Charlie Baker Will Not Seek Reelection in 2022 (Boston, Holyoke: felony, contractor)

[WestieWhitie]

Originally Posted by Mayei

Yep, she's in.

Welp, at least it's not one of our local ilhanced aocratic bernienomists.

[BruinsGirl]

Sonia is also in the race…

[BostonBornMassMade]

Finally - Joan Vennochi from the Globe says it so I don’t have to!!

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/...f-into-sunset/

Teflon Charlie Baker rides off into the sunset (had been titled ‘Will the Next Governor get the Same Type of Passes Charlie Baker Received’”

He’s tall, white, and male. Does that explain how nothing sticks? Or is something else at work?




“ When good things happen, Governor Charlie Baker gets credit. When bad things happen, no one blames him and he never blames himself. As Baker wraps up his final year in office, that Teflon is part of the magic and mystery of his tenure.”

“ Last week, a woman was killed at a railroad crossing after a safety system was not restored to its normal operation following maintenance by a state contractor — a failure that kept the gates from going down. On Tuesday, two employees working for a state contractor raised a bridge connecting Chelsea and East Boston while a vehicle was on it. That same day, a piece of concrete fell from an overpass on Interstate 93, crashing through the windshield of a car driven by a motorist from California.”

“ during Baker’s seven years in office, neither Democrats nor voters, generally, held him accountable for a series of sometimes catastrophic bureaucratic failures, such as a system breakdown at the Registry of Motor Vehicles which led to the deaths of seven motorcyclists on a New Hampshire highway. State police corruption got a pass, too. When at least 76 veterans died of COVID-19 at the state-run Soldiers Home in Holyoke, a legislative oversight committee produced a report that did direct some blame at Baker for putting a politically-connected person, with no health care qualifications, in charge of the facility. Yet, he has never shouldered any personal responsibility for what happened”

“ As he rides off into the sunset, the next governor can only hope that Baker leaves the Teflon behind.”

Not sorry to see him leave, he is normalizing mediocrity. Thank God Boston dodged that bare-minimum bullet with Annissa. I guess we just have to accept civility as the standard now. The bar is so low…

[BruinsGirl]

This is sick ... and identity politic again.

White male!

Absolutely sick.

But it is changing. Looks like all officials from now on will be non-white or sexual minority women. This should fix everything!

This paper turned into racist scam.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

This is sick ... and identity politic again.

White male!

Absolutely sick.

But it is changing. Looks like all officials from now on will be non-white or sexual minority women. This should fix everything!

This paper turned into racist scam.

Yes, it is identity politics but it really is ridiculous how Teflon he is, and most any white male pols in MA are. Nothing ever sticks. And it begs the question "why?"

Joan and I arent the first ones to call him Teflon Charlie. We arent the first one to not his height, gender, race and sexual orientation give him tremendous social capital when wooing the MA upper-middle class vote. And we won't be the last.

The same could EASILY be said for Marty Walsh. Mediocre pols like he and Baker get elevated to a position where they're not the best option simply because they are "civil and normal" two things that women but especially minorities and female minorities are often not allowed to be in MA politics. Everyone is painted as a "radical" by their vocal detractors. Luckily, this state'd populous on the whole is smarter than that.

It's not that it's bad that he's tall male and white. That's perfectly fine, no issue with that. It's that it really feels like that's why he gets so little scrutiny. and of course his social class/residence/ and impressive and wealthy (nearly aristocratic) WASP background going back many generations.

If it is really the case that "MA isn't broke don't fix it, that's why we love Charlie." Then if MA continues its ascent we, the 'Woke; want to see that same energy for Maura Healey should she become governor.

Deval Patrick by most metrics was a better governor than Baker and he set the course for our life sciences boom and immigration/population boom. But he receives much more mixed reviews than Baker despite how MA glide through the Great Recession relative to just about any other state in the US...



I have more personal issues with Baker like his use of the phrase "virtue signaling" as though it's a bad thing to do the right thing and want others to do the right thing..

-His campaign (using public funds) to barnstorm around the state opposing legal marijuana which the public supported all along. And for what? What has been negative about legal weed 6 years later. Aside from the 2.74 billion in tax money? why did he waste time driving around the state trying to shut that down?

-Opposes Happy Hour. Again, why?

-His lack of dedication to climate change as a serious issue

-And him telling us to rent control is "unfair" because someone paid less rent than him when he was a young rich kid in Beacon Hill. Well, then I guess mixed-income development in urban areas is unfair then too, Charlie?

[BruinsGirl]

So he is not progressive enough and this is an issue?!

Did you hear about https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/10...nd-investment/


As for marijuana, this is a very controversial issue. I was appalled watching proud opening of the largest marijuana store in Boston. Not some new cultural or sports center, but largest MJ store! It is all about priorities I guess. I for one am glad in our suburb and anywhere near we do not have them. I feel for Boston. More and more I feel this ugly smell walking through Boston's streets.

In 2019, Wu supported a proposed ordinance introduced by Councilor Kim Janey which aimed to ensure that the legal cannabis industry in Boston would be equitable and fair for racial minority owners.

we want to screw up great city to satisfy minority owners ....

