WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:05.519 It's Night Side with Dan Ray w b Z Boston's Radio. 2 00:00:07.040 --> 00:00:10.480 Welcome back, everyone like to welcome back to the program. 3 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:16.800 Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins, who represents Boston for the 4 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:19.600 most part, Nick Collins, welcome back to night said, how 5 00:00:19.640 --> 00:00:19.960 are you. 6 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:23.280 Good evening, Dan? Thank you for having me. 7 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:28.839 You're very welcome. You have district represents you represent? Is 8 00:00:29.000 --> 00:00:31.320 entirely within the city of Boston, or do you do 9 00:00:31.359 --> 00:00:34.799 you have any any other area besides portion? 10 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:38.719 Yes? So I represent a number of the neighborhoods in Boston, 11 00:00:38.799 --> 00:00:44.320 South Boston, Dorchester, the South End, Bay Village, Chinatown, a 12 00:00:44.359 --> 00:00:49.439 little Back Bay, a little of Roxbury, and the Hot Islands. 13 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:55.000 Okay, So so I know that that some of the 14 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:58.159 districts can pick up a little bit of Revere or whatever. 15 00:00:58.240 --> 00:00:59.560 But so you're totally. 16 00:00:59.159 --> 00:01:00.920 Boston all in time, Boston. 17 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:06.079 This thing all right, now, you have had a high profile. 18 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:11.079 I'm gonna call it a battle with Mayor Wou and 19 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:14.920 I if I if I mischaracterize it, please help me, 20 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:18.239 uh and and correct me. But a battle over the 21 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:22.959 way in which property taxes in Boston would be assessed. 22 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:29.519 She wanted to shift the burden towards some of the 23 00:01:29.599 --> 00:01:33.840 commercial real estate in Boston. And when when you say commercial, 24 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:37.920 you're not You're talking not just about the big buildings downtown, 25 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:39.920 you also talk about a lot of the mom and 26 00:01:39.959 --> 00:01:43.840 pop stores and the smaller businesses in Boston which are commercial. 27 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:46.400 Correct, that's correct. 28 00:01:47.719 --> 00:01:51.959 And and in your concern, as I understand, that was 29 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.640 much more with these small businesses that are trying to 30 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:58.519 survive in the city of Boston in some very difficult 31 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:02.439 economic circumstances. What got you involved in this fight because 32 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.719 it became a pretty high profile battle. I think you 33 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:09.840 succeeded because the mayor did not get from the state 34 00:02:09.879 --> 00:02:14.639 House what she wanted, which was permission to recalibrate who 35 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:18.319 pays what in real estate taxes. What prompted you to 36 00:02:18.360 --> 00:02:20.479 get into this fight? It was pretty high profile fight. 37 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:24.599 Sure, well, you know, anytime we make policy, it's going 38 00:02:24.639 --> 00:02:27.719 to be data driven. Can't be about conjecture, can't be 39 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:34.599 based on fear and misinformation. Which was a campaign to 40 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:38.439 achieve and you know it started last February. The Boston 41 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:43.280 Policy Institute in Tefns University brought up in a study 42 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:48.879 how falling commercial values would affect long term how Boston finance. 43 00:02:48.960 --> 00:02:54.759 The city government, and that sparked a debate, and initially 44 00:02:54.800 --> 00:02:57.000 the mayor and her team just attacked the study and 45 00:02:57.319 --> 00:03:01.840 said it was false information, nothing to see here, and 46 00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:06.759 then abruptly shifted to you know, I guess not wasting 47 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:10.280 a crisis or a perceived crisis, and instead of using 48 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:15.159 the data that they were compiling to come up with 49 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:19.479 new valuations for the city, property owners went on a 50 00:03:19.520 --> 00:03:25.039 campaign to tell property owners, residential property owners that they 51 00:03:25.039 --> 00:03:26.960 were going to see a thirty three percent increase in 52 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:31.919 their property taxes unless they supported this shift. That would 53 00:03:31.960 --> 00:03:35.520 have increased taxes on businesses two hundred percent. And you 54 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:38.599 mentioned the types of businesses, So the businesses downtown and 55 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:42.240 the financial district that had seen leases go away on 56 00:03:42.319 --> 00:03:48.199 the advent of the pandemic unless office space being rented, 57 00:03:49.080 --> 00:03:52.840 they were going to see a dramatic decrease