September 9, 2025 • 41 mins
On Tuesday, Boston voters headed to the polls for the preliminary election to vote for mayor and city council. Four candidates are running for mayor: incumbent Mayor Michelle Wu, Josh Kraft, Domingos DaRosa, and Robert Cappucci. Discussion included the latest election results and Christopher Anderson, President of Massachusetts High Tech Council, also joined to discuss ballot questions being proposed in 2026.
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 w b Z,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I just want to bring you up to date. We're
monitoring the votes in Boston and right now about thirteen
percent of the precincts of the votes reporting, and Michelle
Wu has a comfortable lead over Josh Craft sixty five
percent to sixty five point four percent to twenty nine
(00:29):
point five percent. Now, again, there's not going to be
a huge voter turnout here in Boston for a preliminary election,
and of course those numbers could change a little bit.
But the one thing that is definitive, both Michelle Wu
and Josh Craft have qualified to be on the ballot
in November. Robert Capucci, a former Boston City a Boston
(00:53):
School committee man in Domingos de Rosa who's a community
activist and a Pop Warner football coach. They both in
the two to three percent range. So between the two
of them, they're splitting what five percent? The other ninety
five percent of the vote is split between Mayor Wu
and her child, her primary challenger, Josh Kraft, about a
(01:14):
two to one ratio. But we'll get all these numbers
and we'll keep an eye on it for you. As
the night goes on. But even as we approach roxy
now we count the votes in the twenty twenty five
preliminary statewide elections, at least here in Boston, there's also
a longer view as to what ballot questions will be
(01:36):
before voters there are ballid questions. I think it was
around twenty nine ballid questions, which is a record number
approved by the state Attorney General. Andrea Campbell with us
from the mass High Tech Council is Chris Anderson. Christopher Anderson,
who's been a guest on this program before. Hey, welcome back, Christopher.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
How are you Dan? Good to be back? Thank you?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
So.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
How many you guys follow this very closely, more closely
than I do. I eventually get around to it, But
at this point, the preliminary signatures were I think that
somewhere around is it like eighty thousand I think, or
it's up some percentage of the last gubernatorial election. How
(02:21):
many questions proposed questions have been not certified totally have
been allowed to at least go forward by the Attorney General.
Is it twenty nine or so?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's about forty So it's a record number, and it
is a record setting and then you're right. Each question
has to collect nearly eighty thousand signatures between now and
just before Thanksgiving essentially, so it's in the early innings.
But the fact that there's that many questions that have
been filed shows you how engaged I think taxpayers are
(03:00):
cross Massachusetts are going to be, not only in twenty
twenty six, but in the years ahead, because things are
beginning to impact everybody, whether it's cost of living, difficulty
on the employment front, help migration. It's really a changing
dynamic here, and I think the ballot questions, the number
(03:21):
of them and the breadth of them, reflect that voter interest.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So my question, which is a little bit of a
challenging question. You know, I'm a fan of the mass
High Tech Council for what you folks had done for
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts over the years. But there was
a ballot question a year ago in twenty twenty four,
which voters approved by a big marchin seventy two percent,
(03:47):
which would have basically clarified or did clarify, the question
as to whether or not the state auditor, Democrat Diana
de Zaglio, could audit the state legislature, and that audit
was supposed to begin in January of this year. To
the best of my knowledge, the state legislature has continued
(04:08):
to dig in their heels and not allow an audit.
And so my question is how much confidence can we
have in the ballot the initiative petition format, which in
other years has been very effective but has sort of
been neutralized by the legislature and that kind of thumbing
(04:30):
their noses not only at the state auditor Diana does Auglio,
but they're thumbing their noses at the voters of Massachusetts who,
by this big number seventy two percent said she has
the right to audit the legislature.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Well, I think it shows us two things, Dan. It
shows us one that the legislature is so overwhelmingly represented
by way way left of center officials that even center
left Democrats find it difficult to get anything productive done. Secondly,
I think at underscores that you can't just pass the
(05:04):
ballot question or have the voters pass the ballot question
and walk away from the issue. They ask to be
part and supported by a very intense, sophisticated communications capability
that reaches different people across the Commonwealth, different age groups,
different temographics, different geographies on a regular basis. And you know,
(05:24):
if people in the districts, grassroots so to speak, are
aware of what their legislature or individual legislators are doing
after they voted on something, it's going to make it
awfully difficult for that legislator to explain their position and
thumbing the nose on a popular vote. So okay, So what.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Are the ballot questions that the High Tech Council are
most concerned about it? And again, the votes are still
trickling in. We're at a thirteen percent, and as soon
as does a change here, I'll I'll let people know.
But again I'd like Chris Anderson to identify of the
forty questions, how many of what you call what percentage
(06:10):
of those do you think are likely? I mean, basically,
people are going to be deluged at their Super Marcus
September in October.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah, the signature collection effort for these petitions is actually
pretty well organized by people that know what they're doing there.
But I think ultimately, you know, out of the forty,
there'll be less than half maybe a dozen questions that
make it through the rest of the process that they're
not inexpensive. But the difference also on you know what
(06:44):
we're pushing. We're pushing two changes to the general laws.
One would reduce the income tax rate for everybody from
five to four percent. That you don't need the legislature
to you know, reluctantly or not provided information to the auditor,
which is what the not doing. That happens unless the
legislature decides to say, you know what, now, we're going
(07:05):
to override the will of the voter and not let
the income tax drop. That would be very difficult if
the margin of victory is like the auditor question and
the other. The other measure changes the state law that
allows or that requires the state to return excess tax
revenue back to the taxpayer when the economy is booming,
(07:27):
as it has been for quite a while, and the
goal there is to make sure the legislature doesn't overspend,
which is a problem that it's been in over the
last seven years. I think the state budget's grown fifty
one percent, double the.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Rate jump over over sixty billion dollars. It was a
year a few years ago in which then Governor Baker
was able to return a surplus to taxpayers Massachusetts. But
there were still people in the legislature who were upset
(08:05):
at that. It's almost as if the legislature views the
tax dollars that we who work pay as if it's
their money and we don't have a right to any
of our own money, particularly when they have miscalculated and
collected a surplus. Because you can have a rainy day
fund in Massachusetts, which they do have, but it cannot,
(08:28):
you know, be so so large that people are going
to say, what are you doing with? You know, they
generally keep like a couple of billion dollars in the
ready day fund if i'm if I recall.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Uh, and that's a substantial amount. It's grown quite a bit,
but that's exactly the point that I think, you know,
people expect value for their government dollar. They're not. They
don't feel like they're getting it. They feel like they're
over taxed. We have a high cost of living here,
and yet we have a lot of attributes that are
really positive. What we're trying to do, Dan is make
sure that we don't hit that tipping point of no
(09:04):
return where it just becomes unsustainable and we have substantial
problems with state government spending and then we see our
quality of life deteriorate. Pretty quickly, so I think we're
acting quick enough to give voters a voice on these
key issues.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So yeah, I'll invite some callers to join us. If
you're a taxpayer out there in Massachusetts, I'd love to
know what your inclination is on reducing the state income tax.
It's now five percent down to four percent, which the
legislators I'm the legislature, I'm sure will oft po's And
(09:42):
also I don't know how much they have in the
rainy day fund now, but generally the feeling was when
Tom Finnerman was speaker, they wanted to have an amount
of money available, just like a family should have some
money available for a rainy day fund, but you don't
just put it all in a rainy day fund. So
would you like to have one the income tax reduced
(10:04):
from five percent to four percent? And would you also
like to have Occasionally when the tax taxes that flow
into the state's coffers become abundant and there's really and
it's clear excess on the amount of the rainy day
fund has has grown beyond any proportion that is reasonable,
(10:25):
would you like to see an excess return to the taxpayers?
