OTR: Will historic flooding in New England change how voters prioritize climate change? - WCVB Boston

OTR: Will historic flooding change how voters prioritize climate change?

OTR: Will historic flooding in New England change how voters prioritize climate change?

ROUNDTABLE CAN TAKE THE HEAT ANY TIME, EVEN IN DECEMBER. WE’RE JOINED BY THIS MORNING BY BOSTON GLOBE COLUMNIST ADRIAN WALKER, REPUBLICAN POLITICAL ANALYST GINNY BUCKINGHAM. IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU GUYS THIS MORNING. ADRIAN, LET ME START WITH YOU AND MARTY BEING SAT IN THE CHAIR THIS MORNING. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF HIS RESPONSE TO THE SUPREME COURT RULING ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION? WELL, I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS IN DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS. AND I THINK IT WILL BE DIFFERENT AT A PLACE LIKE UMASS OR EVEN DIFFERENT UMASS CAMPUSES THAN AT A PLACE LIKE HARVARD. THEY’VE HAD A LOT OF TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO INSTEAD AND HOPEFULLY THEIR IDEAS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. GINNY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, I THINK THAT’S RIGHT. I MEAN, DIVERSITY IS KIND OF AT THE HEART OF A PUBLIC INSTITUTION LIKE UMASS AND I THINK THEY’LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE MUCH OF WHAT THEY’VE DONE TO MAKE IT SUCH A DIVERSE PLACE. ALL RIGHT. THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE IS TAKING A BIG TOLL ON NEW ENGLAND THIS SUMMER. HISTORIC CATASTROPHIC FLOODING IN VERMONT. OUT WEST, WE’VE SEEN EXTREME HEAT FOR VOTERS. CLIMATE CHANGE RANKS LOW FOR THE ISSUES THEY CARE MOST ABOUT. IN FACT, SINGLE DIGITS. GINNY, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? PROBABLY BECAUSE MOSTLY THEY HADN’T FELT THE IMPACT UNTIL MAYBE NOW. AND THAT’S TOO BAD. BUT THAT’S KIND OF REALITY FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LOT ON THEIR PLATES. AND NOW I THINK PEOPLE ARE SEEING THIS IS COMING AND WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING. YOU ALWAYS SEE ECONOMIC ISSUES SORT OF TOWARD THE TOP IN THESE POLLS, BUT IN CLIMATE IS WAY DOWN IN SINGLE DIGITS. IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS DISTANT. IT’S ALWAYS FELT LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO BE A HUGE PROBLEM. IN 2051, HALF OF US WILL BE DEAD. I THINK JENNY IS EXACTLY RIGHT. PEOPLE ARE SEEING NOW THE IMPACT IS RIGHT ON TOP OF US. ALL RIGHT. NEXT ITEM, GOVERNOR HEALEY RACKING UP TRAVEL, MILES. SHE HEADED FIRST TO WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS. THIS IS VIDEO FROM HER IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE TO VIEW THE FLOODING DAMAGE LAST WEEK. AND THEN FROM THERE, SHE WENT TO ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, FOR A GOVERNOR’S CONFERENCE. THEN SHE WENT TO MICHIGAN TO MEET WITH OTHER FEMALE GOVERNORS. THAT’S AFTER A TRIP TO IRELAND A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. AND THEN I BELIEVE THERE’S A WEEK OF VACATION IN THERE. I’M NOT I’M NOT DEPRIVING ANYONE OF VACATION. BUT THE QUESTION IS, ADRIENNE, IS THIS TOO MUCH TRAVEL TOO SOON? NO, I DON’T THINK SO. AND I REJECT THE WHOLE IDEA THAT IF THE GOVERNOR ISN’T PHYSICALLY IN THE COMMONWEALTH, SHE’S NOT DOING HER JOB. I THINK THESE ARE ALL WORK TRIPS. I THINK IT’S GOOD FOR HER TO HAVE A NATIONAL PROFILE. I THINK IT’S GOOD FOR HER TO SHARE IDEAS WITH OTHERS, WITH HER PEERS IN OTHER STATES. YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE SAY, THOUGH? BUT THERE’S ENOUGH TO WORK HERE. YOU HAVE TO DO ENOUGH HERE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE. IT’S NOT LIKE SHE’S NOT WORKING BECAUSE SHE’S NOT HERE. GINNY, WHAT IS YOUR READING? WELL, WHAT MATTERS IS THAT SHE’S HERE WHEN IT IS NEEDED. AND IF THERE’S AN ISSUE THAT SHE HAS TO ATTEND TO, I’M SURE SHE’LL BE BACK. BACK IN THE DAY IN YESTER YEAR, WHEN I WORKED FOR GOVERNOR WELD, WE HAD A HURRICANE HIS FIRST YEAR AND WE HAD TO BEG HIM TO COME BACK FROM THE NATIONAL GOVERNORS ASSOCIATION TO ATTEND TO IT. HE ULTIMATELY DID, BUT HE WASN’T HAPPY. WELL, WHEN THE SUMMER TUNNEL WAS CLOSED, THE GOVERNOR WASN’T HERE. OH, SHE WAS HERE. WAS THAT NOT BIG ENOUGH OR. NO, SHE WAS AT THE CONTROL CENTER OF THE NEXT DAY WORKING WITH OFFICIALS. SO I THINK IT’S A BIT OF A THE NEXT THE TUNNEL CLOSED WEATHER FOR TWO MONTHS. RIGHT, RIGHT. RIGHT. EXACTLY. MY QUESTION IS, WHY DOES SHE FEEL THE NEED SO EARLY IN HER TERM TO BURNISH HER NATIONAL REPUTATION? WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? WELL, GOVERNORS ASSOCIATIONS HAPPEN IN THE SUMMER BECAUSE ALL THE LEGISLATURES ARE OUT OF SESSION. AND THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN GOVERNORS CAN CONVENE. IT’S JUST COINCIDENCE. I MEAN, I’D RATHER HAVE A GOVERNOR THAT PEOPLE WANT ME AROUND THE COUNTRY THAN SOMEBODY THAT NO ONE CARES ABOUT. IT’S GOOD FOR THE STATE. SO DID WELL. I FORGET THAT. WELCOME BACK. I FORGET HE CAME BACK VERY GRUMPY. HE’S GOT A LOT OF GOOD STORIES. THIS ONE ALSO RELUCTANT. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. THAT’S RIGHT. YEAH, RIGHT. I REMEMBER. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. THAT’S LIKE. WHERE’S CHUCK? YEAH, WE’RE STARTING. RIGHT, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE SUMNER TUNNEL CLOSURE. IT’S CONTINUING TO CAUSE HEADACHES FOR COMMUTERS AND, YOU KNOW THIS. IF YOU’VE BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR IT, THIS REALLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE TIME FOR THE MBTA TO SHINE. AND THIS IS WHAT WE SAW LAST WEEK. A RED LINE FIRE AT THE CHARLES MG STATION AND A FAULTY PIPE. THAT MEANT FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO PHYSICALLY CARRY EXTINGUISHERS AND CANS OF WATER UP TO THE TRACKS. CAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IN BOSTON EVER GET ON TRACK OR WILL IT CONTINUE TO BE A LAST RESORT RATHER THAN A FIRST CHOICE? GINNY I DON’T KNOW. I DIDN’T DITCH THE DRIVE LAST WEEK. I DROVE IN TO BOSTON AND BOY, DID I REGRET IT. I SAT ON THAT BRIDGE ON THE TOBIN BRIDGE FOREVER. SO I KNOW THE T IS GOING TO FAIL HERE AND THERE, BUT IN GENERAL, IT’S PROBABLY A SMART IDEA TO DITCH THE DRIVE ANYWAY. ALL RIGHT, ADRIAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK? AS A DAILY RED LINE RIDER? I WOULD SAY THAT IT’S NOT ANY WORSE THAN IT’S BEEN FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IT’S SIGNIFICANT MOMENT LAST WEEK IN THIS IN THIS NEW WORLD THAT WE’RE LIVING THROUGH THIS SUMMER. IT’S WHEN TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED ON THE WESTBOUND SIDE OF THE TED WILLIAMS TUNNEL. THE MOVE MADE SO THAT STATE POLICE COULD TRANSPORT AN ORGAN THAT HAD ARRIVED FROM LOGAN AIRPORT TO A BOSTON HOSPITAL. THE COMPANY THAT DID IT SAYS THAT USING A HELICOPTER WAS NOT SAFE, HENCE IT WAS GROUND TRANSPORTATION. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, OF COURSE, TO TO TRANSPORT IT BECAUSE OF THE CLOSURE OF THE SUMMER TUNNEL. YOU HAVE TO LOCK DOWN THINGS AND MOVE IT. AND THERE’S A TIMELY ISSUE HERE. BUT HERE’S WHERE THINGS GET TRICKY. VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS WILL BE ATTENDING THE NAACP CONVENTION IN BOSTON NEXT WEEK. ADRIAN, IF SHE GETS SPECIAL TRANSPORT PRIVILEGES LIKE THAT IN THESE TIMES, WOULD THERE BE POLITICAL BLOWBACK AND IS IT MORE TROUBLE THAN IT’S WORTH? I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S MORE TROUBLE THAN IT’S WORTH, BUT I MEAN, LOOK, WHEN THE PRESIDENT COMES TO TOWN OR THE VICE PRESIDENT COMES TO TOWN, THEY GET THROUGH TRAFFIC AND THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT’S GOING TO BE. YEAH. I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ANNOYED AND IT’S HAPPENED BEFORE. IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN AND PEOPLE WILL BE ANNOYED. SHOULD HER PLAY JUST BE I’LL SIT IN TRAFFIC AND I’LL GET THERE WHEN I GET THERE. NO, BECAUSE THAT MAKES NO SENSE. I MEAN, SHE’S THE VICE PRESIDENT. SHE HAS TO KEEP TO A SCHEDULE. PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT ISSUES AS WELL. NO, YOU DON’T WANT TO JUST SITTING A SITTING THERE. PEOPLE ARE DEFINITELY LESS ANNOYED IN THIS AREA WHEN IT’S A MAJOR SPORTS FIGURE. HOWEVER, THEY I FEEL LIKE WILL YOU KNOW YEAH YOU’RE RIGHT SIT BACK AND LET THEM GO FOR THE RED SOX HAD SOME BACKUP MIRABELLI FOR JOHN MIRABELLI A STATE POLICE ESCORT I’M STILL MAD ABOUT THAT TEN YEAR

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OTR: Will historic flooding in New England change how voters prioritize climate change?

Our political analysts also discuss whether Gov. Maura Healey has been spending too much time outside of Massachusetts lately.
BOSTON —

Our political analysts also discuss whether Gov. Maura Healey has been spending too much time outside of Massachusetts lately.

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