in valuations 58 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:55.879 over the course of the next few years. But what 59 00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:58.439 you see in the main streets are businesses that just 60 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:03.879 house retail businesses and not office buildings above and so 61 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:05.879 their value is maintained, but they are going to get 62 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:08.240 whacked at two hundred percent. Now, these are businesses who 63 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:10.639 we you know, did a lot to support during the 64 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:13.960 aftermath of the pandemic as well to stay alive. And 65 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:16.800 they support a lot of people, a lot of jobs 66 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:20.000 in the community. Most of the folks who own those 67 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:22.959 businesses live in the community and they have everything in there. 68 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:25.839 And so if this is going to happen, it had 69 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:30.480 to be based on data and not conjectures. So when 70 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:33.959 this got ramped up, just a pretty loaded proposal to 71 00:04:33.959 --> 00:04:36.160 tell people, hey, if you don't get out of the 72 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:40.600 way and support this tax team, you know we're going 73 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:44.839 to blame you for raising residential propstactions thirty three percent. 74 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:49.480 And we kept asking for this valuation data that eventually 75 00:04:49.560 --> 00:04:51.439 they had to submit to the Department of Revenue of 76 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.240 the state under the pains and penalties of perjury, and 77 00:04:54.279 --> 00:04:58.240 so we were going to get that information eventually. We 78 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:01.240 waited and asked the city for numerous times, including over 79 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:04.600 the course of the summer, in the fall and up 80 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:07.600 and until when I tabled the bill, when it made 81 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:09.920 its way to the Senate the first time, and the 82 00:05:09.959 --> 00:05:12.000 mayor are called and asked, you know, what was my 83 00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.800 end game? And I said, Mayor, we want to be 84 00:05:14.839 --> 00:05:17.720 reading from the same sheet of music as you. So 85 00:05:17.800 --> 00:05:20.160 when we make this decision, we know what it's about. 86 00:05:20.879 --> 00:05:25.279 And the refusal was still there until after it went 87 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:29.480 to the public domain that the city Assessor and the 88 00:05:29.519 --> 00:05:32.319 Mayor were essentially blaming the Department of Revenue for not 89 00:05:32.439 --> 00:05:36.959 certifiing that that data fast enough on property valuations. The 90 00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:40.120 a Problem of Revenue expedited that and were able to 91 00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:43.480 get us to release data which showed us exactly what 92 00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:45.959 we needed to know. What was the impact going to 93 00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:52.000 be to residential property owners if this property if this 94 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:55.839 tax proposal did not pass, or if it passed. And 95 00:05:55.879 --> 00:05:59.240 the mayor said all along that even if it passed, 96 00:05:59.240 --> 00:06:03.160 they were going to property taxes on Bostonians at nine 97 00:06:03.160 --> 00:06:05.560 point five percent, which was the average over the last 98 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:08.759 four years. And that's even if it passed. And so 99 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:12.920 when it came to light that without the legislation passing, 100 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:15.759 it would be roughly the same, we realized that this 101 00:06:15.959 --> 00:06:20.600 was not necessary and that the risk to the Boston 102 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:25.480 economy was too great, that the impacts to businesses, and 103 00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:27.120 you know, the Department of Revenue came out with a 104 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:31.360 study in two thousand and four after Maya Menino requested 105 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:35.079 this with municipal leaders statewide. In the aftermath of the 106 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:37.879 dot Com boom. You know, it was a local option. 107 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:40.360 It wasn't a mandate. It said if we if weren't 108 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:44.120 such a deficit that we made needed this, we'd like 109 00:06:44.199 --> 00:06:47.360 to have the option. This was a mandate. They come 110 00:06:47.399 --> 00:06:49.560 hell of high water that this tax was going to 111 00:06:49.600 --> 00:06:52.759 go through, whether it was needed or not. And we 112 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:56.680 got to ask ourselves as well, well, what's this all about. 