School Fundraiser

ITS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4TH. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KIM DRISCOLL IS OUR GUEST THIS MORNING. LETS GO ON THE RECORD WALKING STRIDE FOR STRIDE WITH THE GOVERNOR ON ISSUES FROM CHILDCARE TO HOUSING TO THE MIGRANT CRISIS, HOW SHES PUTTING HER STAMP ON THIS ADMINISTRATION. THE LGS IN THE CHAIR. LETS GO ON THE RECORD. FROM WCVB CHANNEL FIVE. THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTON TO BEACON HILL. TODAYS NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING ON THE RECORD. WELCOME TO OTR, EVERYONE. IM ED HARDING ALONG WITH NEWSCENTER FIVE POLITICAL REPORTER SHARMAN SACCHETTI. ITS GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KIM DRISCOLL IS WITH US AT THE TABLE THIS MORNING. SHE TOOK OFFICE AS THE STATES LG IN JANUARY OF 2020. THREE YEAR AGO, BEFORE THAT, SHE SERVED AS MAYOR OF SALEM FOR 17 YEARS. BORN IN HAWAII, YOUR DAD A NAVY VETERAN, SHE HOLDS DEGREES FROM SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL OF LAW. ITS ALWAYS GREAT TO HAVE YOU IN THE CHAIR. GREAT TO SEE YOU. GLAD TO BE HERE. YOU KNOW, AND ITS PROBABLY TOO LATE TO SAY HAPPY NEW YEAR, BUT HAPPY NEW YEAR BECAUSE ITS THE FIRST TIME IVE SEEN YOU CAN SAY IT ALL THE FIRST QUARTER. YOURE GOOD TO SAY IT RIGHT. ITS GREAT TO SEE YOU. THANKS FOR COMING IN. ALL RIGHT. LETS START WITH THE MIGRANT CRISIS. YOU WERE WITH GOVERNOR HEALEY EARLIER THIS WEEK OR LAST WEEK, WHEN, AS A REC CENTER IN ROXBURY BECAME THE STATES LATEST EMERGENCY SHELTER. HERES WHAT THE GOVERNOR HAD TO SAY ABOUT IT. WERE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE REALLY DONT HAVE A CHOICE NOW, SHE SAYS. THERES NO CHOICE. THE SITUATION HAS NOT SHOWN ANY SIGNS OF STOPPING. IS THIS A POINT? IS THERE GOING TO BE A POINT WHERE THE STATE JUST CANT DO ANY MORE? I MEAN, I THINK ITS ONE OF THE REASONS WE PUT A CAP IN PLACE. WE HAVE 7500 FAMILIES WHO ARE IN EMERGENCY SHELTER. THIS IS AN OVERFLOW SITE. WE ARE CONTINUING TO SEE FAMILIES COMING HERE. STILL. WE ONLY, YOU KNOW, ARE REALLY SERVING FAMILIES. AND AND FOR US, ITS ITS REALLY JUST WE DO HAVE A LAW THAT REQUIRES RIGHT TO SHELTER. BUT I THINK ITS CONSISTENT WITH OUR HUMANITARIAN, HUMANITARIAN VALUES. WHAT HAPPENS IN MAY WHEN THIS SHELTER CLOSES? YEAH, WE ARE ALREADY LOOKING AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH COMMUNITIES SMALL AND LARGE TO PARTNER ON HOW WE CAN BETTER STAND UP A FACILITY THAT CAN SERVE US AFTER THIS CAST SITE COMES OFFLINE, WHICH WERE COMMITTED TO AT THE END OF MAY, IF NOT SOONER. AND WITH THE GOAL OF TRYING TO GET FOLKS IN SHELTER AND OUT OF SHELTER. WEVE GOT 3000 OF OUR NEW ARRIVALS WHO HAVE WORK AUTHORIZATIONS. THEY ARE EAGER TO WORK. WE HAVE WORKFORCE NEEDS THAT WE KNOW ARE UNMET. SO WERE TRYING TO DO THAT MATCHMAKING. OUR GOAL HERE IS FOR FOLKS WHO ARE HERE TO GET THEM OUT OF SHELTER AS FAST AS WE CAN. WELL, CONGRESSMAN RICHARD NEAL SAID IN THAT VERY CHAIR LAST WEEK, AND HE HE AGREED WITH THE GOVERNOR THAT THIS, THAT THIS IS A FEDERAL PROBLEM. ITS AN ELECTION YEAR. CONGRESS IS BITTERLY