March 24, 2025 • 40 mins
We kicked off the program with four news stories and different guests on the stories we think you need to know about!
Mark Epstein – Author of "Cape Dreams: A Season with the Brewster Whitecaps" joined Dan.
New Analysis: NH Women's Pay Gap Larger Than National Average. Jessica Williams - Policy Analyst for New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute checked in.
Abby Foster – Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for REAL (The Retail Advancement Energy League) on how consumers can save money by shopping for better electric rates, and why Mass. should keep this important consumer savings tool!
Most workers say they’ve been ‘catfished’ into taking a job! With Meridith Elliott Powell – Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity.
Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!
Mark Epstein – Author of "Cape Dreams: A Season with the Brewster Whitecaps" joined Dan.
New Analysis: NH Women's Pay Gap Larger Than National Average. Jessica Williams - Policy Analyst for New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute checked in.
Abby Foster – Vice President of Policy and Advocacy for REAL (The Retail Advancement Energy League) on how consumers can save money by shopping for better electric rates, and why Mass. should keep this important consumer savings tool!
Most workers say they’ve been ‘catfished’ into taking a job! With Meridith Elliott Powell – Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity.
Listen to WBZ NewsRadio on the NEW iHeart Radio app and be sure to set WBZ NewsRadio as your #1 preset!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, Nicole, I'm not touching that line, but thank you
very much for the introduction. My name is Dan Ray,
the host of Night's Side, heard every Monday through Friday
night from eight until midnight right here on WBZ Boston
ten thirty or on an AM dial. If you're listening
anywhere in the eastern half of the US and are
spinning the dial on your radio at home or map
praps out in your car and you've heard this strange
(00:28):
sounding voice, it is i WBZ Dan Ray of WBZ
in Boston, So lock us in in your car dial.
Of course, you also can pull down the iHeart app
and you could put us in as your number one
pre set on that as well. It's all We make
it all so easy for you to follow us, and
remind you that Rob Brooks is back in the control
room at Broadcast Central. He's all set to get us
(00:49):
going through the night. We're going to talk about a
local issue at nine o'clock. Boston is gonna would like
the charge be food app delivery companies the grand total
of fifteen cents for every delivery they make. Boy I'll
tell you these politicians they have an unyielding appetite to
get their hands in your pockets in what I will
(01:11):
talk about that that is for sure. And then we're
going to talk about who's going to lead the Democrats
out of the wilderness tonight at ten o'clock. There seems
to be a political shift amongst young people actually, which
might surprise some of you, and I think that Bernie
Sanders and AOC might soon. They say nature apports a vacuum,
(01:34):
and I think there's a vacuum of leadership in the
Democratic Party right now, and we'll talk about who might
actually fulfill that very important position to say, to actually
state the ideals and the standards of the Democratic Party.
But first here in this hour, we are going to
talk with four very interesting guests. One of my most
interesting guests in a long time is someone who I've
(01:57):
known for many years, and he's kind of popped back
off on my radar. I'm not going to go old
school with you and talk about how we knew each other,
but Mark Epstein. Epstein Mark is a author, went to
high school here and a college at Worcester State, and
after some period of time relocated and became an educator
(02:18):
in South Carolina, but also never lost his passion for sports,
particularly baseball and basketball. He played basketball at Worcester State
back in the day, and he has written a book
entitled Cape Dreams, A Season with the Brewster white Caps,
which is one of the franchises, one of the teams
down in the Cape Cod League. Mark, I really mean this.
(02:40):
Welcome to Nightsott, how are you hey.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Dan.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It's great to hear your voice again. That was a
fun round reunion we had earlier, certainly was, so I want.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
To jump into it. This book actually is going to
hit the bookstands tomorrow, and anyone who's a baseball fan
or anyone who is from New England's certainly knows about
the Cape Cod League. But you spent last summer literally
living with the Brewster Whitecaps and traveled with them on
(03:12):
the bus and got to know all the players and
how this Cape Cod team came together. So in the
few minutes that we have, let's talk about why people
should pick up this book if they're from New England
or if they're a baseball fan of any sort, because
I'm sure it's a great read. I have not had
a chance to read it yet, but I'm sure I will.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
It really is, you know, Peter Gammis wrote the forwards,
and I would say the biggest reason is that not
only is there something real special that endeared me to
the town of Brewster, Massachusetts, the organization, the volunteers, the players,
the president Luke Dillon, the manager Jamie Sabschek, the maker
(03:58):
dom Inshodge of host family, James Sullivan. But it's such
a quaint town and it's so Cape Cod they don't
even have a red light. But you know what the
most proud of, the most proud of the Brewster white Caps.
And what we did is we got into the lives
(04:20):
of the players. I was real fortunate that I worked
closely with the mandager, Jamie Shevshik, one of the great
baseball minds in America today, maybe one of the most
successful collegiate coaches of any sports, actively managing at Keystone
(04:43):
College where he's won nineteen straight conference championships in Pennsylvania,
and he spends the summer managing the Brewster white Caps,
and they have a tremendous tradition. But we were able
to get into the lives of the players. It were
no restrictions. He wasn't. He was very secure in himself
(05:06):
and allowing me full privileged to live dine e travel.
I was almost a teammate. I felt I had gone
back to college and I enjoyed every second of it.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
The guys, well, now these are the best, all of these,
these Cape Cort League teams, they're the best college players
in the country. It is the premier college baseball league.
It's primarily for either freshmen or sophomores. Uh and and
some of these, I mean, we could we could list
the players that have graduated from the Cape Cod League and.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Gone on our judges on the cover of the book.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
And judge is one that comes to mind. CC Sabathia,
who's about to be aducted uh next summer into a
Hall of Fame, great pitcher with the Indians, and little
bit and on the back, yes, so and and a
lot of great Red Sox players have spent time down there.
So you had probably two or three players on that
(06:08):
team that you spent the summer with. That two or
three four five years from now, you're going to look
up at major league rosters and say, I remember.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
That guy, and I'll give you their name.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
White Caps. Yeah, absolutely, I'll give me the name. Sure.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
One of them has become one of my best friends.
Andrew Fisher, a star run, he's all He's got to
go into Tennessee that ranked number one in the country.
They're twenty two and two. Another one who's could be
in twenty twenty six. The first player taken in the
MLB draft, Dan Covey reminds me a little bit of
(06:46):
maybe a compacted size without the reigns of an a Rod.
Incredible talent. And we got a guy named Nick Doulasil
who exploded on the cake this summer, and he's not
right now. By the one hundred scouts that followed the
team this summer, they have him in the top ten
to fifteen players tape getting drafted this year in the
(07:09):
first round. And it goes on and on.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Every team in the league can rattle up names of
players that have gone on to start him after they
left the Cape. And you know, Peter Gammons does a
great job of saying it best, and he's so eloquent anyway,
but he.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Says, probably I think I read that there's about two
hundred alumni. If I'm not mistaken, maybe it's more from
the Cape League who have played and in many cases,
excelled in Major League baseball.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
There are three hundred and fifty on Major league rosters
last season alone. There are almost two thousands through the
history of the league that goes back to nineteen twenty three.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Wow. Well, and there's only about by the way, when
you think about it, it's only about twenty two thousand
people players who have ever on the major league uniform.
So that means about ten percent of everybody who's played
in the major leagues spent some time with one of
the Cape Cod League teams. What what?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And last year? Yeah, you're right, you're right. So I'm
the scent of the rosters last year were Cape alumni.
It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, it's only going to get more, So let me
do that.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And you know what they kept, Dan, you know, you
know what's so special about it? You know, and not
just Brewster. All the teams are highlighted throughout the story,
but yeah, emphasis is on the Brewster White Caps for sure,
But you know what's those special? They kept the same
old school values that our country was founded by that
made the national pastime the real national pass line. There's
(08:44):
no entitlement. The guys don't get paid. It's one of
the last amateur athletic organizations left in America. The guys
pay their own way. They're housed in with host families.
