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Boston Globe
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Why does Rhode Island hate its governors so much?
Write to us at . To subscribe, . TODAY'S STARTING POINT Radio host Jim Braude isn't necessarily an expert on Rhode Island politics, but he can read a poll as well as anyone. So in discussing Governor Dan McKee's recent dismal job approval numbers on Boston Public Radio last week, 'It would seem to me, based on the polling that I've seen, that if ... Vladimir Putin ran for governor of Rhode Island, he would beat Governor McKee,' Braude said during a conversation with Providence Mayor Brett Smiley. 'Governor McKee has the lowest approval rating I've ever seen for an incumbent politician ... in my whole life.' Indeed, with recent job approval ratings ranging between 19 percent and 25 percent, McKee appears to be one of the Advertisement A Advertisement But while McKee's numbers are exceptionally low among New England's governors, his predicament is hardly unique by Rhode Island standards. You'd be hard pressed to find a governor in recent history who enjoyed prolonged popularity in the state. Of the state's last seven governors, two (Republican Ed DiPrete and Democrat Bruce Sundlun) suffered lopsided losses in their reelection bids, and one (independent-turned-Democrat Lincoln Chafee) was so unpopular that he didn't bother to seek reelection. Republicans Lincoln Almond and Don Carcieri did enjoy high approval ratings during parts of their tenures, but they left office deeply unpopular. Gina Raimondo, McKee's predecessor, recently told political consultant David Axelrod that Rhode Island has ' So what gives? Darrell West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution who spent years leading political polling at Brown University, said Rhode Island has long had 'difficulty getting its act together, and that often leads to poor poll numbers for sitting governors.' 'As a small state, it is hard for Rhode Island to control its own fate,' West said. 'It typically is dependent on the national economy, congressional largesse, and defense dollars. When any of those things turn negative, voters blame governors even if they are not responsible for what happens elsewhere.' Advertisement West also pointed out the obvious: Rhode Island has a long history of political corruption that has sapped the confidence of residents. DiPrete, who died last week at the age of 91, once allegedly dove through a dumpster outside a fast food restaurant searching for a $10,000 bribe that he had received but misplaced. He served a year in prison after leaving office. Rhode Island's most famous modern-day politician was Buddy Cianci, the cartoonishly corrupt former mayor of Providence who landed in federal prison. Unlike the governors, the uber-charismatic Cianci enjoyed high approval ratings throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. But his lasting legacy is contributing to the perception among Rhode Islanders that many politicians are on the take — he was just the one who got caught. Which brings us back to McKee, the current governor. To be fair, McKee, who's been in office since 2021, has some accomplishments to his name, including creating a statewide strategy to address chronic absenteeism in schools He hasn't faced widespread corruption allegations and largely benefited from free-flowing federal dollars following the pandemic. But he is dogged by competence questions, in part because of his handling of the 2023 closure of the westbound side of the Washington Bridge, which is the most common route you'd take from Providence to Cape Cod. McKee isn't responsible for years of deferred maintenance on the bridge, but he repeatedly gave inaccurate repair timelines and cost estimates in the months following the closure. He was also dismissive of complaints from drivers and small business owners about traffic delays. The bridge is now scheduled to be rebuilt by 2028 at a cost of more than $400 million, but it's become the latest symbol of government dysfunction in Rhode Island. The unhappiness of voters who face unusually long traffic delays as a result of the bridge closure is no doubt contributing to McKee's low approval rating, and that's before any of his potential opponents have spent a dollar on TV ads pouring gasoline on the fire of residents' frustrations. Advertisement McKee's only path to reelection may be to run a relentlessly negative campaign attacking Foulkes and whomever else jumps in the race, which won't exactly endear any of them to jaundiced voters. Otherwise, he may very well suffer the same fate as so many before him: The wrath of Rhode Islanders. 🧩 2 Down: 90° POINTS OF INTEREST A dock in Harpswell, Maine, near where a shark killed a woman in 2020. