WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.480 --> 00:00:05.519 It's Night Side with Dan Ray. I'm WBZY, Boston's new radio. 2 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:10.720 All right, nine o'clock, just about to start here on 3 00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:13.119 night Side. You've arrived just in time. My name is 4 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.920 Dan Ray, and we are going to talk a little 5 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:21.800 politics with a favorite guest of ours, Massachusetts State Senator 6 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:25.000 Peter Durant. Peter, Welcome to Nightside. How are you, sir. 7 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:28.839 I'm doing well. Thanks for having me on, Dan Well. 8 00:00:29.640 --> 00:00:32.439 I followed the news, of course, like everyone else does, 9 00:00:32.520 --> 00:00:34.799 and you've been in the news a little bit the 10 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:38.920 last few days, and it looks like you're at least 11 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:43.719 thinking about the possibility of running for governor a year 12 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.439 and a half or so from now, in twenty twenty six. 13 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:50.799 I don't expect you to make an announcement here on Nightside, 14 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:54.000 but I love to know what goes through the mind 15 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:58.920 of a politician like yourself who's been very successful. I mean, 16 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:02.079 you're elected as a member of the Republican Party in 17 00:01:02.119 --> 00:01:06.560 a state that's a Democratic state, overwhelmingly as a state representative, 18 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:10.599 and then you stepped up a little bit challenged for 19 00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:14.719 a Senate seat, which is a more exclusive group the Senate, 20 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:17.920 for those who don't know, in Massachusetts, only has forty 21 00:01:17.959 --> 00:01:20.280 members in the House has one hundred and sixty members. 22 00:01:20.319 --> 00:01:24.560 So now you're in, you know, kind of a obviously 23 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:30.319 an equivocal branch of the legislation of the legislature, but 24 00:01:30.439 --> 00:01:34.079 it's senators a little bit more little. 25 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:36.200 You represent more communities, all of that. 26 00:01:36.319 --> 00:01:39.480 And now, I don't know what it appears to me 27 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:41.400 that you're thinking about maybe. 28 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:48.120 A statewide run. How do you process that you and 29 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:49.040 for your family? 30 00:01:49.879 --> 00:01:53.200 Yeah, it's a really good question. Sometimes I ask myself 31 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:59.280 that same thing, you know, Dan, Yeah, we're thinking about it. 32 00:01:59.359 --> 00:02:03.200 But as you point out, it's it's a process. And 33 00:02:03.560 --> 00:02:05.120 I mean I think, first of all, of course, it 34 00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:09.800 starts with, you know, asking yourself, do you do you like? 35 00:02:10.120 --> 00:02:11.199 Do you like what you see? 36 00:02:11.319 --> 00:02:11.439 Right? 37 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:14.879 And obviously the answer to that is no, And not 38 00:02:15.000 --> 00:02:18.439 just because I'm a Republican and the governor's a Democrat, 39 00:02:18.479 --> 00:02:20.319 but you know, I don't think we see a lot 40 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:23.000 of leadership in the corner office at this time, and 41 00:02:23.039 --> 00:02:25.039 I don't think we have for a couple of years now. 42 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:28.000 So you know, you start to ask yourself questions, you say, 43 00:02:28.039 --> 00:02:30.199 do you think you can do a better job? Right? 44 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:32.759 You know, my wife once said to me that you know, 45 00:02:32.840 --> 00:02:35.199 you can't complain and not do anything about it. And 46 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.840 so you know, you kind of start having those conversations 47 00:02:38.840 --> 00:02:41.800 with your wife and with your with your supporters, with 48 00:02:41.879 --> 00:02:45.319 your with your team, and you start to you start 49 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:49.039 to think about if it's possible or not. And it's 50 00:02:49.080 --> 00:02:52.280 not an easy it's not an easy question to answer, 51 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:57.599 you know. It's it's a big undertaking. It involves every 52 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:01.080 waking hour of your time if we decide to do it, 53 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:04.919 and it involves a ton of money. And so it's 54 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:07.599 there's a lot of different factors that go into it. 55 00:03:07.680 --> 00:03:10.759 It's it's, uh, it's got so many different moving parts, 56 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:11.000 