October 16, 2024 • 39 mins
A UMass Amherst poll finds that the highest percentage of Massachusetts residents in over four years believes the state is on the “wrong track.” The survey found that the top concern for respondents is housing. We discussed the specific findings from the poll and ask you if you think MA is on the “wrong track.”
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's nice with dan Y I'm tell you Boston's new video.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome back again, my thanks to the State
Auditor of the Commal Diana and Desaglio. Again, that's question one,
ballot question one, and I think it's one that virtually
everyone should want. I mean, why would you not want transparency?
I mean it's it's tough to come up with an
issue that you would think everyone would agree. And I
assume that the legislature, for whatever reason, they may have
(00:28):
their reasons, and we would certainly have We'll invite. We've
invited the Speaker or the Senate President or whoever would
be their design needs to come on and talk about it.
More than happy to chat with them about this situation.
I just don't normally I realized there are two sides.
(00:49):
There are many, many times more than two sides to
an issue, but boy, this one seems to me to
be pretty clear cut and dry question. But again, if
you're on the staff or you're on the Senate President's staff,
we've extended an invitation specifically on this topic, So feel
free to give us a call during the day and
(01:09):
we'll set you up and we'll have you on just
like we did with the state auditor to give you
an opportunity to tell us why you think the books
of the legislature should not be audited. We'll see, we'll see. Okay,
there was this afternoon I came across a very interesting
poll that was done from University of Massachusetts and Amherst,
(01:34):
and it was talking about how happy people are here
in Massachusetts. And I'm going to give you the headline
on the poll and then we can get into some
of the internals if you will. But basically, this poll,
conducted by UMSS Amherst, finds the highest percentage of Massachusetts
(01:58):
residents in over four years believe that Massachusetts is on
the wrong track. Over four in ten of the respondents,
forty one percent say Massachusetts is heading in the wrong direction.
Now that's a pretty big number for a state that
likes to pride ourselves on all the opportunities that exist here, meaning,
(02:23):
you know, the medical facilities that we have, the educational institutions,
the weather, the changes of the year. You know, we're
not Phoenix, Arizona, where most days during the year it's
over eighty degrees and maybe in the winter it rains
for a couple of months. Don't we get the snow
or the winter. We get the beautiful spring, We have
a fabulous summer of glorious falls. Occasionally we do have
(02:48):
a hurricane. Occasionally we do have a blizzard, but certainly
it doesn't seem knock on wood, the size of the
dimensions of what have the type of storms that have
recently hit the southeast. It's a lot to like about Massachusetts.
But this survey of seven hundred residents, conducted between October
third and the tenth, according to the press release from UMass,
(03:10):
says that that the problem that most people talked about
was the lack of housing. Now you get into some
of these numbers and it's it's interesting. According to the
public many shame share the blame for the complex housing problems,
according to a professor of political science at UMASSED Amherst
(03:33):
and co director of the poll. Now again, I don't
want to say that a lot of these folks live
in ivy ivy towers, but they do. I mean, they're
they're professors at universities and colleges, and I don't know
how much interaction they have in the real world. But
now that that's that's for you to decide. So, uh,
(03:53):
this uh, professor of political science at UMass Amherst, co
director of the poll, says the highest percentage twenty two percent,
fault high interest rates. Additionally, landlords are blamed sixteen percent,
(04:14):
local governments fifteen percent, contractors sixteen percent, and the legislature
seventeen percent, But only six percent say the problem is
due to homeowners. I don't see how it could possibly,
in the mind of anyone, be due to a homeowner.
You have a home, you bought a home, you live
there for two years, ten years, fifty years, whatever it is.
(04:36):
It's your home. But somehow six percent of the people
polled decided that it was a problem with the homeowners,
and eight percent attribute the problem to Governor Mara Healy. Okay,
so that is the sort of the headline, the under
the subheadline, under the headline most popular amongst people who
(05:00):
were polled. Here's a great idea is to limit increases
on rents. Have you heard that one before? Sixty seven
percent of the people who were polled here, according to
one of the economists, favor the idea of limiting increases
(05:21):
on rents. Sixty seven percent of the seven hundred people
who were polled for some reason that figure doesn't sound
true to me unless they decided just to conduct the
poll amongst people who were renting. I mean, what percentage
of the population rents, and I would assume a good
percentage of those people are happy with their rent But
(05:43):
sixty seven percent of the people in Massachusetts support limiting
increases on rents. How has that worked out wherever rent
control has been tried? Okay, of course. Other popular ideas
include lowering the income threshold to qualify for a housing
Sixty one percent of the people want to lower the
threshold so that more people can get affordable whatever you
(06:07):
want to call affordable housing. Then there's another group sixty
two percent. This is good. Allows towns to tax real
estate transactions above a million dollars to generate funds for
affordable housing. This sounds to me like a poll that
is designed to basically say, we need housing that nobody
(06:28):
has to pay for except the taxpayers. I mean, there
aren't that many homes in Massachusetts that will sell less
than a million dollars. We hear about how expensive housing
is in Massachusetts, so let's make it more expensive. And then,
of course, another say we've got to provide tax breaks
to developers to build more low income housing. That's sixty
(06:51):
two percent. A majority also favors the States Plan requiring
towns served by the MPTA, that's the NBTA Communities Act
to change zoning to allow for now multi for new
multi family housing. I'm opposed to that because it seems
to me that zoning laws are the bedrock of any community.
(07:11):
And if you live in a community that doesn't want
casinos or liquor stores or bowling alleys or strip joints,
I shouldn't say strip joints. I should say emporium of
interpretive dance. Pardon me for saying strip joints. You know,
towns have a right to say what we want in
the town and what we don't, and that's that's the
basis of zoning laws. So they go on and on
(07:34):
and on, and then just to show you how I
think off this, this this poll is it says that
amongst let me see, they talk about who's popular, Okay, well,
(07:54):
amongst the people they polled, and I'm assuming this is
representative of Massachusetts, fifty eight percent approve the work done
by Governor Healey fifty Ed Markey fifty three percent, Elizabeth
Warren Kamala Harris fifty five percent. As a matter of fact,
the state legislature is a gets a vote of approval
(08:21):
from the people that these guys pulled forty six percent.
Now I can believe that you know Ed Markey, he's
a US senator as a positive rating, and I have
Governor Healey. Okay, but the state legislature, come on, come on, guys,
you gotta be a little realistic here. So my question
is this, to my audience, are we on the right
(08:44):
track or the wrong wrong track in Massachusetts? Now, I
guess you could be on either side of this equation
and you could say, yeah, you know, taxing more on
wealthy people. We just passed the millionaire's tax. I was
going to solve the housing in the education crisis, right
not that's okay, what's that going to do? Well? People
(09:06):
who make a lot of money, they tend to be
fairly smart, okay, maybe smarter than the average bear. At
some point they're gonna say I'm out of here, I'm
out of here. Okay, then you have we have great
companies in Massachusetts. But if you don't have enough companies
in Massachusetts to absorb all the bright kids who are
(09:27):
young men and women who are coming out of colleges
and universities. They're gonna go other places. It's as simple
as that we have an outflow of people leaving here. Okay,
I don't think we have people leaving here as much
because of the housing being unaffordable. The fact of the
matter is we're a small state in a small region
(09:47):
dominated by Boston. Boston is the center of the hub,
certainly in the center of New England. And you know,
it's not a huge city. It's not Phoenix, Arizona, where
you can put up, you know, ten of thousands of
condominiums and and sell tens. It's different here. It's different here.
So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna ask a
(10:08):
very simple question. Now, some of you might say, hey,
guess what. You know, we're on the wrong track because
the state hasn't given me enough free stuff. They haven't
given me a house. They haven't they haven't given me
free rent control. They haven't given me a car, they
haven't given me whatever. Okay, they haven't given me a trip. Oh,
they've given me three or four EBT cards. Oh yeah,
(10:28):
I got a plenty of BBT cards. EBT cards for everybody.
That's what that's maybe maybe that would make people happy.