113 00:06:56.759 --> 00:07:01.120 It's not just an abstract request for revenue, because you 114 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:02.839 don't really have a revenue problem. You have a fiscal 115 00:07:03.399 --> 00:07:06.319 management problem. Right now in the city, we've seen a 116 00:07:06.399 --> 00:07:08.839 twenty one percent increase in the budget over three years, 117 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:11.680 just this year alone, an eight percent increase, while the 118 00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:14.720 state was at a two point seven percent increase, which is, 119 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:18.240 you know, in line with inflation. But you can't expect 120 00:07:18.240 --> 00:07:21.399 tax payers to not be impacted when we're spending hundreds 121 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:24.199 of millions of dollars on bike lane infrastructure, on the 122 00:07:24.199 --> 00:07:27.120 credit card, or one hundred million dollars on white stadium 123 00:07:27.120 --> 00:07:30.959 privatization and the like. And so this is really what 124 00:07:31.160 --> 00:07:34.839 this issue is about. It's about spending this out of control. 125 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:37.600 If you compare it to the previous administration, where the 126 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:40.759 last four years there was an increase in debt service 127 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:44.079 obligations of twenty million dollars actually a little bit less. 128 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:47.839 You're already of ninety million increase in the last three years. 129 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:48.800 This is wild. 130 00:07:48.920 --> 00:07:51.759 Some people might not know when you refer to debt 131 00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:54.439 service what you're doing, what they're talking What they're talking 132 00:07:54.439 --> 00:07:59.199 about is the interest that any government on new debts, 133 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:04.000 he pays on the money that it has borrowed. And 134 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:09.600 you know, an increase in the last three years of 135 00:08:10.759 --> 00:08:14.120 Mayor Walsh's administration, as you said, I'm looking at the 136 00:08:14.199 --> 00:08:18.000 numbers right now, went up about twenty million dollars, and 137 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:24.160 the increase in the debt service in the wo administration 138 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:27.079 for the first three years sort of an equivalent period 139 00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:31.319 of time has gone up nearly one hundred million dollars from. 140 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:37.039 And these are ten to fifteen thirty year commitments. This 141 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.159 isn't a one year expense. These are essential mortgages that 142 00:08:41.200 --> 00:08:45.799 were at the bonds authorization. So there that was saddling 143 00:08:45.919 --> 00:08:50.759 generation of Bostonians with this. For what purpose We're still 144 00:08:50.919 --> 00:08:53.080 trying to figure out, but we do know that this 145 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:57.039 came along with a one billion dollar windfall from the 146 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:00.399 federal government that have operated in the city. So it's 147 00:09:00.440 --> 00:09:04.919 not as if we were in dire straits, we will 148 00:09:04.919 --> 00:09:08.799 expect to revenue. And I think that's what the point is, 149 00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:11.279 that we don't have a revenue problem. They made it 150 00:09:11.320 --> 00:09:13.240 clear that we don't have a revenue problem at the 151 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:19.039 city and that the requests built based not on data, 152 00:09:19.080 --> 00:09:23.240 but on on a campaign of fear and conjecture was 153 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:25.559 that if we didn't do this, resist we're going to 154 00:09:25.600 --> 00:09:28.120 see a thirty preepers an increase and taxes in the 155 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:31.000 homes and risk losing their homes. Now, the other side 156 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:33.720 is that we knew was that if it went forward, 157 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:35.919 that we were going to risk having what the do 158 00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:38.679 R said twenty years ago when Marimino looked at this, 159 00:09:38.679 --> 00:09:42.080 this is not put public policy. You shouldn't do this again. 160 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:44.879 You should look at diversifying revenues. You should also look 161 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:47.919 at doing what we didn't do this year. And so 162 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:51.159 today people got bills that double what they should be 163 00:09:51.159 --> 00:09:55.000 because instead of spreading out tax bills and the increases 164 00:09:55.039 --> 00:09:58.080 over four quarters, they're jamming into the first two. 165 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:00.879 And so they let me just make sure nick I 166 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:06.759 understand this, the tax bills many Bostonians would have received 167 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:09.799 their tax bills today. Is that correct? Property owners, yes, 168 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:13.840 both commercial and residential. Let me take a pause here. 169 00:10:13.879 --> 00:10:16.879 We got to take a break, and when we get back, 