The Ball of Tears work twelve months a year, like
the James Sullivans of the world, and it's just something
(09:08):
that when you stop attending, there's something that pulls you
in and it tapped as you for the rest of
your life.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Well, yeah, what A lot of people don't realize, Mark,
and you of course know it better than Mars. But
I got to tell you one quick story. All these
players have a summer job which.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
They used to they are doing that. Yeah, three five
years ago that you eliminated that front of it.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Well, the reason the reason I know that is I
heard Buck Showalter tell a story once that he played
in the Cape League one summer. This would have been
back sometime in the nineteen eighties, and he had a
job I think it was Sho Walter that told the
story with some sort of a painting company, and one
of the jobs that summer, besides playing baseball office he
(09:57):
during the day they were painting fences, including fences at
the Kennedy Compound down in Hyena. So and look, let
me do this, Mark, I'm running out of time here.
So the most important part of the interview. You certainly
have the passion and the enthusiasm I'm sure is going.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I want everyone to read this story and fall in
love with the Cape League because one show hook you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Okay, So what we gotta do here real quickly. Now
we're running out of time. What we got to do
here is we got to tell them how they can
get It's going to be a whole lot of Barnes
and Nobles bookstores tomorrow also going.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
To be able to order it.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Go ahead, yeah you can. You can take the plane
if you want to fly. We only got thirty seconds left, Mark,
so go for it.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
The Barnes and Nobles will be able to order it
for ingroospot tomorrow. It goes online for retail. Tale Online
retail sales April fifth, and my website is Mockpass find
your books dot com. You can order from me. You
can go into a bookstore on the tape or through
the northeast Barnes and Nobles and your bumblestock ay them
(11:00):
soon and there's a big event at Polar Parking on
It's the Polar Part Great Writers series and doctor Charles
Steinberg and Ted galluped on the host it and it's
going to be a celebration at Cape cod Baseball with
(11:20):
Paul Mitchell and Ronnie Tarry's coming there before.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
I gotta I gotta call time out. I gotta call
time out because we're now be we are now intruding
into the time of the next guest. Mark, I gave
you a lot of time because you're an old friend
and we both love baseball. Thanks so much, best of
luck with the book, and we'll hopefully see you down
in the Cape this summer of the ball game.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Okay, Cape Dreams, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Thanks, have a great one. All Right, we get back.
We're going to I love people who are enthusiastic and
uh and particularly about baseball, and that is a great
description of Mark. We are going to be talking about
a pay gap for women in New Hampshire, which will
be talking with Jessica Williams, policy analyst for the New
(12:03):
Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. Coming right back on the other
side of this breakout nights Side.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Now back to Dan ray Line from The Window World
Nightside studios on wb Z, the news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Well today is on March twenty fourth, but tomorrow's March
twenty fifth, as you could probably figure out without me
telling you, But tomorrow is also the what's called National
Women's Equal Payday, and New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute has
done a study which Jessica Williams, who is a policy
analyst for that group, is going to talk about. I
guess's the women's pay gap in New Hampshire is larger
(12:41):
than national average. Jessica Williams, Welcome to Nightside. How are you.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
Yes, I'm doing wonderful this evening. How are you doing tonight?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
So what do we attribute I'm doing great? What do
we attribute this distinction? I'm assuming that there is a
pay gap. Obviously you folks have identified it. There has
to be some reasons for it. What is it? The
types of jobs that women are employed in? What are
(13:09):
the factors that caused this disparity?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Yes, absolutely so, I will not generally the wage gap
for New Hampshire and women in New Hampshire is wider
than it is for women nationally.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
So, based on data that we have.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
For twenty twenty three GRANTITEDE State women working full time
earned median incomes at about seventy six percent of what
men earned at about seventy six thousand dollars for men
compared to about fifty seven thousand dollars for women annually.
Of course, when we compare data by occupational group in
New Hampshire, the wage gaps were the widest among those
(13:48):
in the legal sector, the entertainment and media sector, as
well as among management occupations. So, I know you asked
about kind of the why of this wage gap. So one,
considering the wage gap, it's important to note that woman
experience lower labor force participation rates. So according to New
Hampshire specific data for twenty twenty four, about ninety one
(14:13):
percent of male workers aged twenty five to fifty four
were engaged in the state's labor force, compared to only
about eighty three percent female workers of the same ages.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Jessica, yeah, yeah, the numbers are numbers are interesting, and
on radio sometimes it's tough to absorb those numbers. But
so why amongst young people when you the age group
you were talking about, there is the youngest sort of
group of workers, the age group that you were talking about.
In that group, I think you said twenty five to
(14:48):
thirty four. So why such a disparity between the number
of people not only working. Yeah, it was, as you said,
New Hampshi labor force participation, but in turn then a
wage app what's the cause of that?
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Yes, so those are the labor forces among workers aged
twenty five to fifty four in the state's labor force.
While this is true when we consider the total New
Hampshire labor force size, women comprised about a half of
New Hampshire based jobs. So this suggests that women may
(15:24):
be both less likely to commute out of state for
work and may also be more likely to hold multiple
part time jobs, which tend to have lower pay and
of course offer little to no benefits such as health
insurance and retirement benefits.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I'm just looking at something. I just want to make
sure I'm following you here, because with numbers, it's the
report that I'm looking at says women held forty nine
point seven percent of private jobs based in New Hampshire
according to the early twenty twenty four data. So that
would suggest that women are holding about half of the
private jobs based in New Hampshire. Or am I reading
(16:01):
that wrong?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Yes? Yes, that would be true. So based on that data,
women held slightly less than half, as you noted about
forty nine point seven.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's pretty close to Hampshire half. Okay, And so is
it the type of jobs that the women in New
Hampshire are holding the reason? Let me tell you the
reason I'm asking this. Okay, You've had a series of
women in New Hampshire in positions of real influence. Both
your United States Senators are women. You've had members, there
(16:33):
was a period of time when all four members in
Congress were females. Women. There's a new Republican women governor.
So women have done very well devisented to the highest
positions in the political life of New Hampshire. Have they
not done their job? The political leaders up there to
(16:56):
look at this problem and try to address it as
best they can.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Yes. So with that, I think it's important to note
the percent of women engaging in the labor force and
what type of jobs they are working. So I can't
offer you some data. Women are more likely to engage
and paid care giving goals. This can include things like
childcare workers as well as home health care workers. So,
(17:24):
based on data that we have for twenty twenty four,
women comprised close to ninety one percent of early care
and education workers in New Hampshire's workforce in about eighty
six percent of home health care workers across the state.
We know that both of these occupations tend to offer
wages far below the state's media and hourly wage and
(17:46):
workers in these occupations.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
So that brings me back. That brings me back to
the question that I asked before, And perhaps you didn't understand.
What I was trying to say was that New Hampshire,
above all, has had tremendous representation. Both United States senators
currently are female, one member of Congress, and until recently,
both members of the House of representatves are female. You've
(18:08):
had women governors out there, both of whom ascended to
the US Senate. Have these political leaders dropped the ball
when it comes to trying to level the playing field
for women? They are themselves women who, from a political
point of view, are at the apex of power. You
may not want to criticize political leaders, but I'm sort
(18:31):
of giving you that opportunity to tell me why they
have not been able to make a greater difference for
women working in New Hampshire.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Yes, Dan, and thank you so much for that question.
I wish I could answer your question more directly. I
can say, when we, of course consider potential policy initiatives
that may help mitigate some of the harms in the
higher paid gap at New Hampshire, it's important to consider
why women may have some of these lower meeting incomes
(19:04):
compared to men, and may be more likely to work
some of these lower income jobs, as I noted. Of course,
access to higher education you know, may help to lessen
the gap in New Hampshire. As I mentioned, women are
more likely to work in occupations offer lower wages and
typically require lower levels of educational team.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Well again, you represent tonight the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy
Institute and that sounds to me like a great organization.