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff Haverhill death: The family of Francis Gigliotti, a Haverhill man who died after police officers restrained him last Friday, Under the influence: State Representative John Lawn, a Watertown Democrat, faces charges after police Shark sighting: Officials in Harpswell, a Maine town where a great white shark killed a woman in 2020, warned swimmers yesterday AI therapy: This Rhode Island woman says ChatGPT saved her life. Psychologists say relying on it for advice Advertisement Jeffrey Epstein: Trump blasted Republicans who want him to release documents related to the wealthy sex offender as 'weaklings' falling for a 'scam,' even though Trump has More cuts: Senate Republicans approved $9 billion in funding cuts to public radio and foreign aid that the White House had requested, but preserved a global program that fights HIV/AIDS. The bill now heads to the House. ( Big beautiful bill: Low-income Americans fear that Trump's new tax law, which cuts SNAP and Medicaid, will leave them Policy change: A special designation used to put some young undocumented immigrants on the path to a green card. Climate resilience: Massachusetts and other states Israel vs. Syria: Deadly Israeli airstrikes damaged Syria's defense ministry and an area near the presidential palace. Israel said the strikes were meant to protect a Syrian minority that has clashed with the government. ( BESIDE THE POINT By Teresa Hanafin ❤️🩹 Heart health: The American Heart Association has come up with a 'Life's Simple 7″ plan to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. ( 🦖 Capturing kitsch: A TV journalist in New York devotes his time to documenting Advertisement 🪨 Pricey rock: An anonymous buyer purchased the biggest meteorite from Mars ever found on Earth — it weighs more than 54 pounds — for $4.3 million at a Sotheby's auction. The rock was discovered in the Sahara Desert in Niger in November, 2023. ( 🏠 Unique home remakes: A small, energy-efficient home in Lexington with 😡 Don't be that Angry Dad: For a lot of fathers, feeling overwhelmed with the kids can lead to anger. Here are some tips on how to regulate that rage. ( 🪈 Flute Central: Metro Boston is home to several of 👉 Weird Stuff on the Web: This site will find a photo of someone pointing at your cursor, no matter where on the screen you stop. Don't blame me if you're still playing with this in an hour. ( CORRECTION: Yesterday's newsletter used the wrong pronouns for Andrea Gibson, a spoken-word artist who died this week and used they/them pronouns. We regret the error. Thanks for reading Starting Point. This newsletter was edited by ❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at ✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can 📬 Delivered Monday through Friday. Dan McGowan can be reached at
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘People are going to end up dying': Healey warns as Republicans race to pass ‘Big Beautiful Bill'
Already battered by federal funding cuts, states won't be able to patch the holes that'll be torn in the nation's social safety net under the Republican budget bill now making its way across Capitol Hill, Gov. Maura Healey warned Wednesday. 'This Big Beautiful Bill is terrible,' the Democratic governor said during an appearance on GBH News' 'Boston Public Radio' program. Read More: On Dobbs anniversary, Mass. pols warn of attack on abortion rights in Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' " When you look at it, in total, what it's going to do to healthcare, where 250,000 people in Massachusetts are going to lose coverage, nursing homes will close," Healey told hosts Jim Braude and Margery Eagen. 'Community and rural hospitals are going to be at risk of closing. A whole bunch of vulnerable people are gonna be at risk, and people around the country are going to end up dying,' she said. Republicans on Capitol Hill are scrambling to send the massive domestic policy mega-bill to President Donald Trump by the July 4 holiday. Trump has been ramping up the pressure for lawmakers to get the bill on his desk. 'To my friends in the Senate, lock yourself in a room if you must, don't go home, and GET THE DEAL DONE THIS WEEK,' Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. 'Work with the House so they can pick it up, and pass it, IMMEDIATELY. NO ONE GOES ON VACATION UNTIL IT'S DONE.' Read More: MASS.