Breakfast With Baker - Standing Up Greg

Yeah they Hill Man Morning Show on demand. I can't send more I'm always online pin on your schedule at WAS. Dot com. Welcome to practice good baker. With the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Charlie Baker on WA BM. We welcome. For his monthly visit to the studio the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Charlie Baker went to Jonathan Richmond another road runners become the name of the intro I'm gonna I'm gonna have to correct you before he had trouble the modern lovers Jonathan Richman promoters and it was our guests at dinner last I have that we we switched it up is that okay with you is that correct. Yeah I think it's awesome yeah because I know it's not all right we deal and that is making plans of people on the breaking all the. Oh yeah all. Talk caught up alleged. That's governor in America. About that about them you wanna one discuss what happened. You and I were scheduled to have a drink on Friday night and Nantucket you know incidentally we made plans. My wife my OS you know I never see you could spend a little time with me and so I said to my wife of when he and almost thirty years I said yes and the that I apologize to you the next thing the next day you know what about Betty and I mean I ever came of a mother Linda did there. Was sitting there guys stereo are up this I got to believe that way. To go awry well that's nice glad to get to spend some time with mrs. baker. And I will not hold it against Cuba yes as LB alluded congratulations once again you are. The most popular governor in the United States of America. It's I mean do you know your humble guy. Buddies reduced to do what you would wide we're ready give the credit for that. Ever really great team yeah and and I think that. Look I. I think one of the things we tried to do as an administration and you know if you look at the folks in our leadership there Republicans Democrats and independents. I'm. We've tried to be pretty good about that care whether the best idea comes from and working cleverly with our colleagues and local government and our colleagues in the legislature and just focusing on the work and on the noise and and I think for a lot of people in Massachusetts who are here and there is you know you guys are kind of in no drama administration and we appreciate that. This the other thing is there's like him moment and told my wife. And that is great news we you know we just finished. Number one in 71% favorability rating she Somalia that's great sort of summoning whatever how's the obesity. Pretty little all right think you match you're gonna go for a 100% popularity. Not that there's no they don't. I'm not a Cardenas in our house. It's it I got a lot awesome I'm always accused of lobbing softball so I may lob and occasional hardball smack me pretty hard certain you want to. And I want to talk a little bit about the comment. Bridge thing to start because that's affecting people I think it's really gonna affect people starting Monday when it goes down to one lonely yeah. We were discussing on this show. That this project is taking three to four weeks and it transportation secretary said that. If it'd been done another way it would take four years and people are trying to figure out how. How that works. Well if you take a a project like that there's of there are a series of techniques that it developed over the course of the past ten years may be around bridges and one of them. One of the big innovations with this notion that you could basically rebuild the bridge somewhere else. And then and and literally. Reinforce. The bridge underneath using extensions of some kind and then. Literally taken out in sections. And replace each of those sections that had been pre built somewhere else and then basically install them that's the new way of doing and that's the way this one's been done. The other way interest the other way it is literally. You do one line dance and really long time and you fix the bridge as best you can. While traffic is still moving over it and the example we use for that is wrong phone records which has been. Which isn't as historic monument. Because of that moment of the things has taken. Well in the end will probably take four or five years the one over by images K school of government Harvard stadium though it took four or five years via come. Does this whole notion of mum of trading three weeks of inconvenience. Or four weeks having convenient tested to do this sort of rip and replace approached the tube to bridge reconstruction. Is actually a heck of an innovation and we've done this on a number of other. Bridges around Massachusetts in fact there was just I'm looking at one by the Braintree split. Maybe two weeks ago an element earlier Saturday and Sunday the whole thing out. I got under the bridge as saw they reinforced it and then. Literally over the course of a Saturday Sunday they came in just replace the parts that have been constructed somewhere else the best part about it is. Well it's an enormous. Pain while it's happening. The pain is so much shorter than it would be if you actually just did this thing in the traditional way and it's also safer mean. You know having people working on these projects. Close to the traffic firm three or four years just invites potential for somebody get hurt. In addition though the issues around destruction and the thing is. Were upgrading our bridges and this is some it's really important here in Massachusetts and we need to continue to do. There was an and we've tried to be pretty aggressive about communicating to people. I honestly processors going to be like him. And and hopefully as an and we pitched well but we also picked. And as a reason word hellish years Palestinians at this you cannot go to turbulent. You can't get them or represented the right yeah yeah. But we also picked a point in time when we thought a lot of people would be. Author wrote I mean that. They tried to