It's often close to impossible to put affordable housing in an affluent town.
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Sounds nice, but I wonder how this will play out in certain localities, some of which have many poor people and some with quite a few wealthy ones. Dan McKee’s administration has just approved spending nearly $31 million in state funds for 23 affordable-housing projects, for a total of 600 units in 13 cities and towns. This can make it much harder to elect practical, problem-solving candidates, and leads to policy-making and implementation gridlock. The current systems favor those candidates who mostly just appeal to the party “base,’’ whose members have the most extreme views. Meanwhile, let’s think about the need in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and most other states to reform primary-election systems to allow “open primaries,’’ in which voters are not required to declare party affiliations to vote. If he had decided to run, I suspect it would have been as an independent. However, at age 65, it’s no wonder that he’s had enough. It seems likely that this very popular governor would have easily won a third term – if he could have made it through the Republican primary.
Ye ole fashioned how to#
And as a former businessman, he understands better than many politicians how to help keep the state economically vibrant while maintaining a high level of social and other services.Īs much of the national Republican Party wallows in demagoguery, fascism and lie-filled conspiracy theories, Charlie Baker’s tenure has been edifying. Baker has been a model of an old-fashioned moderate Republican, more than willing to reach across the aisle to do practical deals with Democrats (who dominate the Bay State legislature) for the public good. Still, overall he's been a highly successful governor, taking careful, incremental steps to improving life in the commonwealth, which remains one of the two or three richest states.
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Of course, he’s made mistakes, especially in the chaos of COVID-19, which has required fast decision-making on closures and other mandates based on inadequate and constantly changing information. (of course all times are trying in one way or another) - he’s been a steady, calm, honest, and sometimes innovative leader of New England’s most important state.
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In trying times - pandemic, associated recession, widening political divisions threatening to descend into violence, etc. Charlie Baker won’t run for a third term. It’s too bad that very popular Massachusetts Gov. MA Governor Charlie Baker PHOTO: Governor's office