This is nuts, This is nuts. The bottom line in
this poll is forty one percent of the people in
Massachusetts think we're on the wrong track. I'm in that
forty one percent. Okay, I'd love to know if you
think we're on the right track. If you think things
(10:49):
are just hunky dory in Massachusetts and everything's going great
in Massachusetts, fine, absolutely, more bike lanes. Let's get let's
have bike lanes everywhere. Let's get the autumleveals off the road.
That's you know, that's those are the trends that are
pushing people out of here in Massachusetts. And guess what.
The people who are pushing that, they have political cloud,
(11:10):
they have influence with the politicians, many of whom are politicians,
don't have much of a backbone. They're going to say, sure,
how many more bike lanes do you want? Okay, how
many more people? There's a bike lane controversiy going up
in Revere now I'm just beginning to learn about it.
I'd love to hear from anyone up in Revere. So
the bottom line is my question is this the bottom
The question is, is Massachusetts on the right track of
(11:33):
the wrong track. Here's the real killer. Okay, this is
the first time that forty more than forty percent of
Massachusetts residents, according to this poll, say the may state
is heading in the wrong direction. That is a five
point increase in negative sentiment according to the poll. Quoting
from the poll here from the press release since a
(11:54):
poll in May June, July, August, September, October, so a
poll five months ago, it's it's gone up five points
and thirteen points higher from a pole from August of
twenty twenty, when Massachusetts will lock down with the COVID virus.
(12:14):
I think this pole is probably very accurate on its
bottom line, but I don't think it's identified what people
are really upset about. Six one, seven, two, five, four
ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty.
Let's talk about living in the Bay Stay and guess
what if you live somewhere else, I'd love to know
from you. Do you think that we're on the right
track where you live? Because the right track does splash
(12:39):
back not only on what's going on in your state,
but also on what's going on in your region and
what's going on in your country. We'll open up these
phone lines right now. I'll love to have you join
us six one, seven, two, five, four to ten thirty
six one seven, nine, three one ten thirty Coming right
back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
knight set you on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
So let's get to the phone call. See what people
have to say. They may agree or disagree. I'd love
to hear from you. Let me go to Jack in Newton. Jack,
welcome back. How are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yeah? How you doing? Jack Porter? Well, I've been involved
in real estate for forty five years and forty some
years ago on the nineteen unit apartment building in Brighton.
It only costs one hundred and eighty thousand dollars, you know,
telling my students they just don't believe it. But that's
because the rents were four hundred dollars for a four
bedroom and two hundred dollars you know for a two bedroom.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
So Jack, Jack, this was how how many years ago?
I'm sorry, how many years?
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Forty years ago? How about a building this.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Yeah, so this would have been in the mid nineteen.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Eighties, nineteen eighty two. How about a nineteen yunit building
for one hundred and eighty thousand.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
That was a good investments.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
It was a very poor city back then, and it
was very difficult for us to make improvements. So ven
control was not you know, the best thing. And in
some ways I was happy, you know, it went out,
but but today, in.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Some ways, what ways were you happy it didn't go up? Jack?
Of course, to the owner of an apartment building, Yeah,
I mean I'm assuming I know you pretty well that
that you weren't going to be gouging people, and you
would you would give people a good opportunity, but you
had to keep the building in good shape. You had
(14:23):
to maintain the building.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Back then then was they converted them to condos and
brandon around Boston College because of rent control. And so
that's how I fell into a group of investors, you know,
for three hundred and four hundred thousand, and then they
in turn sold it out and they made you know,
four or fives million, So you know, that's what happens.
(14:48):
But you have to have now, you have to have
some controls of only three or five percent increases in
rent because it's just too much. I mean, you've got to.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Say hold on. If if you were you were not
in favor of rent control when you when you owned
a rental property.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Correct, No, today I am to some degree because rents
are way posed.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
But how much how much rental property do you own today? Jack?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
I just have my condo today.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
But would you live there or do you or do
you rent it out?
Speaker 4 (15:22):
No?
Speaker 3 (15:22):
I live there. I live in a condo.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Okay, So you don't have any rental properties today. Correct?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I wish I did, but it was you know, it's
it's very good.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
But what you think what to quote JD Vance, think
of what you're saying. You're telling me that when you
owned what'd you say, nineteen units in a in a building?
Was that you said nineteen units?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I did up building in Gordon Street. I'm parking, so
you this.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Is a nice street, I know, Gordon Street. So you
owned nineteen units and you were posed to rent control
when you own nineteen units. Now you don't own any
rental units. You're okay with rent.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Control because it's just it's way too high. That's why
people are leaving the city. They're leaving in Massachusetts because
the rents are so high. You're pushing people out. It's
not just students or it's you know, it's a seniors like,
does it have.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Does your position? Let me ask you this, Jack, honestly,
does your position on rent control today versus what it
was when you own rental property back in the eighties.
Does it have anything to do with your status as
a as a as a building owner back then versus
someone now who lives at a condominium has no rental property.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Look, I would say this because I know that people
I just can't afford a thirty or forty or fifty
percent increase in their rent a five percent increase possibly,
but not thirty or forty or fifty percent of start out.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
But Jack, you know, I'm a friend of yours, and
it just sounds to me like you're doing some virtue
signaling here.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Forty years ago, it only costs one hundred and fifty
dollars per square fit to build. Now it's three hundred
dollars per square foot. And the reason why is that
land is so much scarcter, and land has doubled in price,
and the cost of the steel and metal, and and.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah, you know, Jack, you and I know that if
you wanted to rent, let us say, a two bedroom
apartment in Manhattan really expensive.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Right, proctually about. You know, it could be the same
as the you know as the South End or seaport today.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Well, really expensive South End Seaport, really expensive. What would
a two bedroom apartment cost you? And say, let's say Laramie, Wyoming,
there's a fraction under there.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But my own building right here in Newtonville, you know,
on well of it, it's twenty two bedroom under.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Jack. You're you're you're a great human You're you're a
great human being, and your your kindness towards people today
who are having a difficult time paying rent is admirable.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Okay, well we have my hats.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
My hat's off to you, Jack. I wish you owned
twenty units today and you could keep the prices down.
I know, I know you would appreciate your call. Jack,
Thank you much.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I'd be a grateful anthropist.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Oh, I know that. I can imagine that if you
ever hit the ten million dollar lottery. How much money
do you think of you if tomorrow you hit a
ten million dollar lottery ticket? Just go ahead, how much
money do you think you would give away? I'll bet
you that you would give nine million dollars away.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
I give a lot of it away.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Yeah, we'll bet you well, how much I would bet
you you give ninety percent of it away?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well, I'm almost eighty years old, so I'm going to
give a lot of it away. But i'd like to,
you know, just having else to live on.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Well, you know, if you could keep you know you could,
you could live on a million dollars. I know you,
Jack that if you want ten million, or if you
want a hundred million dollars, you'd give ninety five million
dollars of it away because you're a good human being.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Well you're almost That building is worth that I a
twenty years ago I.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Never should have sold it. So how much again, Jack,
just help me out here. If you want a hundred million,
how much would you give away? Just go ahead in
virtual signal? Come on, how much would you give away?
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Oh, to charity and everything else? About eighty million out
of one hundred million?
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Yeah, oh, you give away more than that. You don't
need that twenty million dollars.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Come on, Jack, I know you.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You'd be more generous than that. Jack, Come on, don't
be shy, don't be shy. I know you well enough
to know your generosity. Thank you, Jack, I appreciate your call.
You're a good human being. Thank you. Back right, We're
not going to be back right after this. No, we're
going to take a news break and then we'll be
back right after this. Jack is someone who I know
very well, and he would give it all away. I
(19:57):
can I guarantee it. We'll be back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
So we're talking about a University of Massachusetts at Amherst
poll which concludes, amongst I guess seven hundred responding statewide,
which is a good sample, that forty percent of Massachusetts
residents feel we're on the wrong wrong track as a state. Okay,
let's see what others think. Get kind of a little
(20:31):
bit off with Jack, who's a wonderful human being and
a generous guy who when rent control was in effect
he liked he was opposed to it. Now that he
doesn't own property, he's in favor of it. Let's go
to Bill and Danvers. Hey Bill, how are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Oh? Good?
