As Kraft war chest grows, money shouts in Boston mayoral race
Couldn't all these resources be put to better use? As Globe Metro columnist Adrian Walker suggests in his May 29 column (
For Kraft to make the campaign get ugly so early, while trying to separate himself from his father,
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I, for one, am full-on supporting Wu. Although she is not perfect, she has shown herself to have integrity and to be a real fighter for the people of Boston, which is what the city needs.
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Mimi Elmer
Cambridge
Take a cue from Maine: Curb the influence of outside money
Re
Massachusetts should stand with its New England neighbor to the north to reject such undue outside influence. In 2020 Maine rejected Democrat Sara Gideon's US Senate bid against Republican Susan Collins in part because of resentment of outside money, and last year Maine voters approved
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It's past time for Boston and our proud state to reject super PAC money and ads such as those aimed at installing Josh Kraft over Mayor Michelle Wu. Come on, Boston, show the country we can determine what is best for our cities and Commonwealth by ourselves.
Roselyn Kubek
Pembroke
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Lombardo vetoes 33 bills in days following Nevada Legislature, 229 signed
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VETOED: Three bills related to renters and landlords went down to Lombardo's veto pen as the governor continued to reject more business regulations. AB201 contained provisions to automatically seal some eviction records. AB223 would have allowed a tenant to withhold rent if the property failed to meet 'habitable' conditions. AB280 would have capped rent increases at 5% for senior citizens in an 18-month pilot program. VETOED: SB171, also referred to as a shield law for medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care services, was vetoed because Lombardo believes it won't hold up in court. Use of the term 'prudent' makes the law subject to interpretation, according to Lombardo's veto message. A statement from Silver State Equity, an LGBTQ civil rights organization in Nevada, criticized the veto as 'a betrayal of Nevada values and an affront to the LGBTQ+ community.' 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Trump plans to discontinue TSA's 'Quiet Skies' program, CBS News reports
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42 minutes ago
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Emboldened and out of government, Elon Musk emerges as a problem for the Trump White House
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The disparate treatment may be rooted in cold political reality. Paul doesn't have a national following, while Musk, with his capacity to influence the midterm elections, is someone Trump may not wish to antagonize. Musk spent more than $250 million to boost Trump last year and is free to pour money into a midterm campaign season in which control of Congress is up for grabs. If Democrats seize the majority, they could saddle Trump with serial investigations and perhaps impeachment proceedings in the back half of his term. Republican lawmakers, too, trod carefully Wednesday when they were asked about Musk's evisceration of Trump's key legislative priority. Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana quipped: 'Well, let me say this about Elon. I wish he wouldn't sugarcoat stuff.' 'I think he's really smart,' Kennedy added. 'I think he's entitled to his opinion. He's frustrated. I think he believes, in my judgment correctly, that we're quickly becoming debt slaves.' Still, Musk's apostasy shows the inherent risks in Trump's executive style. As a centibillionaire, Musk never fit neatly in the Trump administration's chain of command. He squabbled with at least two Cabinet secretaries and found that his private interests clashed at times with Trump's policy goals. Trump's bill would curtail the electric vehicle and residential solar tax credits that are important to Musk's Tesla car and clean energy divisions. The measure would also impose a new annual $250 fee on EV drivers. Musk spoke to Trump personally about extending the electric vehicle credit, a person familiar with the matter said. He also pressed some senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill in recent weeks — before his recent X posts — including House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to keep tax credits in the bill that would incentivize electric vehicle purchases, two people familiar with the conversations said. The tax credits had been eliminated to get the most conservative House members on board as part of the delicate negotiations to ensure the bill's passage. 'Abruptly ending the energy tax credits would threaten America's energy independence and the reliability of our grid — we urge the senate to enact legislation with a sensible wind down' of the credits, Tesla Energy posted on X on May 28, the day Musk officially left his government role. In opposing the bill, Musk has amplified a point that the more fiscally conservative Republicans also find troubling: The measure would greatly add to America's whopping debt. A new analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office holds that the House-passed version of the bill would inflate the debt by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. Paul, the senator from Kentucky, wrote Tuesday that he wants trillions in new debt 'removed' from the measure and that four of his colleagues 'feel this way.' An open question is the degree to which Americans care what Musk thinks. His public approval rating was underwater amid his association with the Department of Government Efficiency and the drastic cuts that left many government workers suddenly unemployed. An NBC News poll in March found that 51% of registered voters held negative views of Musk, with only 39% viewing him positively. Lawmakers seeking campaign donations may be solicitous of Musk and the news media may treat him with outsize interest because of the role Trump gave him, but can he shape public opinion on controversial legislation? Newt Gingrich, the Republican former House speaker, suggested the answer is no. 'I haven't seen any' public constituency for Musk, Gingrich told NBC News. 'If you can find one, call me.' 'I'm a big admirer of his as an entrepreneur, but he never understood the political business, and he doesn't now,' he added. That having been said, 'I'm sure no one on the Trump team thinks it's helpful,' Gingrich added. Democrats are delighted by Musk's dissent and the rift it exposes inside GOP ranks. 'Musk is right about this,' Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., told NBC News. 'He's been wrong about a whole lot of other things.' This article was originally published on