schedule is during a period when based on historical. Car counts. There would be one of the lowest level of car counts for a period of time Regina the last week of July in the first couple weeks artist. I was shocked I mean from a communication point of view them I was caught up a week or so ago. And and that pike traffic early in the morning on the way here when the the work crews stayed stayed too late. And the mass DOT apologize for that which I I think is outs and I think it would enhance it you know. Ezra Muslim trying to get some stuff done and and they stayed too long and. It was a nightmare I know is no I almost call the other night and I don't wanna see that guy I don't know you I almost wanna call up and say. And I get you know I get weeded out. Could put and I mean believe me I knew all about it if we don't let it be yeah I'm. I'm all right on to. You know this is that this would be a hardball one alarmed. Only this myself uses as a commuter convict him and through the North Shore. This Sumner that Ted and now people wouldn't say you can just turn the lights on but you don't all can you imagine you don't do that I imagine you don't you don't know you don't do that I get in onto. So I've been doing live. As a commuter are dealing with. The work associated as a whole bunch construction work on a summary total. And I've been talking to the folks DOT about it and and I note to them I just some light com. You know somebody who just wants everybody else get off the roads that I knew I need to go. But this is part of what comes with a summer construction season and you know the important thing is that everybody is we are spending literally. Probably you know spend around two billion dollars erodes this year. Which they need. This is practiced what baker the governor is here once a month without us even in the summer. And a I do wanna ask. You know I you can text any time on the on the tech needs text line which is 97107. A lot of text messages asking that we discuss Massachusetts being a sanctuary state so. Can you commute to everybody wants an. Yes well OK so. Or some well I don't supported making Massachusetts senators that you do not hear it I'm. For a lot of reasons but the biggest one is. Law enforcement. Needs to be able to collaborate at the state local and federal level to ensure that violent criminals. Come who are here illegally. Can be removed from our country. And that's actually been a fairly bipartisan. Policy year com. At the minister low for a long time we were programmers they please where. The police which people speak simply just don't patrolled highways they also do. They also do collaborative work with the feds and with local law enforcement on fugitive. Pursuits. And drug and gang activities on. Certain cases in special cases that involve terrorism I mean there there are involved in dealing with the library that actors. And they pick somebody up and am in custody. We're gonna continue to notified the feds about that. Now this decision the people are talking about the court made here in Massachusetts. Though with a particular element of switches. If somebody. Doesn't have any pending charges and is somebody. Doesn't have you know a track record with a lot of violent crime here and it and if they you know if if their processing is done it is over. There is nothing in state a lot of permits you to hold at that point. Whether they are here legally or non and that's what. That's what the decisions that you can't hold somebody if you don't have any pending rationale for doing so and they've been process. That's what our state courts have said that's what it's okay. And if you don't have a track record of violent charges. You you have a civil charges it's either been dismissed stories is staying here and cleaned out. And the only thing that's left at that point is that. Am hearing here illegally at that. The argument that the courts made was there's nothing is they love it says you can hold that person. Com for any period of time you know our program. At the state level is if we pick you up and you have a track record and you're dangerous violent person. We are gonna notify the feds and the feds may be able. To collaborate with us on the way to pick them ample we wanna do is make sure that. We have state laws that. Makes that the explicit policy become lawful profile legislation next week okay you're gonna an immigration detain or bill you're gonna file that next week and that would mean literally deal with those very particular categories okay we've been dealing with you know rape murder. I'm terrorism. You know domestic violence violent people who. Them. Drugs guns. Drunk driving can do it hitting somebody hurt somebody and all of all of those that are of those six. I'm on to. The marijuana tax how did you feel with regard because there's a lot of people who are upset about where that tax we ended. How did you feel about when you finally got that bill from the legislature how did you feel about that the compromise. Well first of all by the legislature got to build on. Okay and I think in some of the issues that I was particularly concerned about around local control and especially packaging and sort of notification around potency with respect venables and that kind of stuff I think they actually did some very good work. On the tax piece what I so long as the tax rate needs to be high enough. To pay for the cost of regulating and overseeing recreational marijuana. I don't think anybody knows exactly what that number should be. The legislature settlement and number they felt was sort of a mid point between where the house and the senate work its actually lower than the tax and Colorado slower than the tax and Washington to do little. Carlos in the company that gets slow in the business hours to legalize recreational it's not right now. I think that's probably the only tax we have that the lowest in the country. How I feel very lucky you you've only been in a fur short time you