Is there a number on that initiative petition, the one
I'm dealing with excise tax excess, not excise, but excess
tax collections being returned to the taxpayers.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Not yet. The numbers that show up on the ballot
won't be assigned until next spring.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
There.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
But right now, the rainy Day Fund in Massachusetts is
a little over eight billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah, which is much more. I mean, that's that's that's
fifteen percent of the budget, and I think that is
on a percentage basis, much higher than it has ever been.
Part of that, of course, is the millionaires tax, which
again might in the long run cost us some people.
Let me just throw out the number here, Chris, stay
(11:15):
with us. We'll get some callers. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
My question to the listeners, and there's nobody that knows
the tax structure in the state as much as Chris Anderson,
in my opinion, and that includes people in the leadership
of the legislature. He knows the internal numbers in Massachusetts
(11:35):
better than anyone I know. I'd love to hear from
you on this. Would you be interested in supporting a
reduction of the Massachusetts state income tax from five percent
to four percent. And do you think that once the
Rainy Day Fund exceeds a certain point, and right now
the Rainy Day Fund has eight billion dollars city at escrow,
(11:58):
do you think that at some point, as has happened
recently in the past, some of that money should be
returned to the taxpayers. I will vote yes on both
of those issues. I will tell you right now, Chris
six seven thirty, six months, seven nine three one ten thirty,
Whether you vote yes or no, I'd love to hear
(12:19):
from you, because I think it's a conversation that needs
to be had. The numbers continue to come in here
in Boston, and the UH just gone up a little bit,
is getting close to fourteen percent, and Josh Kraft has
moved up a little bit a point or so, and
Michelle Wu has dropped out a point or so. Again,
(12:40):
we don't know where these votes are coming in from. UH.
And I don't think that this is a race that
where there either of these candidates is especially strong, meaning
I think Michelle Wu has supported us throughout the city.
I think Josh Kraft does as well. Who has the
most tonight, Well, the poll suggest that we'll be at
(13:01):
the end of the night, Michelle wou But it's not
like the old days where you would have people in
one section of Boston voting in one direction and people
in another section of Boston. I think that the votes
will be I think that whatever Josh Kraft gets, he
will probably get a fairly similar number in across the city,
(13:21):
which will make this race a little different. Back on
Nights Side, right after this.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
It's Nights Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Okay, let's get some phone calls. Chris Anderson is my guest.
Chris is with the Mass High Tech Council. Chris, You've
been with the Mass High Tech Council for how many years?
Speaker 3 (13:43):
So I have to say I started when Mike Ducaccus
was governor. So I think I'm on my eighth governor.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Now, well that's quite Yeah, well, Mike Ducaccus was governor.
I'm not sure if it was Ducaccus one or Ducaccus too.
I hope it was tough Caucus too, because he was
governor from seventy well he was yeah, okay, fine, yeah,
because Ducacas was first elected in seventy four. He was
governor from seventy five to seventy nine. Then and King
(14:13):
basically took over the governor's office for four years, and
Mike Dcaccas won the governorship back.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
In nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
He was governor from eighty three right until Bill Weld
was elected. He had three terms. Let's get to some
phone calls. The questions we're talking about is are you
interested in seeing your income tax reduced from five percent
to four percent?
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (14:37):
And are you interested in receiving an excess tax check
from the governor's office Maybe not this governor, but from
the governor's office to taxpayers. Let me go first to
Robin Cambridge. Hey, Rob, welcome, You're first tonight with Chris
Anderson of the mass High Tech Council.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Hello, Dan, Hello Chris. Uh, long time listener. I don't
take this the wrong way, fellas, but this is a joke. Okay.
Look at what's happened. When the people voted with Diana
de Glousia. I think that's how you say your name.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well, we mentioned that, We mentioned that, but Chris responded
that this might be a little different. But go ahead,
make you make your point.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Okay. My point is that went nowhere. The voters all
of us said, yeah, yeah, that's good. Diana do that.
She she passed it. It come true and everything. You
know how we want to say it now, who ain't
going to want to reduce their taxes? You know what
I mean?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
No, I think rob By the way you said longtime listener,
are you buying any chance of first time caller? No? Yeah,
I mean I recognized, I recognize your name, and then
I recognize your voice, And just want to make sure
when people say oh first, you know longtime listeners, sometimes
they assume we think they're a first time caller.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Look, yeah, there's going to be a lot of.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
People in Massachusetts who who maybe aren't paying any income
taxes and they're benefiting from the income taxes. Chris, why
don't you amplify on that point for rob a little bit.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah, And there's a lot of detail here that we
I just point listeners to at our Mass Opportunity Alliance website,
which is Massopportunity dot org. But the two questions on
the one on the income tax cut that's going to
return about thirteen hundred dollars annually to the average taxpayer
in the Commonwealth, and we'll go a long way toward
(16:32):
impacting some of this high costs that we're suffering from
for people who live and work here. The issue is that,
you know, the legislature has been the subject to many
ballot questions that have passed in Massachusetts, and with rare
exceptions like the one that you're referring to with the
state auditor, they have respected the will of the voter.
(16:55):
Now the audit is one they just don't want to
get audited producing the material.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And by the way, you got to give Diana to
Zauglio a big pat on the back. And eventually I
believe that she will be taking the legislature uh into
into superior court, stuffing superior court. Well we'll see how
that works out, but I'm not giving up on that
at all. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
Yeah, Well, good luck sellers, and there ain't nothing gonna happen,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Well, you know, if you have that attitude, you're right
and nothing will happen. You got to get out and
you got to vote, uh and you got to got
to make your You know, there's so many people uh
today who probably decided to sit at home. Their votes
don't count. You can't complain if you don't vote. Rob
are you a voter.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
Every election or no, yes, I am. I love Trump too.
The people voted for Diana's saying there it won't happened.
It's up in the year. It ain't going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Well it is, how many year wrong? But but I've
had the auditor on the program I think two or
three times since January, and I actually have a list
of night side listeners who are going to be willing
to put their names on a lawsuit, a class action lawsuit.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
Can I be number one?
Speaker 4 (18:17):
You?
Speaker 2 (18:17):
What?
Speaker 6 (18:19):
Can I be number one?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Well, if you want to leave your name with Dan,
I can add you to the list. You're a little
late because I've got a whole bunch of listeners now.
But they are people who I had Diana and Desaugli
on here in just about I don't know, four weeks ago,
and people called up and they said, yeah, would be
part of that class action because the legislature is denying
(18:42):
the will of the people, the overwhelming will of the people,
and the people have standing as both you know, voters
and taxpayers. And as long as you voted, no one
would be able to strike you as a member of
the class. So if you want to leave your name
and number in a daytime phone. Remember if and when
Diana Desauglio and her attorneys filed that class action lawsuit.
(19:07):
I'll have them call you and you can you can
you can fix your name to to that, to that
proceed to that filing.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Okay, I'd like to do that. And one more thing
before you know, I know you're busy. Uh, how many
billion dollars is up in the air here in the
advance in.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
The excess in that was so called.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Rainy Rainy Day fund.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Eight dollars is sitting there.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
We ain't never going to see a penny of that
with these legislatures. It ain't never going to come our
way never.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Well, Rob, that's why, that's why the other question changes
the revenue growth limit. And three years ago it automatically
returned three billion dollars back to taxpayers across the commonwealth.
So what we're doing is trying to improve the frequency
with which that that refund triggers, which still allows the
budget to grow, just not grow to the to the
(19:58):
point where they spend every dollar that comes in and
makes it unaffordable for taxpayers down down the road. But
it does work, and we're just asked, we're asking voters
to improve the frequency during good times for them to
get some of that premium or revenue back as a
refund check. Rob, you will obviously I must have missed
my name because I have got nothing.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Well, Rob, I don't know uh, and I can't go
back and track that. All I was like to say
to you, Rob, is that you sound like the dog
that has been abused, who whenever anyone comes in the room,
they kind of cower in the corner because they figure
whoever comes in the room next is going to kick them.