you know. 57 00:03:11.439 --> 00:03:11.599 Uh. 58 00:03:11.879 --> 00:03:14.439 But I always do say people always asking me, they 59 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:16.039 ask me the same thing all the time, and you say, oh, 60 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:18.319 what's next for you? You know? And at one point 61 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:20.039 we saw that it was the Senate. You know this, 62 00:03:20.199 --> 00:03:21.800 this looks like a good thing to do, and it 63 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:23.800 looks like we can go there, so we'll give it 64 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.120 a shot. And but I always used to say to 65 00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:29.080 people is when they ask that question, what's next for you? 66 00:03:29.120 --> 00:03:31.439 I always used to say, I don't know, but we'll 67 00:03:31.439 --> 00:03:34.319 know it when we see it. And so we're kind 68 00:03:34.360 --> 00:03:37.639 of wondering if we see it right now, and you know, 69 00:03:37.960 --> 00:03:40.960 in some days, you know, some days you think, oh, yeah, definitely, 70 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:42.599 and then other days you're like, oh yeah, are you nuts? 71 00:03:42.680 --> 00:03:43.319 You can't do this? 72 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:46.400 So with Bill Hammer and a lot of those things. 73 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:50.439 Though, let me put this in some perspective for our listeners, 74 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:53.759 because this is I think fascinating to talk to someone 75 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:58.680 who is contemplating something like this. When you're a state representative, 76 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:01.960 you represented? How how many communities there are three hundred 77 00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:04.400 and fifty one cities and towns in Massachusetts. How much 78 00:04:04.439 --> 00:04:06.560 did you represent when you were a state representative. 79 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:11.120 As state rep I represented four districts, four towns. 80 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:14.360 Did that district ever change during the time you were 81 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:16.279 a member of the House of Representatives or did it 82 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:18.199 say stable it? 83 00:04:18.319 --> 00:04:20.920 Surprisingly, it only changed because I came in in a 84 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:23.800 special election in twenty eleven. We were going through a 85 00:04:23.800 --> 00:04:28.319 redistricting year, so I literally spent six months in that 86 00:04:28.360 --> 00:04:30.759 district and then it changed. But that was it. It 87 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:33.199 hadn't changed in the next reistrict, so I pretty much 88 00:04:33.240 --> 00:04:35.519 did the same for the next twelve years. 89 00:04:35.800 --> 00:04:39.000 So what were the communities that you represented as a 90 00:04:39.040 --> 00:04:39.680 member of the House. 91 00:04:41.120 --> 00:04:44.240 As a member of the House. I represented Spencer, Charlton, Dudley, 92 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:45.079 and Salthbridge. 93 00:04:46.040 --> 00:04:49.160 Did you pick all of those towns up when you 94 00:04:49.240 --> 00:04:50.399 became a state senator? 95 00:04:50.519 --> 00:04:53.439 Were they all member? Were they all part of your 96 00:04:53.480 --> 00:04:54.480 new Senate district? 97 00:04:55.480 --> 00:05:00.000 No, only my hometown of Spencer was, so I have Yeah, 98 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:04.040 twenty to the Senate district is twenty two towns. Only 99 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:07.120 Spencer was part of that. So yeah, so twenty two cities. 100 00:05:07.480 --> 00:05:11.560 Two cities in the twenty towns all brand new to me. 101 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:13.560 So which of the cities? 102 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:17.519 So it's Worcester, just a little piece of Worcester and 103 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:18.240 then Gardner. 104 00:05:18.680 --> 00:05:22.920 Okay, so you now, if you add in the towns 105 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:27.439 that you represented as a state representative with the other 106 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:30.959 towns you now have represented in the legislature over the 107 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:35.120 course of your career, twenty five of the three hundred 108 00:05:35.160 --> 00:05:37.560 and fifty one cities and towns in Massachusetts. 109 00:05:38.279 --> 00:05:38.360 Ye. 110 00:05:38.560 --> 00:05:43.199 So, I mean that's almost really ten percent of the state. 111 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:46.560 I mean, so you've represented a pretty good swath of Massachusetts. 112 00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:48.399 So that's interesting. 113 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:53.360 Republicans do better in central Massachusetts than they do out 114 00:05:53.560 --> 00:06:00.240 in the Berkshafts or Republican Okay, you do better on 115 00:06:00.319 --> 00:06:00.920 the Cape. 116 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:02.680 I learned. 