DIVIDED. THE ADMINISTRATION KEEPS ASKING FOR MORE MONEY FROM WASHINGTON, BUT AT LEAST FROM FROM THE THE EYES, AS YOU CAN SEE OUTSIDE, NOTHING IS HAPPENING. SO WHERE DO YOU GO WITH THIS? YEAH. SUPER FRUSTRATING. IT IS CLEARLY A FEDERAL PROBLEM. WE DONT WORK ON BORDER SECURITY, SECURITY AT A STATE LEVEL. BUT FOLKS ARE COMING HERE. THEY DO HAVE LAWFUL ENTRY. WE CONTINUE TO PRESS CONGRESS. PRESIDENT BIDEN HAS PUT FORWARD, WE THINK, A VERY GOOD PLAN THAT WOULD INCREASE BORDER SECURITY AND PROVIDE AID TO COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION THAT ARE SEEING THIS INFLUX AND TRYING TO DO THEIR BEST TO TRY AND KEEP UP WITH THE NEEDS OF FOLKS WHO ARE COMING HERE, WHO ARE SEEKING A BETTER LIFE. YOUNG FAMILIES IN TOW, PREGNANT WOMEN. I DONT THINK WE CAN TURN OUR BACK ON THAT POPULATION. WE HAVE A LARGE HAITIAN DIASPORA HERE. ITS ONE OF THE REASONS I THINK FOLKS ARE COMING HERE, BUT WE NEED HELP. AND WEVE SAID THAT FROM THE GET GO, AND WERE HOPING THAT CONGRESS WILL, YOU KNOW, GET THIS BILL PASSED. THERE ARE REAL PEOPLE. LIKE IT DOESNT LOOK LIKE THATS GOING TO HAPPEN. REPUBLICANS HAVE SAID THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO RUN ON THIS ISSUE. THE FORMER PRESIDENT WANTS TO RUN ON THIS ISSUE. SO IT DOESNT LOOK LIKE ITS GOING TO HAPPEN. SO RIGHT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE STATES AND CITIES AND TOWNS, THEYRE ON THEIR OWN. SO WHAT OTHER LOCATIONS ARE YOU ACTUALLY CONSIDERING TO BE POTENTIAL SHELTERS SINCE THIS DOESNT REALLY SHOW ANY SIGNS OF STOPPING? YEAH. I MEAN, WE ARE ALREADY IN 90 COMMUNITIES ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS. ITS COMMUNITIES SMALL AND LARGE. WEVE REALLY STEPPED UP TO SAY, WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? WERE CONSOLIDATING THOSE LOCATIONS TO TRY AND, YOU KNOW, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SITES THAT WERE OPERATING ON AND DEFINITELY WERE IN WE HAVE AN OVERFLOW SITE IN CAMBRIDGE. WE HAVE ONE IN BOSTON. WELL CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITIES TO TRY AND IDENTIFY THE BEST LOCATION. TO SERVE THIS OVERFLOW NEED WITH EXPEDITING THE WORK PERMIT PROCESS, EASE THE PRESSURE. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET INTO THE SYSTEM AND THEN BUILDS UP THE PRESSURE 100, 100%, 100%. FOLKS COME HERE. THEY WANT TO WORK. THIS POPULATION IS EAGER TO WORK. EVERY SHELTER WERE AT, FOLKS WANT A JOB. THEY WANT TO GET OUT OF SHELTER AS FAST AS THEY CAN. WEVE GOT 3000 FOLKS WHO ARE ALREADY MATCHING UP MY OWN COMMUNITY OF SALEM, WHERE WE HAVE A SHELTER, SALEM HOSPITAL NOW HAS A FULLY STAFFED HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT. THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, AS A RESULT OF SOME OF OUR NEW ARRIVALS GETTING THEIR WORK AUTHORIZATIONS AND THEN GETTING A JOB, HOW QUICKLY CAN THEY GET OUT OF THE EMERGENCY SHELTER? I MEAN, THATS THE AVERAGE STAY IS ABOUT A YEAR. IT IT IS. BUT SOME OF THAT IS OUR OWN MASSACHUSETTS FAMILIES. OUR LONGEST STAIRS ARE FRANKLY, MASSACHUSETTS FAMILIES. SO IT IS COMING AT A TIME WHEN WE HAVE A HOUSING