Is Baker done with politics after Mass. governor’s office?

ED: WELCOME BACK TO OTR. THE SUNDAY ROUNDTABLE IS HERE. 2023 IS OFF TO A BIG START. CHANGES EVERYWHERE. NO CHANGES HERE. DEMOCRATIC CLINICAL ANALYST — POLITICAL ANALYST MARION MARSH IS HERE WITH US AND A REPUBLICAN AND LIST AS WELL. AS YOU HEARD, WHICH UPSET YOU AS WE START 2023? >> TO ME TALK ABOUT THE TEACHERS UNION GETTING THE RIGHT TO STRIKE. SHE WAS SORT OF VANILLA ON IT. I WAS HOPING FOR HER TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST US. THIS IS A TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE IDEA, I HOPE THE POLITICAL LEADERSHIP MAKES THIS IN THE BUD BEFORE THIS GETS BETTER HANNIGAN. — HAND AGAIN. >> YOU SHOULD ARGUE IF COMMITTEE COLLEGE SHOULD BE FREE OR AFFORDABLE, BUT THAT WILL GET PEOPLE IN JOBS IN MASSACHUSETTS. THERE IS A DEARTH OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE NEED, THAT IS NOT HAPPENING IN ALMOST EVERY COUNTY OF MASSACHUSETTS HAS A COMMUNITY COLLEGE. SOUTH CAROLINA AND ANNA-LENA GET — USE — ATLANTA, GET COMMITTEE COLLEGE IS TO BRING IN INDUSTRIES. IT IS CHEAPER THAN HAVING EMPLOYERS TRAINING EMPLOYEES. ED: IF COMMITTEE COLLEGE WAS FREE WOULD MORE PEOPLE GO? >> YES, EDUCATION IS EXPENSIVE NOW. EVERYONE IS SETTLED BY DEBT. IF YOU ARE GOING TO COMMITTEE COLLEGE YOU ARE WORKING. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT GOVERNOR HEALEY, SHE MET THE MOMENT WITH OLD ADDRESSES. SHE IS MAKING A BIG PUSH ON HOUSING, DO YOU THINK SHE CAN SUCCEED WHERE OTHERS FAILED? >> YES, IT WILL BE HARD, BUT THERE IS A POLITICAL APPETITE FOR IT AND A NECESSITY FOR IT. PEOPLE WANT HOUSING, PEOPLE NEED HOUSING. PEOPLE WANT HOUSING NEED — NEAR LIKE TRANSIT. YOU HEARD THE SENATE PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT LAND THAT IS AVAILABLE ACROSS THE STATE. I THINK THERE IS FINALLY POLITICAL WILL AND APPETITE NOT ONLY AT THE STATEHOUSE HOUSE, BUT ALSO AT CITY HALL WITH MAYOR WU AND OTHERS TO DO THIS. >> TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE LEAVING MESSAGES THIS. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF — MASSACHUSETTS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT? >> SHE IS A BREAKTHROUGH GOVERNOR, SHE PUT OUT A LOT OF STUFF THAT SOUNDS GOOD, BUT IT IS HARD TO PUT INTO PRACTICE. MITT ROMNEY TRIED 20 YEARS AGO TO PUT THE ELEMENTS FOR HOUSING AROUND T STOPS. WHAT YOU FIND IS THE LOCAL TOWNS AND CITIES WHERE THE T STOPS ARE, HAVE A PROCESS TO GRIND ALL OF THESE TO A HALT. THE STATE PUT ENVIRONMENTAL PUSHBACK REGULATIONS TO GRIND THIS TO A HALT. ON HOUSING WE ARE A VICTIM OF THE VERY REGULATIONS OUR LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNORS TO PUT IN THE LAST TWO DECADES. THEY HURT HOUSING. >> LET’S TALK ABOUT WHERE MASSACHUSETTS. ONE PARTY RULE ON BEACON HILL. WHO WILL BE DRIVING THE POLICY BUS? THE NEW DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR, THE HOUSE SPEAKER OR THE SENATE PRESIDENT? SHOULD WE EXPECT AN EARLY TERM FOR? — TURF WAR? WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT? >> CLEARLY BEHIND THE SCENES THERE WILL BE A BATTLE, YOU ASSUME IT IS THE GOVERNOR, THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN THERE