And I hope that some of the women leaders political
leaders in New Hampshire will take the time to read
this report, which is entitled Spotlight on Granted State Women
in the Labor Force for National Women's Equal Payday. Jessica,
(19:48):
appreciate your time. I'm flat out of it though, and
people can find that report just by going to NHFPI,
which stands for New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Into Institute dot
org and I hope they do read it. It's interesting
statistics and it's available on the web. Thank you very
(20:08):
much for your time tonight.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Yes, thank you so much for having me on the show.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Have a great night. Good night. When we get back,
we're going to talk about lowering your energy rates and
how you can do that, particularly here in Massachusetts. Back
on Nightside right after.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
This Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Welcome back, everyone. This is a Monday night. It is
March twenty fourth. We are officially in spring. Baseball starts
for real this Thursday for the Red Sox down in Texas.
But I'll tell you what is something for real for
us every day of the week, winter, spring, summer, and fall,
and that is our electric bills, are heating bills, all
(20:54):
of those public utility costs that everyone has to experience
and pay off and through the nose here in New
England with us is Abbi Foster. Abby's the vice president
of Policy and Advocacy for REAL, the Retail Advancement Energy League.
Abby Foster has been a guest in this program before. Abby.
(21:14):
Welcome back to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
How are you, thanks, Dan? Doing well well?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Thanks? Very much for coming back. I am a huge
advocate for energy rates availability, and we have in Massachusetts
this website that I'm sure you're familiar with, which allows
us as consumers to compare our energy rates with that
(21:43):
energy rate that might be offered by other companies here
in Massachusetts. Explain it and why people should be going
to this. I think it's mass Energy rates dot org
if I'm not mistaken, or dot com. I'm gonna look
it up in them while you talk. But it's a
very important people should have it earmarked on their computer.
(22:07):
Explain to everyone why it's important.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
They certainly should so. Back in the late nineties, Massachuset's
decided that they wanted to have competition in their electric market,
and so they broke up the electric utility monopoly and
made it so that customers could choose who their energy
supplier was, and so that all sorts of companies and
private investors could invest in the state and build generation
and not just one company. And so because of that,
customers and Massachusetts residential, commercial, industrial business customers the same.
(22:36):
They can all go and shop on the state managed
website energy SWITCHMA dot gov and look at the prices,
compare the utility offer, look at municipal aggregation if that's offered,
and then look at the offers from competitive electric suppliers.
And if they want cost savings, they can shop based
on cost. If they want one hundred percent renewable energy,
they can look for that free electric vehicle charging, you
(22:56):
name it. That's the benefit of the competitive market. There's
a customer demand for something, the market responds and customers
have options.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yeah, it's it's great. There's another way to get to
it as simply. Also just mass energy rates will get
the get you there as well. And it's so simple.
You just you select your your utility, whatever the utility is,
if it's ever source or national grid or unitil UH.
Then they're asked you to explain what are you residential
(23:29):
or commercial or a large commercial most people are gonna
be residential. And then you after that, I believe that
you're asked to put in like your ZIP code and
then it all, it all pops up for you. Now,
this was UH. I believe was Governor Paul Salucci at
the time in the legislature who worked to make this
(23:52):
available to Massachusetts customers. I use it all the time.
I use it all the time. I switched my energy
provider as recently as last week. But believe it or not,
the folks who are running Massachusetts these days, Governor Healey's
office and the Attorney General's office, they're trying to take
this wonderful consumer choice off the books. What's going on
(24:15):
with that?
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of misconceptions.
Speaker 7 (24:20):
Part of the other challenge is that Massachusetts consumer protections
have not really kept pace as the market has evolved.
So a lot of other states have improved market reforms
and protections in place so that customers are more protected
as they shop. So things like requiring newdas is to
be sent to customers when it's time for renewal, for
(24:41):
the price to be disclosed if there's changes to the contract.
And then there's also not a really high bar in
Massachusetts for entry for companies who are coming to offer
supply offers. Things like requiring licensing fees, bonding.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
Requirements, and so those are things that we've.
Speaker 7 (24:58):
Actually all suggested and represented to. Taki Chan and Senator
Patrick O'Connor have introduced legislation that would improve the market
in response to legislators who are just trying to close
it down rather than looking for ways to fix it.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
So my question is is assuming that there's a problem,
and I don't really think there is a problem, but
I just switched to a Consolation energy and I got
in the mail today as matterford to have a file
of opened up over here. They're going to notify me.
I signed up for nine months fixed rates of like
twelve cents per kilo one hour for my electricity, and
(25:34):
they have promised that they will send me a notice
thirty days in advance of when the fixed rate expires
and I can either continue with them or move to
another company. Now, Constellation seems to me to be a
pretty good on the level company. Do they have a
good reputation that they will follow through and send me
that thirty day notice. I'm going to make a note
(25:55):
in my calendar to call them also to me before
the before my fixed rates run out. But do they
need to have a law pass to require these companies
to contact us and say, hey, your rate's running out
in a month from now. You got to either change
it or we're going to put you in a program
whether or not you like it or not.
Speaker 7 (26:18):
You know, they don't companies like Constellation and many other
suppliers proactively go ahead and do things like that because
it's best practice for consumers and they want to keep
customers and keep them happy. Constanation has a great reputation.
I've actually enrolled with them in the past as a
Pennsylvania shopper in my own state. But you sound like
a shopper who's informed. You look at your contract summary when.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
You get it.
Speaker 7 (26:40):
It's a really great tip what you just shared about
setting a calendar notice when it's time for renewals so
that you remember to go on and shop and look
at your options. But unfortunately, not all.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
Customers do those things, and so we're kind of in.
Speaker 7 (26:53):
A place where those customers who either didn't review the
terms and a file to complaint or a company who
was a bad actor came into the state and because
there aren't right proper thresholds in place, was able to
take advantage of a customer. And so these are just
basic consumer protections that a lot of the other states
that allow for competition would the utility already have in place,
(27:13):
and it would just bring Massachusus up to be on
part with other states.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
So we think of ourselves as a very progressive state.
You know that we're overwhelming a democratic state, democratic governor
of eighty percent Democratic Democratic legislature both in the House
and Senate. All they would have to do would be
pass some legislation which would require these notifications. And what
(27:37):
they're saying is they're going to take this valuable tool
away from us, which means I assume that once you're
an ever Source customer, or once you're a National Grid customer,
you'll never be able to opt out for a different supplier.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Is not done right?
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Bottom line?
Speaker 6 (28:00):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
So it would close down the market for residential customers.
If your town has municipal aggregation, you could still shop
with your municipal aggregation. I mean, this stall aggregation is
a great option, but it's just one options.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
So you still want to being able to have a
few different players.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I'll be in Massachusetts, I tell you. I mean, there's
a handful of towns who have this. The vast majority
of towns we have three hundred and fifty one cities
and towns they don't have it. Has have the major
suppliers here in Massachusetts, ever Source, in National Grid and
UNITIL have they weighed in on this. I mean, I
(28:38):
hope they're not trying to see the energy rate option
or website disappear, even though it might be in their
own interest, if you get my drift.
Speaker 7 (28:50):
Yeah, I have not seen public comment.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Really.
Speaker 7 (28:52):
The leaders on this has been the Attorney General's office,
City of Boston and several other entities, But I have
not seen a lot from the Utah.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah. Well that's Andrea Campbell, the Attorney General who wants
to take this option away from people, and Boston Mayor
Michelle Woop, two very progressive leaders so called, but are acting,
in my opinion, in a very regressive way. They want
to take us back to the nineteen nineties when choice
was not available.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Yeah. And actually there was an editorial place in the
Commonwealth Beacon last year that was jointly filed by Mayor
Wu and Andrea Campbell, the Attorney General, that said electricity
pricing is just too complicated to lead to individual customers.