170 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:21.200 I think you've set out the situation as you perceive it, 171 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:25.840 that the administration has been spending well beyond its means 172 00:10:26.559 --> 00:10:31.080 and now is in a situation where maybe there's really 173 00:10:31.120 --> 00:10:35.919 no good choice. You prevented the administration from doing what 174 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:39.000 they wanted to do, which was to hit the commercial 175 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:42.039 property owners. I'm going to invite people to call in. 176 00:10:42.120 --> 00:10:45.039 I know that whenever we talk about numbers on night side, 177 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:48.639 particularly budgets and things like that, it's tough for people 178 00:10:48.679 --> 00:10:52.440 to follow. However, when you have to write that check, 179 00:10:53.519 --> 00:10:57.639 make that payment as a homeowner, or as a small 180 00:10:57.679 --> 00:11:01.039 business or as a big business, that's really where the 181 00:11:01.080 --> 00:11:03.840 rubber meets the road. And that's what we're talking about here. 182 00:11:03.879 --> 00:11:06.679 So if you folks out there have a question and 183 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:09.519 you'd like to join the conversation six one, seven, two, five, 184 00:11:09.559 --> 00:11:11.879 four to ten thirty six one seven, nine, three one 185 00:11:11.919 --> 00:11:15.240 ten thirty. We try to explain it as clearly and 186 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:17.480 as cleanly as we can as to what it is 187 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:21.200 at stake. But the numbers to me jump off the 188 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:26.879 page and suggest that Boston has been spending in a 189 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:31.559 very wild fashion, and that this is going to come 190 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.000 home to roost here in the city, and it's going 191 00:11:34.039 --> 00:11:37.559 to affect the city. And the mayor has had three 192 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:40.759 years at the head of this city, and she's about 193 00:11:40.759 --> 00:11:43.559 to enter her fourth year, which will be a re 194 00:11:43.639 --> 00:11:46.279 election year, and you have to wonder what sort of 195 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:49.000 politics might have been involved in some of the decisions 196 00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:52.159 that she made. We'll back on Night's side with Massachusetts 197 00:11:52.200 --> 00:11:57.120 State Senator Nick Collins, who has worked very hard, particularly 198 00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:00.960 in the last month, to stop something from happening that 199 00:12:01.080 --> 00:12:04.360 he feels would have had a tremendously adverse impact on 200 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:06.399 the city. Whether you agree to disagree, feel free to 201 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:09.080 join the conversation. Coming back on Night's side right after 202 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:09.960 these brief messas. 203 00:12:10.840 --> 00:12:13.799 Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World 204 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:19.720 Night Side Studios on WBZ the News Radio. 205 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:24.960 My guest is Nick Collins, Massachusetts State Center. Nick, just 206 00:12:25.080 --> 00:12:28.360 looking at these numbers, and again, numbers are tough to 207 00:12:28.440 --> 00:12:31.519 talk about on radio, but I want to focus on 208 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:35.639 this whole question of debt service, which is interest that 209 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:39.759 the City of Boston is obligated to pay it. The 210 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:43.799 last three years of Mayor Walsh's term, the debt service 211 00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:47.399 increased from one hundred and seventy million dollars to one 212 00:12:47.519 --> 00:12:50.480 hundred and eighty nine million dollars. That's, as you said, 213 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:53.879 a little less than twenty million dollars. In that same 214 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.639 period of time. During the first three terms of the 215 00:12:57.720 --> 00:13:02.679 mayor's first tournament office, the debt service has gone up 216 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:08.440 ninety two million dollars. That's the same period of time 217 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:13.360 three years, four times a greater increase in terms of 218 00:13:13.519 --> 00:13:17.519 just dollar for dollar. What as you look at that, 219 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:19.000 what does that tell you? 220 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:24.279 It tells me that we're pulling out the credit card 221 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:26.919 when we had a billion dollars in the federal government 222 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:30.679 to spend on government subsidy, whether it was for the 223 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:35.159 schools or for municipal services, and for whatever reason, in 224 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:37.919 addition to that, we took out the credit cards. It's 225 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:41.000 not spending even more aggressively in ways that are going 226 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:45.360 to saddle us for you know, ten, fifteen, thirty years unnecessarily. 