And you can't adopt that attitude because that added that's
(20:45):
what the other side wants you to do. They want you,
as a taxpayer and as a voter to feel you
can't win. It's like when you play did you ever
play sports in high school? If you're on a team
that felt you couldn't win, you never want Yeah, you
got to keep that, man, You got to keep that,
keep calling this program. There are more people out there
(21:07):
who think like you do than you realize. Thanks, Rob,
appreciate your call. Have a good night. Six one seven
two five four ten thirty give your name and number two.
Dan Cantano six one seven two five four ten thirty six,
one seven, nine to three, one, ten thirty. We'll get
a couple more calls in here for you, Chris, and
then I'll let you go. This has been a great
(21:27):
opportunity for us to kind of rattle people's skages and
let them know that it is possible in Massachusetts to
win a ballot question. Now, unfortunately they may have to
go to court UH to finalize the victory. But let's
get it done. Let's get it done. Back with Chris
Anderson that you're you're titled with the Massachusetts Opportunity alliancemass
(21:54):
Opportunity dot org is what Chris is that the.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
President where where one of the founders along with the
Pioneer Institute and mass Competitive Partnership. I'm the president of
the mass Side Tech Council, but.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
The President's mass Side Tech Council. Again. I knew that
we'll be back on Nightside right after the news break
at the bottom of the hour.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
We're talking with Christopher Anderson, the president of the Massachusetts
High Tech Council, and actually talking about potential ballot questions
that might be on the final ballot in November of
twenty twenty six, that would be fourteen months from now,
believing those fourteen months will roll by more quickly than
you realize. We're also following the numbers on the Boston
(22:41):
Mayor's race, and at this point Michelle Wou has sixty
five percent of the vote and Josh Kraft a little
bit under thirty percent, a two to one ratio. The
other two candidates, Capucci and Domingus de Rosa, both of
them are in the single digits, Capuccia three point two percent,
(23:03):
Domingus to Rosa at two percent. So clearly the survivors tonight,
the first and second finishers Wu Mayor WU and the
Josh Kraft. We'll face off again in November. We're going
to continue here. We're talking with Chris Anderson of the
president of the mass High Tech Council, and we're talking
about a couple of items that maybe or will be
(23:27):
i suspect on the ballot next November. One will be
an initiative petition for the voters to reduce their income
tax from five percent here in Massachusetts to four percent,
and a second issue which would return excess tax revenue
meant most of which or all of which ends up
in the Reigny Day Fund. There's no statutory cap on
(23:51):
how big or what percentage of the budget that the
Rainy Day Fund can can hold. Correct Am I correct
on that, Chris.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Yeah, that can grow, That can grow significantly with the
revenue cap does dan It actually says the state can
collect up to a certain amount of annual tax collections.
If it exceeds that amount, then each year that amount
would go back to the taxpayer, and not everything automatically
goes into the rainy Day Fund. That's when we have
(24:21):
a surplus, the state generally spends it in other areas.
So we're looking for a little bit more I guess
confidential or trans transparency in the way government spends money
and doesn't overspend, which has been doing historically now for
over seven years.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Transparency in Massachusetts is if the politicians love to talk
about it, they just don't like to invoke it. Larry
is in West Roxbury. Hey, Larry, welcome. You are next
with my guest Chris Anderson and the Massachusetts High Tech Council.
Go right ahead, Larry, Thank.
Speaker 7 (24:56):
You very much. JOm and I think that the discussion
that you're having is worthwhile with respect to having my
state tax reduced from five to four. But I'm all
for that. And the second thing is that I'm all
(25:17):
for perhaps having the state legislature have a party every.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Month for four months, so that the party costs one
billion per month and they can serve hot dogs and
hamburgers and maybe alcoholic drinks at noontime so that people
can go to the state House for lunch.
Speaker 7 (25:40):
But in my judgment, I'm never going to see that
these people that just love to have that money to
do with what they please. And my state representative and
state senator do they know who I am? So they don't.
(26:03):
They're not available when I call, are never available.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Larry, let me give and I'm a.
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Stay there for but no, they can't be bothered to.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Talk to me.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Larry. First, first of all, once again, thank you for
your service. I know that you're that you're a veteran.
Chris wanted to give you I think a suggestion. Go ahead, Chris.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Yeah, just like Rob Larry, I think you know, the
feeling that you're not going to turn this thing around
is not as realistic as you would like to think.
We have been building an army under this Mass Opportunity
Alliance umbrella and it's really this army and we've only
been at it for one year. This is the one
year anniversary of the launch of Mass Opportunity Alliance that's
(26:50):
done research, polling and has inspired these two ballot questions.
But it's done so by building an army that continues
to grow every week of informed taxpayers across the Commonwealth.
And you can sign up to get the information on
a weekly basis at our website passopportunity dot org. But
(27:11):
it's this army that's going to make the difference in
the future years. As we build this army out and
we have voters in acting questions at the ballot, the
legislature is going to be responsive to that army in
their own districts. And this is something that's a different dynamic,
Larry that we haven't had in the past. So we're
(27:33):
very optimistic that if you and your colleagues across the
state that believe that like we do, that we need
an affordable state that's open for business, as a positive
business climate and can retain the types of talent and
excellent quality of life that we have all owned to
come to love and expect, then this path forward will
(27:55):
be supported by an army of people just like you.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Well, good right, and it can be you as you
just described, and I certainly think it's needed to be done.
And I thank you both for the conversation.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Well, you know, I just want to add one thing,
and that is that there are so many of these
members of the legislature who look upon their election as
a full time job, and more than a full time job,
they look upon it as a career calling, and so
they will stay there as long as the voters will
(28:33):
return them. And a lot of people you'll choose not
to vote, or others go to the polls and always
vote for whoever the incumbent is because they met the
incumbent one time at the grocery store or at CBS,
and they think they're a wonderful human being. But as
you can see, when your legislator, whether it's a state
(28:58):
senator or a state representative, is not willing to give
you the courtesy of a phone call to hear what
you have to say, maybe because he realizes or she
realizes that you're not a supporter of them, that is weird.
Democracy dies because at that point you are cut off
(29:19):
from expressing your opinion to those who have been elected
to represent you, whether you voted for them or not.
You know, whenever one of these candidates become president, for
the most part, they'll say something like, I'm here to
represent those who voted for me and who voted for
my opponent. Talk is cheap. But when someone like yourself
who served in the military for this how many years
(29:42):
service did you provide, Larry refreshment? How many thirty one years? Yeah,
thirty one years in the US Air Force? And they Dane,
who is your state senator? And who are your state reps?
Who are not willing to return your phone calls?
Speaker 7 (30:00):
Been Jamaica plane. Now, if you have.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
The names off the top of your head, great, If
you don't, the next time you call, I'd like to, uh,
you know, basically call them out for you and let
other constituents know that they have not been willing to
return your phone calls, because that is a disgrace in
my opinion.
Speaker 7 (30:25):
So far, I go, what what's the place I call
in orders to get your information?
Speaker 2 (30:34):
You're talking about to have your name on a potential
class action lawsuit with the state auditor? Leave your name
and address uh in your in a daytime phone number,
and if and when the state auditor decides to file
the legislation file a lawsuit, it'll be as action lawsuit and.
Speaker 7 (30:55):
I will do that, your guest here.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Oh sure, Well, I'm going to have Dan is going
to write this down and he'll give it to you
as well. It's simply MASS for the short M A S. S.
Opportunity dot org is the website of the Chris and
as referred to do that for me.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
I can I can do that here. I'll tell them
you remember that I'm totally blind.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I do remember that, and that's why I wanted to
but I will.