Speaker 5 (20:46):
Yeah, Sorry, I haven't called him. I'm busy, but there's
been a few topics, but I haven't listened enough over
the last few weeks to call. But I have time.
But yeah, I mean I'm surprised there's only forty one percent.
State's on the wrong track in this state, you know.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Uh well, I got to remember there's a lot of
people who have who have come here and now are
being given EBT cards and free housing and yeah, I
uh you know, hotel rooms. Yeah, we're generous, you know,
very generous state here. Bill. I don't know if if
you've been able to take advantage of any of the
programs that are available, or you somebody who's actually working
(21:22):
for a living.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Yeah, well, the guys that are working, we're being fleece
for that.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
But you know, it's it's.
Speaker 5 (21:28):
Startling to me is there's individuals and you'll talk to
them and I've talked to them people I know, and
you know, they're the same guys that are going to
probably go down enthusiastically and vote for Harris and they'll say, yeah,
you know, I'm proud of the state because the programs
and we give this, and we there, and basically they're
happy that we're subsidized and stuff. And the more you
subsidize stuff, the more they they keep taking. I mean,
(21:51):
you just get more of when you subsidize something, and.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
What you're trying to say to me what you're trying
to say to me. And I want to make sure
I understand this that if the state of massach or
to come out of Massachusetts gives free stuff away, that
will be a magnet for people to be attracted to
come here.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Absolutely, you kidding. Hey, hey, listen, and you know I
can't fault guys. I mean, listen, if I was in
the same boat, right, and maybe I didn't have a
good wherever I came from, right, and they opened up
the doors and they said, hey, come on in right
and many of you come in right now. Texas I
had to write the work state. You know, they don't
have a lot of maybe a lot of programs. The
(22:33):
governor there, he's going to give me a free bus
ride right where you're gonna go the top three places.
And they all know this because they have relatives and
the network and the Coyotes are telling them and the Cattels. Right,
it's California, because you've got news running around. He's going
to guarantee your healthcare, okay, right, but Massachusetts, you're guaranteed
housing in healthcare and you're gonna get all the you know,
(22:55):
so you're getting to try and hold on.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Now, wait a second, I want you to understate the
generosity of the Cambo. You get free hotel room, you
get three meals a day, you get t card, and
you get free taxi rides. What's wrong with that?
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yeah? No?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
And uh and and they're getting cars too, Dan, Well,
I don't know if you know that cars. Yeah, yeah,
because I hope they.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Please don't tell me that they use cars.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
Well, yeah, I mean they used I think they pick
them up and they get them when they impound them
for whatever activities. But they do have cars because they're
practicing in some of the pocket whts up and down
Route one. You get a guy from Sagas on the phone.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, Massachusetts residents eligible to get those free cars or no?
Speaker 5 (23:49):
I don't think so, Dan, not you know.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
By the way, just in this poll here, in this
poll they say ours find our results, excuse me, find
that a majority of residents fifty seven percent, continues to
support this law and remain committed to ensuring that immigrant
newcomers are given the necessary resources to protect the well
(24:16):
being and health of their families. So fifty seven percent
of people here in Massachusetts support the right to shelter
law and properly hope that more people will be attracted
to the commonwealth.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
Well, you know, I gotta tell you, and I'll be
one of them at some point. I've already been making moves.
But actually, I you know, in a way, if people
want that here, okay, and there's probably at this point
its slim majority of us that don't, So we just
vote with our feet. So the guys that are left here,
they're going to pay the bill for it, or to
the point where so many people leave, the producers or
(24:54):
the guys that had small businesses just threw up their
hands and this place. I mean, I don't know. I mean,
it's gonna get to a point where it's just unsustainable.
And that's fine what happens.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Don't you whoa, whoa. Don't you feel an obligation to
stay here and support other people. You're not as good
as human You're not nearly as good a human being
as Jack from Newton. By the way, I hate to
tell that to you.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
Well, you know, Dan, you know, if you give a
guy a fish, you'll ead today. But if he teaches
the fish, I'll lead it forever.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (25:27):
You know, no look you, I'm having a little bit
of fun with you. I mean, it's amazing to me
that fifty this is again this Paul is saying fifty
percent of the people in Massachusetts, a majority of residents,
continue to support the right to shelter law. I mean,
you know, I don't understand, and and and yet forty
(25:49):
one percent of the state says that we're in the
wrong going in the wrong direction. So I guess forty
one percent of the state say, well, you're in the
forty one percent of the state that say we're going
in the wrong direction, and seven percent say, let's get
more people here who we can support this. This is
actually this poll is to me, it's just amazingly inconsistent.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
Go ahead, no, no, I think I kind of because
if you look at when you at the end of
the day, when you look at the election results in
a few weeks, right, yeah, you'll have about thirty six
or thirty eight, So it's almost aid that forty and
then the rest is whatever. So I think it's actually
pretty cool as hot as it is, and it's hard
for me to get my head around it, but I've
managed to do it over time because I deal with
(26:31):
the public.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
You know all right, all right, Bill, as always, thank
you very much, but you got to work on becoming
a better person like Jack from Newton. That's all I
can say to you.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
Okay, I'll try, I'll add it to my prayers. I'll
ask for forgiveness and guid absolutely.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Thank you very much, Thanks, thanks, thanks, good bye. By
the way, man, talk to you later. By James Is
in Saga. Say James, you're next time NIGHTSAG Go right ahead, Hey.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
How are you doing tonight? First time call her, first
time listening.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
First time call it in the first time this year. Wow,
that's the daily double. Thanks very much. Welcome.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
Never lived in mass live over the border in New
Hampshire and originally from California. Then a law enforcement a
long time, but I'm out of it now for a
major healthcare system and Mass.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
But anyways, I want to reach.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
Out and talk to you about the about this poll.
I think that poll, the numbers, that's even the numbers
are really really down. I think it's bigger than five percent.
I think there's such a a you know, bigger number
than that.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
And I think the poll a lot of the.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Poles are not showing those accurate numbers.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Okay, hold let me make let me make sure, James,
which number. The number, the primary number that I'm talking
about is the poll finds that forty one percent, forty
one percent of residents in Massachusetts think we're on the
wrong track. I'm in that group, by the way, the
forty one percent, that is a five percent increase from
(27:57):
May of this year, so it'd gone it would have
from thirty six to forty one percent of the last
five months.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
But it's higher than that. I think it's actually higher
than that. I do.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
And and you know, working for a major healthcare system
in mass Chusetts, working in the emergency room, the things
I see would blow your mind.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
And I will tell you this, I will tell you this.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
I'm the I'm the opposite of most of these level
headed guys. I want Trump to come back into office.
I want him to instruct the Department of Justice to
go after anybody and everybody that aids and events, these
people that came across illegally. I e.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
The Governor of California Newscom, every state governor.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
We don't do we don't do names here, Governor Newsom,
that's his name, Go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
And then and then all of those governors that support that,
and any of the companies that are hiring them, they
need to be held accountable.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
I'm well, James, James, James, I'll agree with you that
if some company is hiring people under the table and
securing an unfair advantage by actually taking advantage of people
who have come here, I agree with you that those
companies should be penalized. But if the people of California
(29:14):
are so dumb that they're going to elect Gavin Newsom
as the governor after what he did to the city
of San Francisco, good luck to them.
Speaker 6 (29:23):
I understand that. But let me ask you a question.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Can't you can't put him?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
You can't put Newsom in jail because he you know,
he's got elected governor. You can't do that.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Yeah, sure you can't. He's aiding in the betting future
that's under federal law.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Well well, well, first of all, in that case, I
guess you're gonna have to put Joe Biden in jail.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
I mean, come on, absolutely, I'm not forgot.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
That's you know, it's up to the people too.
Speaker 6 (29:51):
But they pulled van hand grenade first. They pulled it
first when they went after him, just for announcing he
was going after the presidency. They pulled that anger Nate person.
