I Can’t Believe Gov Baker Has Such An Approval Rating When He Has Destroyed 1000’s Of Small Business (Boston: low income, schools)

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by wolfgang239

That isn't the best metric to use, especially at this point. They need to have an adequate reserve to cover 2nd doses, supply chain disruptions (which almost happened last week), spoilage etc. It makes sense that we are average in that metric because many states are following the same guidelines. So far no cancellations of scheduled vaccinations or pauses in taking new ones outside of weekly limits.

They really don't need to keep much of a reserve. There's nothing at all wrong with giving a 2nd jab a week or two late. If there's a glitch, you reschedule people and move on. New Mexico, North Dakota, and West Virginia are using every last dose as it comes in the door. That approach works just fine. Better to get more people mostly protected than have it sitting on a shelf because a meteor strike might destroy a vaccine plant.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

Housing Choice was big. He also got the GLX off the ground, iirc.

No no no. This is exactly what I'm hoping to avoid in my question. GLX is a thing that had to happen and had been set in motion. Him telling folks to pair back the cost at the last minute, could have been anyone. Thats not getting it off the ground.

So we have Housing Choice... It's been 7 years. What has this man done apart from that? With the greatest economy we've ever seen (real credit is due to Devils favorable relations with Obama and the nationwide economic prosperity) what did he do with that? What did he do with unprecedented wealth and a budget surplus? Where was the vision, how did he leverage all of this?

He got us 3 orange and redline trains 3 years late after multiple dangerous if not deadly MBTA fiascos?

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

So we have Housing Choice... It's been 7 years. What has this man done apart from that? With the greatest economy we've ever seen (real credit is due to Devils favorable relations with Obama and the nationwide economic prosperity) what did he do with that? What did he do with unprecedented wealth and a budget surplus? Where was the vision, how did he leverage all of this?

I think the vast majority of people understood that Baker never had and never will have a grand vision for MA. Baker will keep the book in proper shape and try to not get too much in the way of business.

MA was 5th in term of GDP per capita in 2015, when Baker came to power and is now pretty much 1st tied with NY. And I think this is much of what many people wanted from him.

[Boston Shudra]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

No no no. This is exactly what I'm hoping to avoid in my question. GLX is a thing that had to happen and had been set in motion. Him telling folks to pair back the cost at the last minute, could have been anyone. Thats not getting it off the ground.

If it were that easy, it would’ve already happened.

Anyway, he’s also expanded and developed a few programs that give grants to Gateway Cities for public works projects:

https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-poli...cities-program

https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-poli...gateway-cities

According to this source: “Baker signed an education bill that would boost school funding by $1.5 billion over seven years. It would prioritize funding for districts with high percentages of low-income students and English language learners.”

New-ish Commonwealth Builder program subsidizes up to $150,000 per unit for new mixed income housing developments in Gateway Cities: https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/ma...massachusetts/

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by Lampert

MA was 5th in term of GDP per capita in 2015, when Baker came to power and is now pretty much 1st tied with NY. And I think this is much of what many people wanted from him.

You gotta be kidding me.

[wolfgang239]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

They really don't need to keep much of a reserve. There's nothing at all wrong with giving a 2nd jab a week or two late. If there's a glitch, you reschedule people and move on. New Mexico, North Dakota, and West Virginia are using every last dose as it comes in the door. That approach works just fine. Better to get more people mostly protected than have it sitting on a shelf because a meteor strike might destroy a vaccine plant.

Personally I'd prefer to see them keep up the continuous operation and have a reserve prepared for the upcoming onslaught of 2nd doses. They haven't even scaled up to 100% yet, using too many up front can cause disaster later on. At some point 1st and 2nd doses will be equal and total volume at a number even higher than what we see today. With no proof yet of higher allotments from the gov they remain on the cautious side.

Folks are rightly concerned about the elderly... Try telling Grandma Gertrude from Greenfield x5,000 that her appointment has been rescheduled to 3 weeks from now or that she has a drive to the Cape Cod Melody Tent to look forward to.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by Lampert

I think the vast majority of people understood that Baker never had and never will have a grand vision for MA. Baker will keep the book in proper shape and try to not get too much in the way of business.

MA was 5th in term of GDP per capita in 2015, when Baker came to power and is now pretty much 1st tied with NY. And I think this is much of what many people wanted from him.

I am okay with basic competence and evolutionary change rather than revolutionary change. Bottom line is, grand vision tends to be both risky and expensive to execute on, which is a rough combination.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Boston Shudra

If it were that easy, it would’ve already happened.

Anyway, he’s also expanded and developed a few programs that give grants to Gateway Cities for public works projects:

https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-poli...cities-program

https://www.mass.gov/news/baker-poli...gateway-cities

According to this source: “Baker signed an education bill that would boost school funding by $1.5 billion over seven years. It would prioritize funding for districts with high percentages of low-income students and English language learners.”

New-ish Commonwealth Builder program subsidizes up to $150,000 per unit for new mixed income housing developments in Gateway Cities: https://bostonrealestatetimes.com/ma...massachusetts/

The GLX wasnt supposed to happen until he got in office. It's not like he revived a dead project. The bonding for the project was actually secured by Deval Patrick in April 2014. Construction on the first elemtn of the project also started under Deval Patrick. Its this odd kneejerk reaction to credit baker with stuff he didnt start that blows my mind.

Nice programs but definitely in step with pre-existing or past local and state efforts to Gateway cities over the past 2 decades. Jus under his administration. Capitalizing off short memory sans.

Education funding boost wasn't spearheaded by him, he just signed off on it. I could be wrong here. No brainer legislation in a state like MA.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by massnative71

You gotta be kidding me.

No. Most people are ok with whatever as long as their personal lifestyle doesn't get worse or improve.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by OutdoorLover

I am okay with basic competence and evolutionary change rather than revolutionary change. Bottom line is, grand vision tends to be both risky and expensive to execute on, which is a rough combination.

The problem is the state needs revolutionary change for those who aren't middle class or upper-middle class in the GBA. Still have some of the widest achievement gaps in the actions and the state failed to provide neccessarry funding for universal pr-K in Boston, meanwhile, NYS did just that.

Governor Baker as good at governing for people like him-wealthy folks from Swampscott but hasn't done the heavy lifting he could have to uplift the less fortunate groups of MA-which makes sense because he's a Republican and not just a RINO. He's infuriating because the coasts-it s like watching a slacker in high school get big-upped because he's handsome or athletically gifted.

Like... the GDP per capita going from 5th to 1st means what exactly?

IMO he's squandered the greatest economic expansion in recent MA history. Because he knows his base.