Speaker 7 (31:26):
I'll put it into my computer right now.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
So okay, and again, Larry, uh.
Speaker 7 (31:32):
Thank you, I thank you for taking my call. And
and uh, you know, I certainly hope but that the
army has enough people then to push the legislature around
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Well, uh, well, we don't necessarily have to push them around.
We have to make them listen to the people. That's
what we got to do. Uh, And again, thank you
for your service, Larry. Stay there, my producer h tonight,
Dan Cantano. We'll also just make sure that you have
that address mass Opportunity dot org. And if you want
to be part of that class action lawsuit when and
(32:07):
if the state auditor files it. You leave a name,
a phone number in an address and we'll keep you
on the list. Okay, thank you very much. Thank you, Larry.
We'll take a quick break. We'll be back on Nightside
with my guests Christopher Anderson. He is the head of
the Massachusetts High Tech Council, one of the groups that
has developed this organization called mass Opportunity dot Org. Again,
(32:32):
the filmbers are coming in very slowly in Boston tonight.
They haven't changed in the last ten minutes or so. Literally,
it's about fifteen percent of the vote, one to five
percent of the vote here in Boston. Generally on a
night like this, on an election in Boston, these numbers
(32:52):
should be rolling in. And unless my computer is playing
games with me here, which it's not, they are very
slow to come in. But that sometimes happens in big cities.
It's kind of funny, Chris, how that happens. We'll be
back on nights that with my guest Chris Anderson of
the mass High Tech Council, the president of the Massachusetts
(33:13):
High Tech Council, talking about a group called mass Opportunity
dot Org. Back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Well, guess is Chris Anderson. He is the president of
the Massachusetts High Tech Council, and they are marshaling their
forces through the Massachusetts Opportunity dot Org, which is mass
Opportunity dot Org, a newly constituted what we call this
a political action committee.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
What's the character now, No, it's it's really a an information,
research and education platform that will inspire a whole bunch
of propos but also raise awareness among Massachusetts taxpayers on
a whole range of issues that they typically don't get
(34:07):
to understand as full as they should.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
So, okay, so it's more more of a it's more
of almost a case, I think, a tank that's going
to provide information which can simplify some of these ballot
questions because a lot of people go in on balid
questions of the somewhat confused as to what the effect
of the impact would be. So I think that that's
(34:29):
a need helped asset. Let me go to Mark in Austin. Mark,
You're next on Night Side with Chris Anderson, the president
of the Massachusetts High Tech Council. Go right ahead.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Mark, Good evening, Dan, good evening, mister Anderson, thanks for
taking my call. First, i'd like to state that I
firmly oppose reducing this state income tax because I think
we need the money. We need every puny to pay
for fixing up and maintaining the MBTA, the roads, the bridges,
(35:04):
low income uh, you know, medical care and so forth,
and with the economy probably heading into a recession and
it may be a deep one with an outcharged sense
of stagflation. If you know what stagflation is. I think
we're well positioned to withstand all that in Massachusetts. But
(35:30):
what most businesses, both small and large, want is stability, instability, instability.
And these tariffs are nuts.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Okay, well, well there's nothing we can do about the tariff.
Let me ask you this much, just for the background.
What sort of work do you do these days?
Speaker 5 (35:48):
I'm a retired supermarket worker.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Okay, And if I could, if I could ask, and
I write, Yeah, so you're a writer. You published that you.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Were oh the tab Boston magazine.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Uh earn a living?
Speaker 5 (36:10):
Vote right? Let me just publication?
Speaker 2 (36:13):
So you earn a living as a writer and working
in a supermarket? Last year home, I.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
Must volunteer to do it on a volunteer volunteers.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Okay, so last year, market, I'm just curious how much
taxes did you pay to the come Wealth of Massachusetts
in income taxes? Was it?
Speaker 5 (36:34):
Oh? It was pretty substantial. Let's see, I would say,
you see, my family hired a disability lawyer. I send
all the paperwork to my sister in Lawn in Maryland.
(36:56):
But you need a fairly hard number on just approximately,
I would say approximately one thousand dollars or so.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Oh okay, so one thousand dollars in taxes. So if
the taxes in Massachusetts were reduced from five percent to
four percent, your taxes would reduce from a thout your
state taxes would reduced from one thousand dollars to eight
hundred dollars approximately.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
You know what, It's much more a matter of I'm
reinably comfortable, you know, financially, it's cetera. I suppose you
could call me lower middle class.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Yeah, okay, well that's fine. So again, I'm not going
to try.
Speaker 5 (37:43):
To change your mind's not going to concerned about homelessness?
Yeah no, I have a lot of friends who have
ongoing medical issues.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
How much could I ask you one other question, Mark,
In addition to the taxes that you pay over to Massachusetts,
do you give a lot of money to charities?
Speaker 5 (38:03):
Oh? Yeah, how much eighteen traditional Jewish amount eighteen dollars
or what's eighteen dollars per charitable contribution?
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Oh so you give? Okay, so overall? How much in
charity do you donate in Massachusetts?
Speaker 5 (38:29):
Probably off the top of my head. Well, I have
an eleven year deal with the NAACP Empowerment Fund. That
eight you can give me.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
You can give me an overall number. You don't need
to go through every last I'm just getting getting a
census save.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
One hundred to one hundred fifty dollars a year, gotcha.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Okay, Well that's very generous. That's very generous of you, Mark,
And that's good. Well, look, I appreciate it. We're not
going to try to change your mind. Have just wanted
to get a little sense of where you were coming from.
Appreciate your call. Mark. I've got to get to the
newscast here and I got to say good night to
my guest. But as always, thank you so much for
your call.
Speaker 5 (39:11):
Thanks, Mark, You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
All right, I don't think you're going to get Mark
supporting your cause here, Chris. But if people do want
to support the cause, how can they get in touch.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Yeah, they can get more information again by going to
the mass Opportunity dot org website and they'll they'll read
about the two MOA inspired ballot questions, including a host
of other information about what's going on with Massachusetts and
the things that are most important to a growing number
of taxpayers across the commonwealth. And it really relates to
(39:43):
putting guardrails on state spending, supporting fiscal responsibility, and putting
money back in people's pockets.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Yep. I think that people who are in the money.
Obviously all of us have that social contract with the
government where we support the government. That comes a point
in time where the government becomes overly aggressive and also
non transparent. And I think that's the situation we are
here in Massachusetts, and whatever reforms we can bring, we
(40:12):
have to try to bring those. We won't have Mark's help,
but I think that there will be a lot of
people who will be interested in the mass Opportunity Alliance. Chris,
Thanks very much. This worked out very well as in
our conversation.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
Thank you, It certainly did I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
We'll talk soon. Okay. The vote totals in massive in Boston.
In terms of the mayor's race. I just trickling in.
They've been stuck at about fifteen percent. I'm going to
reboot the computer, make sure that there hasn't been much
of a change, and when we come back, we're going
to talk with Pat Davis. His brother was killed in
(40:48):
nine to eleven. He was on one of the planes
that crashed into the World Trade Center, his brother Mark,
and the anniversary of nine to eleven is on Thursday.
There's a huge amount of activity here in Massachusetts. But ironically,
the issue of what happened to nine to eleven is
(41:11):
not a mandatory subject in high schools here in Massachusetts,
and we aim to change that. We'll be back right
after the ten o'clock news
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
I just want to bring you up to date. We're
monitoring the votes in Boston and right now about thirteen
percent of the precincts of the votes reporting, and Michelle
Wu has a comfortable lead over Josh Craft sixty five
percent to sixty five point four percent to twenty nine
(00:29):
point five percent. Now, again, there's not going to be
a huge voter turnout here in Boston for a preliminary election,
and of course those numbers could change a little bit.