227 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:48.120 And if we look at what the state did when 228 00:13:48.360 --> 00:13:52.399 we had last year a gap in what our proposed 229 00:13:52.399 --> 00:13:55.960 budget was versus the rest that came in. The governor wisely, 230 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:58.840 even though it was painful to some, made three hundred 231 00:13:58.840 --> 00:14:01.879 and seventy five million dollars balance the budget to keep 232 00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:06.039 us within a two point seven percent growth That was responsible, 233 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:08.240 while we put money away in the Rainy Gay Fund 234 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:11.960 and provide a tax relief for residents across the Como. 235 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:16.039 It requires balance and fiscal responsibility. You can't spend money 236 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:18.840 on every great idea that we think we have all 237 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:21.399 at once, and in this case, the city had a 238 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:23.720 lot of money. So to do that and to take 239 00:14:23.759 --> 00:14:26.480 out the credit card and spend wildly like that, it 240 00:14:26.519 --> 00:14:29.080 is totally irresponsible. And that's what this is tied to. 241 00:14:29.159 --> 00:14:32.559 It's not just an arbitrary reason to consider a tax 242 00:14:32.639 --> 00:14:35.840 reposal like this or to raise the property taxes on 243 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:40.159 our sowans. But in the end, we learned after receiving 244 00:14:40.200 --> 00:14:43.720 that the certified data from the DAW, the city was 245 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:48.279 withholding that it wasn't as dramatic or remotely dramatic as 246 00:14:48.279 --> 00:14:50.159 they thought it was going to be, and quite frankly, 247 00:14:50.159 --> 00:14:53.559 it was in line within the recent the last few years. 248 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:58.720 But even raising it modestly of one percentage point, which 249 00:14:58.759 --> 00:15:01.320 is what the mayor decided to do and the City 250 00:15:01.320 --> 00:15:07.639 Council approved, was based on spending interests, not it wasn't 251 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:11.600 an arbitrary reason. They weren't forced to. Under the state law, 252 00:15:11.720 --> 00:15:13.519 you can raise up to two point five percent of 253 00:15:13.639 --> 00:15:16.240 the proper two and a half of property taxes all 254 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:18.919 across the city of an increase, and they don't have 255 00:15:19.000 --> 00:15:21.200 to do that. They decided to because they wanted to 256 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:23.559 spend more money, and that's not always the best thing 257 00:15:23.559 --> 00:15:26.639 to do. And again last year in the state budget, 258 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:29.480 we had to cut back and that's something that you 259 00:15:29.519 --> 00:15:34.600 know was difficult for some programs and some external spending. 260 00:15:34.600 --> 00:15:36.399 But you know when Mayor Neino was face with this, 261 00:15:36.799 --> 00:15:42.279 he cut the budget, he furloughed employees, he paused external spending, 262 00:15:42.559 --> 00:15:45.480 he put on a hiring freeze, and he made the 263 00:15:45.559 --> 00:15:47.960 changes that need to be made while also asking for 264 00:15:48.039 --> 00:15:50.240 some support for relief. And that was never even on 265 00:15:50.320 --> 00:15:53.559 the table. No, was residential relief. This his bill is 266 00:15:53.600 --> 00:15:56.840 a residential relief bill. How is it a residential relief bill? 267 00:15:56.919 --> 00:15:59.720 If regardless, if it passes, you're going to raise taxes 268 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:02.240 nine point five percent. It's just it was the farce. 269 00:16:03.720 --> 00:16:05.639 I also want to make it clear for people, and 270 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:08.639 again talking about this, when you talk about the billion dollars, 271 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:14.240 this was the money that the federal government passed in 272 00:16:14.279 --> 00:16:17.720 the in the wake of the COVID crisis, in which 273 00:16:17.879 --> 00:16:22.320 money was sent from Washington back to the states and 274 00:16:22.360 --> 00:16:26.279 the cities including Boston and Boston. The figure of quoted 275 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:30.399 is a billion dollars. And during that period of time, 276 00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:36.559 the spending just continued. You mentioned, I believe that the 277 00:16:36.679 --> 00:16:40.080 city has spent is that one hundred and twenty million 278 00:16:40.159 --> 00:16:43.120 dollars on bike lanes? Yeah? 279 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:44.879 The figure the camel oft Fuish though, was one hundred 280 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:47.200 and twenty one million dollars on bike lane infrastructure. 