They've testified before the committees in the Senate and the
House and said that you'd have to be a lawyer
(29:43):
or have a PhD to be able to figure out
how to do this. But you're a first.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Hand customer with your unforstnand experience.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
How insulting it couldn't be easier if you want to
take the interest. And there may be some customers who
don't take the interest because maybe I don't know, even
if they're renting, they're paying for it in terms of
the cost, they're going to be passed on by the landlords.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
It just to me, it's it's like it's like the
opposite world. Here in Massachusetts, a so called progressive state
basically is regressive, and they look down their noses and
they think that we're all stupid and we're not stupid.
We're not stupid, and they're going to learn that. They're
gonna learn that lesson at some point. Abby. Maybe would
you come back later on during the week. I think
(30:28):
that my producer has talked to you about doing this
and and talk to some of my listeners, so maybe
they can share their experiences with you or ask questions
of you. You know this what happened? I do?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Okay, great, thank you very absolutely.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Okay, So we will we'll talk about this again later
on during the week. Give you a chance to ask
questions about it. Anything that I can do to help
you lower your utility cost in Massachusetts. I feel that's
an obligation that I have, and this is part of
the obligation. I feel so abby. Foster, thanks for joining
(31:02):
us tonight. We will talk soon, Okay, thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Thanks Dan, You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
When we get back. We have one more guest schedule.
We'll try to get to that guest right after this
break on Nightside, and then we will get into topics
of the night where you can participate. And I got
a very interesting story that Gayla Cawley broke in the
Boston Herald, I think it was yesterday, which just lit
my hair on fire. I'll explain coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Now, back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
All right, I'm doing sometimes two or three things simultaneously.
It's like juggling. I don't know what it's like. Actually,
sometimes here on Nightside, we try to do a lot
of things simultaneously. We have a big production staff with
me here. Rob good luck. I'm sure you'll be able
to find that for me, and I do appreciate you,
(32:00):
that's for sure. This effort late, we have one more
guest and we're got to get to the guest right now.
Let's get right to the guest who is coming up here,
and the guest is Meredith Elliott Powell. She's going to
talk to us about something called catfishing, and we're not
talking about looking fishing for catfish. Meredith, welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
How are you well, I'm good, Thank you?
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Okay. Well, the phrase catfishing, I've heard it used many times,
but we're talking about a specific type of catfishing. And
I guess it's the old concept of bait and switch
and that's where the catfishing phrase comes from. And most workers,
according to one article that I have in front of me,
(32:50):
say that they have been catfished into taking a job.
Seventy nine told Monster that their job didn't live up
to the scripture provided by a recruiter or a hiring manager.
Is that in their heads or is that in reality?
Or probably doesn't make a difference.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
I don't know. I think I think it probably is
maybe a little bit of both. But I think that,
you know, I think it's so interesting today. I mean,
with the pace of change happening at such a such
a rapid a stings changing, I think often you're going
to get hired for a job, and maybe what you
need to be doing six months from now won't be
exactly what you were hired to do. So well, I
(33:33):
think there's some validity to it. I do think also
businesses are needing to respond to the fact that so
much in the marketplace is changing. They need workers who
are willing to adapt and take on new responsibilities, new skills,
and new roles.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I would assume most new workers have been They have
lived with computers since they were born. I got to
tell you, when I first started in my career many
many decades ago, computers you know, you heard about like
an IBM, you know computer, but you knew that that
(34:08):
was never going to impact you, and along terme, computers
and those of us in media, we have to know
how to work with computers. We're not the most skilled
people in the world. I mean, why is it that
young workers seem to be having a problem here. I
would assume what this figure is unbelievable is well seventy percent.
(34:32):
I feel that that eighty percent. What are they? What
are the jobs? Can you explain it to me? It
boggles my mind. I just don't understand it. I mean,
I can understand some people take a job and they
don't like it, and they leave, but eighty percent don't
do enough due diligence on the job to figure out
what they need to do well.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
I think it's I do think that do you think
that number is I was a little astonished by it
as well, But I think maybe our expectation are are
too high. I think maybe you know, uh, with the
younger with the younger generation, I hate to be the
one calling them that. By the younger generation, is that
you expect a job to you know, it's kind of
like a honeymoon versus getting married. You get excited that
(35:16):
you get the job, and then reality sets in and
some days are great at a job and some days,
you know, are are are less challenging, and if you
want to get ahead, you're going to need to take
on some duties that maybe maybe aren't what you need
to be doing, or maybe you don't feel match the
education you know level that that you came you know
that you went into the workforce with. So I think
(35:37):
it's a I really think that figure is high because
I think it's a mismatch of expectations. I think you
graduate from school and you believe that you're going to
move into a really high level position and you get
in there and and some other things are expected of you.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
You know, I'm going to sound like a really old
fogy here, but I don't anymore because I am an
old Okay. I imagine that the people who were blacksmith's
and used to shoe horses, when the automobile came along
around twenty ten, that probably kind of changed their world
a lot. And I suspect that most of those people
(36:13):
figured it out and developed new skills or different skills.
And when I think about the eighteen year olds who
were storming Normandy Beach in nineteen forty four, I just
think to myself, I don't know how much you know moaning.
And there's a word that goes with moaning, which I
(36:34):
won't say in the radio they were doing. They knew
they had a pretty nasty day coming up that day
and they had to deal with and a lot of
them were killed, obviously and mowed down. I look at
the kids who are coming out today, and I know
I'm going to sound like an old fogy, But does
this generation of a problem? I mean, did they need
(36:55):
comfort pillows and comfort animals at work?
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Are they missing something that they need Mommy to be there?
With them and hold their hand. I'm really serious.
Speaker 5 (37:05):
When I say that now the only thing that they
are missing are hard times. And you know you were right.
Now as we're doing this interview, we're watching the employment
picture change and it's going to be it's becoming harder
to find a job. We're seeing more layoffs, We're seeing,
you know, changes in the guaranteed government job. And as
(37:27):
the times get hard, the younger generation will toughen up
with them. When you are soft, you're soft because it's
a luxury, because the opportunity is there, and once the
shift comes in the marketplace, you'll see that change as well.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Well. You're an optimist, and I absolutely hope you're right,
because I think that our future depends on us, on
the folks who are coming into the workforce. And I
say this seriously realistically. You're a social security check. My
so security check depends upon people coming in and performing effectively.
I'm fascinated by the stories that I talked to every
(38:05):
night of the week. You included and the fact that
you're optimistic helps. It heartens heartens me for sure. I hope.
I think a lot of people, very few are lucky
enough to get a job at twenty two or whatever.
You know, the kids who are being successful today are
(38:26):
not the college graduates. Maybe they were most successful in
the long run the kids who are coming out of
school with a trade at eighteen or nineteen and plumbers
or electricians or apprentices or hvs C, HVAC people. Those guys,
they're not carrying two hundred guys and gals are not
carrying two hundred and three hundred thousand dollars of college loans,
(38:51):
and they have businesses under their feet by time they're
twenty five, bear the boss by time they're twenty five.
I mean, yeah, I think we've maybe oversold college, the
idea that everyone has to go to college.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
Well, and I think that's a big trend that you're
starting to see change right now as well. It was
just a reason that I'm optimistic. I mean, when the
when the marketplace shifts, people shift, people shift with it.
And you know, I've seen quite a few people get
you know, starting to get laid off from from companies.
We've had a lot of layoffs with the government. Now,
(39:26):
competition is going to happen for jobs. And when competition
happens for jobs, people get tough and they're willing to
take a job that maybe they weren't willing to take,
you know, three years ago. So the market will definitely
shift our community. Colleges are coming on gangbusters with starting
to train kids for trade schools again, and a lot
of kids, this next generation is opting out of college.
(39:49):
How many colleges are in trouble around the country because
the trade schools are starting to go back in. So
I think I hate you.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
I hate you to issue, but I've gone I'm so
interested in what we're talking about. I've gone over a
little bit here, so I got to let you run.
But I'd love to have you back at some point.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
And uh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
We will look forward to it. Thank you, Meredith Elliott Powell.