117 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.439 Actually, I was watching an interview that Jake Congressman Jake 118 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:10.000 Auchincloss had done with The New York Times, And I 119 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:11.639 don't know if you're aware of this, but did you 120 00:06:11.720 --> 00:06:14.959 know that the city of Fall River, which is an 121 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:20.879 overwhelmingly Democratic city, actually voted for Donald Trump last fall 122 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:24.879 the first time, the first time that the city of 123 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:27.920 Fall River had voted for a Republican presidential candidate in 124 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:29.759 over one hundred years. 125 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:36.560 Yeah, it's it's pretty amazing. But in you're absolutely right, Dan, 126 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:42.079 and those kind of things factor in when you talk about, well, 127 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.319 when you talk about how in this presidential election, how 128 00:06:44.360 --> 00:06:48.040 this state did shift a little. Yeah, I think it 129 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:50.839 was the second most of any state in the country. 130 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:53.519 So I didn't realize yeah, okay. 131 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:57.199 Yeah, which is obviously he's still you know, President Trump 132 00:06:57.279 --> 00:06:59.600 still lost the state by a wide margin. I think 133 00:06:59.639 --> 00:07:04.439 you got forty two thirty eight percent. So he still 134 00:07:04.480 --> 00:07:06.839 lost by March, but he had he had moved it 135 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:10.560 by about eight points. And so you know, when you 136 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:12.519 when as you kind of go through this process, you 137 00:07:12.560 --> 00:07:14.480 think about that. And that's one of those things that 138 00:07:14.519 --> 00:07:17.120 you have to pay attention to, is that you're not 139 00:07:17.160 --> 00:07:20.199 living in a bubble, and Central Mass is a fairly 140 00:07:20.360 --> 00:07:23.000 red area, except for, of course, the city of Worcester, 141 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:27.759 but central Mass, Wincester County is pretty red. And you 142 00:07:27.800 --> 00:07:31.000 have to realize, as you just said, you know, everybody's 143 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:33.720 lives in Wister County, they live in Suffolk County, they 144 00:07:33.759 --> 00:07:37.079 live in Middlesex, and those are much bluer. You get 145 00:07:37.079 --> 00:07:38.800 some red areas, as you say, down in the Cape, 146 00:07:38.839 --> 00:07:40.879 in the south Shore, and then there's a there's a 147 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:43.120 good pocket up on the north Shore as well. But 148 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:46.120 you have to focus that in and one of the 149 00:07:46.160 --> 00:07:49.399 important things is is that you don't just you sit 150 00:07:49.480 --> 00:07:52.079 in this bubble. You know, I had a back when 151 00:07:52.120 --> 00:07:57.199 I started in politics. I had a political advisor that 152 00:07:57.279 --> 00:07:59.279 gave me the best advice, and they said, don't listen 153 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:02.160 to your friend, because your friends are going to tell 154 00:08:02.199 --> 00:08:04.639 you got this in the bag. Don't worry about it, 155 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:07.319 and it will cause you not to work. They said, Yo, 156 00:08:07.480 --> 00:08:10.720 listen to your friends. You just work and and win 157 00:08:10.800 --> 00:08:12.959 your race. And so you kind of have to be 158 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:15.279 careful of that. It's it's something that you have to 159 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:18.519 think about. And you know, remember too, Dan that my 160 00:08:18.600 --> 00:08:22.000 wife she ran for Lieutenant governor a couple of years ago, 161 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.519 so you know what that process is all about as well, 162 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:27.800 and it's it's consuming. 163 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:29.519 Oh I. 164 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:32.320 I always go back to the great story that Tip 165 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:34.919 O'Neil told many years ago that when he was a 166 00:08:34.919 --> 00:08:38.559 student at Boston College, his first bid for elective office 167 00:08:38.679 --> 00:08:41.960 I believe was for the school committee in the city 168 00:08:41.960 --> 00:08:46.240 of Cambridge. Uh, and he lost by a single vote. 169 00:08:46.879 --> 00:08:51.840 And I've heard this. I've never gone back and checked 170 00:08:51.919 --> 00:08:55.960 the records, and I hope that Tip wasn't wasn't telling it. 171 00:08:56.039 --> 00:08:58.799 As you know, I think it's a true story. So 172 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:02.360 he thanked the people on his street, went around the 173 00:09:02.440 --> 00:09:04.519 day after the election and thanked them all for voting 174 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:07.759 for him, including his next door neighbor who he thanked. 