But the one thing that is definitive, both Michelle Wu
and Josh Craft have qualified to be on the ballot
in November. Robert Capucci, a former Boston City a Boston
(00:53):
School committee man in Domingos de Rosa who's a community
activist and a Pop Warner football coach. They both in
the two to three percent range. So between the two
of them, they're splitting what five percent? The other ninety
five percent of the vote is split between Mayor Wu
and her child, her primary challenger, Josh Kraft, about a
(01:14):
two to one ratio. But we'll get all these numbers
and we'll keep an eye on it for you. As
the night goes on. But even as we approach roxy
now we count the votes in the twenty twenty five
preliminary statewide elections, at least here in Boston, there's also
a longer view as to what ballot questions will be
(01:36):
before voters there are ballid questions. I think it was
around twenty nine ballid questions, which is a record number
approved by the state Attorney General. Andrea Campbell with us
from the mass High Tech Council is Chris Anderson. Christopher Anderson,
who's been a guest on this program before. Hey, welcome back, Christopher.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
How are you Dan? Good to be back? Thank you?
Speaker 4 (01:57):
So.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
How many you guys follow this very closely, more closely
than I do. I eventually get around to it, But
at this point, the preliminary signatures were I think that
somewhere around is it like eighty thousand I think, or
it's up some percentage of the last gubernatorial election. How
(02:21):
many questions proposed questions have been not certified totally have
been allowed to at least go forward by the Attorney General.
Is it twenty nine or so?
Speaker 3 (02:36):
It's about forty So it's a record number, and it
is a record setting and then you're right. Each question
has to collect nearly eighty thousand signatures between now and
just before Thanksgiving essentially, so it's in the early innings.
But the fact that there's that many questions that have
been filed shows you how engaged I think taxpayers are
(03:00):
cross Massachusetts are going to be, not only in twenty
twenty six, but in the years ahead, because things are
beginning to impact everybody, whether it's cost of living, difficulty
on the employment front, help migration. It's really a changing
dynamic here, and I think the ballot questions, the number
(03:21):
of them and the breadth of them, reflect that voter interest.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
So my question, which is a little bit of a
challenging question. You know, I'm a fan of the mass
High Tech Council for what you folks had done for
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts over the years. But there was
a ballot question a year ago in twenty twenty four,
which voters approved by a big marchin seventy two percent,
(03:47):
which would have basically clarified or did clarify, the question
as to whether or not the state auditor, Democrat Diana
de Zaglio, could audit the state legislature, and that audit
was supposed to begin in January of this year. To
the best of my knowledge, the state legislature has continued
(04:08):
to dig in their heels and not allow an audit.
And so my question is how much confidence can we
have in the ballot the initiative petition format, which in
other years has been very effective but has sort of
been neutralized by the legislature and that kind of thumbing
(04:30):
their noses not only at the state auditor Diana does Auglio,
but they're thumbing their noses at the voters of Massachusetts who,
by this big number seventy two percent said she has
the right to audit the legislature.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Well, I think it shows us two things, Dan. It
shows us one that the legislature is so overwhelmingly represented
by way way left of center officials that even center
left Democrats find it difficult to get anything productive done. Secondly,
I think at underscores that you can't just pass the
(05:04):
ballot question or have the voters pass the ballot question
and walk away from the issue. They ask to be
part and supported by a very intense, sophisticated communications capability
that reaches different people across the Commonwealth, different age groups,
different temographics, different geographies on a regular basis. And you know,
(05:24):
if people in the districts, grassroots so to speak, are
aware of what their legislature or individual legislators are doing
after they voted on something, it's going to make it
awfully difficult for that legislator to explain their position and
thumbing the nose on a popular vote. So okay, So what.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
Are the ballot questions that the High Tech Council are
most concerned about it? And again, the votes are still
trickling in. We're at a thirteen percent, and as soon
as does a change here, I'll I'll let people know.
But again I'd like Chris Anderson to identify of the
forty questions, how many of what you call what percentage
(06:10):
of those do you think are likely? I mean, basically,
people are going to be deluged at their Super Marcus
September in October.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah, the signature collection effort for these petitions is actually
pretty well organized by people that know what they're doing there.
But I think ultimately, you know, out of the forty,
there'll be less than half maybe a dozen questions that
make it through the rest of the process that they're
not inexpensive. But the difference also on you know what
(06:44):
we're pushing. We're pushing two changes to the general laws.
One would reduce the income tax rate for everybody from
five to four percent. That you don't need the legislature
to you know, reluctantly or not provided information to the auditor,
which is what the not doing. That happens unless the
legislature decides to say, you know what, now, we're going
(07:05):
to override the will of the voter and not let
the income tax drop. That would be very difficult if
the margin of victory is like the auditor question and
the other. The other measure changes the state law that
allows or that requires the state to return excess tax
revenue back to the taxpayer when the economy is booming,
(07:27):
as it has been for quite a while, and the
goal there is to make sure the legislature doesn't overspend,
which is a problem that it's been in over the
last seven years. I think the state budget's grown fifty
one percent, double the.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
Rate jump over over sixty billion dollars. It was a
year a few years ago in which then Governor Baker
was able to return a surplus to taxpayers Massachusetts. But
there were still people in the legislature who were upset
(08:05):
at that. It's almost as if the legislature views the
tax dollars that we who work pay as if it's
their money and we don't have a right to any
of our own money, particularly when they have miscalculated and
collected a surplus. Because you can have a rainy day
fund in Massachusetts, which they do have, but it cannot,
(08:28):
you know, be so so large that people are going
to say, what are you doing with? You know, they
generally keep like a couple of billion dollars in the
ready day fund if i'm if I recall.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Uh, and that's a substantial amount. It's grown quite a bit,
but that's exactly the point that I think, you know,
people expect value for their government dollar. They're not. They
don't feel like they're getting it. They feel like they're
over taxed. We have a high cost of living here,
and yet we have a lot of attributes that are
really positive. What we're trying to do, Dan is make
sure that we don't hit that tipping point of no
(09:04):
return where it just becomes unsustainable and we have substantial
problems with state government spending and then we see our
quality of life deteriorate. Pretty quickly, so I think we're
acting quick enough to give voters a voice on these
key issues.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
So yeah, I'll invite some callers to join us. If
you're a taxpayer out there in Massachusetts, I'd love to
know what your inclination is on reducing the state income tax.
It's now five percent down to four percent, which the
legislators I'm the legislature, I'm sure will oft po's And
(09:42):
also I don't know how much they have in the
rainy day fund now, but generally the feeling was when
Tom Finnerman was speaker, they wanted to have an amount
of money available, just like a family should have some
money available for a rainy day fund, but you don't
just put it all in a rainy day fund. So
would you like to have one the income tax reduced
(10:04):
from five percent to four percent? And would you also
like to have Occasionally when the tax taxes that flow
into the state's coffers become abundant and there's really and
it's clear excess on the amount of the rainy day
fund has has grown beyond any proportion that is reasonable,
(10:25):
would you like to see an excess return to the taxpayers?
Is there a number on that initiative petition, the one
I'm dealing with excise tax excess, not excise, but excess
tax collections being returned to the taxpayers.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
Not yet. The numbers that show up on the ballot
won't be assigned until next spring.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
There.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
But right now, the rainy Day Fund in Massachusetts is
a little over eight billion dollars.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Yeah, which is much more. I mean, that's that's that's
fifteen percent of the budget, and I think that is
on a percentage basis, much higher than it has ever been.
Part of that, of course, is the millionaires tax, which
again might in the long run cost us some people.