have Netanya a man yeah about an extra. DM. Just. Your listeners on most. Most studies of where Massachusetts ranks terms of total state and local tax burden we're we're we're sort of in the middle of the pack at this point okay and we've made we have made progress on this course that the atmosphere I'm. The but but I think. What ought to happen now is. Come off. Treasurer's office attorney general our office ought to move aggressively to implement the program so that we get. When everybody voted for which is there a recreational marijuana program by. July of 2018 and then see how much it cost oversee and manage their costs less that we should reduce the cost of it if it cost more than we should increase the tax but the bottom line here. Is this should be the situation and circumstance where the taxes raised by the program. Fund the cost of regulating and overseeing it and more. Governor baker is in the studio with us it is breakfast who baker. This is Scott Scott on the framing import studio lions got sick more into the governor. Hello good morning government and everybody on Russia. So this is a little bit of a jump back to the traffic conversation. Centered. Seems to me. The other cock construction isn't the only culprit. You know I don't have any specific statistics I'm sure the governor does but as of recently. Unemployed individuals with me. Area south of Boston he's looking forward on it seems like you know 8090%. Of all of the job opportunities in the state. Europe in the Boston area and I'm wondering if there's any programs or plans that to help. The company invests in established businesses outside the Boston area so that that. People that live outside Boston are gonna commute into town. Much. No that's good that's a really good question and the answer is we are constantly looking for and in many cases finding opportunities. To support businesses that are growing and investing outside of Boston Massachusetts and argued a couple of examples. Line item veto. That's right on the did you did you not on the M when business fees and has some of those additional small business fees and things. We have a budget wisely he's talking about his stuff like Adam we we made a we made a deal with Siemens to. Dislocated Walpole has done in his neighborhood I'm. We made a deal working with the tunnel while policy humans to have. Create an opportunity for them to invest I think the member was. 300 million dollars in their existing operational appalled they're gonna add about 600 jobs we also had an opportunity. Also down his way. And come visit of a huge development on the Weymouth naval air base code union point. Which overtime is going to be hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial development and and resident and resident millions of square feet go over flow of residential commercial development they needed. Somebody to help them put a road between three game three you know they had three day and three going up north south there's also when the south. Commuter real stuff there. But what they needed was to connect those two and so. We had a deal with the folks were developing the site were weak pace that million dollars to have them. Do the road between the two which they that was go markets on the development opportunity I look we are big believers that. A big part of our economic development program. Needs to be statewide. I was just open. Him in the air mag rally recently where we also working again with local folks. Made it possible for a buyer pharma company. The make an investment and manufacturing facility at their enemy would be out there in September. From another one that's going to be a big bio. Pharma companies that build a manufacturing facility and has done and Mansfield to do one of those. I'm a few months ago his his point about. Growing the economy outside of just Boston is spy on me and one of the things. Lieutenant governor and I've put a lot of money and a lot of time a lot of energy into along with our economic development team. It is taking advantage of opportunities to help companies grow and communities grow. Outside went when he there's a lot of activity on an incident went when he we don't get that. But not everybody can live and work and so it went Wednesday. John you are next on breakfast we baker. Hello good morning governor thank you for taking my call everybody good morning credited. I had a quick question I'm regarding there was a recent study or report out that that Massachusetts was ranked 48 out of fifty states in fiscal health. Doesn't have a New Jersey and Illinois and we don't normally going bankrupt. I'm what do you think about that study and what are we gonna do about our our structural debt and unfunded liabilities going forward. Yeah that's a good question the let me just say a couple of things the first is. When we took office we had. Of one billion dollars structural budget deficit hum over the past couple years we've whittled that number down to about a hundred million. Meaning that come. For the most part at this point we're funding our ongoing operations with the ongoing revenues which is where we should be. I'm we are not raise taxes to do that and we continued to make. Investments in funding our pension system and and our local government and our K12 education system and we've increased spending on substance abuse services by 50% over the same period of time. The there a couple of interesting wrinkles in that particular study but what I would say is that Massachusetts. Unlike many other states that have Kenny forms of government. Which raise are taxes and issue their own bonds we don't have that right we have state government we have local government we don't have a government in the middle and as a result. Our state government. Carries a lot of the debt burden that normally would be borne by county government structure of the would have its own sources of funding and other states. That makes us look. Significantly higher than many