Keller: Top Dems are talking tough, and losing

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Top local Democrats are talking tough these days when it comes to dealing with the Trump administration. “Boston will not back down from who we are and what we stand for,” said Mayor Michelle Wu the other day. “We cannot let this happen,” said Gov. Maura Healey last spring of proposed federal health care cuts. “We are fighting back.”

And losing.

Last Friday’s announcement from the federal Department of Transportation that it will cancel $34 million in funding for the Salem Wind Port Project (at a projected cost of 800 jobs) is just the latest budget-slashing decision out of DC that threatens to leave Massachusetts’ plans for economic growth bleeding out on the sidewalk. Everywhere you look – the “eds and meds” education and health care industries that have been our seed corn for generations, clean energy, biotech – we’re hemorrhaging, in some cases due to broader economic trends, in most due to the far-right’s war on modernity.

Consider the sad sight of Healey’s 2023 inaugural address, and her now-shredded blueprint for the “Massachusetts economy for the future.”

Healey vowed to “double our offshore wind and solar targets,” and committed to “making climate innovation our…next frontier.” That won’t be happening if US Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy gets his way.

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MassDOT is rushing a secretive 35-year lease with Applegreen, despite inflated numbers, weak financials, and better alternatives. KPMG flagged serious flaws, yet the deal moves forward. Public oversight is missing, and $900M in rent is at risk. Legislators must act now. Before signing away public assets for decades, the MassDOT Board must pause and review. Learn more.

1:00 | The Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources holds a public hearing on 30 bills dealing with climate change, energy and environmental justice. A Sen. Bruce Tarr proposal (S 637) calls for state environmental officials to develop the New England Fusion Research Compact, which would work on a plan and obtain regulatory approvals to operate at least one nuclear fusion reactor. | Room A-1, State House, Boston | Agenda and Livestream

6:15 | The USS Constitution Museum hosts an event featuring NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Navy Captain Sunita Williams in conversation with WBUR’s Meghna Chakrabarti as part of its Leadership Forum series. Media can RSVP to [email protected]. | Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown

7:00 | Mayor Michelle Wu and challengers Josh Kraft, Robert Capucci and Domingos DaRosa participate in a candidate forum held by the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and Boston Ministerial Alliance TenPoint Coalition, Inc. | Bethel AME Church, 100 Wachusett St., Jamaica Plain

Top Democratic Party officials in Massachusetts joined several thousand union members at a Boston rally Monday, swapping out an annual downtown breakfast for a parade that started at the State House and ended at City Hall. But plenty of red meat was still served up by Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, among others, who leaned into the theme of “workers over billionaires.”

Wu, who is facing off against Josh Kraft, the son of billionaire owner of the New England Patriots, used the rally to press her message that Kraft is seeking to “buy the election.” Money has been a recurring plot element in the mayoral election saga, with heavy-spending super PACs pulling in donations from unions supporting Wu and wealthy individuals with ties to the Kraft family. Kraft has comparatively drawn more limited labor support – his endorsements come from ironworkers, longshoremen, and laborers – and he had more of a low-key presence on the sidelines of the rally.

Trump was also a rhetorical target. Pressley called him a “fascist-in-chief [who] is attacking working families” and Healey put out a statement before the rally co-signed by the governors of New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Jersey. The statement criticized the Trump administration’s tilt against the offshore wind industry, which governors said employs thousands of workers, many of them union members.

The Trump White House, for its part, issued a Labor Day press release touting their cuts to regulations that they argue will lead to employers creating new jobs, and hailing a law with provisions that call for “no tax on tips and no tax on overtime,” which could save some workers $1,500 per year. — Gintautas Dumcius

MAPPING OUT A RUN: Alan Leventhal, the former ambassador to Denmark and a longtime real estate investment CEO, is weighing a run for governor in 2026. PR magnate George Regan said Leventhal, who is the son of developer Norman Leventhal, is “talking to a lot of people.” – Boston Herald

BLUEHUB CAPITAL CASE:  On CommonWealth Beacon’s Codcast with reporter Jennifer Smith, BlueHub Capital CEO Elyse Cherry talks about the recent court case against the nonprofit, which was found to have violated consumer protection laws on lending. Cherry talks about next steps and the push on Beacon Hill to protect the nonprofit. – CommonWealth Beacon

HERE COMES EVERYBODY: Massachusetts is set to see three massive events next summer: The 250th anniversary of July 4, 1776; seven men’s World Cup matches; and a fleet of tall ships. – State House News Service

Boston is at an economic crossroads. The vitality of its downtown business district, drained by the COVID-19 epidemic, continues to slowly rebound but has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Commercial property values have declined, creating the potential for major budget challenges for the most property-tax dependent big city in America. With Boston’s financial underpinnings at risk, what is the strategy and vision for Boston’s future, particularly for its major business districts? Join business and community leaders to explore challenges and opportunities ahead. Register here!

PRELIM DAY FOR SOME CITIES: Polls are open in preliminary elections happening in Worcester and Quincy. – Worcester Telegram and Patriot Ledger

RETURN TO OFFICE: More employees are expected to be spending increased time in the office this fall, according to a sampling of law firms, banks and other offices in Boston. – Boston Business Journal

NO ENDORSEMENTS ‘TIL AFTER: The Boston Globe’s editorial board will hold off on endorsements of mayoral and City Council candidates until after the September preliminary election winnows the fields. In modern politics, unsigned editorial endorsements tend to have a limited effect on campaigns, providing a bigger boost to candidates for lesser-known positions.  – Boston Globe

EX-SHERIFF FIRED: Christopher Donelan, the former Franklin County sheriff and House lawmaker, was fired from the East Falmouth Police Academy. He had been working part-time there since February. – Greenfield Recorder

QUITTING CAMBRIDGE? Columnist Scott Kirsner asks whether Hubspot, one of the state’s biggest software companies, is showing signs of quietly shifting to San Francisco. – MassLive

MORTGAGE RATES: A Trump administration push to sell shares of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could lead to higher mortgage rates, potentially hurting people looking to buy homes, Elizabeth Warren and two other senators say. – Wall Street Journal

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Vice President of Finance & Administration, Community Foundation for MetroWest

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Director of Campaigns, Massachusetts Public Health Alliance

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