Turn uncertainty into opportunity. Thank you very much. Meredith. We'll
talk again. Thank you. So here comes the nine o'clock News, Rob.
I apologize for that. That was my fault, but that's
a subject that is very important. Back right after the
nine o'clock news all night.
Speaker 4 (40:25):
So
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, Nicole, I'm not touching that line, but thank you
very much for the introduction. My name is Dan Ray,
the host of Night's Side, heard every Monday through Friday
night from eight until midnight right here on WBZ Boston
ten thirty or on an AM dial. If you're listening
anywhere in the eastern half of the US and are
spinning the dial on your radio at home or map
praps out in your car and you've heard this strange
(00:28):
sounding voice, it is i WBZ Dan Ray of WBZ
in Boston, So lock us in in your car dial.
Of course, you also can pull down the iHeart app
and you could put us in as your number one
pre set on that as well. It's all We make
it all so easy for you to follow us, and
remind you that Rob Brooks is back in the control
room at Broadcast Central. He's all set to get us
(00:49):
going through the night. We're going to talk about a
local issue at nine o'clock. Boston is gonna would like
the charge be food app delivery companies the grand total
of fifteen cents for every delivery they make. Boy I'll
tell you these politicians they have an unyielding appetite to
get their hands in your pockets in what I will
(01:11):
talk about that that is for sure. And then we're
going to talk about who's going to lead the Democrats
out of the wilderness tonight at ten o'clock. There seems
to be a political shift amongst young people actually, which
might surprise some of you, and I think that Bernie
Sanders and AOC might soon. They say nature apports a vacuum,
(01:34):
and I think there's a vacuum of leadership in the
Democratic Party right now, and we'll talk about who might
actually fulfill that very important position to say, to actually
state the ideals and the standards of the Democratic Party.
But first here in this hour, we are going to
talk with four very interesting guests. One of my most
interesting guests in a long time is someone who I've
(01:57):
known for many years, and he's kind of popped back
off on my radar. I'm not going to go old
school with you and talk about how we knew each other,
but Mark Epstein. Epstein Mark is a author, went to
high school here and a college at Worcester State, and
after some period of time relocated and became an educator
(02:18):
in South Carolina, but also never lost his passion for sports,
particularly baseball and basketball. He played basketball at Worcester State
back in the day, and he has written a book
entitled Cape Dreams, A Season with the Brewster white Caps,
which is one of the franchises, one of the teams
down in the Cape Cod League. Mark, I really mean this.
(02:40):
Welcome to Nightsott, how are you hey.
Speaker 3 (02:43):
I'm doing great.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Dan.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
It's great to hear your voice again. That was a
fun round reunion we had earlier, certainly was, so I want.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
To jump into it. This book actually is going to
hit the bookstands tomorrow, and anyone who's a baseball fan
or anyone who is from New England's certainly knows about
the Cape Cod League. But you spent last summer literally
living with the Brewster Whitecaps and traveled with them on
(03:12):
the bus and got to know all the players and
how this Cape Cod team came together. So in the
few minutes that we have, let's talk about why people
should pick up this book if they're from New England
or if they're a baseball fan of any sort, because
I'm sure it's a great read. I have not had
a chance to read it yet, but I'm sure I will.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
It really is, you know, Peter Gammis wrote the forwards,
and I would say the biggest reason is that not
only is there something real special that endeared me to
the town of Brewster, Massachusetts, the organization, the volunteers, the players,
the president Luke Dillon, the manager Jamie Sabschek, the maker
(03:58):
dom Inshodge of host family, James Sullivan. But it's such
a quaint town and it's so Cape Cod they don't
even have a red light. But you know what the
most proud of, the most proud of the Brewster white Caps.
And what we did is we got into the lives
(04:20):
of the players. I was real fortunate that I worked
closely with the mandager, Jamie Shevshik, one of the great
baseball minds in America today, maybe one of the most
successful collegiate coaches of any sports, actively managing at Keystone
(04:43):
College where he's won nineteen straight conference championships in Pennsylvania,
and he spends the summer managing the Brewster white Caps,
and they have a tremendous tradition. But we were able
to get into the lives of the players. It were
no restrictions. He wasn't. He was very secure in himself
(05:06):
and allowing me full privileged to live dine e travel.
I was almost a teammate. I felt I had gone
back to college and I enjoyed every second of it.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
The guys, well, now these are the best, all of these,
these Cape Cort League teams, they're the best college players
in the country. It is the premier college baseball league.
It's primarily for either freshmen or sophomores. Uh and and
some of these, I mean, we could we could list
the players that have graduated from the Cape Cod League and.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Gone on our judges on the cover of the book.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
And judge is one that comes to mind. CC Sabathia,
who's about to be aducted uh next summer into a
Hall of Fame, great pitcher with the Indians, and little
bit and on the back, yes, so and and a
lot of great Red Sox players have spent time down there.
So you had probably two or three players on that
(06:08):
team that you spent the summer with. That two or
three four five years from now, you're going to look
up at major league rosters and say, I remember.
Speaker 3 (06:17):
That guy, and I'll give you their name.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
White Caps. Yeah, absolutely, I'll give me the name. Sure.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
One of them has become one of my best friends.
Andrew Fisher, a star run, he's all He's got to
go into Tennessee that ranked number one in the country.
They're twenty two and two. Another one who's could be
in twenty twenty six. The first player taken in the
MLB draft, Dan Covey reminds me a little bit of
(06:46):
maybe a compacted size without the reigns of an a Rod.
Incredible talent. And we got a guy named Nick Doulasil
who exploded on the cake this summer, and he's not
right now. By the one hundred scouts that followed the
team this summer, they have him in the top ten
to fifteen players tape getting drafted this year in the
(07:09):
first round. And it goes on and on.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Every team in the league can rattle up names of
players that have gone on to start him after they
left the Cape. And you know, Peter Gammons does a
great job of saying it best, and he's so eloquent anyway,
but he.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
Says, probably I think I read that there's about two
hundred alumni. If I'm not mistaken, maybe it's more from
the Cape League who have played and in many cases,
excelled in Major League baseball.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
There are three hundred and fifty on Major league rosters
last season alone. There are almost two thousands through the
history of the league that goes back to nineteen twenty three.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
Wow. Well, and there's only about by the way, when
you think about it, it's only about twenty two thousand
people players who have ever on the major league uniform.
So that means about ten percent of everybody who's played
in the major leagues spent some time with one of
the Cape Cod League teams. What what?
Speaker 3 (08:09):
And last year? Yeah, you're right, you're right. So I'm
the scent of the rosters last year were Cape alumni.
It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, it's only going to get more, So let me
do that.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And you know what they kept, Dan, you know, you
know what's so special about it? You know, and not
just Brewster. All the teams are highlighted throughout the story,
but yeah, emphasis is on the Brewster White Caps for sure,
But you know what's those special? They kept the same
old school values that our country was founded by that
made the national pastime the real national pass line. There's
(08:44):
no entitlement. The guys don't get paid. It's one of
the last amateur athletic organizations left in America. The guys
pay their own way. They're housed in with host families.
The Ball of Tears work twelve months a year, like
the James Sullivans of the world, and it's just something
(09:08):
that when you stop attending, there's something that pulls you
in and it tapped as you for the rest of
your life.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
Well, yeah, what A lot of people don't realize, Mark,
and you of course know it better than Mars. But
I got to tell you one quick story. All these
players have a summer job which.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
They used to they are doing that. Yeah, three five
years ago that you eliminated that front of it.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Well, the reason the reason I know that is I
heard Buck Showalter tell a story once that he played
in the Cape League one summer. This would have been
back sometime in the nineteen eighties, and he had a
job I think it was Sho Walter that told the
story with some sort of a painting company, and one
of the jobs that summer, besides playing baseball office he
(09:57):
during the day they were painting fences, including fences at
the Kennedy Compound down in Hyena. So and look, let
me do this, Mark, I'm running out of time here.
So the most important part of the interview. You certainly
have the passion and the enthusiasm I'm sure is going.