other states on a per capita debt bases and a guy but we are hiding from state. And and our debt service as a percent of our. Total spending is. At a point that we believe is manageable it is one of the reasons why. When we issued bonds there's tremendous appetite in the market for these people believe that. Those bonds it did that this is Peter Peter good morning. What governor Victor earlier. That the back of the questionable immigration. Oh so. Wondered who the hell are a little something whenever politicians speak about the immigration illegal immigrants in this focus on the violence. Crime. Immigrants. What a little confused about these these people are here illegally you have both law and this is serious flies. Even though they've done something illegal if there's enough violence while police overlooked defense that is built on something that people. And almost reward them with where is not a consideration I've certainly has all immigrated here it is illegal ways when hypocrisy correctly. Sort of curious why we always seem to never talk about that we talk about these people being here illegally and it was written law. So sorry crime to get here early AM. What music couple things about that first the ball. One of the one of the things we worked really hard with the legislature last year to do was to pass legislation. That would ensure go forward basis that it am people who got access to driver's licenses in Massachusetts would have to be here legally. It's called the real ID program and it was a big debate about whether everybody's universe as we took the position and then. If you wanted to reflect the Massachusetts you need to be here legally. The second thing I would say is. I said for a long time that federal immigration policy is broken and that the feds need to. Find a way to get together in Washington DC and deal with the fact that. There that's what of their fundamental responsibilities. Managing the border and an immigration system overall. At a state and local level our focus. Is as I believe it should be a people who are committing crimes OK I mean that's. Whether you're here legally or not that's the population. We wanna focus our efforts our resources our time on. Which is making sure that people who are committing crimes com. Are captured. And if there are here illegally will deal with the mentally if they're not here illegally will deal with them that way but I think. The feds need to get their act together and immigration because fundamentally that is their response opposed. We had. The discussion briefly last week about the 4 AM closing time at the casino. Where you stand on that there are some who are worried about that. Well the legislature. In the budget sent us an outside section that would give the gaming commission the authority if they chose to exercise. Wasn't a requirement there wasn't you know. Who was in a policy statement that they had to do this but they said that if the gaming commission wants to give these folks the authorities there opened before they can't. And they can establish the terms and conditions on which. That decision would be determined it's not a done deal that the game knows what happen elsewhere that that's been. That's been. A source of a lot of confusion that's fables. People think they come we signed up that the legislature passed and we signed something that automatically. Permitted casinos to be opened to four masters as a true. What it did was they gave the gaming commission the authority if they chose to exercise it. Did you permit them to be okay. And they choose to exercise that I wouldn't hurt the businesses surrounding there as far as alcohol goes well that's exactly like howl at the moon in Boston for instance I was really thinking yeah. Sarah yeah so. Like it would it would blow to the minute get health. That's exactly why is. Why I think that's why legislature. Gave the gaming commission the authority considerate and didn't actually. Mandated. Because they were I'm sure the commission will hold hearings and show together information of say this we did not hear much from people. About this during the ten days there were reviewing the budget which kind of surprised me. I don't like I think they got it I think the casinos should be able to be open I think it's a good stream of people here and it's a destination yeah appraise it well if it did someone. This was the argument that was made by the people in the legislature who supported putting this or in the first place they said these. You know if you wanna establish some things says that somebody actually has a room key once to be able to to drink there until 4 in the morning I mean act could be either way it ends up which is if you're not actually stand there. Can't you can't do it yeah federal tax on exactly I'm going to organizing I don't know I don't know what I'm not going to you know Bobby's pub on the corner right I'm not stealing his business guys at different paths at least. All right but that's exactly why. I believe the commission will hold hearings in the gathering collected and information hopefully from some of the local. Folks in the in the hospitality restaurant and entertainment businesses well here with them to say about it are you taking a vacation this summer. My wife and I will be spending. It week in August. Vacationing in the great state of Massachusetts. And I think Chelsea. I'm wearing a little bit nor are there a little well there aren't good guys are just western Massachusetts. A beautiful lakes and trails on restaurants with tendencies is beautiful places and a lot of time there unison and a lot of traffic on the average. I illicitly. Hopefully known we'll have to Sonoma driver on the bridge we're very long here either yes yes there are all right well great to see it thanks for being here is known to rest your summer and and by the way promised never. Miss an opportunity hamburgers you up okay that you probably. Wouldn't know that can't. And I thought I'd.