Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome back everyone as we move into the nine o'clock hour.
Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. I am delighted to
be joined by tonight by a I would certainly say
a grand Bostonian, Alan Leventhal. I don't know that Allan
and I have ever met, but we have worked in
the city. He has made a much greater impact on
(00:30):
this city than I could ever dream of. He is
most recently the former US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark,
but he has a resume here that a lot of
people would be envious of. First of all, Ambassador Leventhal,
welcome to Nightside. Thank you for joining us tonight.
Speaker 3 (00:51):
Dan. I'm so delighted to be with you, and I
have to say I have been a great admirer of
you and your audience for many many years and the
great work you do, so I'm delighted to be with
you this evening.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Well, I appreciate it. You and your family have really
had an impact, a positive impact on Boston, Greater Boston
for many many years. You were the chairman and CEO
of Beacon Capital Partners, President and CEO of Beacon Properties Corps,
publicly traded real estate company. Beyond that, you have served
(01:24):
as the chair of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.
You're also on the executive committee and life member of
MIT and trust the Emeritus at Boston University. You were
the chair there for four years two thousand and four
two thousand and eight, the law school from which I graduated.
You're a life trustee at Northwestern University, where you did
(01:45):
your undergraduate your master's in business administration from Dartmouth College.
This has been an incredible run for you. And you
became the embassador, the United States Ambassador the Kingdom of Denmark.
You were there for a couple of years. You were appointed,
(02:07):
nominated and confirmed by the Senate by President Biden. And
you went there and you had a strategy. You were
probably the most accessible ambassador I have ever heard of.
Tell us a little bit about the message that you
brought to the young people of Denmark and the young
(02:27):
people of Europe.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Well, Dan, you're very kind with your words. I think
we all try to have impact and build a better society.
And I've been fortunate in my life and I had
a great role model in my father, and you know,
I'm very much committed my wife, Sherry and I to
do what we can to improve the community. So you're
very kind. Look to be a US ambassador is an
(02:50):
incredible experience. I arrived with Sherry in June of twenty
twenty two. I came back on January eighteenth this year,
so we're there a little over two and a half years.
The first thing that happens when you become an ambassador
and show up, you realize the importance of the US
to the world. You have such a sense of pride
(03:11):
to be representing all Americans at a time of great challenge.
Keep in mind, the Russian invasion of Ukraine had started
just a few months earlier, and Denmark has played a
very important role in providing tremendous support. And an ambassador
has the opportunity really to establish many the priorities. What's
(03:32):
important to you. So you mentioned going to the schools
dand I read early on that young people in Denmark
don't have the same emotional connection as the older generation,
and it's for a very simple reason. The older generation
had parents that grew up during the German occupation of
(03:54):
World War II. The Germans occupied Denmark and they were
taught growing up by their parents and grandparents that we
have to be close to America. That relationship will ensure
our democracy will remain strong. Now, it's not a good
thing when young people don't have that connection. So I
(04:15):
went to seventy five schools, twenty five thousand students, and
it was an amazing experience. I get inspired by them.
I hope I had some impact on them as well,
but it was really a very important experience and I've
continued that work since I came back in January in
the US.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
What was your message to the students in Denmark? I
assume English is a language, if not the dominant language,
probably German and French are there as well. But you're
able to speak to them in English and they're able
to understand you. Correct.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Oh my god, they're English is as good as my English.
They learn at such a young age, and they watch you,
they watch TV. They love everything American, they love the culture.
So it's no problem communicating at a very young age
that fluent in English.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
And what was the message that you wanted to bring
to them? How did you make America relevant to them
as relevant as America has been to their parents' grandparents,
and great grandparents.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
And their news from social media, and they get a
lot of misinformation, and they do get news about gun violence.
They get news about January sixth, they get news about
the Supreme Court decision of women's reproductive rights, and they
have great concern. They love America, but they have great
(05:44):
concern about what's going on. And what I tell the
students and what I engage with them is I tell them, look,
we are the greatest country in the history of the world.