CRISIS. ONE OF THE THINGS WERE ALSO WORKING ON. BUT BY GETTING FOLKS TO JOB, TEAMING UP WITH OTHER FAMILIES, THE WAY WAVES OF IMMIGRANTS HAVE COME HERE BEFORE, WERE REALLY HOPEFUL WE CAN GET FOLKS ON THIS PATHWAY TO OUT OF SHELTER AND INTO A MORE SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT. ITEM TWO WAS THE THE THE SITUATION WITH STEWARD HEALTH CARE AND THE FATE OF SEVERAL LOCAL HOSPITALS. STEWARD NOW SAYS IT HAS SECURED FINANCING TO KEEP THEM ALL OPEN FOR NOW, BUT THE CHAINS FINANCIAL STATUS IS VERY SHAKY. THE FATE OF SEVERAL MEDICAL CENTERS IS IN DOUBT. WHERE DO THINGS STAND WITH THE CRISIS? LETS START THERE. YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK ITS PRETTY CLEAR THESE PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS OWNING HOSPITALS CAN BE REALLY CHALLENGING. WERE WE ARE HAVE AN ALL OF GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO TRYING TO PUT IN PLACE SOME INTERVENTIONS. UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTIONS WE CAN TAKE MOST ASSUREDLY TO SAFEGUARD PATIENTS AND PATIENT CARE, TO MAKE SURE OUR WORKFORCE ARE PRESERVED, AND THEN KEEPING COMMUNITIES IN MIND. IF YOURE IF YOURE A COMMUNITY THAT HOSTS ONE OF THESE HOSPITALS, ITS A MAJOR INSTITUTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY. ITS OFTEN THE LARGEST EMPLOYER. THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE GO FOR CARE. SO WE KNOW ITS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE WORKING ACROSS ALL LEVELS WITH A VERY PRECARIOUS SITUATION. THIS IS COMPLEX, LOTS OF COMPETING INTERESTS WHEN IT COMES TO THE DOLLARS THAT ARE ALREADY INVOLVED FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT WE COULDNT HAVE A BETTER PERSON THAN OUR HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY KATE WALSH, WHO RAN BMC. SHE COMES FROM THAT WORLD ARMED WITH OTHER OFFICIALS WHO ARE REALLY WORKING HARD TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND. HOW CAN WE INTERVENE AND KEEP THESE KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE? HOW WHAT IS THE STATE DOING ABOUT IT? YEAH, SO THERE IS A CROSS PURPOSE, A TEAM OF NOT ONLY STATE EMPLOYEES, OTHER AGENCIES INVOLVED TRYING TO ASSESS WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE. WE HAVE DPH HAS TEAMS ON THE GROUND AND ALL OF THESE PLACES MAKING SURE WERE SEEING THE TYPE OF SAFE CARE THAT WE KNOW IS IMPORTANT. WERE TALKING ABOUT THE WORKFORCE NEEDS AND CERTAINLY WANT TO KEEP COMMUNITY LEADERS INFORMED ABOUT WHAT SORT OF STEPS AND ACTIONS ARE HAPPENING. THERES A LITTLE BIT OF REPRIEVE WITH THIS MOST RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FUNDING, BUT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT WERE GOING TO HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN. I THINK FOR SEVERAL MORE WEEKS AND MONTHS. ITEM THREE WALGREENS. DESPITE COMMUNITY PUSHBACK, WALGREENS SHUT DOWN A PHARMACY IN ROXBURY LAST WEEK, SO THAT LEAVES THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT A PHARMACY. IS THIS THE ADMINISTRATION ENGAGED WITH THE WITH WITH THE PHARMACY CHAINS AT ALL ON THIS? I