You've got all these Democratic lawmakers everybody else that are
the prosecutors that are prosecuting him for all these bull
baloney charges based.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
I think I think the James James, I'm being honest
with you, Okay, I'm being honest with you. I think
that we get we get into a uh a real
downward spiral. It's gonna the country is going to start
to look like some dictatorship in Central or South America.
I mean, we should not be going after the Republicans,
(30:30):
should not be going after the Democrats. They shouldn't the
Democrats shouldn't be going after Republicans. Yeah, well, you know,
but I think I think sometimes you know, if you
know some sometimes you can Look. I have no idea
who's going to be elected president. I just hope that
whoever's elected president, whether it's the vice president or former
(30:52):
President Trump, I hope that we as a society and
as a country, will get behind them and say, look,
the election's over, let's try to work together. Let's try
it for a while. We've been so divided for so long.
Uh And and I don't believe in law there. I'm
not a fav I'm not a fan of law here, okay.
And there's there's a lot of problems that we have
(31:13):
talked about. You you listen to the show more often,
You're going to agree with me more than you realize.
But I just don't want to know.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
I bet, I bet I do agree with you. I'm
assuming I do agree with you. I think I'm just
a little farther right than you are, man. And I
think that, and I think that, and I think that
all the things that I've seen working in an emergency
room in Boston, major emergency room in Boston last five years,
it would blow your mind away. The things that I've seen.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Well, you know what, James, some night, some night, if
if you want some night, maybe we'll touch upon that topic.
I have friends of mine who are doctors in New
York cardiac. Matter of fact, one guy who's a cardiac
surgeon told me that there are people who fly into
the country from other countries and they collapse on the
on the walkway from the airplane into into the terminal.
(32:02):
They know that they're in need of open heart surgery.
They're in their eighties.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
Uh, and they got here.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah, and I mean, you know, as much as you'd
like to say to the world, we would love everyone
to come here, unfortunately we can't. And we need to borders,
and borders that are that are patrolled and borders that
are recognized. So this is the stuff we talk about
all the time, and I think you'll be very comfortable with.
But what I don't want to do is see us
(32:30):
devolve into a tit for tat dictatorship, because that that
will that would take us down a path that I
don't think.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
We really Well, here, here's here's here's the part of
the problem. I just got one real quick question where
but state of Ohio overwhelmingly did not support when they
put it on the ballot for gay marriage. But Ohio
is forced to accept gay marriage by the United States
faberal government.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Okay, because the US well you draw that line, because
the United States Supreme Court concluded that there was a
constitutional right for individuals to marry whomever they wanted.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
And so now now under that same prentiss, I can
carry my firearm which New Hampshire has cost carry, can
carry that right over in the mass.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Well, that's an interesting question because you're talking there about
the Privileges and Immunities Clause in the US Constitution. I
happen to be a lawyer. I happen to agree with
you on that. I happen to agree with you, and
I think that eventually, eventually, maybe that issue will go
be front of this be front of the US Supreme Court.
There have been some recent decisions by this court which
I've been friendly to gun owners. Look, James, we got
(33:43):
a lot more to talk about. I hope you listen
more often, and I hope you join me every night
of the week, and your calls are always welcome, and
I every day you two James, and welcome to night's side.
Thank you much, thank you. We'll take a break. We're
gonna we very well may continue this into the next hour. Eric,
Bill and sal you guys are up next, So get ready.
Six one seven four ten thirty is the only line
(34:05):
that's open right now. Six one seven four ten thirty.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I want to get into this because frankly, Massachusetts is
not in good shape, as this poll indicates. I think
that the poll identifies different issues the wrong reasons, but
it's still a poll and we're talking about it. I
hope you'll join us coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Okay, I'm going to move the callers a little bit
more quickly. I think we've established the issue. I'm Bill
and Lowell Bill next on Nightside? Go ahead?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Does that mean?
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I hope if it's Bill and Lowell with's you? Bill?
Going ahead?
Speaker 5 (34:49):
Okay, Hey Dan, all right, what do you want me
to talk about?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
I'm gonna put you on hold and Rob will tell
you what we're talking about. Okay, Well, we'll get you
in a moment here south in Los Angeles. Sal, I
bet you you're ready to talk, Go right ahead, Sal.
Speaker 5 (35:06):
Sir, so, I heard about real estate and like, uh,
outrageous rents and and properties and so forth. I mean, dude,
in Massachusetts, wasn't the middle class pretty much dominant.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
In the long no, no, no, no, for a long time. Yeah,
Massachusetts was a great Uh. I think was a great
state and uh and it still has the potential to
be a great state. But yeah, we've kind of lost
our way here. I mean it's you know, we have
so many people who were taking as opposed to people
(35:45):
who are contributing, and every there there were people who
were in real need. I just was on a on
a website here that that I'm on. It's called next door.
You probably heard about it. It's a national website like
your neighborhood. You can join it. So this poor individual,
I'm not going to tell you what it is, but
I just just popped up in my In my email,
(36:09):
the fellow writes, Okay, I've been at this library for
warmth from nine am to nine pm. I have no
idea what to do as it's going to be freezing
out again. It's cold here in Massachusetts tonight. I'm sorry
for this, but I'm begging for financial support for a
hotel for a night or something, because what else do
I feel my bones hurting from the colt. So this
(36:29):
is a this is a resident, I'm guessing, and he's
on a on a on an anonymous website begging for
money because he has no money in Massachusetts. I you know,
it's frustrating to to real that people realize that people
who are here are not being taken care of, and
we're inviting people to commit to the state and encouraging
(36:50):
people to commit to the state. Yeah, we crossed into
the country illegally.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
It doesn't. It doesn't work out, dude. I mean, how
you doing in La?
Speaker 2 (37:01):
By the way, these days.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
I'm great in La, man. I mean, I worked my
ax off. I've been. I've been. God, I'm riginally from Boston,
works in New York, US to LA.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
You know, don't you have a homeless don't you have
a homeless crisis out there too?
Speaker 5 (37:21):
Of course we do. And it's funny because all of
a sudden, all the bridges underneath are like cleared out.
It's like weird kama I think they call us Comma
Kamala land.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Now, well they'll be back, they'll be back. I mean, ye, look,
Sandie see I remember San Diego did it in advance
of the Republican National Convention in nineteen ninety six. This
is a tactic that has been used by big city
mayors for a long time. They got everybody out of town.
They gave them one way tickets to wherever they want.
(37:55):
Well eventually they come back.
Speaker 5 (37:58):
Well, well LA has got the ollip in a few
years and the mayor from l A went out to
you know, the Olympics in Paris this year and said hey,
and then they announced a new police commissioner, and she's like,
you know what, he's going to be the police commissioner
to do our justice for the Olympics coming up. And
(38:21):
it's funny. It's like down the street from me, I
have a major thoroughway. Used to be like three or
four r v's on the street. Now it's like three.
So I guess I guess they're trying to clean up.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Well, we will see. Yeah, it's it's it's not right
back here in Massachusetts right now. Have to put it
that way. But there's a lot of people hurting and
and I don't know.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
I'm trying to come back.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Well, we'll bring a lot of money if you where
you want to live, where where you want to go,
Get an apartment, our house.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
I love if switch dude, I love it.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Someone here, you know you'll need a couple of million.
Always a really nice house.
Speaker 5 (39:02):
My family has houses in Lake One of Pasake.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Is a lot, a lot more reasonable than Massachusetts for
people coming here. Hey, sal let's keep the conversation going about.
Unfortunately I got the eleven o'clock news coming around the
corner here. My man. Thank you much as always, thanks
for listening. Thanks every great night. Back on nights that
let's continue this conversation on the other side of the
eleven
It's nice with dan Y I'm tell you Boston's new video.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome back again, my thanks to the State
Auditor of the Commal Diana and Desaglio. Again, that's question one,
ballot question one, and I think it's one that virtually
everyone should want. I mean, why would you not want transparency?
I mean it's it's tough to come up with an
issue that you would think everyone would agree. And I
assume that the legislature, for whatever reason, they may have
(00:28):
their reasons, and we would certainly have We'll invite. We've
invited the Speaker or the Senate President or whoever would
be their design needs to come on and talk about it.
More than happy to chat with them about this situation.