175 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:12.480 And his next door neighbor looked at then Tom O'Neill, 176 00:09:12.600 --> 00:09:15.759 who was probably twenty one years old sometime in the 177 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:19.600 nineteen thirties, and said, well, why do you think I 178 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:23.200 voted for you? And he said, well, I've known you 179 00:09:23.279 --> 00:09:26.440 my entire life, babysitter, I assumed you voted for me. 180 00:09:26.759 --> 00:09:28.840 She said, you never asked me to vote for you. 181 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.879 And Tip used to always tell that story, and again 182 00:09:34.440 --> 00:09:37.120 it was an allegory or whether it was actually the 183 00:09:37.960 --> 00:09:42.000 specific proof. So I think you ask people to vote 184 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:45.480 for you, and if you can't meet all six million 185 00:09:45.480 --> 00:09:48.799 people in the Commonwealth, but you can, you get out there. 186 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:49.399 So lit'st do this. 187 00:09:49.519 --> 00:09:53.000 I want to talk We'll put the conversation about a 188 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:55.559 potential campaign aside and I want to take a break. 189 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:58.480 And what I want to do is talk about the 190 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.279 stay of the Republican Party. And I want to talk 191 00:10:00.279 --> 00:10:03.600 about more Healey. Governor Healey. There are more and more 192 00:10:03.720 --> 00:10:07.600 stories every day that she's thinking about running for president 193 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:14.720 in twenty twenty eight. That adds another element to this formula, 194 00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:19.240 this equation, which yeah, so I want to talk about that. 195 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:21.440 And I also want to talk about how the legislature 196 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:24.519 is doing. And I want to talk about I'm assuming 197 00:10:24.600 --> 00:10:27.360 that you are not only in the minority as a Republican, 198 00:10:27.399 --> 00:10:30.080 but you're in the minority as a legislator. You're in 199 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:34.000 favor I assume of what the Democratic State Auditor Diana 200 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:37.039 Desauglio wants to do, which is to audit the books 201 00:10:37.080 --> 00:10:39.720 of both the House and the Senate. I assume, so 202 00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:42.200 I am I'm going to talk about some of that. Okay, 203 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:44.799 my guest is State Senator Peter Durant, if you like 204 00:10:44.840 --> 00:10:48.240 to talk to one of the forty members of the 205 00:10:48.279 --> 00:10:51.639 Massachusetts State Senator Senate, I should say, and there are 206 00:10:51.679 --> 00:10:56.720 now four Republicans now that cal has five five, Oh 207 00:10:56.759 --> 00:10:58.759 my goodness. 208 00:10:58.279 --> 00:11:01.080 Unbelievable to twenty percent boosts. 209 00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:04.360 It's enough for a caucus. I mean, five of five 210 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:07.080 of forty. That's okay. It's a it's a hearty band, 211 00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:08.720 that is for sure. Uh. 212 00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:12.440 And if you'd like to talk politics, you can do 213 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:14.679 that as well. Six one, seven, two, five, four ten 214 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:17.879 thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty Back 215 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:21.879 with Massachusetts State Senator Peter Durant, a Republican from Central 216 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:25.759 MASSACHUSETTSS district kind of between Gardner and Worcester, if you 217 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:28.159 know the geography of the state. And we'll be back 218 00:11:28.200 --> 00:11:30.919 on Nightside with more conversation with Peter Durrant. And I 219 00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:32.799 hope some phone calls from some of you back on 220 00:11:32.879 --> 00:11:33.799 nightside right after this. 221 00:11:34.559 --> 00:11:37.840 Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World. 222 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.039 Night Side Studios on. 223 00:11:39.240 --> 00:11:43.519 W b Z the news radio, My guess state Senator 224 00:11:43.559 --> 00:11:47.279 Massachusetts State Senator Peter Durrant, Republican who is at least 225 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:50.200 thinking about running for governor. I assume that there are 226 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:54.360 probably others. How important is it, Peter for the Republicans 227 00:11:54.399 --> 00:11:59.559 to have a legitimate contender in twenty twenty six to 228 00:12:00.159 --> 00:12:03.279 run against Governor Healey, who I'm sure wants to win 229 00:12:03.360 --> 00:12:09.120 reelection and maybe maybe use that as a launch a 230 00:12:09.200 --> 00:12:11.000 launch pad for a presidential campaign. 