Speaker 3 (10:12):
I want everyone to read this story and fall in
love with the Cape League because one show hook you.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
Okay, So what we gotta do here real quickly. Now
we're running out of time. What we got to do
here is we got to tell them how they can
get It's going to be a whole lot of Barnes
and Nobles bookstores tomorrow also going.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
To be able to order it.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
Go ahead, yeah you can. You can take the plane
if you want to fly. We only got thirty seconds left, Mark,
so go for it.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
The Barnes and Nobles will be able to order it
for ingroospot tomorrow. It goes online for retail. Tale Online
retail sales April fifth, and my website is Mockpass find
your books dot com. You can order from me. You
can go into a bookstore on the tape or through
the northeast Barnes and Nobles and your bumblestock ay them
(11:00):
soon and there's a big event at Polar Parking on
It's the Polar Part Great Writers series and doctor Charles
Steinberg and Ted galluped on the host it and it's
going to be a celebration at Cape cod Baseball with
(11:20):
Paul Mitchell and Ronnie Tarry's coming there before.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
I gotta I gotta call time out. I gotta call
time out because we're now be we are now intruding
into the time of the next guest. Mark, I gave
you a lot of time because you're an old friend
and we both love baseball. Thanks so much, best of
luck with the book, and we'll hopefully see you down
in the Cape this summer of the ball game.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Okay, Cape Dreams, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Thanks, have a great one. All Right, we get back.
We're going to I love people who are enthusiastic and
uh and particularly about baseball, and that is a great
description of Mark. We are going to be talking about
a pay gap for women in New Hampshire, which will
be talking with Jessica Williams, policy analyst for the New
(12:03):
Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute. Coming right back on the other
side of this breakout nights Side.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Now back to Dan ray Line from The Window World
Nightside studios on wb Z, the news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:16):
Well today is on March twenty fourth, but tomorrow's March
twenty fifth, as you could probably figure out without me
telling you, But tomorrow is also the what's called National
Women's Equal Payday, and New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute has
done a study which Jessica Williams, who is a policy
analyst for that group, is going to talk about. I
guess's the women's pay gap in New Hampshire is larger
(12:41):
than national average. Jessica Williams, Welcome to Nightside. How are you.
Speaker 4 (12:45):
Yes, I'm doing wonderful this evening. How are you doing tonight?
Speaker 2 (12:49):
So what do we attribute I'm doing great? What do
we attribute this distinction? I'm assuming that there is a
pay gap. Obviously you folks have identified it. There has
to be some reasons for it. What is it? The
types of jobs that women are employed in? What are
(13:09):
the factors that caused this disparity?
Speaker 4 (13:13):
Yes, absolutely so, I will not generally the wage gap
for New Hampshire and women in New Hampshire is wider
than it is for women nationally.
Speaker 5 (13:23):
So, based on data that we have.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
For twenty twenty three GRANTITEDE State women working full time
earned median incomes at about seventy six percent of what
men earned at about seventy six thousand dollars for men
compared to about fifty seven thousand dollars for women annually.
Of course, when we compare data by occupational group in
New Hampshire, the wage gaps were the widest among those
(13:48):
in the legal sector, the entertainment and media sector, as
well as among management occupations. So, I know you asked
about kind of the why of this wage gap. So one,
considering the wage gap, it's important to note that woman
experience lower labor force participation rates. So according to New
Hampshire specific data for twenty twenty four, about ninety one
(14:13):
percent of male workers aged twenty five to fifty four
were engaged in the state's labor force, compared to only
about eighty three percent female workers of the same ages.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
Jessica, yeah, yeah, the numbers are numbers are interesting, and
on radio sometimes it's tough to absorb those numbers. But
so why amongst young people when you the age group
you were talking about, there is the youngest sort of
group of workers, the age group that you were talking about.
In that group, I think you said twenty five to
(14:48):
thirty four. So why such a disparity between the number
of people not only working. Yeah, it was, as you said,
New Hampshi labor force participation, but in turn then a
wage app what's the cause of that?
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Yes, so those are the labor forces among workers aged
twenty five to fifty four in the state's labor force.
While this is true when we consider the total New
Hampshire labor force size, women comprised about a half of
New Hampshire based jobs. So this suggests that women may
(15:24):
be both less likely to commute out of state for
work and may also be more likely to hold multiple
part time jobs, which tend to have lower pay and
of course offer little to no benefits such as health
insurance and retirement benefits.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I'm just looking at something. I just want to make
sure I'm following you here, because with numbers, it's the
report that I'm looking at says women held forty nine
point seven percent of private jobs based in New Hampshire
according to the early twenty twenty four data. So that
would suggest that women are holding about half of the
private jobs based in New Hampshire. Or am I reading
(16:01):
that wrong?
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Yes? Yes, that would be true. So based on that data,
women held slightly less than half, as you noted about
forty nine point seven.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
That's pretty close to Hampshire half. Okay, And so is
it the type of jobs that the women in New
Hampshire are holding the reason? Let me tell you the
reason I'm asking this. Okay, You've had a series of
women in New Hampshire in positions of real influence. Both
your United States Senators are women. You've had members, there
(16:33):
was a period of time when all four members in
Congress were females. Women. There's a new Republican women governor.
So women have done very well devisented to the highest
positions in the political life of New Hampshire. Have they
not done their job? The political leaders up there to
(16:56):
look at this problem and try to address it as
best they can.
Speaker 4 (17:01):
Yes. So with that, I think it's important to note
the percent of women engaging in the labor force and
what type of jobs they are working. So I can't
offer you some data. Women are more likely to engage
and paid care giving goals. This can include things like
childcare workers as well as home health care workers. So,
(17:24):
based on data that we have for twenty twenty four,
women comprised close to ninety one percent of early care
and education workers in New Hampshire's workforce in about eighty
six percent of home health care workers across the state.
We know that both of these occupations tend to offer
wages far below the state's media and hourly wage and
(17:46):
workers in these occupations.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
So that brings me back. That brings me back to
the question that I asked before, And perhaps you didn't understand.
What I was trying to say was that New Hampshire,
above all, has had tremendous representation. Both United States senators
currently are female, one member of Congress, and until recently,
both members of the House of representatves are female. You've
(18:08):
had women governors out there, both of whom ascended to
the US Senate. Have these political leaders dropped the ball
when it comes to trying to level the playing field
for women? They are themselves women who, from a political
point of view, are at the apex of power. You
may not want to criticize political leaders, but I'm sort
(18:31):
of giving you that opportunity to tell me why they
have not been able to make a greater difference for
women working in New Hampshire.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Yes, Dan, and thank you so much for that question.
I wish I could answer your question more directly. I
can say, when we, of course consider potential policy initiatives
that may help mitigate some of the harms in the
higher paid gap at New Hampshire, it's important to consider
why women may have some of these lower meeting incomes
(19:04):
compared to men, and may be more likely to work
some of these lower income jobs, as I noted. Of course,
access to higher education you know, may help to lessen
the gap in New Hampshire. As I mentioned, women are
more likely to work in occupations offer lower wages and
typically require lower levels of educational team.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Well again, you represent tonight the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy
Institute and that sounds to me like a great organization.
And I hope that some of the women leaders political
leaders in New Hampshire will take the time to read
this report, which is entitled Spotlight on Granted State Women
in the Labor Force for National Women's Equal Payday. Jessica,
(19:48):
appreciate your time. I'm flat out of it though, and
people can find that report just by going to NHFPI,
which stands for New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Into Institute dot
org and I hope they do read it. It's interesting
statistics and it's available on the web. Thank you very
(20:08):
much for your time tonight.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Yes, thank you so much for having me on the show.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Have a great night. Good night. When we get back,
we're going to talk about lowering your energy rates and
how you can do that, particularly here in Massachusetts. Back
on Nightside right after.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
This Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:33):
Welcome back, everyone. This is a Monday night. It is
March twenty fourth. We are officially in spring. Baseball starts
for real this Thursday for the Red Sox down in Texas.