MEAN, A NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT A PHARMACY IS NOT A GOOD FORMULA. YEAH. ITS AWFUL WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT ALL THE THINGS WE RELY ON FOR PLACES LIKE PHARMACIES, WHETHER ITS A WALGREENS OR CVS OR ANY OF THOSE PLACES, I THINK WERE REALLY TRYING TO LEAN IN TO MAKE SURE, FIRST AND FOREMOST, FOLKS WHO NEED THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS ARE FILLED LIKE THEY HAVE A PLACE TO GO FOR THAT. A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS HAVE INTEGRATED PHARMACIES. WE WANTED BETTER CONNECT PEOPLE WITH CARE, AND I THINK ITS A LONGER TIME ISSUE BEYOND JUST THE PHARMACIES THEMSELVES. HOW DO WE ENSURE BETTER ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE? MASSACHUSETTS WORLD CLASS HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE CLOSE THESE HEALTH EQUITY GAPS? AND THATS A BIG PART OF THE AGENDA. DOES THE STATE HAVE ANY LEVERAGE, FOR EXAMPLE, TO TO KEEP A PHARMACY IN THAT IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IN ROXBURY? UNFORTUNATELY, NOT A LOT. AND THESE ARE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS, PRIVATE LEASES, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN ENTITIES. AND SO THERES NOT A LOT WE CAN DO TO STOP IT FROM HAPPENING. BUT WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THERES NOT A GAP THATS LEFT WHEN IT COMES TO PARTICULARLY FOR MEDICINES AND ACCESS TO REALLY IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL NEEDS THAT PEOPLE HAVE AT THAT GROUND LEVEL. ALL RIGHT. LETS TALK ABOUT TEACHER STRIKES IN MASSACHUSETTS. WEVE CERTAINLY SEEN OUR FAIR SHARE HAVENT WE. AND YET, AS WEVE SEEN IN NEWTON AND ELSEWHERE, THEY CONTINUE TO HAPPEN EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ILLEGAL. AS A FORMER MAYOR, YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT NEGOTIATING CONTRACTS. YOU WERE A MAYOR FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS? I MEAN, I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE COMMUNITIES HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO PAY EDUCATORS. ITS SUCH IMPORTANT WORK. WE ALL KNOW THAT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT STRIKES ARE ILLEGAL. AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, REALLY VALUE WORKING THAT HARD WORK YOU HAVE TO DO AT THE BARGAINING TABLE TO TRY AND GET AN AGREEMENT TO TRY AND PREVENT A STRIKE, AND DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE MOST IMPORTANT, LEE KIDS ARE IN CLASSROOMS. THESE ARE HAPPENING. THESE TEACHER STRIKES ARE HAPPENING IN PART BECAUSE THEYRE WORKING WELL. I THINK THAT IT REALLY DOES BEG A QUESTION TO US, HOW DO WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS, WITH OUR UNION OFFICIALS, TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND WHAT CAN WE DO TO PREVENT THAT, THAT FROM HAPPENING? IT IS AGAINST THE LAW. LIKE THATS FIRST AND FOREMOST. WE ARE PROVIDING MORE RESOURCES AS A STATE TO COMMUNITIES FOR EDUCATION THROUGH CHAPTER 70 AND OTHER DOLLARS THAN WE EVER HAVE. AND YET THIS IS STILL CONTINUING TO