231 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:15.120 Sure, I mean, you know, look, that's what we're really 232 00:12:15.159 --> 00:12:17.720 focused on, is making sure that we put the best 233 00:12:17.720 --> 00:12:20.720 person forward. You know, one of the things I've said 234 00:12:20.799 --> 00:12:23.639 is is that, you know, Dan, I don't have to 235 00:12:23.639 --> 00:12:25.440 be the leader. I don't have to be the governor. 236 00:12:25.559 --> 00:12:28.559 Let's find who out who the best person can be. 237 00:12:29.120 --> 00:12:29.159 It. 238 00:12:29.320 --> 00:12:31.279 If it ends up being me, okay, then we're going 239 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:32.799 to go in. We're going to be one hundred percent 240 00:12:32.879 --> 00:12:36.759 behind this. But you know, Massachusetts has had a history 241 00:12:36.759 --> 00:12:41.279 of electing Republican governors. They actually the people of Massachusetts 242 00:12:41.320 --> 00:12:44.679 have historically said we like a little bit of divided 243 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:49.159 government where we have a fiscally conservative governor and then 244 00:12:49.320 --> 00:12:54.240 the legislature itself is a balance of more liberal priorities. 245 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:57.799 And it has worked. It's worked. Look, we've only had 246 00:12:57.840 --> 00:13:02.919 two demo credit governors in the past thirty years, and 247 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:07.240 so that's something that Massachusetts does. Like, our job as 248 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:08.879 a party is to make sure that we put the 249 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:11.840 best person forward. We find out who that is there are, 250 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:14.120 you know, and I've talked to the other candidates as well, 251 00:13:14.200 --> 00:13:16.399 or at least the other people who have expressed interest, 252 00:13:16.600 --> 00:13:19.399 and you know, there's gonna be a primary and we'll 253 00:13:19.440 --> 00:13:22.679 all figure out how it works. But but yeah, it's 254 00:13:23.399 --> 00:13:26.759 this is the number one thing. We have an opportunity 255 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:29.720 here to take back the corner office and more. Heally, 256 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:34.240 you're right, it certainly appears that she's trying to elevate 257 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:38.360 her national profile. She I mean, you know, it only 258 00:13:38.399 --> 00:13:41.080 makes sense that that means she wants to run for president. 259 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:45.159 But I don't know how that works because if you're 260 00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:49.039 going around touting some kind of Massachusetts miracle as the 261 00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:51.840 governor right now, I would say that makes it kind 262 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:55.840 of tone death if you don't see what's actually going 263 00:13:55.879 --> 00:13:58.480 on around you, and you're going to go out to 264 00:13:58.600 --> 00:14:01.759 America and say, hey, let's make America like Massachusetts said, 265 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:03.399 I think he's going to have a problem. 266 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:06.480 Well, I will say this. I mean there's been a 267 00:14:06.480 --> 00:14:10.399 lot of recent in recent years. I mean, the last 268 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:15.679 president from Massachusetts we've had you know several, both of 269 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:19.840 the Adages and President Kennedy, and there's been one or 270 00:14:19.840 --> 00:14:22.840 two others along the way. But if you go back 271 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:27.000 in the last few years, Governor Ducacus, you know failed. 272 00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:30.559 You know, he was at a tough time running because 273 00:14:31.080 --> 00:14:33.039 Ronald Reagan had done a great job in my opinion, 274 00:14:33.120 --> 00:14:34.399 as President of the United States. 275 00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:35.840 Argey was for a change. 276 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:39.480 He lost to a Brigan's vice president George Bush. But 277 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:42.279 then you know, Ted Kennedy has certainly looked at it, 278 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:44.639 looked at it. In nineteen eighty he couldn't beat Jimmy 279 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:50.120 Carter the Democratic primary. Paul Songus, John Kerry. I think 280 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:52.720 Deval Patrick thought about running for it, although I don't 281 00:14:52.759 --> 00:14:55.240 think he ever. He may have formally announced for it, 282 00:14:55.279 --> 00:15:00.799 but he didn't stay in it long. But so Massachusetts 283 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:03.960 is not a state that has turned out presidents, have 284 00:15:04.080 --> 00:15:07.759 turned out Democratic presidential candidates. And of course mid Romney 285 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.080 