2018 MA Governor's race: on Technology
Charlie Baker:
My job is to make sure the T works, not to ride it
Commuters on the MBTA should not expect to see Gov. Charlie Baker among the straphangers anytime soon. Responding to a frustrated MBTA rider who called in during a radio appearance, Baker said he is focused on improving the reliability of the MBTA
system but views it as his job to "make sure folks like you can have a reliable and predictable trip," not necessarily to ride it himself.Baker, who is driven from event to event by his State Police detail and has previously declined to participate
in the T-riding challenge, doubled down on his decision: "The governor is not a point-to-point person. It's very rare that I go from one place to the same place more than once, and that makes it extremely hard to think about how to factor that in,"
Baker said. "And frankly, I really do believe that my job is to make sure that we make the T work for the people who need it to work. Period."
Source: The Metro on 2018 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Mar 8, 2018
Jay Gonzalez:
Accepted challenge to ride the T for 5 days
Commuters on the MBTA should not expect to see Gov. Charlie Baker among the straphangers anytime soon. Responding to a frustrated MBTA rider who called in during a radio appearance, Baker said he is focused on improving the reliability of the MBTA
system but views it as his job to "make sure folks like you can have a reliable and predictable trip," not necessarily to ride it himself.Democrat Jay Gonzalez--who is hoping to be the party's nominee for governor this fall--commuted from
Baker's Swampscott home to the State House earlier this week as part of a social media challenge to public officials to take the T for at least five days.
Gonzalez, who said he would occasionally take the T if elected governor,
responded to the governor's radio appearance in a tweet. "I took what would be his commute on public transportation earlier this week," Gonzalez wrote. "Not sure what he is afraid of."
Source: The Metro on 2018 Massachusetts Gubernatorial race
Mar 8, 2018
Setti Warren:
Supports MBTA extension plus high-speed East-West Rail
Investment in Transportation Infrastructure including opposition to Baker's Privatization Schemes- From my Twitter: Hitting Baker's Failures at MBTA: ".no new revenue and privatization is not working."
- Commitment to the Blue Line
Extension to Lynn: (in Lynn Daily Item): "We would endorse his vision, his common sense, his fortitude, and his ability to listen to what Lynn needs. Warren came to Lynn one week ago to underscore why he thinks a Blue Line extension running from
Wonderland to Lynn makes sense."
- (From MassLive): A public commitment--and a proposal--to build East-West Rail
- Facebook posting on Amazon Connection: (citing Worcester Business Journal): "I propose that Amazon locate its second
headquarters in Worcester, in the heart of the Commonwealth, and that Amazon and the Commonwealth work together to fund the construction of a bullet train connecting Western Massachusetts with Boston."
Source: ORMA questionnaire on 2018 Massachusetts governor race
Dec 20, 2017
Jay Gonzalez:
Don't just re-arrange deck chairs on Transportation Titanic
It's time to get serious about our transportation system. We need a Governor who will be honest about what needs to be done, and who will be courageous enough to do it. If all we do is rearrange the chairs on the deck of the Transportation Titanic,
all we will get is more efficient seating on a sinking ship.That's why I support the Fair Share Tax, which would ask people who make over $1 million a year to pay more in income taxes to fund investments in transportation and education.
The tax would generate an additional $2 billion per year.
We desperately need new revenue for our transportation system.
The condition of our transportation infrastructure and commute times in Massachusetts are among the worst in the country, and they are getting worse under the Baker Administration.
Source: 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign website jay4ma.com
Dec 12, 2017
Setti Warren:
Build cross-state rail service
Mayor Warren said, "I believe that people making $20,000 a week, in our state, can afford to pay a little bit more to reinvest that in transportation and education."
Mayor Warren supports an east to west rail service. He said the Commonwealth needs one, and that can only happen by providing transportation from one end of the state to the other, which he feels will strengthen our economy.
Source: WWLP coverage of 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial race
Aug 4, 2017
Setti Warren:
Reconstruct roadways; establish innovation centers
- Setti has focused on upgrading Newton's roads and sidewalks to remedy years of neglect, reconstructing 50 miles of roadway since 2013. Moving forward, Newton will be implementing new technology to improve traffic signalling and alleviate
traffic congestion.
- In 2013, Setti partnered with the Town of Needham and the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber to establish the N2˙Innovation District as an attractive place for technology companies to do business.
Newton is increasingly becoming a place where talent, innovation, and community converge to support a vibrant, entrepreneurial economy.
- In 2016, Setti partnered with MassChallenge to open the Newton Innovation Center (NIC), a startup-friendly
collaborative workspace. The NIC offers programming, networking events, and internship programs. With over 60 startups currently working out of the NIC, its success demonstrates how Newton and other suburbs can be a hub for innovation.
Source: 2018 Massachusetts governor campaign website SettiWarren.com
Jun 1, 2017
Setti Warren:
Public transportation systems are underfunded
Setti Warren believes the ability to move around the Commonwealth with reasonable speed and at reasonable cost is essential to addressing the challenges of economic inequality. Constant traffic, underfunded public transportation systems and crumbling
roads and bridges are not just an inconvenience, they are an impediment to opportunity. Creating more good jobs where people live will help lighten the load on highways and public transportation.
We need a strategy to make sure that regional transportation authorities are able to meet the needs of the people of the Commonwealth.
We must commit to projects like extending the Blue Line to Lynn, building a bullet train from Springfield to Boston, and repairing our underfunded roads and bridges. We cannot wait 20 years to get this done.
Source: 2018 Massachusetts governor campaign website SettiWarren.com
Jun 1, 2017
Charlie Baker:
Lynn ferry service wasn't worth the $700,000 operating cost
Democratic gubernatorial Democratic gubernatorial candidate Setti Warren promised to revitalize the city by reinstating ferry service and extending the
Blue Line. "There's no reason why we can't put ferry service back to Lynn," he said. "It ran for two summers until it was cut.
We need to restore it so people can get in and out of the city and expand transportation."The ferry from the Blossom Street Ferry Terminal in Lynn to Boston's Seaport operated a pilot program in 2014 and 2015.
But the service was decommissioned last summer by the Baker administration, which argued it didn't generate enough riders to justify the $700,000 in state funds annually to operate it.
Source: Lynn Daily Item on 2018 Massachusetts gubernatorial race
May 26, 2017
Jay Gonzalez:
High-speed rail between Springfield and Boston
Gonzalez voiced support building high-speed rail between Springfield and Boston. That project, among other infrastructure improvements, should be a priority, he said, citing his work on former Gov. Deval Patrick's $3 billion bridge repair initiative in
2008. "The Western part of the state has gotten the shaft for decades when it comes to transportation funding," Gonzalez said. "I'm committed to being governor of this whole state."
Source: MassLive.com on 2018 Massachusetts governor race
Apr 3, 2017
Page last updated: Dec 11, 2018