[WestieWhitie]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Finally - Joan Vennochi from the Globe says it so I don’t have to!!

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/...f-into-sunset/

Teflon Charlie Baker rides off into the sunset (had been titled ‘Will the Next Governor get the Same Type of Passes Charlie Baker Received’”

He’s tall, white, and male. Does that explain how nothing sticks? Or is something else at work?




“ When good things happen, Governor Charlie Baker gets credit. When bad things happen, no one blames him and he never blames himself. As Baker wraps up his final year in office, that Teflon is part of the magic and mystery of his tenure.”

“ Last week, a woman was killed at a railroad crossing after a safety system was not restored to its normal operation following maintenance by a state contractor — a failure that kept the gates from going down. On Tuesday, two employees working for a state contractor raised a bridge connecting Chelsea and East Boston while a vehicle was on it. That same day, a piece of concrete fell from an overpass on Interstate 93, crashing through the windshield of a car driven by a motorist from California.”

“ during Baker’s seven years in office, neither Democrats nor voters, generally, held him accountable for a series of sometimes catastrophic bureaucratic failures, such as a system breakdown at the Registry of Motor Vehicles which led to the deaths of seven motorcyclists on a New Hampshire highway. State police corruption got a pass, too. When at least 76 veterans died of COVID-19 at the state-run Soldiers Home in Holyoke, a legislative oversight committee produced a report that did direct some blame at Baker for putting a politically-connected person, with no health care qualifications, in charge of the facility. Yet, he has never shouldered any personal responsibility for what happened”

“ As he rides off into the sunset, the next governor can only hope that Baker leaves the Teflon behind.”

Not sorry to see him leave, he is normalizing mediocrity. Thank God Boston dodged that bare-minimum bullet with Annissa. I guess we just have to accept civility as the standard now. The bar is so low…

Awww, so much white guilt and self-loathing! But then again, it's the globe we're talking about.

[Lampert]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

“ When good things happen, Governor Charlie Baker gets credit. When bad things happen, no one blames him and he never blames himself. As Baker wraps up his final year in office, that Teflon is part of the magic and mystery of his tenure.”

“ Last week, a woman was killed at a railroad crossing after a safety system was not restored to its normal operation following maintenance by a state contractor — a failure that kept the gates from going down. On Tuesday, two employees working for a state contractor raised a bridge connecting Chelsea and East Boston while a vehicle was on it. That same day, a piece of concrete fell from an overpass on Interstate 93, crashing through the windshield of a car driven by a motorist from California.”

“ during Baker’s seven years in office, neither Democrats nor voters, generally, held him accountable for a series of sometimes catastrophic bureaucratic failures, such as a system breakdown at the Registry of Motor Vehicles which led to the deaths of seven motorcyclists on a New Hampshire highway. State police corruption got a pass, too. When at least 76 veterans died of COVID-19 at the state-run Soldiers Home in Holyoke, a legislative oversight committee produced a report that did direct some blame at Baker for putting a politically-connected person, with no health care qualifications, in charge of the facility. Yet, he has never shouldered any personal responsibility for what happened”

“ As he rides off into the sunset, the next governor can only hope that Baker leaves the Teflon behind.”

Most of these have nothing to do with the governor.
A state contractor makes a mistake/criminal negligence = governor's fault? Why?
Crumbling infrastructure is a federal issue, we all know that. If MA wanted to fix all of its issue by itself it would suck the entire budget for years.

Again, I am not sure how is the governor's fault the fact that someone was able to drive when he shouldn't have been.

State Police corruption, yes. Unfortunately every politician gives them passes. Who was in charge when Coakley furiously tried to swipe under the drug the drug scandals at the state labs?

When you mention lack of action on climate change I agree more.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by BruinsGirl

So he is not progressive enough and this is an issue?!

Did you hear about https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/10...nd-investment/


As for marijuana, this is a very controversial issue. I was appalled watching proud opening of the largest marijuana store in Boston. Not some new cultural or sports center, but largest MJ store! It is all about priorities I guess. I for one am glad in our suburb and anywhere near we do not have them. I feel for Boston. More and more I feel this ugly smell walking through Boston's streets. we want to screw up great city to satisfy minority owners ....

Since Weed was legalized (and DA Rollins) arrests are down more than 50% in Boston (since 2016) and crime has plunged. It also added money to the tax rolls and provided many new jobs and wealth-building opportunities for minorities...with zero deaths or marijuana overdoses lol.

If you cant support that Id rather you not be governor. Too myopic, head in the sand.

[BruinsGirl]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Since Weed was legalized (and DA Rollins) arrests are down more than 50% in Boston (since 2016) and crime has plunged. It also added money to the tax rolls and provided many new jobs and wealth-building opportunities for minorities...with zero deaths or marijuana overdoses lol.

If you cant support that Id rather you not be governor. Too myopic, head in the sand.

Since California raised felony threshold for shoplifting to $950 their theft numbers plunged! Less felonies are registered! Hooray!