HAPPEN. SO WEVE GOT TO PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION TO TRY AND DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO PREVENT STRIKES FROM HAPPENING AND KEEP KIDS IN CLASSROOMS. WE HAVE CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM HAPPENING IN MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS. WE KNOW THAT THE BEST PLACE FOR KIDS ARE IN SCHOOLS, AND WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT, AND OBVIOUSLY, WEVE MENTIONED THAT TEACHER STRIKES ARE ILLEGAL, BUT SHOULD TEACHERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO STRIKE? WELL, WE DONT SUPPORT A CHANGE IN THAT LAW. I CAN TELL YOU THAT JUST LIKE POLICE AND FIRE CANT STRIKE, THE BEST PLACE YOU KNOW FOR KIDS IS IN THE CLASSROOM. WE BELIEVE THAT. AND WHEN TEACHERS ARE NOT THERE, THAT MEANS KIDS ARENT THERE. AND WERE CERTAINLY SEEING THAT PLAY OUT IN NEWTON WITH PARENTS AND FAMILIES WHO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING, ESPECIALLY OUR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS, WHO FOR THEM, ITS A REAL SETBACK BACK WHEN YOURE NOT IN SCHOOL, WHICH BRINGS US TO CHILD CARE. ITS BECOME A KEY PRIORITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION. LAST MONTH, THE PLAN WAS UNVEILED TO MAKE CHILD CARE MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, EXPANDING UNIVERSAL PRE-K, PART OF THE EFFORT TO MAKE MASSACHUSETTS MORE AFFORDABLE, BUT ALSO AMEN. AND IM NOT SPLITTING THE ATOM HERE. ITS AN EXPENSIVE BUDGET ITEM. IT LOOKS LIKE ELECTION YEAR POLITICS COULD KILL A FEDERAL EFFORT TO INCREASE THE CHILD TAX CREDIT. CAN MONEY BE FOUND FOR FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF PERSONHOOD? YEAH, WE BELIEVE SO. WE HAVE A BUDGET THAT WE THINK IS FAIR AND EQUITABLE AND BALANCED. WE KNOW WHAT EDUCATION MEANS, ESPECIALLY EARLY EDUCATION. THE RESEARCH IS CLEAR. THATS GREAT FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS. WE ALSO KNOW IT HELPS PARENTS, PARTICULARLY WORKING PARENTS WHO WERE HELPING TWO GENERATIONS BY THESE BY THESE SORTS OF INVESTMENTS. IF WE COULD PAIR THAT WITH SOME OF THE WORK THATS HAPPENING AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AN ADDITIONAL CHILD CARE TAX CREDIT THERE COMBINED WITH OUR MOST GENEROUS IN THE NATION, CHILD INDEPENDENT TAX CREDIT, THIS IS GOING TO REALLY TACKLE THE AFFORDABILITY AGENDA THAT WE THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MASSACHUSETTS. YOU THINK THE STATE CAN AFFORD THIS? OH, ABSOLUTELY. I THINK WE CANT AFFORD NOT TO. NOW, THAT DOESNT MEAN THAT THE STATE IS THE ONLY PLAYER IN THIS. ITS PRETTY CLEAR AS PART OF OUR EFFORTS TO INCREASE OUR INVESTMENTS IN CHILD CARE, WE ALSO NEED TO WORK WITH OUR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS. WEVE GOT A COMMISSION ON WORKING ON WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT THE WORKFORCE NEEDS ARE MET, AND THAT OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS ARE GETTING THE BEST HIGH QUALITY EXPERIENCE THEY CAN. IDEALLY, WED WANT ALL FOUR YEAR OLDS IN A HIGH QUALITY, YOU KNOW, PRE-K EXPERIENCE, AN