also from Massachusetts on the other side of the aisle, 286 00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:12.279 he took a shot at it and that didn't work 287 00:15:12.320 --> 00:15:16.200 too well, as did Paul Songers, Member Senator Sungus in too. 288 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:21.480 So so yeah, it's it's I if I would advise 289 00:15:21.559 --> 00:15:23.559 it to Governor Heay I would say, be careful what 290 00:15:23.600 --> 00:15:27.919 you wish for, because you never know. So let's talk 291 00:15:27.960 --> 00:15:30.360 what sort of a rating would you give her? Is 292 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:32.240 there any areas that you feel she's. 293 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:32.679 Done well in? 294 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:37.519 Well, if you're gonna if we change that around and say, 295 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:41.080 are there any areas that she's done well in? I 296 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:42.799 think one of the things that we can point to 297 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:47.399 is an appointment of filling over at the NBTA. I 298 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:50.639 think I think Phil's doing a fairly good job over there. 299 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:54.480 It's a it's an enormous task with an agency that's 300 00:15:54.559 --> 00:15:57.039 just been plagued with problems, as you know, over the years, 301 00:15:57.559 --> 00:15:59.639 and and so I think Phil's been doing a good job. 302 00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:02.759 I think he's he's doing the best job that he 303 00:16:02.799 --> 00:16:06.039 can with the system that he has. So I think 304 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:08.840 we could point to something like that, But I just 305 00:16:08.879 --> 00:16:13.240 see so many other problems than that that go along 306 00:16:13.360 --> 00:16:17.600 with what more Healy's doing. She she stumbles from crisis 307 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:22.679 to crisis and seemingly doesn't see something coming until it's 308 00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:26.639 upon us. We just, you know, just looked recently at 309 00:16:26.679 --> 00:16:31.159 the electric rates going through the roof. I mean, we 310 00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:34.360 knew this was coming. These rates were put in place 311 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:37.320 in November, and we all knew they were coming. Yet 312 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:40.240 they show up and it's, oh my god, what's going 313 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:42.559 what's going on? I demand to know why the raisers 314 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:44.120 are really. 315 00:16:44.639 --> 00:16:46.440 Here's the thing that it was interesting And here's the 316 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:48.399 thing was really interesting to me about that when she 317 00:16:48.399 --> 00:16:53.000 she basically told the commissioners to lower the rates five 318 00:16:53.080 --> 00:16:59.399 percent for all utility providers, and the utilities get back 319 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:03.000 and said, will lower the rates ten percent. I mean, 320 00:17:03.840 --> 00:17:06.960 it was like I actually felt that she would have 321 00:17:07.000 --> 00:17:10.799 been smarter and she wouldn't take it. Didn't take my advice, 322 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:13.599 but I advised her on the air. I think she 323 00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:16.160 should have asked for the resignations of those three DPU 324 00:17:16.160 --> 00:17:19.240 commissioners and said, you know, thank you for your service, 325 00:17:20.279 --> 00:17:25.920 but based upon this debacle of this winter, I don't 326 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:28.000 I don't think that we need your. 327 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:30.440 Service next year. And I would I would, I would 328 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:31.519 ask them to resign. 329 00:17:32.160 --> 00:17:34.480 Was that something that you might have considered if you 330 00:17:34.559 --> 00:17:36.119 had been in the corner office? 331 00:17:37.319 --> 00:17:40.480 Well, you know, it's honestly hard to put myself into 332 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:43.799 that positions too, but you're right. Here's the thing is 333 00:17:43.799 --> 00:17:46.400 is those rates were approved, right, it was a thirty 334 00:17:46.440 --> 00:17:50.559 plus percent increase in rates that were approved by the DPW. 335 00:17:50.680 --> 00:17:54.759 Now she controls the DPW, so and so she should 336 00:17:54.839 --> 00:17:58.240 she could have done that. But and look at that 337 00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:00.960 when she said we're going to do I demand to 338 00:18:01.079 --> 00:18:03.839 be reduced by five percent. Remember what the next sentence 339 00:18:04.039 --> 00:18:07.519 was was, but you can get it back in the summer. 340 00:18:07.920 --> 00:18:10.000 Absolutely, So it's a it's. 341 00:18:12.039 --> 00:18:15.160 By the way, with interest, So I might as well 342 00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:16.759 just put I might as well just put my electric 343 00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:18.920 bill on my credit card because it's the same thing. 