I just don't normally I realized there are two sides.
(00:49):
There are many, many times more than two sides to
an issue, but boy, this one seems to me to
be pretty clear cut and dry question. But again, if
you're on the staff or you're on the Senate President's staff,
we've extended an invitation specifically on this topic, So feel
free to give us a call during the day and
(01:09):
we'll set you up and we'll have you on just
like we did with the state auditor to give you
an opportunity to tell us why you think the books
of the legislature should not be audited. We'll see, we'll see. Okay,
there was this afternoon I came across a very interesting
poll that was done from University of Massachusetts and Amherst,
(01:34):
and it was talking about how happy people are here
in Massachusetts. And I'm going to give you the headline
on the poll and then we can get into some
of the internals if you will. But basically, this poll,
conducted by UMSS Amherst, finds the highest percentage of Massachusetts
(01:58):
residents in over four years believe that Massachusetts is on
the wrong track. Over four in ten of the respondents,
forty one percent say Massachusetts is heading in the wrong direction.
Now that's a pretty big number for a state that
likes to pride ourselves on all the opportunities that exist here, meaning,
(02:23):
you know, the medical facilities that we have, the educational institutions,
the weather, the changes of the year. You know, we're
not Phoenix, Arizona, where most days during the year it's
over eighty degrees and maybe in the winter it rains
for a couple of months. Don't we get the snow
or the winter. We get the beautiful spring, We have
a fabulous summer of glorious falls. Occasionally we do have
(02:48):
a hurricane. Occasionally we do have a blizzard, but certainly
it doesn't seem knock on wood, the size of the
dimensions of what have the type of storms that have
recently hit the southeast. It's a lot to like about Massachusetts.
But this survey of seven hundred residents, conducted between October
third and the tenth, according to the press release from UMass,
(03:10):
says that that the problem that most people talked about
was the lack of housing. Now you get into some
of these numbers and it's it's interesting. According to the
public many shame share the blame for the complex housing problems,
according to a professor of political science at UMASSED Amherst
(03:33):
and co director of the poll. Now again, I don't
want to say that a lot of these folks live
in ivy ivy towers, but they do. I mean, they're
they're professors at universities and colleges, and I don't know
how much interaction they have in the real world. But
now that that's that's for you to decide. So, uh,
(03:53):
this uh, professor of political science at UMass Amherst, co
director of the poll, says the highest percentage twenty two percent,
fault high interest rates. Additionally, landlords are blamed sixteen percent,
(04:14):
local governments fifteen percent, contractors sixteen percent, and the legislature
seventeen percent, But only six percent say the problem is
due to homeowners. I don't see how it could possibly,
in the mind of anyone, be due to a homeowner.
You have a home, you bought a home, you live
there for two years, ten years, fifty years, whatever it is.
(04:36):
It's your home. But somehow six percent of the people
polled decided that it was a problem with the homeowners,
and eight percent attribute the problem to Governor Mara Healy. Okay,
so that is the sort of the headline, the under
the subheadline, under the headline most popular amongst people who
(05:00):
were polled. Here's a great idea is to limit increases
on rents. Have you heard that one before? Sixty seven
percent of the people who were polled here, according to
one of the economists, favor the idea of limiting increases
(05:21):
on rents. Sixty seven percent of the seven hundred people
who were polled for some reason that figure doesn't sound
true to me unless they decided just to conduct the
poll amongst people who were renting. I mean, what percentage
of the population rents, and I would assume a good
percentage of those people are happy with their rent But
(05:43):
sixty seven percent of the people in Massachusetts support limiting
increases on rents. How has that worked out wherever rent
control has been tried? Okay, of course. Other popular ideas
include lowering the income threshold to qualify for a housing
Sixty one percent of the people want to lower the
threshold so that more people can get affordable whatever you
(06:07):
want to call affordable housing. Then there's another group sixty
two percent. This is good. Allows towns to tax real
estate transactions above a million dollars to generate funds for
affordable housing. This sounds to me like a poll that
is designed to basically say, we need housing that nobody
(06:28):
has to pay for except the taxpayers. I mean, there
aren't that many homes in Massachusetts that will sell less
than a million dollars. We hear about how expensive housing
is in Massachusetts, so let's make it more expensive. And then,
of course, another say we've got to provide tax breaks
to developers to build more low income housing. That's sixty
(06:51):
two percent. A majority also favors the States Plan requiring
towns served by the MPTA, that's the NBTA Communities Act
to change zoning to allow for now multi for new
multi family housing. I'm opposed to that because it seems
to me that zoning laws are the bedrock of any community.
(07:11):
And if you live in a community that doesn't want
casinos or liquor stores or bowling alleys or strip joints,
I shouldn't say strip joints. I should say emporium of
interpretive dance. Pardon me for saying strip joints. You know,
towns have a right to say what we want in
the town and what we don't, and that's that's the
basis of zoning laws. So they go on and on
(07:34):
and on, and then just to show you how I
think off this, this this poll is it says that
amongst let me see, they talk about who's popular, Okay, well,
(07:54):
amongst the people they polled, and I'm assuming this is
representative of Massachusetts, fifty eight percent approve the work done
by Governor Healey fifty Ed Markey fifty three percent, Elizabeth
Warren Kamala Harris fifty five percent. As a matter of fact,
the state legislature is a gets a vote of approval
(08:21):
from the people that these guys pulled forty six percent.
Now I can believe that you know Ed Markey, he's
a US senator as a positive rating, and I have
Governor Healey. Okay, but the state legislature, come on, come on, guys,
you gotta be a little realistic here. So my question
is this, to my audience, are we on the right
(08:44):
track or the wrong wrong track in Massachusetts? Now, I
guess you could be on either side of this equation
and you could say, yeah, you know, taxing more on
wealthy people. We just passed the millionaire's tax. I was
going to solve the housing in the education crisis, right
not that's okay, what's that going to do? Well? People
(09:06):
who make a lot of money, they tend to be
fairly smart, okay, maybe smarter than the average bear. At
some point they're gonna say I'm out of here, I'm
out of here. Okay, then you have we have great
companies in Massachusetts. But if you don't have enough companies
in Massachusetts to absorb all the bright kids who are
(09:27):
young men and women who are coming out of colleges
and universities. They're gonna go other places. It's as simple
as that we have an outflow of people leaving here. Okay,
I don't think we have people leaving here as much
because of the housing being unaffordable. The fact of the
matter is we're a small state in a small region
(09:47):
dominated by Boston. Boston is the center of the hub,
certainly in the center of New England. And you know,
it's not a huge city. It's not Phoenix, Arizona, where
you can put up, you know, ten of thousands of
condominiums and and sell tens. It's different here. It's different here.
So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna ask a
(10:08):
very simple question. Now, some of you might say, hey,
guess what. You know, we're on the wrong track because
the state hasn't given me enough free stuff. They haven't
given me a house. They haven't they haven't given me
free rent control. They haven't given me a car, they
haven't given me whatever. Okay, they haven't given me a trip. Oh,
they've given me three or four EBT cards. Oh yeah,
(10:28):
I got a plenty of BBT cards. EBT cards for everybody.
That's what that's maybe maybe that would make people happy.
This is nuts, This is nuts. The bottom line in
this poll is forty one percent of the people in
Massachusetts think we're on the wrong track. I'm in that
forty one percent. Okay, I'd love to know if you
think we're on the right track. If you think things
(10:49):
are just hunky dory in Massachusetts and everything's going great
in Massachusetts, fine, absolutely, more bike lanes. Let's get let's
have bike lanes everywhere. Let's get the autumleveals off the road.
That's you know, that's those are the trends that are
pushing people out of here in Massachusetts. And guess what.
The people who are pushing that, they have political cloud,
(11:10):
they have influence with the politicians, many of whom are politicians,
don't have much of a backbone. They're going to say, sure,
how many more bike lanes do you want? Okay, how
many more people? There's a bike lane controversiy going up
in Revere now I'm just beginning to learn about it.
