ED: WE HAVE ASSEMBLED OUR SUNDAY ROUNDTABLE OR OUR SUNDAY BRADY BUNCH BOXES.
WE ARE JOINED BY MARIANNE MARSH AND GINNY BUCKINGHAM -- YOU JUST HEARD MERRIE NAJIMY.
WHAT IS AHEAD FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THE FALL IS VITAL.
ARE HER ARGUMENTS AGAINST THE GROSVENOR BUDGET -- THE GOVERNOR LEGITIMATE?
VIRGINIA: WHERE IS THE ALTERNATIVE PLAN?
I HEARD ABOUT THE WEALTH TASK, GETTING POLICE OUT OF SCHOOLS AND KILLING THE MCAS.
LET’S LOOK AT WHAT WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS GO WELL FOR OUR FAMILIES WHO NEED THEIR KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL TO WORK.
MARY ANNE: SHE DID NOT HEAR A PLAN BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PLAN WITHOUT SPREADING COVID-19.
YOU PUT EVERYBODY BACK, EVERY CAFETERIA WORKER, CUSTODIAN, COACH, TEACHER, EVERYBODY WILL BE EXPOSED.
I DO NOT KNOW HOW THIS WORKS.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS DISTANCE-LEARNING.
YES, THE LAST SEMESTER FAILED.
WHY IS EVERYONE DOUBLING DOWN ON THAT?
STUDENTS TO GO TO SUMMER SCHOOL ONLINE.
ENCOURAGE IT FOR ONE SEMESTER.
DO IT RIGHT BECAUSE THERE WILL BE OTHER REASONS TO BE OUT OF SCHOOL, INCLUDING SNOW, THAT WE CAN KEEP KIDS LEARNING ON TRACK AND THE BEST THEY CAN ONLINE.
VIRGINIA: I HAVE TO SAY I TRUST MY PEDIATRICIAN AND THE PEDIATRICIAN’S ASSOCIATION TO KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR KIDS MORE THAN A TEACHERS UNION.
MARY ANNE: MANY PEOPLE CAME OUT AGAINST THAT LETTER AND SAID IT WAS CLINICAL, NOT BASED ON SCIENCE.
JANET: WHICH LEADS US TO PHASE THREE.
GOVERNOR BAKER IS LAUNCHING PHASE THREE TOMORROW, WHICH INCLUDES MOVIE THEATERS, GYMS, AND MORE.
IN BOSTON, IT WILL BE DELAYED UNTIL JULY 13.
AS WE WATCH WHAT IS HAPPENING IN TEXAS, ARIZONA AND FLORIDA, ARE WE MOVING TOO FAST, MARIANNE?
MARY ANNE: WHY DIDN’T WE WAIT TWO MORE WEEKS AFTER FOURTH OF JULY BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE FOURTH OF JULY.
WHERE PEOPLE VIGILANT?OR IS THERE AN UPTICK IN THE DATA?
FOLLOW THE DATA BUT AT THE RIGHT TIME. IT AFTER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND THEN DECIDE TO GO INTO IT AND HAVE BOSTON GO LATER.
THEN WE DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER HOLIDAYUNTIL LABOR DAY, SO YOU HAVE SIX OR EIGHT WEEKS THAT YOU CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF WE HAVE TO DOUBLE DOWN, DIAL BACK OR GO FORWARD.
I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SMARTER.
JANET: GINNY, WAS THE TIMING OFF?
VIRGINIA: NO, I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS SHOWN THEY HAVE TRUSTED THE GOVERNOR TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON DATA.
SOME PEOPLE ARE STILL UNHAPPY WHO CANNOT OPEN, LIKE BORROWERS WHO ARE NOT SELLING SEATED FOOD.
WE HAVE TO BE NOT HELD HOSTAGE BY BAD DECISIONS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WHERE THEY DID NOT DO WHAT WE DID.
ED: THE GOVERNOR LOOSENED UP TRAVEL ADVISORIES FOR FOLKS IN THE NORTHEAST, BUT HE CONTINUES TO ASK OTHERS TO QUARANTINE.
WITH NO WAY OF POLICING PEOPLE FROM COMING FROM OTHER STATES, HOW CONFIDENT ARE YOU THAT TOURISTS WILL SELF-QUARANTINE EFFECTIVELY?
MARY ANNE: THAT IS NOT TRUE BECAUSE MAINE IS VERY MASSACHUSETTS -- WE HAVE BEEN BANNED FROM MAINE UNLESS WE SHOW UP WITH A NEGATIVE TEST WITHIN 72 HOURS OF ARRIVING.
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU HAVE TO QUARANTINE.
MASSACHUSETTS DID NOT MEET MAIN’E’S VERMONTER, BUT NOT MASSACHUSETTS, -- MAINE’S STANDARDS, BUT VERMONT AND NEW YORK DID, SO I SAY WE SHOULD MONITOR PEOPLE THE WAY MAINE AND
OTHER STATES ARE BECAUSE OTHERWISE PEOPLE ARE LINING THROUGH HERE.
THE BRIDGE HAD THAT LINE.
MERRIE: I THINK INNKEEPERS IN MAINE DISAGREE WITH YOU WHO ARE SUFFERING MA LOSE LIVELIHOODS FOREVER.
THERE IS NO WAY TO POLICE IT.
IT IS AN HONOR SYSTEM.
THAT’S WHAT PEOPLE HONOR IF THEY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE IT IS AN OPEN COUNTRY AND FOR THE MOST PART PEOPLE WILL STAY HOME.
FOR INNKEEPERS WHO HAVE NEEDED TRAVEL, LET’S BE REASONABLE.
MARY ANNE: WE ARE SACRIFICING KIDS’ HEALTH, THE ECONOMY AND EVERYTHING TO OPEN UP.
TO OPEN UP SCHOOLS, INNS, A MAINE.
THE COST IS NOT WORTH THE RISK.
WE HAVE SPENT ALL THE MONTHS OF LOCKDOWN COMMITTEE GO BACKWARDS?
WE HAVE TO BE DOUBLY VIGILANT AND NOT LESS.
JANET: ANOTHER COVID-RELATED QUESTION.
IT LOOKS LIKE VOTE BY MAIL WILL COME TO MASSACHUSETTS.
AFTER DISASTERS IN A LOT OF pSTATES, COLORADO HELD A FLAWLES ELECTION.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2014.
THEY HAVE HAD SIX YEARS TO GET IT TOGETHER.
WHAT DO YOU PREDICT WILL HAPPEN HERE?
MERRIE: A LOT OF PAPER -- VIRGINIA: A LOT OF PAPER CUTS FOR TOWN CLERKS.
IT WILL BE A DIFFICULT SITUATION TO MANAGE.
THERE WILL BE SOME PROBLEMS AND WE HAVE TO EXPECT THAT.
LET’S TRY IT, AND I’M GLAD THEY DID NOT SAY FOREVER BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SEE HOW IT WORKED.
MARY ANNE: FOR EVERYBODY AT THE STATEHOUSE PATTING THEMSELVES ON THE BACK, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.
IT IS FOUR STEPS NOW.
YOU ARE SENDING A BALLOT APPLICATION, RECEIVING THE APPLICATION, YOU HAVE TO PROCESS IT, THEN YOU SEND AND PROCESS THE BALLOT.
DO WHAT CALIFORNIA DOES.
AND THEY SENT ABOUT TO ALL PUT YOU IN CALIFORNIA.
TWO STEPS, NOT FOUR, AND WE HAVE 4.6 MILLION VOTERS.
JUST SEND EVERYONE A BALLOT AND THEN COUNTED.
IT IS SIMPLE.
ED: IT IS 2