Let me just throw out the number here, Chris, stay
(11:15):
with us. We'll get some callers. Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
My question to the listeners, and there's nobody that knows
the tax structure in the state as much as Chris Anderson,
in my opinion, and that includes people in the leadership
of the legislature. He knows the internal numbers in Massachusetts
(11:35):
better than anyone I know. I'd love to hear from
you on this. Would you be interested in supporting a
reduction of the Massachusetts state income tax from five percent
to four percent. And do you think that once the
Rainy Day Fund exceeds a certain point, and right now
the Rainy Day Fund has eight billion dollars city at escrow,
(11:58):
do you think that at some point, as has happened
recently in the past, some of that money should be
returned to the taxpayers. I will vote yes on both
of those issues. I will tell you right now, Chris
six seven thirty, six months, seven nine three one ten thirty,
Whether you vote yes or no, I'd love to hear
(12:19):
from you, because I think it's a conversation that needs
to be had. The numbers continue to come in here
in Boston, and the UH just gone up a little bit,
is getting close to fourteen percent, and Josh Kraft has
moved up a little bit a point or so, and
Michelle Wu has dropped out a point or so. Again,
(12:40):
we don't know where these votes are coming in from. UH.
And I don't think that this is a race that
where there either of these candidates is especially strong, meaning
I think Michelle Wu has supported us throughout the city.
I think Josh Kraft does as well. Who has the
most tonight, Well, the poll suggest that we'll be at
(13:01):
the end of the night, Michelle wou But it's not
like the old days where you would have people in
one section of Boston voting in one direction and people
in another section of Boston. I think that the votes
will be I think that whatever Josh Kraft gets, he
will probably get a fairly similar number in across the city,
(13:21):
which will make this race a little different. Back on
Nights Side, right after this.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
It's Nights Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Okay, let's get some phone calls. Chris Anderson is my guest.
Chris is with the Mass High Tech Council. Chris, You've
been with the Mass High Tech Council for how many years?
Speaker 3 (13:43):
So I have to say I started when Mike Ducaccus
was governor. So I think I'm on my eighth governor.
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Now, well that's quite Yeah, well, Mike Ducaccus was governor.
I'm not sure if it was Ducaccus one or Ducaccus too.
I hope it was tough Caucus too, because he was
governor from seventy well he was yeah, okay, fine, yeah,
because Ducacas was first elected in seventy four. He was
governor from seventy five to seventy nine. Then and King
(14:13):
basically took over the governor's office for four years, and
Mike Dcaccas won the governorship back.
Speaker 3 (14:19):
In nineteen eighty four.
Speaker 2 (14:21):
He was governor from eighty three right until Bill Weld
was elected. He had three terms. Let's get to some
phone calls. The questions we're talking about is are you
interested in seeing your income tax reduced from five percent
to four percent?
Speaker 5 (14:37):
Uh?
Speaker 2 (14:37):
And are you interested in receiving an excess tax check
from the governor's office Maybe not this governor, but from
the governor's office to taxpayers. Let me go first to
Robin Cambridge. Hey, Rob, welcome, You're first tonight with Chris
Anderson of the mass High Tech Council.
Speaker 6 (14:58):
Hello, Dan, Hello Chris. Uh, long time listener. I don't
take this the wrong way, fellas, but this is a joke. Okay.
Look at what's happened. When the people voted with Diana
de Glousia. I think that's how you say your name.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Well, we mentioned that, We mentioned that, but Chris responded
that this might be a little different. But go ahead,
make you make your point.
Speaker 6 (15:20):
Okay. My point is that went nowhere. The voters all
of us said, yeah, yeah, that's good. Diana do that.
She she passed it. It come true and everything. You
know how we want to say it now, who ain't
going to want to reduce their taxes? You know what
I mean?
Speaker 2 (15:36):
No, I think rob By the way you said longtime listener,
are you buying any chance of first time caller? No? Yeah,
I mean I recognized, I recognize your name, and then
I recognize your voice, And just want to make sure
when people say oh first, you know longtime listeners, sometimes
they assume we think they're a first time caller.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Look, yeah, there's going to be a lot of.
Speaker 2 (15:57):
People in Massachusetts who who maybe aren't paying any income
taxes and they're benefiting from the income taxes. Chris, why
don't you amplify on that point for rob a little bit.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah, And there's a lot of detail here that we
I just point listeners to at our Mass Opportunity Alliance website,
which is Massopportunity dot org. But the two questions on
the one on the income tax cut that's going to
return about thirteen hundred dollars annually to the average taxpayer
in the Commonwealth, and we'll go a long way toward
(16:32):
impacting some of this high costs that we're suffering from
for people who live and work here. The issue is that,
you know, the legislature has been the subject to many
ballot questions that have passed in Massachusetts, and with rare
exceptions like the one that you're referring to with the
state auditor, they have respected the will of the voter.
(16:55):
Now the audit is one they just don't want to
get audited producing the material.
Speaker 2 (17:02):
And by the way, you got to give Diana to
Zauglio a big pat on the back. And eventually I
believe that she will be taking the legislature uh into
into superior court, stuffing superior court. Well we'll see how
that works out, but I'm not giving up on that
at all. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:20):
Yeah, Well, good luck sellers, and there ain't nothing gonna happen,
you know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (17:25):
Well, you know, if you have that attitude, you're right
and nothing will happen. You got to get out and
you got to vote, uh and you got to got
to make your You know, there's so many people uh
today who probably decided to sit at home. Their votes
don't count. You can't complain if you don't vote. Rob
are you a voter.
Speaker 6 (17:44):
Every election or no, yes, I am. I love Trump too.
The people voted for Diana's saying there it won't happened.
It's up in the year. It ain't going nowhere.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Well it is, how many year wrong? But but I've
had the auditor on the program I think two or
three times since January, and I actually have a list
of night side listeners who are going to be willing
to put their names on a lawsuit, a class action lawsuit.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
Can I be number one?
Speaker 4 (18:17):
You?
Speaker 2 (18:17):
What?
Speaker 6 (18:19):
Can I be number one?
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Well, if you want to leave your name with Dan,
I can add you to the list. You're a little
late because I've got a whole bunch of listeners now.
But they are people who I had Diana and Desaugli
on here in just about I don't know, four weeks ago,
and people called up and they said, yeah, would be
part of that class action because the legislature is denying
(18:42):
the will of the people, the overwhelming will of the people,
and the people have standing as both you know, voters
and taxpayers. And as long as you voted, no one
would be able to strike you as a member of
the class. So if you want to leave your name
and number in a daytime phone. Remember if and when
Diana Desauglio and her attorneys filed that class action lawsuit.
(19:07):
I'll have them call you and you can you can
you can fix your name to to that, to that
proceed to that filing.
Speaker 6 (19:13):
Okay, I'd like to do that. And one more thing
before you know, I know you're busy. Uh, how many
billion dollars is up in the air here in the
advance in.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
The excess in that was so called.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
Rainy Rainy Day fund.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Eight dollars is sitting there.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
We ain't never going to see a penny of that
with these legislatures. It ain't never going to come our
way never.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Well, Rob, that's why, that's why the other question changes
the revenue growth limit. And three years ago it automatically
returned three billion dollars back to taxpayers across the commonwealth.
So what we're doing is trying to improve the frequency
with which that that refund triggers, which still allows the
budget to grow, just not grow to the to the
(19:58):
point where they spend every dollar that comes in and
makes it unaffordable for taxpayers down down the road. But
it does work, and we're just asked, we're asking voters
to improve the frequency during good times for them to
get some of that premium or revenue back as a
refund check. Rob, you will obviously I must have missed
my name because I have got nothing.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
Well, Rob, I don't know uh, and I can't go
back and track that. All I was like to say
to you, Rob, is that you sound like the dog
that has been abused, who whenever anyone comes in the room,
they kind of cower in the corner because they figure
whoever comes in the room next is going to kick them.