I'd love to hear from anyone up in Revere. So
the bottom line is my question is this the bottom
The question is, is Massachusetts on the right track of
(11:33):
the wrong track. Here's the real killer. Okay, this is
the first time that forty more than forty percent of
Massachusetts residents, according to this poll, say the may state
is heading in the wrong direction. That is a five
point increase in negative sentiment according to the poll. Quoting
from the poll here from the press release since a
(11:54):
poll in May June, July, August, September, October, so a
poll five months ago, it's it's gone up five points
and thirteen points higher from a pole from August of
twenty twenty, when Massachusetts will lock down with the COVID virus.
(12:14):
I think this pole is probably very accurate on its
bottom line, but I don't think it's identified what people
are really upset about. Six one, seven, two, five, four
ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, one ten thirty.
Let's talk about living in the Bay Stay and guess
what if you live somewhere else, I'd love to know
from you. Do you think that we're on the right
track where you live? Because the right track does splash
(12:39):
back not only on what's going on in your state,
but also on what's going on in your region and
what's going on in your country. We'll open up these
phone lines right now. I'll love to have you join
us six one, seven, two, five, four to ten thirty
six one seven, nine, three one ten thirty Coming right
back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
knight set you on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
So let's get to the phone call. See what people
have to say. They may agree or disagree. I'd love
to hear from you. Let me go to Jack in Newton. Jack,
welcome back. How are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Yeah? How you doing? Jack Porter? Well, I've been involved
in real estate for forty five years and forty some
years ago on the nineteen unit apartment building in Brighton.
It only costs one hundred and eighty thousand dollars, you know,
telling my students they just don't believe it. But that's
because the rents were four hundred dollars for a four
bedroom and two hundred dollars you know for a two bedroom.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
So Jack, Jack, this was how how many years ago?
I'm sorry, how many years?
Speaker 3 (13:37):
Forty years ago? How about a building this.
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Yeah, so this would have been in the mid nineteen.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Eighties, nineteen eighty two. How about a nineteen yunit building
for one hundred and eighty thousand.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
That was a good investments.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
It was a very poor city back then, and it
was very difficult for us to make improvements. So ven
control was not you know, the best thing. And in
some ways I was happy, you know, it went out,
but but today, in.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Some ways, what ways were you happy it didn't go up? Jack?
Of course, to the owner of an apartment building, Yeah,
I mean I'm assuming I know you pretty well that
that you weren't going to be gouging people, and you
would you would give people a good opportunity, but you
had to keep the building in good shape. You had
(14:23):
to maintain the building.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
Back then then was they converted them to condos and
brandon around Boston College because of rent control. And so
that's how I fell into a group of investors, you know,
for three hundred and four hundred thousand, and then they
in turn sold it out and they made you know,
four or fives million, So you know, that's what happens.
(14:48):
But you have to have now, you have to have
some controls of only three or five percent increases in
rent because it's just too much. I mean, you've got to.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
Say hold on. If if you were you were not
in favor of rent control when you when you owned
a rental property.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Correct, No, today I am to some degree because rents
are way posed.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
But how much how much rental property do you own today? Jack?
Speaker 3 (15:16):
I just have my condo today.
Speaker 2 (15:18):
But would you live there or do you or do
you rent it out?
Speaker 4 (15:22):
No?
Speaker 3 (15:22):
I live there. I live in a condo.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Okay, So you don't have any rental properties today. Correct?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I wish I did, but it was you know, it's
it's very good.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
But what you think what to quote JD Vance, think
of what you're saying. You're telling me that when you
owned what'd you say, nineteen units in a in a building?
Was that you said nineteen units?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
I did up building in Gordon Street. I'm parking, so
you this.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Is a nice street, I know, Gordon Street. So you
owned nineteen units and you were posed to rent control
when you own nineteen units. Now you don't own any
rental units. You're okay with rent.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
Control because it's just it's way too high. That's why
people are leaving the city. They're leaving in Massachusetts because
the rents are so high. You're pushing people out. It's
not just students or it's you know, it's a seniors like,
does it have.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Does your position? Let me ask you this, Jack, honestly,
does your position on rent control today versus what it
was when you own rental property back in the eighties.
Does it have anything to do with your status as
a as a as a building owner back then versus
someone now who lives at a condominium has no rental property.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Look, I would say this because I know that people
I just can't afford a thirty or forty or fifty
percent increase in their rent a five percent increase possibly,
but not thirty or forty or fifty percent of start out.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
But Jack, you know, I'm a friend of yours, and
it just sounds to me like you're doing some virtue
signaling here.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Forty years ago, it only costs one hundred and fifty
dollars per square fit to build. Now it's three hundred
dollars per square foot. And the reason why is that
land is so much scarcter, and land has doubled in price,
and the cost of the steel and metal, and and.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah, you know, Jack, you and I know that if
you wanted to rent, let us say, a two bedroom
apartment in Manhattan really expensive.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Right, proctually about. You know, it could be the same
as the you know as the South End or seaport today.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Well, really expensive South End Seaport, really expensive. What would
a two bedroom apartment cost you? And say, let's say Laramie, Wyoming,
there's a fraction under there.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But my own building right here in Newtonville, you know,
on well of it, it's twenty two bedroom under.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Jack. You're you're you're a great human You're you're a
great human being, and your your kindness towards people today
who are having a difficult time paying rent is admirable.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Okay, well we have my hats.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
My hat's off to you, Jack. I wish you owned
twenty units today and you could keep the prices down.
I know, I know you would appreciate your call. Jack,
Thank you much.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I'd be a grateful anthropist.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
Oh, I know that. I can imagine that if you
ever hit the ten million dollar lottery. How much money
do you think of you if tomorrow you hit a
ten million dollar lottery ticket? Just go ahead, how much
money do you think you would give away? I'll bet
you that you would give nine million dollars away.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
I give a lot of it away.
Speaker 2 (18:42):
Yeah, we'll bet you well, how much I would bet
you you give ninety percent of it away?
Speaker 3 (18:48):
Well, I'm almost eighty years old, so I'm going to
give a lot of it away. But i'd like to,
you know, just having else to live on.
Speaker 2 (18:54):
Well, you know, if you could keep you know you could,
you could live on a million dollars. I know you,
Jack that if you want ten million, or if you
want a hundred million dollars, you'd give ninety five million
dollars of it away because you're a good human being.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Well you're almost That building is worth that I a
twenty years ago I.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Never should have sold it. So how much again, Jack,
just help me out here. If you want a hundred million,
how much would you give away? Just go ahead in
virtual signal? Come on, how much would you give away?
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Oh, to charity and everything else? About eighty million out
of one hundred million?
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Yeah, oh, you give away more than that. You don't
need that twenty million dollars.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Come on, Jack, I know you.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
You'd be more generous than that. Jack, Come on, don't
be shy, don't be shy. I know you well enough
to know your generosity. Thank you, Jack, I appreciate your call.
You're a good human being. Thank you. Back right, We're
not going to be back right after this. No, we're
going to take a news break and then we'll be
back right after this. Jack is someone who I know
very well, and he would give it all away. I
(19:57):
can I guarantee it. We'll be back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (20:03):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
So we're talking about a University of Massachusetts at Amherst
poll which concludes, amongst I guess seven hundred responding statewide,
which is a good sample, that forty percent of Massachusetts
residents feel we're on the wrong wrong track as a state. Okay,
let's see what others think. Get kind of a little
(20:31):
bit off with Jack, who's a wonderful human being and
a generous guy who when rent control was in effect
he liked he was opposed to it. Now that he
doesn't own property, he's in favor of it. Let's go
to Bill and Danvers. Hey Bill, how are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (20:45):
Oh? Good?
Speaker 5 (20:46):
Yeah, Sorry, I haven't called him. I'm busy, but there's
been a few topics, but I haven't listened enough over
the last few weeks to call. But I have time.
But yeah, I mean I'm surprised there's only forty one percent.
State's on the wrong track in this state, you know.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Uh well, I got to remember there's a lot of
people who have who have come here and now are
being given EBT cards and free housing and yeah, I
uh you know, hotel rooms. Yeah, we're generous, you know,
very generous state here. Bill. I don't know if if
you've been able to take advantage of any of the
programs that are available, or you somebody who's actually working
(21:22):
for a living.