344 00:18:19.480 --> 00:18:23.079 So your your solution to lowering rates was to actually 345 00:18:23.079 --> 00:18:27.720 make people pay more. So that really made no sense 346 00:18:27.759 --> 00:18:30.240 to me. But at the end of the day, Dan, 347 00:18:30.359 --> 00:18:32.720 one of the things, look, you got to go back 348 00:18:32.759 --> 00:18:35.440 to why are the rates going up so high? 349 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:35.720 Now? 350 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:38.920 Again, rates are set based on the previous winter and 351 00:18:39.160 --> 00:18:40.000 things of that nature. 352 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:40.519 It was cold. 353 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:42.880 I get all of that. But at the root of 354 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:47.000 this matter is the fact that more Healy was very 355 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.240 proud to say two years ago that she stopped to 356 00:18:50.640 --> 00:18:55.920 natural gas pipelines from coming into the state. The state relies. 357 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:59.240 There's the state. It's seventy five percent of its energy 358 00:18:59.880 --> 00:19:04.359 or it's electricity from natural gas. And so when you 359 00:19:04.440 --> 00:19:08.279 have a cold winter, gas gets prioritized to go to 360 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:11.519 the people get a little wonky, but gas gets prioritized 361 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:16.079 for the houses first, for heating, which means the utility companies, 362 00:19:16.200 --> 00:19:18.720 the generators you have a tougher time getting them, which 363 00:19:18.759 --> 00:19:21.880 of course makes the price go up. It's not rocket science. 364 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.960 So we need those natural gas pipelines to come into 365 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.519 this state so we can actually have reasonable rates. 366 00:19:28.720 --> 00:19:33.480 But yeah, she played to the NIMBI people, not in 367 00:19:33.480 --> 00:19:36.119 my backyard. I want my house warm in the winter, 368 00:19:36.200 --> 00:19:38.880 and I want my house the rates as low as 369 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:41.039 they can be, But I don't want a pipeline anywhere 370 00:19:41.079 --> 00:19:41.400 near me. 371 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:43.799 Uh. We're going to take a quick break here for 372 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:45.319 the news at the bottom of the hour, and we're 373 00:19:45.319 --> 00:19:47.119 going to talk a little bit more about that. Have 374 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:49.640 you ever looked at the the biographies of these three 375 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:51.839 DPU commissioners, by any chances to Peter. 376 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:54.319 I have not try it. Try it. 377 00:19:55.720 --> 00:20:01.599 Only one of them has any potential connection educationally or 378 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:05.599 geographically with Massachusetts. It's it's an interesting when you look 379 00:20:05.640 --> 00:20:10.599 at their bios. They are truly well from out of state. 380 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:17.680 And I still think that that when you look at 381 00:20:17.680 --> 00:20:21.160 the bios, you say to yourself, now, Baker appointed one, 382 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:25.160 and I think Heiley has appointed two. But I think 383 00:20:25.200 --> 00:20:28.680 that you should have done somethings and shown some leadership 384 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:31.359 and said, Okay, thank you very much for your service. 385 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:33.599 We appreciate it. That's that's what I was thinking. 386 00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:39.000 And you know, Dan, as a leader, the most important 387 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:42.440 thing you can do is surround yourself with people who 388 00:20:42.480 --> 00:20:43.960 are smart at what they do. 389 00:20:44.160 --> 00:20:44.319 Right. 390 00:20:44.720 --> 00:20:49.240 I always say that my team, you know, I always 391 00:20:49.359 --> 00:20:50.960 I always say that they're the ones that make me 392 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:52.839 look good. They know what they're doing and they make 393 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:57.119 me look good. You put people into positions so that 394 00:20:57.759 --> 00:21:00.400 they're the experts, they're the ones who know do and 395 00:21:00.440 --> 00:21:03.319 you manage them. And we just don't see that happening here. 396 00:21:04.240 --> 00:21:06.640 Yeah, let me take a quick break. I got a newscast. 397 00:21:06.720 --> 00:21:10.480 We'll talk more about that, uh, and talk about the 398 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:13.039 other problems that you see that need to be addressed, 399 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:16.240 what your priorities would be, if indeed you did decide 400 00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:19.319 that you wanted to take the next big step. We'll 401 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:23.079