We have ninety seven percent of us come from somewhere else.
We're all immigrants, and this melting pot has created the
(06:05):
most innovative country in the world. We have challenges that
we have to face, but America will always do better
over time. And I always point to the Constitution and
the opening line and the Constitution we the people of
the United States of America in order to form a
more perfect union. We know we're not perfect, but what
(06:28):
we do is Americans, we always aspire to do better,
and over time we do. That's who we are. That's
the message I give them.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
And I assume that as a message that you would
also give to young Americans, because all the polls that
I read is that the gen X and gen Y
and the different categories I have to it's a tough
time keating keeping them straight in my head. But people
under thirty view the world, they have a different view
(06:59):
towards I talked last hour towards employment that older workers
don't take as much vacation time as they should, unlike
the French who shut down in August. We work year round,
and there was a study that was done that says
they're about fifty nine percent of American workers don't take
(07:22):
all of their vacation time because they have anxiety about
their jobs. However, younger people in America were told in
surveys they have a much more cavalier and laisse fair
attitude towards employment and careers. What's your message to if
I know what the message is to the young Danes,
what's your message to the young Americans?
Speaker 3 (07:43):
Well, what's happened in the schools in America? I was
back in Washington around Columbus Day in October last year.
I had meetings when I was still ambassador, and Shary
and I have a home in New Orleans. We have
a home in the Boston area, so we went down
to schools in New Orleans visited a number of schools there,
(08:03):
came up to visited schools in Boston, and then since
I've been back, I've been back to schools in New Orleans,
in Boston. And I have to tell you the young
people that I meet with, the schools that I go to,
I've gone to schools and there's many seven hundred students
in the gymnasium, and when I talk to them, there's
a great sense of despair, concern about what the future
(08:26):
is going to be. There's been an enormous change since
the election in November. And what I say to the
students a similar message I say to the days. I say, look,
you know, we've gone through many challenges in America. You know,
I don't want you to think that this is the
greatest challenge we've ever faced. And I'm not going to
(08:48):
go back to World War One and World War two,
or the Civil War, the Great Depression. I'm going to
talk about my lifetime when I was your age in
the nineteen sixties and we had jails Can get assassinated,
and Robert Kennedy get assassinated, and Martin Luther King was assassinated,
and our cities were on fire. There was tremendous violence
(09:10):
around the country. We had civil rights marches, people getting
beaten and shot. We had the Vietnam which tore the
country apart. College campuses got shut down, and you know
how we made it through that period of time. It
was my generation. It was a younger generation at the time.
And I look at these students, they say, and you
(09:32):
know who's going to lead us through the challenges of today.
You're going to lead us through because you're the next
young generation and you have the power to do it.
You're the smartest generation in the world. You care most
deeply about the future of the planet of any generation
before you. And we need your intellect, we need your drive,
(09:54):
we need your commitment. And that's the job you're going
to do. But don't give up on america great sense
of optimism about who we are today and what will
continue to be in the future. I do. I'm not
being I'm very mindful of the challenges we have, but
I feel that America always emerges stronger when it faces challenges.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
My guest his former United States Ambassador to Denmark, Alan Leventhal,
served from July of twenty twenty two up until July
rather January eighteenth of this year. We're going to continue
our conversation with Alan Leventhal, I should say, just to
put this in some perspective, Alan is as an ambassador,
(10:41):
he talked about representing all Americans at the same time
he was appointed by a Democratic president. He has had
a long and storied history within the Democratic Party supporting Democrats,
going back to the well, Michael Ducaccas was not the first,
but certainly Michael ducaccis Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, President Obama,
(11:03):
and so he's a force within the Democratic Party and
he is I think you'll hear in his voice tonight
a tone of real optimism, which both parties should present.