Speaker 5 (21:24):
Yeah, well, the guys that are working, we're being fleece
for that.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
But you know, it's it's.
Speaker 5 (21:28):
Startling to me is there's individuals and you'll talk to
them and I've talked to them people I know, and
you know, they're the same guys that are going to
probably go down enthusiastically and vote for Harris and they'll say, yeah,
you know, I'm proud of the state because the programs
and we give this, and we there, and basically they're
happy that we're subsidized and stuff. And the more you
subsidize stuff, the more they they keep taking. I mean,
(21:51):
you just get more of when you subsidize something, and.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
What you're trying to say to me what you're trying
to say to me. And I want to make sure
I understand this that if the state of massach or
to come out of Massachusetts gives free stuff away, that
will be a magnet for people to be attracted to
come here.
Speaker 4 (22:12):
Oh.
Speaker 5 (22:12):
Absolutely, you kidding. Hey, hey, listen, and you know I
can't fault guys. I mean, listen, if I was in
the same boat, right, and maybe I didn't have a
good wherever I came from, right, and they opened up
the doors and they said, hey, come on in right
and many of you come in right now. Texas I
had to write the work state. You know, they don't
have a lot of maybe a lot of programs. The
(22:33):
governor there, he's going to give me a free bus
ride right where you're gonna go the top three places.
And they all know this because they have relatives and
the network and the Coyotes are telling them and the Cattels. Right,
it's California, because you've got news running around. He's going
to guarantee your healthcare, okay, right, but Massachusetts, you're guaranteed
housing in healthcare and you're gonna get all the you know,
(22:55):
so you're getting to try and hold on.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Now, wait a second, I want you to understate the
generosity of the Cambo. You get free hotel room, you
get three meals a day, you get t card, and
you get free taxi rides. What's wrong with that?
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Yeah? No?
Speaker 5 (23:14):
And uh and and they're getting cars too, Dan, Well,
I don't know if you know that cars. Yeah, yeah,
because I hope they.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
Please don't tell me that they use cars.
Speaker 5 (23:31):
Well, yeah, I mean they used I think they pick
them up and they get them when they impound them
for whatever activities. But they do have cars because they're
practicing in some of the pocket whts up and down
Route one. You get a guy from Sagas on the phone.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Yeah, Massachusetts residents eligible to get those free cars or no?
Speaker 5 (23:49):
I don't think so, Dan, not you know.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
By the way, just in this poll here, in this
poll they say ours find our results, excuse me, find
that a majority of residents fifty seven percent, continues to
support this law and remain committed to ensuring that immigrant
newcomers are given the necessary resources to protect the well
(24:16):
being and health of their families. So fifty seven percent
of people here in Massachusetts support the right to shelter
law and properly hope that more people will be attracted
to the commonwealth.
Speaker 5 (24:32):
Well, you know, I gotta tell you, and I'll be
one of them at some point. I've already been making moves.
But actually, I you know, in a way, if people
want that here, okay, and there's probably at this point
its slim majority of us that don't, So we just
vote with our feet. So the guys that are left here,
they're going to pay the bill for it, or to
the point where so many people leave, the producers or
(24:54):
the guys that had small businesses just threw up their
hands and this place. I mean, I don't know. I mean,
it's gonna get to a point where it's just unsustainable.
And that's fine what happens.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Don't you whoa, whoa. Don't you feel an obligation to
stay here and support other people. You're not as good
as human You're not nearly as good a human being
as Jack from Newton. By the way, I hate to
tell that to you.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
Well, you know, Dan, you know, if you give a
guy a fish, you'll ead today. But if he teaches
the fish, I'll lead it forever.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (25:27):
You know, no look you, I'm having a little bit
of fun with you. I mean, it's amazing to me
that fifty this is again this Paul is saying fifty
percent of the people in Massachusetts, a majority of residents,
continue to support the right to shelter law. I mean,
you know, I don't understand, and and and yet forty
(25:49):
one percent of the state says that we're in the
wrong going in the wrong direction. So I guess forty
one percent of the state say, well, you're in the
forty one percent of the state that say we're going
in the wrong direction, and seven percent say, let's get
more people here who we can support this. This is
actually this poll is to me, it's just amazingly inconsistent.
Speaker 5 (26:09):
Go ahead, no, no, I think I kind of because
if you look at when you at the end of
the day, when you look at the election results in
a few weeks, right, yeah, you'll have about thirty six
or thirty eight, So it's almost aid that forty and
then the rest is whatever. So I think it's actually
pretty cool as hot as it is, and it's hard
for me to get my head around it, but I've
managed to do it over time because I deal with
(26:31):
the public.
Speaker 2 (26:32):
You know all right, all right, Bill, as always, thank
you very much, but you got to work on becoming
a better person like Jack from Newton. That's all I
can say to you.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
Okay, I'll try, I'll add it to my prayers. I'll
ask for forgiveness and guid absolutely.
Speaker 2 (26:46):
Thank you very much, Thanks, thanks, thanks, good bye. By
the way, man, talk to you later. By James Is
in Saga. Say James, you're next time NIGHTSAG Go right ahead, Hey.
Speaker 6 (26:56):
How are you doing tonight? First time call her, first
time listening.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
First time call it in the first time this year. Wow,
that's the daily double. Thanks very much. Welcome.
Speaker 6 (27:06):
Never lived in mass live over the border in New
Hampshire and originally from California. Then a law enforcement a
long time, but I'm out of it now for a
major healthcare system and Mass.
Speaker 5 (27:16):
But anyways, I want to reach.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
Out and talk to you about the about this poll.
I think that poll, the numbers, that's even the numbers
are really really down. I think it's bigger than five percent.
I think there's such a a you know, bigger number
than that.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
And I think the poll a lot of the.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
Poles are not showing those accurate numbers.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Okay, hold let me make let me make sure, James,
which number. The number, the primary number that I'm talking
about is the poll finds that forty one percent, forty
one percent of residents in Massachusetts think we're on the
wrong track. I'm in that group, by the way, the
forty one percent, that is a five percent increase from
(27:57):
May of this year, so it'd gone it would have
from thirty six to forty one percent of the last
five months.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
But it's higher than that. I think it's actually higher
than that. I do.
Speaker 6 (28:08):
And and you know, working for a major healthcare system
in mass Chusetts, working in the emergency room, the things
I see would blow your mind.
Speaker 5 (28:16):
And I will tell you this, I will tell you this.
Speaker 4 (28:19):
I'm the I'm the opposite of most of these level
headed guys. I want Trump to come back into office.
I want him to instruct the Department of Justice to
go after anybody and everybody that aids and events, these
people that came across illegally. I e.
Speaker 6 (28:36):
The Governor of California Newscom, every state governor.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
We don't do we don't do names here, Governor Newsom,
that's his name, Go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
And then and then all of those governors that support that,
and any of the companies that are hiring them, they
need to be held accountable.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
I'm well, James, James, James, I'll agree with you that
if some company is hiring people under the table and
securing an unfair advantage by actually taking advantage of people
who have come here, I agree with you that those
companies should be penalized. But if the people of California
(29:14):
are so dumb that they're going to elect Gavin Newsom
as the governor after what he did to the city
of San Francisco, good luck to them.
Speaker 6 (29:23):
I understand that. But let me ask you a question.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Can't you can't put him?
Speaker 2 (29:28):
You can't put Newsom in jail because he you know,
he's got elected governor. You can't do that.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
Yeah, sure you can't. He's aiding in the betting future
that's under federal law.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
Well well, well, first of all, in that case, I
guess you're gonna have to put Joe Biden in jail.
Speaker 4 (29:43):
I mean, come on, absolutely, I'm not forgot.
Speaker 2 (29:47):
That's you know, it's up to the people too.
Speaker 6 (29:51):
But they pulled van hand grenade first. They pulled it
first when they went after him, just for announcing he
was going after the presidency. They pulled that anger Nate person.
You've got all these Democratic lawmakers everybody else that are
the prosecutors that are prosecuting him for all these bull
baloney charges based.