But I'll tell you what is something for real for
us every day of the week, winter, spring, summer, and fall,
and that is our electric bills, are heating bills, all
(20:54):
of those public utility costs that everyone has to experience
and pay off and through the nose here in New
England with us is Abbi Foster. Abby's the vice president
of Policy and Advocacy for REAL, the Retail Advancement Energy League.
Abby Foster has been a guest in this program before. Abby.
(21:14):
Welcome back to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
How are you, thanks, Dan? Doing well well?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Thanks? Very much for coming back. I am a huge
advocate for energy rates availability, and we have in Massachusetts
this website that I'm sure you're familiar with, which allows
us as consumers to compare our energy rates with that
(21:43):
energy rate that might be offered by other companies here
in Massachusetts. Explain it and why people should be going
to this. I think it's mass Energy rates dot org
if I'm not mistaken, or dot com. I'm gonna look
it up in them while you talk. But it's a
very important people should have it earmarked on their computer.
(22:07):
Explain to everyone why it's important.
Speaker 7 (22:11):
They certainly should so. Back in the late nineties, Massachuset's
decided that they wanted to have competition in their electric market,
and so they broke up the electric utility monopoly and
made it so that customers could choose who their energy
supplier was, and so that all sorts of companies and
private investors could invest in the state and build generation
and not just one company. And so because of that,
customers and Massachusetts residential, commercial, industrial business customers the same.
(22:36):
They can all go and shop on the state managed
website energy SWITCHMA dot gov and look at the prices,
compare the utility offer, look at municipal aggregation if that's offered,
and then look at the offers from competitive electric suppliers.
And if they want cost savings, they can shop based
on cost. If they want one hundred percent renewable energy,
they can look for that free electric vehicle charging, you
(22:56):
name it. That's the benefit of the competitive market. There's
a customer demand for something, the market responds and customers
have options.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Yeah, it's it's great. There's another way to get to
it as simply. Also just mass energy rates will get
the get you there as well. And it's so simple.
You just you select your your utility, whatever the utility is,
if it's ever source or national grid or unitil UH.
Then they're asked you to explain what are you residential
(23:29):
or commercial or a large commercial most people are gonna
be residential. And then you after that, I believe that
you're asked to put in like your ZIP code and
then it all, it all pops up for you. Now,
this was UH. I believe was Governor Paul Salucci at
the time in the legislature who worked to make this
(23:52):
available to Massachusetts customers. I use it all the time.
I use it all the time. I switched my energy
provider as recently as last week. But believe it or not,
the folks who are running Massachusetts these days, Governor Healey's
office and the Attorney General's office, they're trying to take
this wonderful consumer choice off the books. What's going on
(24:15):
with that?
Speaker 6 (24:18):
Yeah, I think there's a lot of misconceptions.
Speaker 7 (24:20):
Part of the other challenge is that Massachusetts consumer protections
have not really kept pace as the market has evolved.
So a lot of other states have improved market reforms
and protections in place so that customers are more protected
as they shop. So things like requiring newdas is to
be sent to customers when it's time for renewal, for
(24:41):
the price to be disclosed if there's changes to the contract.
And then there's also not a really high bar in
Massachusetts for entry for companies who are coming to offer
supply offers. Things like requiring licensing fees, bonding.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
Requirements, and so those are things that we've.
Speaker 7 (24:58):
Actually all suggested and represented to. Taki Chan and Senator
Patrick O'Connor have introduced legislation that would improve the market
in response to legislators who are just trying to close
it down rather than looking for ways to fix it.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
So my question is is assuming that there's a problem,
and I don't really think there is a problem, but
I just switched to a Consolation energy and I got
in the mail today as matterford to have a file
of opened up over here. They're going to notify me.
I signed up for nine months fixed rates of like
twelve cents per kilo one hour for my electricity, and
(25:34):
they have promised that they will send me a notice
thirty days in advance of when the fixed rate expires
and I can either continue with them or move to
another company. Now, Constellation seems to me to be a
pretty good on the level company. Do they have a
good reputation that they will follow through and send me
that thirty day notice. I'm going to make a note
(25:55):
in my calendar to call them also to me before
the before my fixed rates run out. But do they
need to have a law pass to require these companies
to contact us and say, hey, your rate's running out
in a month from now. You got to either change
it or we're going to put you in a program
whether or not you like it or not.
Speaker 7 (26:18):
You know, they don't companies like Constellation and many other
suppliers proactively go ahead and do things like that because
it's best practice for consumers and they want to keep
customers and keep them happy. Constanation has a great reputation.
I've actually enrolled with them in the past as a
Pennsylvania shopper in my own state. But you sound like
a shopper who's informed. You look at your contract summary when.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
You get it.
Speaker 7 (26:40):
It's a really great tip what you just shared about
setting a calendar notice when it's time for renewals so
that you remember to go on and shop and look
at your options. But unfortunately, not all.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
Customers do those things, and so we're kind of in.
Speaker 7 (26:53):
A place where those customers who either didn't review the
terms and a file to complaint or a company who
was a bad actor came into the state and because
there aren't right proper thresholds in place, was able to
take advantage of a customer. And so these are just
basic consumer protections that a lot of the other states
that allow for competition would the utility already have in place,
(27:13):
and it would just bring Massachusus up to be on
part with other states.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
So we think of ourselves as a very progressive state.
You know that we're overwhelming a democratic state, democratic governor
of eighty percent Democratic Democratic legislature both in the House
and Senate. All they would have to do would be
pass some legislation which would require these notifications. And what
(27:37):
they're saying is they're going to take this valuable tool
away from us, which means I assume that once you're
an ever Source customer, or once you're a National Grid customer,
you'll never be able to opt out for a different supplier.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Is not done right?
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Bottom line?
Speaker 6 (28:00):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 7 (28:00):
So it would close down the market for residential customers.
If your town has municipal aggregation, you could still shop
with your municipal aggregation. I mean, this stall aggregation is
a great option, but it's just one options.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
So you still want to being able to have a
few different players.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
I'll be in Massachusetts, I tell you. I mean, there's
a handful of towns who have this. The vast majority
of towns we have three hundred and fifty one cities
and towns they don't have it. Has have the major
suppliers here in Massachusetts, ever Source, in National Grid and
UNITIL have they weighed in on this. I mean, I
(28:38):
hope they're not trying to see the energy rate option
or website disappear, even though it might be in their
own interest, if you get my drift.
Speaker 7 (28:50):
Yeah, I have not seen public comment.
Speaker 3 (28:52):
Really.
Speaker 7 (28:52):
The leaders on this has been the Attorney General's office,
City of Boston and several other entities, But I have
not seen a lot from the Utah.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
Yeah. Well that's Andrea Campbell, the Attorney General who wants
to take this option away from people, and Boston Mayor
Michelle Woop, two very progressive leaders so called, but are acting,
in my opinion, in a very regressive way. They want
to take us back to the nineteen nineties when choice
was not available.
Speaker 7 (29:23):
Yeah. And actually there was an editorial place in the
Commonwealth Beacon last year that was jointly filed by Mayor
Wu and Andrea Campbell, the Attorney General, that said electricity
pricing is just too complicated to lead to individual customers.
They've testified before the committees in the Senate and the
House and said that you'd have to be a lawyer
(29:43):
or have a PhD to be able to figure out
how to do this. But you're a first.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
Hand customer with your unforstnand experience.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
How insulting it couldn't be easier if you want to
take the interest. And there may be some customers who
don't take the interest because maybe I don't know, even
if they're renting, they're paying for it in terms of
the cost, they're going to be passed on by the landlords.
Speaker 1 (30:07):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
It just to me, it's it's like it's like the
opposite world. Here in Massachusetts, a so called progressive state
basically is regressive, and they look down their noses and
they think that we're all stupid and we're not stupid.
