Keller on the non-voter and his ‘interruption’

Keller at Large

One thing’s for sure about us Massholes – we love a fine whine.

Consider the extensive whine list these days. More than four in ten Massachusetts voters tell pollsters the state is on the wrong track. Huge majorities are bumming over the costs of living – health care, housing, energy. Democrats blame Trump, Republicans blame Healey. Nearly half of all voters disapprove of the Legislature, and last fall 70% were so miffed they voted to sic Diana DiZoglio on them.

Tuesday’s municipal elections are a chance to do something more than grouse about it. Presumably all sentient adults know what they’re shelling out for taxes and rent. It only takes a few mouse clicks to figure out what your local mayor and councilors have or haven’t been doing to ease the burden.

Parent of school age kids or senior nervously eyeing your tax bill? With pols like Boston Mayor-for-life Michelle Wu openly talking about ditching the 45-year-old Proposition 2 ½ brake on property tax hikes, Tuesday’s override votes will surely bring cash-strapped oenophiles rushing to the polls, no?

No. History suggests most places will struggle to match the pitiful 2021 turnouts in places like Boston (32%) and Somerville (31%) which featured open mayoral races.

There’s plenty of lip service paid to the power of the vote and disgruntled citizens’ desire to send messages and hold underperforming pols accountable. But it mostly seems to vanish like a forgotten New Year’s resolution.

What happened to us? Let’s go down memory lane to a distant past when the election-eve political rally next to Gerard’s in Dorchester’s Adams Corner was a real scene, candidates lining up to beg for votes from a packed crowd.

CONTINUE READING…

HAPPENING TODAY

10:00 | Gov. Maura Healey announces MA250: Road to 2026, the second phase of the state’s campaign commemorating the 250th anniversary of American independence and Massachusetts’s role in shaping the nation. Joined by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. The event will highlight investments driving statewide celebrations. | Revolutionary Spaces, Old South Meeting House, 310 Washington St., Boston

11:00 | Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones and Undersecretary of Labor Josh Cutler join state and local officials, advocates, labor organizations and business leaders to recognize and honor employers, labor leaders, policymakers, workers and advocates for supporting family caregivers in the workplace. | Great Hall, State House, Boston

2:00 | Hate Crimes Task Force meets. Agenda includes an update on hate crime legislation, as well as updates from the Commonwealth Fusion Center and the Municipal Police Training Committee. | Agenda and Access

2:00 | Gov. Maura Healey meets with Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano. Press availability follows in the Senate Reading Room. | Senate president’s office, third floor, State House, Boston

6:00 | Merrimack Valley Chamber’s 2025 Annual Awards Dinner. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends. | Michael’s Function Hall, 12 Alpha Street, Haverhill

CAMPAIGN TRAIL MIX

UMASS POLLS MARKEY-MOULTON: A UMass-WCVB poll found Sen. Ed Markey with a lead over Rep. Seth Moulton, 51 to 28%. Markey maintained a lead with the introduction of Rep. Ayanna Pressley into the poll. – State House News Service

HEALEY IN MIAMI: Gov. Maura Healey made a quick fundraising trip to Florida last month and pulled in $20,000 from lawyers at Morgan & Morgan, one of the country’s largest personal injury law firms. – WBUR

SHOOTING THREAT: Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena reported a shooting threat just days before the municipal election, and police have assigned a detail to his home. – Eagle-Tribune

SPRINGFIELD SEAT: Springfield City Council’s Timothy Allen, a 74-year-old who represents Ward 7, is facing a challenge from Gerry Martin, a 25-year-old law student who previously ran for an at-large seat in 2023. – Western Mass. Politics & Insight

FROM BEACON HILL

SNAP FUNDING: Gov. Maura Healey, appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation” show, said the Trump administration should release SNAP funding to the states “as soon as possible” after back-to-back court rulings. – Boston Herald

DOWN THE TRACK: The Blue Line to Lynn and an Aqua Line stretching from Dorchester to Brandeis? MassLive put some Reddit dreams of a MBTA expansion to Phil Eng, the GM and interim transportation secretary. – MassLive

NEWS NEXT DOOR

FORMER NEWTON MAYOR: Setti Warren, the director of Harvard’s Institute of Politics, died suddenly at his home on Sunday, according to Harvard officials. The former John Kerry aide, who became the first popularly elected African-American mayor in Massachusetts, was 55. – Harvard Crimson

REMEMBERING CHARLIE BAKER III: Charles D. Baker III, the father of former Gov. Charlie Baker, has died. He was 97. – Boston Globe

COWAN PORTRAIT: The unveiling of a portrait of former U.S. Sen. William “Mo” Cowan drew former Gov. Deval Patrick and Roderick Ireland, former chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. The portrait is on view at Northeastern University’s law library. – Northeastern University

BUSINESS INDEX: Employer confidence for the eighth consecutive month remains in negative territory. – Boston Business Journal

RACIST VIDEO: The chair of the Central Mass. GOP political committee stepped down from his post following anger over his condemnation of an AI-generated video depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. – MassLive