And you can't adopt that attitude because that added that's
(20:45):
what the other side wants you to do. They want you,
as a taxpayer and as a voter to feel you
can't win. It's like when you play did you ever
play sports in high school? If you're on a team
that felt you couldn't win, you never want Yeah, you
got to keep that, man, You got to keep that,
keep calling this program. There are more people out there
(21:07):
who think like you do than you realize. Thanks, Rob,
appreciate your call. Have a good night. Six one seven
two five four ten thirty give your name and number two.
Dan Cantano six one seven two five four ten thirty six,
one seven, nine to three, one, ten thirty. We'll get
a couple more calls in here for you, Chris, and
then I'll let you go. This has been a great
(21:27):
opportunity for us to kind of rattle people's skages and
let them know that it is possible in Massachusetts to
win a ballot question. Now, unfortunately they may have to
go to court UH to finalize the victory. But let's
get it done. Let's get it done. Back with Chris
Anderson that you're you're titled with the Massachusetts Opportunity alliancemass
(21:54):
Opportunity dot org is what Chris is that the.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
President where where one of the founders along with the
Pioneer Institute and mass Competitive Partnership. I'm the president of
the mass Side Tech Council, but.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
The President's mass Side Tech Council. Again. I knew that
we'll be back on Nightside right after the news break
at the bottom of the hour.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
We're talking with Christopher Anderson, the president of the Massachusetts
High Tech Council, and actually talking about potential ballot questions
that might be on the final ballot in November of
twenty twenty six, that would be fourteen months from now,
believing those fourteen months will roll by more quickly than
you realize. We're also following the numbers on the Boston
(22:41):
Mayor's race, and at this point Michelle Wou has sixty
five percent of the vote and Josh Kraft a little
bit under thirty percent, a two to one ratio. The
other two candidates, Capucci and Domingus de Rosa, both of
them are in the single digits, Capuccia three point two percent,
(23:03):
Domingus to Rosa at two percent. So clearly the survivors tonight,
the first and second finishers Wu Mayor WU and the
Josh Kraft. We'll face off again in November. We're going
to continue here. We're talking with Chris Anderson of the
president of the mass High Tech Council, and we're talking
about a couple of items that maybe or will be
(23:27):
i suspect on the ballot next November. One will be
an initiative petition for the voters to reduce their income
tax from five percent here in Massachusetts to four percent,
and a second issue which would return excess tax revenue
meant most of which or all of which ends up
in the Reigny Day Fund. There's no statutory cap on
(23:51):
how big or what percentage of the budget that the
Rainy Day Fund can can hold. Correct Am I correct
on that, Chris.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
Yeah, that can grow, That can grow significantly with the
revenue cap does dan It actually says the state can
collect up to a certain amount of annual tax collections.
If it exceeds that amount, then each year that amount
would go back to the taxpayer, and not everything automatically
goes into the rainy Day Fund. That's when we have
(24:21):
a surplus, the state generally spends it in other areas.
So we're looking for a little bit more I guess
confidential or trans transparency in the way government spends money
and doesn't overspend, which has been doing historically now for
over seven years.
Speaker 2 (24:41):
Transparency in Massachusetts is if the politicians love to talk
about it, they just don't like to invoke it. Larry
is in West Roxbury. Hey, Larry, welcome. You are next
with my guest Chris Anderson and the Massachusetts High Tech Council.
Go right ahead, Larry, Thank.
Speaker 7 (24:56):
You very much. JOm and I think that the discussion
that you're having is worthwhile with respect to having my
state tax reduced from five to four. But I'm all
for that. And the second thing is that I'm all
(25:17):
for perhaps having the state legislature have a party every.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
Month for four months, so that the party costs one
billion per month and they can serve hot dogs and
hamburgers and maybe alcoholic drinks at noontime so that people
can go to the state House for lunch.
Speaker 7 (25:40):
But in my judgment, I'm never going to see that
these people that just love to have that money to
do with what they please. And my state representative and
state senator do they know who I am? So they don't.
(26:03):
They're not available when I call, are never available.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Larry, let me give and I'm a.
Speaker 7 (26:15):
Stay there for but no, they can't be bothered to.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
Talk to me.
Speaker 2 (26:19):
Larry. First, first of all, once again, thank you for
your service. I know that you're that you're a veteran.
Chris wanted to give you I think a suggestion. Go ahead, Chris.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Yeah, just like Rob Larry, I think you know, the
feeling that you're not going to turn this thing around
is not as realistic as you would like to think.
We have been building an army under this Mass Opportunity
Alliance umbrella and it's really this army and we've only
been at it for one year. This is the one
year anniversary of the launch of Mass Opportunity Alliance that's
(26:50):
done research, polling and has inspired these two ballot questions.
But it's done so by building an army that continues
to grow every week of informed taxpayers across the Commonwealth.
And you can sign up to get the information on
a weekly basis at our website passopportunity dot org. But
(27:11):
it's this army that's going to make the difference in
the future years. As we build this army out and
we have voters in acting questions at the ballot, the
legislature is going to be responsive to that army in
their own districts. And this is something that's a different dynamic,
Larry that we haven't had in the past. So we're
(27:33):
very optimistic that if you and your colleagues across the
state that believe that like we do, that we need
an affordable state that's open for business, as a positive
business climate and can retain the types of talent and
excellent quality of life that we have all owned to
come to love and expect, then this path forward will
(27:55):
be supported by an army of people just like you.
Speaker 7 (27:58):
Well, good right, and it can be you as you
just described, and I certainly think it's needed to be done.
And I thank you both for the conversation.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
Well, you know, I just want to add one thing,
and that is that there are so many of these
members of the legislature who look upon their election as
a full time job, and more than a full time job,
they look upon it as a career calling, and so
they will stay there as long as the voters will
(28:33):
return them. And a lot of people you'll choose not
to vote, or others go to the polls and always
vote for whoever the incumbent is because they met the
incumbent one time at the grocery store or at CBS,
and they think they're a wonderful human being. But as
you can see, when your legislator, whether it's a state
(28:58):
senator or a state representative, is not willing to give
you the courtesy of a phone call to hear what
you have to say, maybe because he realizes or she
realizes that you're not a supporter of them, that is weird.
Democracy dies because at that point you are cut off
(29:19):
from expressing your opinion to those who have been elected
to represent you, whether you voted for them or not.
You know, whenever one of these candidates become president, for
the most part, they'll say something like, I'm here to
represent those who voted for me and who voted for
my opponent. Talk is cheap. But when someone like yourself
who served in the military for this how many years
(29:42):
service did you provide, Larry refreshment? How many thirty one years? Yeah,
thirty one years in the US Air Force? And they Dane,
who is your state senator? And who are your state reps?
Who are not willing to return your phone calls?
Speaker 7 (30:00):
Been Jamaica plane. Now, if you have.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
The names off the top of your head, great, If
you don't, the next time you call, I'd like to, uh,
you know, basically call them out for you and let
other constituents know that they have not been willing to
return your phone calls, because that is a disgrace in
my opinion.
Speaker 7 (30:25):
So far, I go, what what's the place I call
in orders to get your information?
Speaker 2 (30:34):
You're talking about to have your name on a potential
class action lawsuit with the state auditor? Leave your name
and address uh in your in a daytime phone number,
and if and when the state auditor decides to file
the legislation file a lawsuit, it'll be as action lawsuit and.
Speaker 7 (30:55):
I will do that, your guest here.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Oh sure, Well, I'm going to have Dan is going
to write this down and he'll give it to you
as well. It's simply MASS for the short M A S. S.
Opportunity dot org is the website of the Chris and
as referred to do that for me.
Speaker 7 (31:15):
I can I can do that here. I'll tell them
you remember that I'm totally blind.
Speaker 2 (31:21):
I do remember that, and that's why I wanted to
but I will.