Speaker 2 (30:08):
I think I think the James James, I'm being honest
with you, Okay, I'm being honest with you. I think
that we get we get into a uh a real
downward spiral. It's gonna the country is going to start
to look like some dictatorship in Central or South America.
I mean, we should not be going after the Republicans,
(30:30):
should not be going after the Democrats. They shouldn't the
Democrats shouldn't be going after Republicans. Yeah, well, you know,
but I think I think sometimes you know, if you
know some sometimes you can Look. I have no idea
who's going to be elected president. I just hope that
whoever's elected president, whether it's the vice president or former
(30:52):
President Trump, I hope that we as a society and
as a country, will get behind them and say, look,
the election's over, let's try to work together. Let's try
it for a while. We've been so divided for so long.
Uh And and I don't believe in law there. I'm
not a fav I'm not a fan of law here, okay.
And there's there's a lot of problems that we have
(31:13):
talked about. You you listen to the show more often,
You're going to agree with me more than you realize.
But I just don't want to know.
Speaker 6 (31:19):
I bet, I bet I do agree with you. I'm
assuming I do agree with you. I think I'm just
a little farther right than you are, man. And I
think that, and I think that, and I think that
all the things that I've seen working in an emergency
room in Boston, major emergency room in Boston last five years,
it would blow your mind away. The things that I've seen.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Well, you know what, James, some night, some night, if
if you want some night, maybe we'll touch upon that topic.
I have friends of mine who are doctors in New
York cardiac. Matter of fact, one guy who's a cardiac
surgeon told me that there are people who fly into
the country from other countries and they collapse on the
on the walkway from the airplane into into the terminal.
(32:02):
They know that they're in need of open heart surgery.
They're in their eighties.
Speaker 5 (32:06):
Uh, and they got here.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Yeah, and I mean, you know, as much as you'd
like to say to the world, we would love everyone
to come here, unfortunately we can't. And we need to borders,
and borders that are that are patrolled and borders that
are recognized. So this is the stuff we talk about
all the time, and I think you'll be very comfortable with.
But what I don't want to do is see us
(32:30):
devolve into a tit for tat dictatorship, because that that
will that would take us down a path that I
don't think.
Speaker 6 (32:38):
We really Well, here, here's here's here's the part of
the problem. I just got one real quick question where
but state of Ohio overwhelmingly did not support when they
put it on the ballot for gay marriage. But Ohio
is forced to accept gay marriage by the United States
faberal government.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Okay, because the US well you draw that line, because
the United States Supreme Court concluded that there was a
constitutional right for individuals to marry whomever they wanted.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
And so now now under that same prentiss, I can
carry my firearm which New Hampshire has cost carry, can
carry that right over in the mass.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Right.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Well, that's an interesting question because you're talking there about
the Privileges and Immunities Clause in the US Constitution. I
happen to be a lawyer. I happen to agree with
you on that. I happen to agree with you, and
I think that eventually, eventually, maybe that issue will go
be front of this be front of the US Supreme Court.
There have been some recent decisions by this court which
I've been friendly to gun owners. Look, James, we got
(33:43):
a lot more to talk about. I hope you listen
more often, and I hope you join me every night
of the week, and your calls are always welcome, and
I every day you two James, and welcome to night's side.
Thank you much, thank you. We'll take a break. We're
gonna we very well may continue this into the next hour. Eric,
Bill and sal you guys are up next, So get ready.
Six one seven four ten thirty is the only line
(34:05):
that's open right now. Six one seven four ten thirty.
Speaker 3 (34:09):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I want to get into this because frankly, Massachusetts is
not in good shape, as this poll indicates. I think
that the poll identifies different issues the wrong reasons, but
it's still a poll and we're talking about it. I
hope you'll join us coming back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:33):
Okay, I'm going to move the callers a little bit
more quickly. I think we've established the issue. I'm Bill
and Lowell Bill next on Nightside? Go ahead?
Speaker 5 (34:43):
Does that mean?
Speaker 2 (34:45):
I hope if it's Bill and Lowell with's you? Bill?
Going ahead?
Speaker 5 (34:49):
Okay, Hey Dan, all right, what do you want me
to talk about?
Speaker 2 (34:55):
I'm gonna put you on hold and Rob will tell
you what we're talking about. Okay, Well, we'll get you
in a moment here south in Los Angeles. Sal, I
bet you you're ready to talk, Go right ahead, Sal.
Speaker 5 (35:06):
Sir, so, I heard about real estate and like, uh,
outrageous rents and and properties and so forth. I mean, dude,
in Massachusetts, wasn't the middle class pretty much dominant.
Speaker 2 (35:23):
In the long no, no, no, no, for a long time. Yeah,
Massachusetts was a great Uh. I think was a great
state and uh and it still has the potential to
be a great state. But yeah, we've kind of lost
our way here. I mean it's you know, we have
so many people who were taking as opposed to people
(35:45):
who are contributing, and every there there were people who
were in real need. I just was on a on
a website here that that I'm on. It's called next door.
You probably heard about it. It's a national website like
your neighborhood. You can join it. So this poor individual,
I'm not going to tell you what it is, but
I just just popped up in my In my email,
(36:09):
the fellow writes, Okay, I've been at this library for
warmth from nine am to nine pm. I have no
idea what to do as it's going to be freezing
out again. It's cold here in Massachusetts tonight. I'm sorry
for this, but I'm begging for financial support for a
hotel for a night or something, because what else do
I feel my bones hurting from the colt. So this
(36:29):
is a this is a resident, I'm guessing, and he's
on a on a on an anonymous website begging for
money because he has no money in Massachusetts. I you know,
it's frustrating to to real that people realize that people
who are here are not being taken care of, and
we're inviting people to commit to the state and encouraging
(36:50):
people to commit to the state. Yeah, we crossed into
the country illegally.
Speaker 5 (36:54):
It doesn't. It doesn't work out, dude. I mean, how
you doing in La?
Speaker 2 (37:01):
By the way, these days.
Speaker 5 (37:03):
I'm great in La, man. I mean, I worked my
ax off. I've been. I've been. God, I'm riginally from Boston,
works in New York, US to LA.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
You know, don't you have a homeless don't you have
a homeless crisis out there too?
Speaker 5 (37:21):
Of course we do. And it's funny because all of
a sudden, all the bridges underneath are like cleared out.
It's like weird kama I think they call us Comma
Kamala land.
Speaker 2 (37:34):
Now, well they'll be back, they'll be back. I mean, ye, look,
Sandie see I remember San Diego did it in advance
of the Republican National Convention in nineteen ninety six. This
is a tactic that has been used by big city
mayors for a long time. They got everybody out of town.
They gave them one way tickets to wherever they want.
(37:55):
Well eventually they come back.
Speaker 5 (37:58):
Well, well LA has got the ollip in a few
years and the mayor from l A went out to
you know, the Olympics in Paris this year and said hey,
and then they announced a new police commissioner, and she's like,
you know what, he's going to be the police commissioner
to do our justice for the Olympics coming up. And
(38:21):
it's funny. It's like down the street from me, I
have a major thoroughway. Used to be like three or
four r v's on the street. Now it's like three.
So I guess I guess they're trying to clean up.
Speaker 2 (38:31):
Well, we will see. Yeah, it's it's it's not right
back here in Massachusetts right now. Have to put it
that way. But there's a lot of people hurting and
and I don't know.
Speaker 5 (38:45):
I'm trying to come back.
Speaker 2 (38:47):
Well, we'll bring a lot of money if you where
you want to live, where where you want to go,
Get an apartment, our house.
Speaker 5 (38:53):
I love if switch dude, I love it.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Someone here, you know you'll need a couple of million.
Always a really nice house.
Speaker 5 (39:02):
My family has houses in Lake One of Pasake.
Speaker 2 (39:09):
Is a lot, a lot more reasonable than Massachusetts for
people coming here. Hey, sal let's keep the conversation going about.
Unfortunately I got the eleven o'clock news coming around the
corner here. My man. Thank you much as always, thanks
for listening. Thanks every great night. Back on nights that
let's continue this conversation on the other side of the
eleven
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