281 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:51.879 Now, I got to tell you, I know we have 282 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:54.039 a lot of bike lanes, and I know that they 283 00:16:54.080 --> 00:16:57.279 have put in a lot of those stanchions, you know, 284 00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:59.960 to protect the bike lanes, and I know that they 285 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:04.000 they have painted the bike lanes. But one hundred and 286 00:17:04.079 --> 00:17:08.240 twenty million dollars seems to be excessive for for what 287 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:12.720 has been accomplished. Has anyone looked at that project and 288 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:15.839 those numbers closely? Do you feel that those numbers are 289 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:17.839 are accurate or are they? 290 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:22.279 You know, No, it's a great it's a great point. 291 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:25.640 I mean, and you know we're talking about one you know, 292 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:28.680 depending on the time of the year, one percent to 293 00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:33.680 possibly at most two percent of the populace that are 294 00:17:34.039 --> 00:17:38.519 riding regularly, you know, to and from work or from 295 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:40.799 you know, the place of business or school. And so, 296 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:42.640 you know, it's a lot of money and a lot 297 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:45.440 of congestion, a lot of headache, and we're seeing a 298 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:48.519 lot of safety issues that are coming out of that. 299 00:17:48.680 --> 00:17:52.119 For a small impact, but you know, I think it's 300 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:54.960 just a symbol of the type of spending that's going on. 301 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:59.400 And you know it for the City of Boston to 302 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:00.839 be in a position and where they think they have 303 00:18:00.960 --> 00:18:04.880 to make a Laconian measure on taxes right now speaks 304 00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:06.839 to one thing and one thing only. Let's out of 305 00:18:06.920 --> 00:18:07.640 control spending. 306 00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:12.160 Now. There was an article in The Herald a few 307 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:16.319 days ago about the chief financial officer in the city 308 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:24.799 who was brought into Boston from San Francisco. And in 309 00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:28.000 San Francisco they have run into all sorts of problems. 310 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:30.799 I mean that they have a myriad of problems. Worse 311 00:18:30.839 --> 00:18:33.880 than Boston. We have Mass and Cass They have the 312 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:38.039 Tenderloin district. And as bad as masson Cass is it 313 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:42.880 dwarfs in comparison to the Tenderloin district. However, San Francisco 314 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:48.319 under the chief financial officer that Mayor Woo brought into 315 00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:53.720 Boston ran into some pretty serious financial problems. It wasn't, 316 00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:00.480 from what I can understand, the greatest performance. And Ashley 317 00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:06.359 Grothenberger is now the mayor's chief financial officer and according 318 00:19:06.400 --> 00:19:10.200 to Joe Battenfeld, she pers presided over San Francisco's out 319 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:14.319 of control budget, which now faces fifteen percent across the 320 00:19:14.359 --> 00:19:19.920 board cuts to deal with an estimated one billion dollar deficit. 321 00:19:23.240 --> 00:19:24.599 Are we headed in that direction? 322 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.559 Well, I hope not, and it's going to require you know, 323 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:34.000 accountability across the board. But what I say, it's also 324 00:19:34.200 --> 00:19:37.119 a cautionary tale. If we don't get things under control, 325 00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:40.319 that's what can happen, and that affects government services. And 326 00:19:41.319 --> 00:19:44.279 that's not what is the case right now, but if 327 00:19:44.279 --> 00:19:46.480 it continues down this path, it could be. We don't 328 00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:50.319 want that to happen. So that's why the appropriate measures 329 00:19:50.319 --> 00:19:52.960 should be taken place. And we do have a robust 330 00:19:53.079 --> 00:19:55.480 rainy day fund, you know that was developed over the 331 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:59.359 course of time to the previous administrations that really you know, 332 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:01.960 built that up in the triple A bond rating that 333 00:20:02.680 --> 00:20:06.359 the current administration inherited. But I think it does speak 334 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:09.359 to also a costs every tail, but what not to do. 335 00:20:09.720 --> 00:20:12.519 The city continues to want to run the MBTA, that's 336 00:20:12.559 --> 00:20:16.319 not a good idea because it costs a fortune to 337 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:18.839 do that, and that's what San Francisco decided to do, 338 00:20:18.960 --> 00:20:21.960 take on their transit system, and that that takes a 339 00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.960 ton of resources out of there, out of their budget. 