Speaker 7 (31:26):
I'll put it into my computer right now.
Speaker 2 (31:29):
So okay, and again, Larry, uh.
Speaker 7 (31:32):
Thank you, I thank you for taking my call. And
and uh, you know, I certainly hope but that the
army has enough people then to push the legislature around
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Well, uh, well, we don't necessarily have to push them around.
We have to make them listen to the people. That's
what we got to do. Uh, And again, thank you
for your service, Larry. Stay there, my producer h tonight,
Dan Cantano. We'll also just make sure that you have
that address mass Opportunity dot org. And if you want
to be part of that class action lawsuit when and
(32:07):
if the state auditor files it. You leave a name,
a phone number in an address and we'll keep you
on the list. Okay, thank you very much. Thank you, Larry.
We'll take a quick break. We'll be back on Nightside
with my guests Christopher Anderson. He is the head of
the Massachusetts High Tech Council, one of the groups that
has developed this organization called mass Opportunity dot Org. Again,
(32:32):
the filmbers are coming in very slowly in Boston tonight.
They haven't changed in the last ten minutes or so. Literally,
it's about fifteen percent of the vote, one to five
percent of the vote here in Boston. Generally on a
night like this, on an election in Boston, these numbers
(32:52):
should be rolling in. And unless my computer is playing
games with me here, which it's not, they are very
slow to come in. But that sometimes happens in big cities.
It's kind of funny, Chris, how that happens. We'll be
back on nights that with my guest Chris Anderson of
the mass High Tech Council, the president of the Massachusetts
(33:13):
High Tech Council, talking about a group called mass Opportunity
dot Org. Back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (33:25):
Well, guess is Chris Anderson. He is the president of
the Massachusetts High Tech Council, and they are marshaling their
forces through the Massachusetts Opportunity dot Org, which is mass
Opportunity dot Org, a newly constituted what we call this
a political action committee.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
What's the character now, No, it's it's really a an information,
research and education platform that will inspire a whole bunch
of propos but also raise awareness among Massachusetts taxpayers on
a whole range of issues that they typically don't get
(34:07):
to understand as full as they should.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
So, okay, so it's more more of a it's more
of almost a case, I think, a tank that's going
to provide information which can simplify some of these ballot
questions because a lot of people go in on balid
questions of the somewhat confused as to what the effect
of the impact would be. So I think that that's
(34:29):
a need helped asset. Let me go to Mark in Austin. Mark,
You're next on Night Side with Chris Anderson, the president
of the Massachusetts High Tech Council. Go right ahead.
Speaker 5 (34:39):
Mark, Good evening, Dan, good evening, mister Anderson, thanks for
taking my call. First, i'd like to state that I
firmly oppose reducing this state income tax because I think
we need the money. We need every puny to pay
for fixing up and maintaining the MBTA, the roads, the bridges,
(35:04):
low income uh, you know, medical care and so forth,
and with the economy probably heading into a recession and
it may be a deep one with an outcharged sense
of stagflation. If you know what stagflation is. I think
we're well positioned to withstand all that in Massachusetts. But
(35:30):
what most businesses, both small and large, want is stability, instability, instability.
And these tariffs are nuts.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Okay, well, well there's nothing we can do about the tariff.
Let me ask you this much, just for the background.
What sort of work do you do these days?
Speaker 5 (35:48):
I'm a retired supermarket worker.
Speaker 2 (35:51):
Okay, And if I could, if I could ask, and
I write, Yeah, so you're a writer. You published that you.
Speaker 5 (36:00):
Were oh the tab Boston magazine.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Uh earn a living?
Speaker 5 (36:10):
Vote right? Let me just publication?
Speaker 2 (36:13):
So you earn a living as a writer and working
in a supermarket? Last year home, I.
Speaker 5 (36:21):
Must volunteer to do it on a volunteer volunteers.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Okay, so last year, market, I'm just curious how much
taxes did you pay to the come Wealth of Massachusetts
in income taxes? Was it?
Speaker 5 (36:34):
Oh? It was pretty substantial. Let's see, I would say,
you see, my family hired a disability lawyer. I send
all the paperwork to my sister in Lawn in Maryland.
(36:56):
But you need a fairly hard number on just approximately,
I would say approximately one thousand dollars or so.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
Oh okay, so one thousand dollars in taxes. So if
the taxes in Massachusetts were reduced from five percent to
four percent, your taxes would reduce from a thout your
state taxes would reduced from one thousand dollars to eight
hundred dollars approximately.
Speaker 5 (37:25):
You know what, It's much more a matter of I'm
reinably comfortable, you know, financially, it's cetera. I suppose you
could call me lower middle class.
Speaker 2 (37:41):
Yeah, okay, well that's fine. So again, I'm not going
to try.
Speaker 5 (37:43):
To change your mind's not going to concerned about homelessness?
Yeah no, I have a lot of friends who have
ongoing medical issues.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
How much could I ask you one other question, Mark,
In addition to the taxes that you pay over to Massachusetts,
do you give a lot of money to charities?
Speaker 5 (38:03):
Oh? Yeah, how much eighteen traditional Jewish amount eighteen dollars
or what's eighteen dollars per charitable contribution?
Speaker 2 (38:18):
Oh so you give? Okay, so overall? How much in
charity do you donate in Massachusetts?
Speaker 5 (38:29):
Probably off the top of my head. Well, I have
an eleven year deal with the NAACP Empowerment Fund. That
eight you can give me.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
You can give me an overall number. You don't need
to go through every last I'm just getting getting a
census save.
Speaker 5 (38:49):
One hundred to one hundred fifty dollars a year, gotcha.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
Okay, Well that's very generous. That's very generous of you, Mark,
And that's good. Well, look, I appreciate it. We're not
going to try to change your mind. Have just wanted
to get a little sense of where you were coming from.
Appreciate your call. Mark. I've got to get to the
newscast here and I got to say good night to
my guest. But as always, thank you so much for
your call.
Speaker 5 (39:11):
Thanks, Mark, You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (39:12):
All right, I don't think you're going to get Mark
supporting your cause here, Chris. But if people do want
to support the cause, how can they get in touch.
Speaker 3 (39:21):
Yeah, they can get more information again by going to
the mass Opportunity dot org website and they'll they'll read
about the two MOA inspired ballot questions, including a host
of other information about what's going on with Massachusetts and
the things that are most important to a growing number
of taxpayers across the commonwealth. And it really relates to
(39:43):
putting guardrails on state spending, supporting fiscal responsibility, and putting
money back in people's pockets.
Speaker 2 (39:50):
Yep. I think that people who are in the money.
Obviously all of us have that social contract with the
government where we support the government. That comes a point
in time where the government becomes overly aggressive and also
non transparent. And I think that's the situation we are
here in Massachusetts, and whatever reforms we can bring, we
(40:12):
have to try to bring those. We won't have Mark's help,
but I think that there will be a lot of
people who will be interested in the mass Opportunity Alliance. Chris,
Thanks very much. This worked out very well as in
our conversation.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
Thank you, It certainly did I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (40:28):
We'll talk soon. Okay. The vote totals in massive in Boston.
In terms of the mayor's race. I just trickling in.
They've been stuck at about fifteen percent. I'm going to
reboot the computer, make sure that there hasn't been much
of a change, and when we come back, we're going
to talk with Pat Davis. His brother was killed in
(40:48):
nine to eleven. He was on one of the planes
that crashed into the World Trade Center, his brother Mark,
and the anniversary of nine to eleven is on Thursday.
There's a huge amount of activity here in Massachusetts. But ironically,
the issue of what happened to nine to eleven is
(41:11):
not a mandatory subject in high schools here in Massachusetts,
and we aim to change that. We'll be back right
after the ten o'clock news
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.