And we'll get to all of that. We're not going
to make this political in that regard, but I just
want to Alan, if it's I just want you to understand,
(11:25):
I want my audience to understand from the where you're
coming from, and it is an inspirational message. And to
be honest with you, a lot of the leaders in
your party for the last couple of years haven't provided
much inspiration. But we'll put that aside for now and
we get.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Back and Dan, I have faith. I have faith in America.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yes, and.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
We had the largest, the second largest percentage, and the
past century vote and the most recent election only excated
by twenty twenty. That's a good sign for democracy in America.
Whoever you voted for, whether or not it's your candidate
that's president today, the fact that so many Americans engaged
in voting, that's a positive sign for democracy in America.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
We agree on that point totally. We'll be back with
Ambassador Alan Leventhal, former US Ambassador to Denmark, and we
haven't even touched upon the relationship between Denmark and Greenland.
We'll get to that a little bit, and if you'd
like to join the conversation, feel free six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one, seven, nine thirty Coming right
(12:35):
back on Nightside on a Wednesday night.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Joined tonight during this hour by former US Ambassador to Denmark,
which is the country that I don't know if the
characterization Allen is correct, owns Greenland or Greenland is connected
to Denmark. I'm sure you know the relationship. There was
a lot of talk about Greenland earlier this year. It
(13:06):
is a very important strategic part of the world. But Denmark,
I don't think is looking forward to seating it or
selling it or giving it away. Am I correct on that?
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Well, Dan, I visited Greenland six times while I was ambassador,
and it's a magnificent country. More than two thirds is
covered in ice. The ice in the center of Greenland
is two miles thick. It's so heavy that the rock
that supports it is actually deflecting towards the core of
(13:41):
the earth. It is the largest island in the world.
If you were to place it off the east coast,
it would stretch from northern Maine to the southern Florida.
It's enormous and it's quite important. But getting back to
its relationship, the Kingdom of Denmark is comprised of Denmark,
(14:03):
the Faroe Islands, has set of beautiful islands between Iceland
and the United Kingdom and Greenland, the far Islands in Greenland.
Of both countries, they're responsible for their own domestic affairs,
but Denmark takes care of defense and foreign affairs, so they.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
Would you consider them to be like a protectorate?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
How would you characterize I would think about it's their
their countries, and I'm not sure I would use the protectorate,
but they are countries. They have been talking at some
point and having their own independence. They've been focused on that,
and Denmark has said the future of Greenland is up
to the people of Greenland, but Dan a lot of
(14:50):
There's been a lot of talk and the President has
talked about Greenland. There's been a lot of statements made
about Greenland about being a fifty first state. I just
want to put in perspective. I support the President's goals
in Arctic security. The importance of that with the warming
of the Arctic is warming at four times the rate
(15:11):
of the rest of the planet, astonishing. We found that
out in the past few years. Arctic sea routes are
going to open up to Asia, so those are going
to be very important. There's going to be access to
national resources as the ice melts. But a few things
have happened. Not only is the Arctic warming more quickly,
we'd had the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Russia plays
(15:32):
an important role in the Arctic. And of course we
have China who now talks about themselves as a near
Arctic state and it's rapidly building icebreakers. So there's going
to be a lot going on in the Arctic, and
the security is an important issue. Minerals are important. I
think the important point is whatever the US wants, basically,
(15:57):
Denmark will do. The US is Denmark's closest ally and
if we want mineral rights, if we want another base
in Greenland, we have one that's less than one thousand
miles from the North Pole in the northwest of Greenland
called Bido Fig. Whatever we want to improve our security
(16:17):
and control over rare earth minerals, Denmark will support and
Greenland will support because we are such close allies.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Well, that's comforting. I just want to open up a
quick part of conversation before we go to news here,
and that is that Donald Trump has sort of remade
the Republican Party for better or for worse. I know
some people are very happy, some people are not very happy,
but political parties do sort of emerge in change over time.
(16:49):
Democratic Party after the mcgoverned election of seventy two, became
a very different party and reached out in nineteen seventy
to Jimmy Carter. And the Democratic Party has had its
ups and downs. They they found a second Southern governor
in Bill Clinton, who was a very popular president. They
(17:10):
were led by President Obama for two terms, a young senator,
first African American president from the state of Illinois. Both
parties right now have some extreme extreme wings, both in
the Republican you know Marjorie Taylor Green and that sort
of wing of the Republican Party is can be pretty scary.