We're not stupid, and they're going to learn that. They're
gonna learn that lesson at some point. Abby. Maybe would
you come back later on during the week. I think
(30:28):
that my producer has talked to you about doing this
and and talk to some of my listeners, so maybe
they can share their experiences with you or ask questions
of you. You know this what happened? I do?
Speaker 3 (30:39):
Okay, great, thank you very absolutely.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Okay, So we will we'll talk about this again later
on during the week. Give you a chance to ask
questions about it. Anything that I can do to help
you lower your utility cost in Massachusetts. I feel that's
an obligation that I have, and this is part of
the obligation. I feel so abby. Foster, thanks for joining
(31:02):
us tonight. We will talk soon, Okay, thank you very much.
Speaker 3 (31:05):
Thanks Dan, You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
When we get back. We have one more guest schedule.
We'll try to get to that guest right after this
break on Nightside, and then we will get into topics
of the night where you can participate. And I got
a very interesting story that Gayla Cawley broke in the
Boston Herald, I think it was yesterday, which just lit
my hair on fire. I'll explain coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Now, back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
All right, I'm doing sometimes two or three things simultaneously.
It's like juggling. I don't know what it's like. Actually,
sometimes here on Nightside, we try to do a lot
of things simultaneously. We have a big production staff with
me here. Rob good luck. I'm sure you'll be able
to find that for me, and I do appreciate you,
(32:00):
that's for sure. This effort late, we have one more
guest and we're got to get to the guest right now.
Let's get right to the guest who is coming up here,
and the guest is Meredith Elliott Powell. She's going to
talk to us about something called catfishing, and we're not
talking about looking fishing for catfish. Meredith, welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
How are you well, I'm good, Thank you?
Speaker 2 (32:26):
Okay. Well, the phrase catfishing, I've heard it used many times,
but we're talking about a specific type of catfishing. And
I guess it's the old concept of bait and switch
and that's where the catfishing phrase comes from. And most workers,
according to one article that I have in front of me,
(32:50):
say that they have been catfished into taking a job.
Seventy nine told Monster that their job didn't live up
to the scripture provided by a recruiter or a hiring manager.
Is that in their heads or is that in reality?
Or probably doesn't make a difference.
Speaker 5 (33:10):
I don't know. I think I think it probably is
maybe a little bit of both. But I think that,
you know, I think it's so interesting today. I mean,
with the pace of change happening at such a such
a rapid a stings changing, I think often you're going
to get hired for a job, and maybe what you
need to be doing six months from now won't be
exactly what you were hired to do. So well, I
(33:33):
think there's some validity to it. I do think also
businesses are needing to respond to the fact that so
much in the marketplace is changing. They need workers who
are willing to adapt and take on new responsibilities, new skills,
and new roles.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
I would assume most new workers have been They have
lived with computers since they were born. I got to
tell you, when I first started in my career many
many decades ago, computers you know, you heard about like
an IBM, you know computer, but you knew that that
(34:08):
was never going to impact you, and along terme, computers
and those of us in media, we have to know
how to work with computers. We're not the most skilled
people in the world. I mean, why is it that
young workers seem to be having a problem here. I
would assume what this figure is unbelievable is well seventy percent.
(34:32):
I feel that that eighty percent. What are they? What
are the jobs? Can you explain it to me? It
boggles my mind. I just don't understand it. I mean,
I can understand some people take a job and they
don't like it, and they leave, but eighty percent don't
do enough due diligence on the job to figure out
what they need to do well.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
I think it's I do think that do you think
that number is I was a little astonished by it
as well, But I think maybe our expectation are are
too high. I think maybe you know, uh, with the
younger with the younger generation, I hate to be the
one calling them that. By the younger generation, is that
you expect a job to you know, it's kind of
like a honeymoon versus getting married. You get excited that
(35:16):
you get the job, and then reality sets in and
some days are great at a job and some days,
you know, are are are less challenging, and if you
want to get ahead, you're going to need to take
on some duties that maybe maybe aren't what you need
to be doing, or maybe you don't feel match the
education you know level that that you came you know
that you went into the workforce with. So I think
(35:37):
it's a I really think that figure is high because
I think it's a mismatch of expectations. I think you
graduate from school and you believe that you're going to
move into a really high level position and you get
in there and and some other things are expected of you.
Speaker 2 (35:52):
You know, I'm going to sound like a really old
fogy here, but I don't anymore because I am an
old Okay. I imagine that the people who were blacksmith's
and used to shoe horses, when the automobile came along
around twenty ten, that probably kind of changed their world
a lot. And I suspect that most of those people
(36:13):
figured it out and developed new skills or different skills.
And when I think about the eighteen year olds who
were storming Normandy Beach in nineteen forty four, I just
think to myself, I don't know how much you know moaning.
And there's a word that goes with moaning, which I
(36:34):
won't say in the radio they were doing. They knew
they had a pretty nasty day coming up that day
and they had to deal with and a lot of
them were killed, obviously and mowed down. I look at
the kids who are coming out today, and I know
I'm going to sound like an old fogy, But does
this generation of a problem? I mean, did they need
(36:55):
comfort pillows and comfort animals at work?
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Is that?
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Are they missing something that they need Mommy to be there?
With them and hold their hand. I'm really serious.
Speaker 5 (37:05):
When I say that now the only thing that they
are missing are hard times. And you know you were right.
Now as we're doing this interview, we're watching the employment
picture change and it's going to be it's becoming harder
to find a job. We're seeing more layoffs, We're seeing,
you know, changes in the guaranteed government job. And as
(37:27):
the times get hard, the younger generation will toughen up
with them. When you are soft, you're soft because it's
a luxury, because the opportunity is there, and once the
shift comes in the marketplace, you'll see that change as well.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Well. You're an optimist, and I absolutely hope you're right,
because I think that our future depends on us, on
the folks who are coming into the workforce. And I
say this seriously realistically. You're a social security check. My
so security check depends upon people coming in and performing effectively.
I'm fascinated by the stories that I talked to every
(38:05):
night of the week. You included and the fact that
you're optimistic helps. It heartens heartens me for sure. I hope.
I think a lot of people, very few are lucky
enough to get a job at twenty two or whatever.
You know, the kids who are being successful today are
(38:26):
not the college graduates. Maybe they were most successful in
the long run the kids who are coming out of
school with a trade at eighteen or nineteen and plumbers
or electricians or apprentices or hvs C, HVAC people. Those guys,
they're not carrying two hundred guys and gals are not
carrying two hundred and three hundred thousand dollars of college loans,
(38:51):
and they have businesses under their feet by time they're
twenty five, bear the boss by time they're twenty five.
I mean, yeah, I think we've maybe oversold college, the
idea that everyone has to go to college.
Speaker 5 (39:05):
Well, and I think that's a big trend that you're
starting to see change right now as well. It was
just a reason that I'm optimistic. I mean, when the
when the marketplace shifts, people shift, people shift with it.
And you know, I've seen quite a few people get
you know, starting to get laid off from from companies.
We've had a lot of layoffs with the government. Now,
(39:26):
competition is going to happen for jobs. And when competition
happens for jobs, people get tough and they're willing to
take a job that maybe they weren't willing to take,
you know, three years ago. So the market will definitely
shift our community. Colleges are coming on gangbusters with starting
to train kids for trade schools again, and a lot
of kids, this next generation is opting out of college.
(39:49):
How many colleges are in trouble around the country because
the trade schools are starting to go back in. So
I think I hate you.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
I hate you to issue, but I've gone I'm so
interested in what we're talking about. I've gone over a
little bit here, so I got to let you run.
But I'd love to have you back at some point.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
And uh, I love it.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
We will look forward to it. Thank you, Meredith Elliott Powell.
Turn uncertainty into opportunity. Thank you very much. Meredith. We'll
talk again. Thank you. So here comes the nine o'clock News, Rob.
I apologize for that. That was my fault, but that's
a subject that is very important. Back right after the
nine o'clock news all night.
Speaker 4 (40:25):
So
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