The 2 Republicans operating to problem Gov. Maura Healey subsequent yr spent practically an hour Friday buying and selling jabs over the price to deal with households in state-run shelters, a cope with a Chinese language firm for brand spanking new MBTA practice automobiles, and a controversial transit-oriented zoning regulation.
Brian Shortsleeve, a former MBTA official and enterprise capitalist, and Mike Kennealy, a former cupboard secretary underneath Gov. Charlie Baker, tried to make use of the primary debate of the 2026 race for governor to distinguish themselves from one another partly by attacking the opposite’s credentials.
Shortsleeve was fast to hone in on Kennealy and the Baker administration’s resolution to ask Beacon Hill lawmakers in fall 2022 for thousands and thousands in further funding for the emergency help shelter program amid a surge of migrant arrivals.
“At that time, he didn’t call for reform… He called for more money, and he began opening migrant hotels that fall,” Shortsleeve throughout a debate hosted by Herald columnist Howie Carr. “Mike’s record as housing secretary is not a record that demonstrates he is ready to demonstrate the sort of reform we need to fix this problem.”
Within the closing months of Kennealy’s tenure as housing and financial improvement secretary, the Lexington Republican referred to as on Beacon Hill Democrats to approve greater than $130 million to fund the state-run shelter program for households with youngsters and pregnant girls.
Shelters had been beginning to replenish as immigrants arrived from Afghanistan, Haiti, Venezuela, and Ukraine. This system got here underneath huge pressure after Healey took workplace as extra migrants arrived in Massachusetts and sought housing in taxpayer-funded household shelters.
Kennealy and his crew supplied a written warning about diminishing shelter capability to the incoming Healey administration in November 2022, although the missive didn’t carry any suggestions to curb demand.
Kennealy stated the “shelter crisis” — which has value the state billions and resulted in restrictive measures to chop down the variety of households within the emergency help system — is “100% Gov. Healey’s fault.”
“Brian’s got to be honest and do his homework. I was legally obligated to send a letter to the Legislature warning them the system was running out of money. That’s all that letter is,” Kennealy stated of his December 2022 letter to lawmakers.
Kennealy didn’t go away Shortsleeve unscathed.
The previous cupboard secretary slammed Shortsleeve for overseeing one of many early expansions to a deal the MBTA inked with CRRC, a Chinese language-owned agency, to supply new Orange and Crimson Line automobiles. The contract has confronted a number of delays and is now value greater than $1 billion.
“(Shortsleeve) called it a good business decision. That was a deal done under his tenure. It succeeded under Gov. Healey. The cost has been massively inflated. The cars still haven’t been delivered. I don’t know how that’s a good business decision,” Kennealy stated of the CRRC contract. “…I don’t think that modest reforms to the T a decade ago that frankly haven’t stuck represent a platform for higher office.”
Shortsleeve stated he helped flip across the MBTA’s funds at a time when it was “in deep trouble.” He beforehand served as chief administrator of the company, performing basic supervisor, and a member of the previous Fiscal Administration and Management Board.
“We cut costs. We balanced the budget. We tore out waste and abuse. We delivered something that Maura Healey never has, which is a balanced budget for that organization,” Shortsleeve stated earlier within the debate. “I’m a proven governmental reformer.”
Massachusetts Democratic Social gathering Chair Steve Kerrigan slammed the 2 candidates for displaying “that they’re afraid to stand up to Donald Trump and won’t stand for the people of Massachusetts.”
“One thing is for sure after (Friday): Governor Maura Healey is the only candidate who will make life easier for people, lower the cost of housing, health care, and energy, and stand up to Donald Trump when he hurts our state,” Kerrigan stated in an announcement.
Shortsleeve additionally went after Kennealy for his position in implementing the MBTA Communities Act, a zoning regulation signed by Baker in 2021 that requires some cities and cities to zone no less than one district close to transit hubs for multi-family housing.
“The MBTA Communities Act was a big mistake. It’s being used by this administration to punish our cities and towns. Mike called it good housing policy and good climate policy. He said he was excited to support that law. I completely disagree. I think it should be scrapped,” Shortsleeve stated.
Tense authorized battles have erupted between municipalities that argue the statute is simply too restrictive and the Healey administration, which says the measure is likely one of the few instruments Massachusetts has to create extra housing amid terribly excessive prices.
Kennealy stated the zoning regulation was “100% a creation of the Legislature.”
“We never advocated for it in the Baker administration, and when it landed with us, we tried to make it as flexible as possible for our cities and towns. And Gov. Healy and (Attorney General Andrea) Campbell have weaponized that against our cities and towns,” he stated.
Each candidates had been requested who they voted for within the 2024 presidential election on the outset of the controversy.
Shortsleeve stated he voted for Trump, and Kennealy stated he blanked the highest of the ticket. Each candidates additionally stated they initially backed businessman Chris Doughty within the 2022 Republican gubernatorial major and later voted for Geoff Diehl in that yr’s governor’s race.
Neither man might identify a present elected official in Massachusetts who impresses them.
However each stated Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ought to retire.
Kennealy took goal at Wu over her dealing with of the Boston Public Colleges.
“Boston Public Schools is among the most expensive urban school systems in America, and a tiny fraction of the kids are at grade level,” he stated.
Shortsleeve stated Wu has “been a complete disaster for the City of Boston.”
“I’ll also tell you when it comes to Wu, that I think her policies on immigration have been awful,” he stated.
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