(17:35):
Trump uses them and kind of lives with them. Democratic
Party seems to have kind of lost its way in
the last year or so, and they're trying to find
a direction as a Democrat as somebody who was supportive
of the Bill Clintons and the Barack Obamas and the
Hillary Clintons for that matter, and the Joe Bidens. Are
you worried about some of the trends within the Democratic
(17:57):
Party and is it time for people who are more
traditional Democrats, maybe a little closer to the center, to
stand up and say, hey, we're not going to allow
our party to be taken captive by people who don't
necessarily represent the majority of the Democratic Party, of the
majority of.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
The country or Dan, let me put it this way.
I think it's a time for common sense. I mean,
when you think about you know what determined the selection,
It was the swing voters, the moderate Democrats, the moderate Republicans,
the independents. In a number of states, about two hundred
and fifty thousand was the margin in those in those
(18:35):
swing states. Stays like Wisconsin voted a record numbers approaching
eighty percent. By the way, those are like Danish numbers,
enormous turnout, but it's common sense. And you know, these
voters understood each of the candidates and what they stood
for and the personalities. It got through and people.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
Look.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I'll give you an example. When I was in Denmark
the election, I had some big business group and someone
stood up and started asking me a question and opened
up and said, it's made some disparaging comments about Elon
Musk and Doge. And I looked at him and I said,
(19:17):
I'm not going to make any comments on Elon Musk
in Doge, but I have a question for you and
everybody in this room. You come from one of the
most progressive countries in the world. How many of you
think the Danish government could use some reimagining, some streamlining,
some cutting. Raise your hand. They all raised their hands.
(19:42):
So one of the most progressive countries in the world,
they know it's important that your tax dollars is spent
smartly and most efficiently. That's important, that's common sense. And
there are so many other issues that fall in the immigration.
We have to control our borders. If Denmark hadn't controlled
its borders, it wouldn't be the country it is today.
(20:05):
And when I first became ambassador, there's a report criticizing
Denmark being too tough on immigration. Of course, you have
to control your borders. So to me, it's not democratic
or republican, and I don't want to be partisan. I
just think we need common sense about how we move
our state forward, how we move our country forward. You know,
(20:26):
we're living in a state of Massachusetts. We're over the
fast past five years. We're forty seven out of fifty states.
And job growth if you compare us to Charlotte, North Carolina,
the Boston area about the same size Charlotte created over
the past few years two hundred and fifty thousand jobs.
We lost twenty five thousand jobs in Massachusetts. Want it's
(20:50):
common sense that we're not doing something right. We're driving
businesses away. That's not healthy.
Speaker 2 (20:57):
I want to talk about that. I got to pick
a new quick news break, but I do want to
talk about that because when we talk today. You you
made that point to me, and you made it very
very clearly, and I'd like to find out what we
can do, or what you feel we can do in
Massachusetts to reverse those trends.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
My guest is absolutely yep, be delighted perfect.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Former US Ambassador to Denmark, Allan Leventhal. He is. I
think he has a very inspirational, positive message, which I
haven't heard too many politicians or or leaders. He's a
business leader emphasize and that to me is refreshing. I
(21:41):
hope you feel the same way. If you do, and
you like to ask a question of Alan six one seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
He and I could talk for hours, we could probably
talk for days. We are of the same sort of
baby boom boomer generation, so we'll we'll continue our conversation.
(22:02):
We want to. I want to incorporate you as well.