LONGER, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE — THEY HAVE THEIR OWN AGENDA. THEY DO NOT WORK FOR THE GOVERNOR. IT WILL BE QUIET UNTIL THERE IS A DISPUTE AND MAYBE THEN IT WILL BECOME PUBLIC. THAT BEING SAID THERE IS SUCH A BIG SURPLUS, $5 BILLION OR MORE OF WIGGLE ROOM. AND MAY BE A PILLOW FIGHT. WHEN THERE IS ALL SORTS OF DOLLARS AROUND IT IS MAKING IT EASIER TO SWEEP THINGS UNDER THE RUG. ED: WHAT DO YOU THINK? >> THE BUS DRIVER DRIVES THE BUS. THE PEOPLE ON THE BUS TO CITE THE STOPS. I THINK YOU WILL SEE MORE COOPERATION BETWEEN STILL GOT AND — SPIKA AND HEALEY. I THINK AGAIN, THE APPETITE TO GET THINGS DONE IN MASSACHUSETTS, THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IS RADICALLY DIFFERENT. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PUSH TO GET THINGS DONE. >> LET’S COME BACK TO THE M TBA. GOVERNOR HEALEY IS TAKING HER TIME BEFORE APPOINTING A NEW MANAGER. SHE WILL APPOINT A FIRST TIME EVER TRANSPORTATION SAFETY CHIEF. SHE WANTS TO SEE 1000 NEW MTBA JOBS FELL THIS YEAR. IS THIS TOO AMBITIOUS? >> HAS TO BE DONE, IT SHOULD’VE BEEN DONE BY CHARLIE BAKER, SHE — THE GM PIC IS SO IMPORTANT, THE SAFETY PERSON IN PLACE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE A LONG TIME AGO. ANOTHER REASON FOR COMMITTEE COLLEGES. >> I AGREE WITH THIS, AND LET’S CUT HER SOME SLACK, CHARLIE BAKER HAS BEEN TRYING TO HIRE THESE PEOPLE FOR TWO YEARS. IT IS NOT EASY. THEY ARE COMPETING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THESE JOBS, UNLIKE A LOT OF A LOT OF JOBS — UNLIKE A LOT OF JOBS YET DISRUPT WORK. YOU CANNOT DO REMOTE OR HYBRID. YOU NEED THE LABOR FORCE TO OPERATE THE AGREEMENT. ED: YOU MENTIONED CHARLIE BAKER. LET’S TALK ABOUT HIM. HE LEFT OFFICE AS THE MOST POPULAR GOVERNOR IN THE COUNTRY, HE IS AN EMOTIONAL MAN, YOU CAN TELL HE LOVED THE JOB HE HAD. I THINK I AM STATING THAT CORRECTLY. IS NEXT GIG IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE NCAA. IS THAT A PLACEHOLDER? DO YOU SEE HIM BACK ON THE POLITICAL STAGE? >> I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR WEEKS. I THINK THE INTERVIEW MARIA STEPHANOS DEADWOOD CHARLIE IS VERY REVEALING — WITH CHARLIE WAS VERY REALLY — REVEALING. THE JOB IS PERFECT FOR LAUNCHING A PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. HERESY HANDLED THE NAL’S, PORTALS, TRANSFERS? HOW DOES HE HANDLE THE HUGE INEQUITIES BETWEEN WOMEN’S SPORTS AND MEN’S SPORTS IN THE COUNTRY? YOU WILL HAVE MORE NATIONAL PROFILES THAN HE EVER HAD HERE, IS EVERYTHING YOU WANT IF YOU WANT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT. ED: NAME, IMAGE, LIKENESS, WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON THIS? >> IS LIKE LACRIMAL, THERE SO PROBLEMS IN THE NCAA. — LIKE LACRIMAL, THERE ARE SO MANY — WHACK A MOLE, THERE ARE SO MANY PROBLEMS IN THE NCAA. CAN YOU NAME THE LAST FEW PRESIDENTS OF THE NCAA? >> CHARLIE JUST TURNED 66

OTR: Is Charlie Baker done with politics after Mass. governor’s office?

Updated: 11:18 PM EST Jan 8, 2023

The roundtable also discusses some of the bold policy promises made by Gov. Maura Healey during her inaugural address.

BOSTON —

The roundtable also discusses some of the bold policy promises made by Gov. Maura Healey during her inaugural address.