers to act on the ban this session. The rally was sponsored by several groups, including TextLess Live More, an organization founded after the death of Merritt Levitan, an 18-year-old woman who was killed by a distracted driver in Arkansas in 2013.
Jim Braude was joined by Merritt Levitan's sister, Hunter Levitan; Mary Maguire, the director of public and legislative affairs for AAA Northeast; and the president of Safe Roads Alliance, Emily Stein, whose father was killed by a distracted driver in 2011.
IMHO: T-Mobile Gets Cozy In A Trump Hotel Bed
Jim Braude shares his thoughts on how the T-Mobile CEO’s recent love of the Trump Hotel in D.C. comes at a pretty suspicious time.