We'll be back on Nightside. You have the numbers right
after this news.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
Break, You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:14):
My guess is Alan Leventhal, former US Ambassador to Kingdom
of to the Kingdom of Denmark, and Alan, you when
we just before the newscast, you were talking about some
really disappointing numbers here in Massachusetts. Jobs that have been lost,
the economy slowing, people leaving the state. That's a concern
(22:35):
to you. You mentioned it today and when we talked,
and you've mentioned it again tonight. What's going on and
what do we need to change to turn things around
here in Massachusetts. We got the greatest universities, we get
the greatest medical facilities, and yet we're losing out to
a state like North Carolina.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Well, you asked you asked the question, d Anne, about
the Democratic Party. So are we say in Massachusetts the
there's been a dominant progressive Democratic Party. I don't think
that dominant Progressive Democratic Party is really representing where most
people in Massachusetts are today and really have a proper
(23:15):
vision of how we start building our jobs back. I mean,
you don't impose and pass a referendum what they call
a millionaire's tax, which drives the CEOs and companies who
are creating jobs to other states around the country. I'm
(23:36):
worried about where my children going to live, where my
grandchildren are going to live. And I know that's something
that other people in Massachusetts widely share this is not
a state that's providing more opportunity for its citizens. And
if we don't provide more opportunity for our citizens and
a stronger economy, we can't provide the important support services
(23:58):
and the ones who need it most. I'm very concerned
with the mcasts that standardized tests in tenth grade, and
the high schools and the public high schools, which establish
whether or not someone's going to be qualified to graduate
and has the knowledge to succeed in the world that
they'll be moving into. Why do we remove this expectations
(24:21):
for our kids? I mean, and I know one of
the arguments is, you know, if you don't have a
high school education, a diploma, you can't succeed, and if
too many of them fail, that's going to be a
problem for them. Well, the fact of the matter is
very few of them don't end up getting passing that test.
In the end, we need to establish expectations for our kids,
(24:45):
and I was very concerned about what the future of
our kids in Massachusetts are when we don't have that
for a public education. So I think the big issue
is I don't think the Progressive Democratic Party in Massachusetts
is where voters are today, and we really have to
ask ourselves where do we want our kids to live?
(25:07):
Because I'm very concerned about that.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Well, I am as well. I'm concerned about the extremes
in both parties because they have the potential to overtake
the leadership of a party in New York City. It's conceivable,
maybe even at this point probable, that New York voters
will be able to elect a thirty three year old mayor,
(25:32):
a self avowed socialist who can't even it seems to me,
denounce some of the slogans about the Fada globalizing the Intafada,
and I know what that means. I know you know
what that means. But well enough voters in New York
(25:53):
City understand what that means because he then will become
a real leader of the Democratic Party as the mayor
of the biggest city in the country. Are you concerned
about that?
Speaker 3 (26:03):
Well, look, I.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Follow that.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
I think it was. It's really something to follow to
see how that campaign ran and how that candidate, Madamie's emerged.
But I'm focused on Massachusetts. I came back here after
being ambassador, engaging with schools, talking to students, hearing their concerns,
their anxieties, giving them comfort and confidence in the future,
(26:28):
and underscoring how important their role is in the future.
I'm talking to business groups. I'm just I'm very focused.
I wrote an off ed with the president of MIT,
former president of MIT, Raphael Rife, on what the state
should be doing given the federal cutbacks in NAH funding,
(26:49):
and Massachusetts receives the highest funding per capita in the country.
So the job numbers I gave you those really very
disturbing job numbers that's before that doesn't reflect the cutback
and funding. So we have a new reality in Massachusetts.
We are with the biomedical center of the world. And
(27:11):
it's not just jobs for university graduates or PhDs. It's
it's it's the maintenance workers, it's the it's the people
that clean up the facilities at night. It's across the board.
These are jobs for you know, a good.