-ive Impact: What Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' means to you | John L. Micek The debate on Capitol Hill also comes as legislative negotiators in Boston are trying to reach an agreement on a roughly $61.5 billion state budget for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. As it's currently written, the 'Big Beautiful Bill' slashes social programs, including Medicaid and food assistance, to pay for trillions of dollars in tax cuts that Democrats say will primarily benefit the richest Americans, even as it explodes the nation's debt. Leaders on Beacon Hill have been warning for months that, even with $8 billion in reserves, the state already doesn't have the cash to make up for any of the federal funding it stands to lose from Washington. That problem would become exponentially worse under the GOP-authored budget bill now on Capitol Hill, Democratic legislative leaders have warned. All told, the Republican mega-bill would reduce federal Medicaid spending by $793 billion over 10 years. Roughly 4.8 million people would be uninsured nationwide by 2034 based on work requirements in a version of the bill approved by U.S. House Republicans, CNBC reported, citing data by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In Massachusetts, the bill would cost the state's health care system $1.75 billion and strip coverage for about 250,000 people, according to Healey's office. Healey scoffed at those work requirements on Wednesday. 'These so-called 'work requirements?' — what people need to know, the people in Massachusetts who are on MassHealth? ... Many of them are actually working. They're the working poor, you know? They're just trying to make a living." Healey delivered her warning in a back-to-back appearances on Wednesday. Speaking to business and community leaders at a New England Council breakfast at the Omni Parker House on Beacon Hill earlier in the day, Healey cast the debate over Medicaid reductions as an economic issue. 'It's a huge hit. And anybody who thinks they're immune to a Medicaid cut, no,' she said. 'People will still get sick. They will still go to hospitals. They will still need care. And we're all gonna pay for it without the benefit of Medicaid.' An hour later, during her appearance on GBH, Healey called on voters to pressure their elected leaders on Capitol Hill. " This is why people need to this week, do everything they can in lobbying ... Republicans in Congress not to let this happen. Because no state can pick up the tab on the lost funding for healthcare, or for food support, or a whole bunch of things," she said. 2nd Lynnfield town employee resigns over racist comments heard during livestream Convicted Councilor Fernandes Anderson attends final meeting before resignation World leader is 'humiliating' Trump amid ceasefire, conservative influencer says Chicopee Councilor Tim Wagner resigns, moving to Boston area Trump compares Israel, Iran ceasefire to devastating end of this war Read the original article on MassLive.
CBS News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Mike Kennealy, former Baker administration official, running for governor of Massachusetts
Mike Kennealy, a Republican who served as secretary of housing and economic development under former Gov. Charlie Baker, announced Monday that he is running for governor of Massachusetts. Kennealy is the first prominent challenger to Gov. Maura Healey, the incumbent Democrat who intends to run for another term. In an announcement video , Kennealy said Massachusetts is "headed in the wrong direction." He says everything from gas, to housing, to taxes is costing residents too much money. The video also says there is "unspeakable violence in migrant shelters " in Massachusetts, calling it a "national embarrassment." "I'm running for governor because I believe in the unlimited potential of our state through the power of our people," Kennealy says. Kennealy created the guidelines for the MBTA Communities Law during his time in the Baker administration. The law requires cities and towns near transit stops to have at least one zoning district where multi-family housing is permitted. "A lot of this housing could be in downtowns. That's good for local economic development," he said. "And also it could create more diverse housing stock, you get more diverse populations in these places." Implementation of the law has been controversial, with some towns voting down proposed zoning changes and criticizing the state's "one size fits all" approach. Kennealy defended the law in an interview with WBZ-TV last year. "Not to be overly dramatic about it, the future of Massachusetts really is at stake here," he said. "We have to produce a lot more housing or we're not going to be the state we want to be." Healey said in February that she plans to run for re-election. "I'm really proud of the record so far," she told GBH's Boston Public Radio. The governor says she's been focused on housing affordability, tax cuts and investing in education and transportation during her first term in office. "I feel like we've done all of those things, yet there's a heck of a lot more to do," Healey said.