340 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:28.920 So that's not a good idea. But we also look 341 00:20:28.920 --> 00:20:31.559 at other places like Chicago and what they've had to do. 342 00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:37.440 This mayor recently was a progressive mayor as well, said listen, 343 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:41.559 we're going to make cuts and some modifications, and we're 344 00:20:41.599 --> 00:20:46.759 going to, you know, trim some of our budget proposal 345 00:20:47.079 --> 00:20:50.000 and find some savings to suit a sixty million dollars 346 00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:53.440 so we don't have to raise property taxes on bus 347 00:20:53.480 --> 00:20:56.240 storm years. And that's what they just did. 348 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:01.960 Are you talking about what the mayor in Chicago did? 349 00:21:02.000 --> 00:21:03.279 I just want to make sure I'm clear of this. 350 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:06.759 Yes, the mayor of Chicago. So while San Francisco just 351 00:21:06.759 --> 00:21:09.319 said we're going across the board fifteen percent, the mayor 352 00:21:09.319 --> 00:21:13.240 of Chicago decided to proactively not after he passes budget, 353 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:15.640 but prior to pass the budget. That was delayed. Okay, 354 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:18.799 we're going to make you know, sixty to seventy million 355 00:21:18.839 --> 00:21:23.039 dollars in cuts and find find find savings so we 356 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:27.200 don't have to raise property taxes on residents. So they 357 00:21:27.400 --> 00:21:29.680 made that prudent move, so it's all doable. 358 00:21:30.359 --> 00:21:34.480 Okay. My guest is a state Senator. Nick Collins represents 359 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:38.279 big swath of Boston has been in a battle with 360 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:42.079 Mayor Wu again, a battle of the budget, if you will, 361 00:21:42.160 --> 00:21:46.119 fiscal battle. I know that it is not something that 362 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:48.920 is easy to talk about on the radio, but I 363 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:52.039 hope enough of you understand it. If you have a 364 00:21:52.119 --> 00:21:55.839 question for Senator Collins, you're more than welcome if you 365 00:21:55.960 --> 00:22:00.799 want to raise the concern that you have. We're now 366 00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:03.880 in the year twenty twenty five, which I will remind 367 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:07.119 you is an election year for the mayor and for 368 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:10.440 the city councils. Here in Boston. The mayor stands every 369 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:13.880 four years for reelection or for election city council every 370 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:17.640 two years, so there will be a mayor's fight here 371 00:22:17.720 --> 00:22:22.160 in Massachusetts. In Boston, I should say this year, you 372 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:27.480 have to wonder with the state of the financers that 373 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:33.720 Nick Collins is is talking about. Uh, if maybe he 374 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:36.400 or someone else is going to stand up and challenge 375 00:22:36.440 --> 00:22:38.839 and this might become the critical issue in this campaign. 376 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:41.240 We're going to talk about that. We'll take your phone 377 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:44.359 call six one seven, two four thirty six one seven, 378 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:47.519 nine three one ten thirty. You don't have to be 379 00:22:47.559 --> 00:22:49.920 a Bostonian to call in, but if you're a Bostonian, 380 00:22:49.960 --> 00:22:52.039 this is something that you should be concerned about. Coming 381 00:22:52.079 --> 00:22:54.599 back on night Side right after the break for the 382 00:22:54.680 --> 00:22:57.200 nine thirty news a couple of minutes late. Apologize for that. 383 00:22:57.359 --> 00:22:58.559 Be back right after the news. 384 00:23:00.079 --> 00:23:06.200 It's Boston's news radio. 385 00:23:06.319 --> 00:23:08.880 That is a horrible story. Leave a dog with a bowl. 386 00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:12.599 There are people who just should not own animals as 387 00:23:12.599 --> 00:23:15.319 far as as far as I'm concerned. Anyway, we're talking 388 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:21.279 with State Senator Nick Collins about a financial problem that 389 00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:27.039 he has identified. It was interesting, Senator, that you were 390 00:23:27.160 --> 00:23:32.160 able to, I believe, convince majority of your colleagues in 391 00:23:32.279 --> 00:23:36.880 the Massachusetts State Senate, mostly Democrats, not to support the 392 00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:40.440 Mayor of Boston. When I first heard about this, I 393 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:42.759 thought to myself, well, you know, the Mayor of Boston 394 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:46.599 will get her way at the legislature. How were you 395 00:23:46.680 --> 00:23:50.640 able to convince your colleagues most of them were also Democrats, 396 00:23:50.680 --> 00:23:53.279 and by the way, some of them very progressive Democrats 397 00:23:53.920 --> 00:24:00.599 that on this argument you had the better the better argument, Well. 398 00:24:01.440 --> 00:24:05.559 I think the important thing is, you know, we don't 399 00:24:05.559 --> 00:24:09.680 make policy and policy on matters of consequence without data 400 00:24:09.720 --> 00:24:11.640 to back it up. And I think there was a 401 00:24:11.640 --> 00:24:14.759