Speaker 5 (27:25):
Way for for for for.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Working families across the state. So, you know, this is
we have a real challenge. You know, I don't know
when the last time that the entire we looked at
the entire state government. You know, there's a six billion
dollar payroll sackering six billion dollar payroll. When's the last
time that we did a thorough review of each of
(27:51):
the departments. I know what occurs on a rolling basis
here or there, but when do we systematically look at
how we're delivering our services. We're ensuring that we're spending
our tax money money most wisely and most efficiently. That's
what it's going to take, Dan, It's going to take
a new way of thinking about government, making sure it's
more efficient, making sure it's delivering you know, the best
(28:14):
services at the lowest cost. That's what we need.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
You know. There's also some there is within the Democratic Party,
in the leadership of the Democratic Party, and I suspect
you probably are aware of this. The efforts by the
state auditor, who's a Democrat, a young female Democrat, Diane Desauglio,
to audit the legislature, and the legislature basically has said
(28:42):
seventy two percent of the people voted for her to
have the right to audit the legislature, and they're stonewalling her.
There's no two party state. Massachusetts are no longer a
two party state with Republicans and positions. It's a democratically
controlled state. But yet there are some people in the
Democratic Party, like Diane and Desauglio, who are trying to
(29:06):
challenge the infrastructure. I wonder if you have any thought
or comment about that effort that the state auditor would
like to do.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
You just brought up I look, I support you know, more,
transparency is important. It's important in businesses, it's important in government,
and that's something that we have to insist on and
that's something we have to work on.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Well, you have an inspirational message. You obviously have experience
as a fundraiser and close contacts with people who you
have supported over the years who rose to the top
of the Democratic Party. Did you ever think that, well,
someday maybe you would take those skills and that business
(29:57):
acumen and actual step into the to the political arena
or is that too early a question to ask?
Speaker 3 (30:06):
Well, Dan, I've been talking to a lot of people
since I came back, and I'm very focused on the
challenges that we have. I've been encouraged by people to
consider that, and I'm just I'm going through a process
and trying to figure out how I can be most
helpful to make the state. I've lived my whole life,
and my parents were born here, you know, we have
(30:29):
the bulk of our family is here, and I hope
you will keep them here. So I am very concerned,
and I want to see what type of role I
can play and what type of leadership I can provide
in ensuring that this state will continue to be successful
and provide opportunity for everyone in the state.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
I think that's a pretty good message, Allan, and I
suspect people who will respond to it. Let's give them
a quick opportunity to respond here in the next few
minutes that we have left six one, seven thirty six
months seven. Ny coming right back on Knightside if he
lights ask a question to make a comment to Alan Leventhal,
former US Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark, who obviously
(31:10):
has some very strong beliefs and also some very strong
concerns about what is going on, maybe not nationally, well,
certainly nationally. He's no supporter of Donald Trump per se,
but he's also concerned about what's going on in Massachusetts.
Back on Nightside, right after this.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
Night Side with Dan Ray, I'm WBZ Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
My guest is former US Ambassador to Denmark, Alan Leventhal,
longtime Bostonian, resident of Massachusetts, a leader in the Democratic Party,
a supporter of statewide and national candidates on a first
name basis, with any major Democrat in this country in
(31:55):
the last fifty years that you can think of. Let's
get to phone calls and see if people have questions
comments on what Alan has expressed tonight. He expressed it
forcefully and I think inspirationally. Bill is in Vermont. Bill,
your first tonight on nights Side with Alan Levethal.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
Go ahead, Bill, Thanks for taking the call. Dan, first time,
long time ambassador. I was going to ask the question
about whether you were to go Thank you, appreciate Itsiated
appreciate it. You know, I was going to ask the
question you just asked, Dan, which was ambassador, would you
consider running for office? And I was glad to hear
(32:30):
your answer. I would encourage you to really think about
it seriously, because I think your message of optimism is important,
not just for young people, but for those of us
who aren't so young. There's a lot of pessimism out there,
and I think your message of optimism and mixed in
with realism, I think is really important.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
Yeah, I really appreciate those comments. I've been getting a
very positive response I'm not being partisan when I talk
about these issues. I'm I think I think most people,
most politicians are well intentioned. I just think the path
that we've been following in Massachusetts, I mean, I think
(33:08):
we saw this in the national election, but in Massachusetts
it's not working. It's not providing for a better life
and more opportunity for our citizens, and we have to
be realistic about that, and we have to find a
way to keep our businesses here. And by the way,
it's going to get worse. I mentioned the National Institute
(33:31):
of Health funding the federal cuts that's not reflected yet
in the numbers and the employment numbers. We have an
amazing state where the biomedical center in the world were
so innovative. We're part of this great innovation of innovation
economy in the US. Our national economy has grown by
forty percent in the past five years, but we're lagging
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behind here and we have to make this state work.
We have to make sure state government is efficient, we
have to make sure tax bay dollars are spent efficiently
and properly, and we just need a different way, not partisan,
but just a way focus on how do we build
(34:14):
a better and stronger economy and and and support SYS
and to the people of Massachusetts.
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Allen, that is a message that a lot of people,
a lot of people who really understand what's going on here,
are going to respond to Hey, Bill, thanks so much
for calling, and come on back. So thank you, gentlemen.
Speaker 1 (34:32):
Okay, thank you, gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
Let's keep rolling. You're going to go to another bill.
This bill is in Boston.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Bill you Hey, Alan and Dan, thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Alan. I'm a Democrat and I find your methods actually
very boring. You talk about, you know, we lost twenty
eight thousand jobs and Roley picks up about two hundred thousand. Alan,
you w to school supply demand. The demand in Boston
for housing is so high, the supply is low. We
(35:07):
are four thousand dollars for a two bedroom, Rawley is
sixteen hundred. So when you talk about these policies, it's
you're not addressing the root cause, which is housing. And
guess what, that's a really difficult one to come So,
you know.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
I want to say, Bill, tell us again, what's your solution?
Speaker 4 (35:29):
So Dan, I wish I could have a solution our
housing for the what's he putting? What's he putting?
Speaker 2 (35:37):
For you've listened the last hour. I think it's been
a pretty clear solution. Go ahead, Allen Bill.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
I'm glad and you're absolutely right. We have a crisis
in affordable housing. You know, the largest percentage of people,
young people eighteen to twenty nine years old, are living
at home since the Great Depression. They can't afford to
move out. It's not just housing costs, it's inflation. It's
a whole variety of things. But we have to build
(36:06):
more housing. And you know how we build more housing.
In my life, in my company, we were one of
the largest affordable housing builders in the country. We still
have many units around Massachusetts as well. The company ended
up being one of the largest in the country. What
we have to do, number one is we have to
extreamline the process, the statewide process, the regulations, the red tape,
(36:33):
to allow people to move through the process much more quickly.
If I think with the right leadership, we absolutely can
provide more housing. It is a more expensive place to live,
your right, housing is less expensive than Charlotte and in
the Southeast. That's not going to change. But we absolutely
can provide more housing for the people that desperately need it.
(36:56):
And I don't think the right leadership is being provided
to that additional housing bill.
Speaker 2 (37:02):
Thank you go out for the call. We are flat
up against it. I got you in. I appreciate it,
and Alan, I'm sure we'll be back and feel free
to always participate in this program whatever your point of view.
Thanks so much to the callers in the line. I
wish it called earlier, but we are flat up against it.
Alan Leventhal, I would like to continue this conversation with
(37:23):
you because I think it's one that's very important to
the future of the Democratic Party as well as more importantly,
the future of the state of the Comwealth of Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
Thanks, thanks very much.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Dan, delighted to be with you, and come on back.
Speaker 2 (37:38):
We'll get you back soon. I really mean that because
I think that I think your message needs to be heard,
and whatever you decide to do, we'd like to would
like to make sure that that message is amplified. Alan Leventhal,
former US Ambassador to Denmark. Thank you Allan appreciate it
very much. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 3 (37:57):
Thanks Thanks very much, Dan, Bye bye.
Speaker 2 (37:58):
Welcome. Okay, we're going to change topics and we're going
to open up a conversation about the MBTA something that
yesterday they had another major problem. If you consider five
hundred people or so stuck on the Blue Line. It
just seems the hits keep on coming. We'll be back
(38:19):
on Nightside right after the ten o'clock news