ED: WELCOMEED: BACK LIVE TO OTR.
WE HAVE GATHERED OUR ROUNDTABLE WITH CERTAIN -- SOCIAL DISTANCING, STILL A NECESSITY.
WE’RE JOINED BY DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL ANALYST MARY ANN MARSH, AND REPUBLICAN POLITICAL ANALYST ROB GRAY.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US, GUYS.
JANET: THE STATES ARE STARTING TO OPEN UP.
GEORGIA, SOUTH CAROLINA, ALASKA AMONG THE FIRST.
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST FEAR FOR THOSE IN MASSACHUSETTS AS WE SEE THESE OPEN UP?
MARY: COVID-19, WE ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR GETTING OUT OF THIS AND THE BOSTON GLOBE HAD 12 AGES OF OBITUARIES TODAY.
PAGES.
IT TELLS YOU EVERYTHING THEIR CONCERN IS THAT AS THEY DEAL WITH THE HEALTH CARE PEAS, IT’S THE ECONOMIC PIECE.
FUNDS IN FOOD, NONPROFITS AND NEIGHBORS ARE DOING IS STEPPING UP.
BUT I THINK THE STATE IS GOING TO HAVE TO START TAKING ABOUT STEPPING UP MORE.
WE HAVE GOT A WAYS TO GO.
JANET: SHOULD WE BE WARY HERE IN MASSACHUSETTS AS WE WATCH THE OTHER STATES? ROB: SURE, IT COULD BE CIRCULAR WHERE THEY OPEN TO EARLY WHILE WE ARE SMART AND CAREFUL WITH OUR NEIGHBORING
STATES.
AND THEN IT COMES BACK AROUND TO US.
BECAUSE TENNESSEE, GEORGIA, FLORIDA ACTING TOO SOON.
WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
THERE ARE HOWEVER VICE GRIPS ON THE ECONOMY RIGHT NOW MASSACHUSETTS.
DON’T GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK, THEY ARE BAD THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN TERMS OF COVID.
WITH PEOPLE TAKING CAVALIER DECISIONS WITH THEIR HEALTH, THE ECONOMY REALLY DOES MATTER.
MARY: I THINK IT’S A FALSE CHOICE, WE HAVE TO DO BOTH.
IF 49 OTHER STATES ARE GOING TO BE, LET THEM BE DUMB.
WE HAVE TO BE SMART HERE.
ED: WE JUST SHOWED YOU IMAGES OF GEORGIA OPENING UP.
NOW IN MASSACHUSETTS THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT BANNING IN-STORE GROCERY SHOPPING.
COULD IT HAPPEN QUESTION WE ARE NOT YET OVER THE PEAK.
JANET: WE HAVE SEEN TERROR -- ROB: I THINK IT COULD, WE HAVE SEEN TERRIBLE TRAGEDIES OF PEOPLE IN GROCERY STORES WHERE THE ENVIRONMENT CAN BE LIKE RESTAURANTS AND LIMITATIONS ON
PEOPLE COMING IN.
THERE IS A CURBSIDE PICKUP SOLUTION FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
YOU HAVE TO WONDER, MAYBE WE WILL MOVE MORE IN THAT DIRECTION WHERE THEY ARE STILL OPEN BUT THE STAFF IS DOING THE SHOPPING AND THE REST OF US ARE PICKING UP CURBSIDE.
MARY: THE OTHER THING WE CAN DO IS LET RESTAURANTS SO GROCERIES.
SOMERVILLE WAS DOING IT, ONE OF THEM ON THE CAKE IS DOING IT.
STATEWIDE EVERY RESTAURANT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THESE WITH GROCERY STORES THAT ARE CLOSER TO HOME SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET THEM MORE CONVENIENTLY.
IT WOULD HELP PEOPLE GET FOOD SAFELY.
JANET: GOVERNOR BAKER MADE THE DECISION TO CLOSE SCHOOLS UNTIL THE FALL.
DID HE TAKE TOO LONG?
ROB: EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK OUT OF SCHOOL IS A LOSS OF LEARNING, ESPECIALLY FOR ELEMENTARY AND YOUNGER STUDENTS WHERE TECHNOLOGY AND DISTANCE LEARNING DOES NOT WORK AS WELL.
TO TAKE ALL THE LEARNING THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN JUNE OFF THE BOARD, IT WAS A SERIOUS DECISION AND I THINK THE GOVERNOR MADE IT THE RIGHT WAY.
JANET: WAS HE SMART TO WAIT THIS LONG?
MARY: THERE IS A GAS CLUSTERING AND AS SOON AS PEOPLE HAVE THE INFORMATION, THEY WILL OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT STEWARDSHIP OF THIS PANDEMIC.
MARTY WALSH, LOCAL OFFICIALS, THE MORE THEY KNOW, THE BETTER THEY CAN GET ACCLIMATED, THE BETTER THEY ARE.
ED: ANYONE SURPRISED HERE?
MARY: NO, BUT WHAT IS WORSE IS THE MULTI-MILLION AND BILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES WHO DID GET THIS MONEY AND SMALL BUSINESSES DID NOT.
THAT’S REALLY THE RUG HERE.
THERE ARE ALL OF THESE INSTITUTIONS WITH EARLY AND DOLLAR ENDOWMENTS OR BUSINESS WHO GOT MONEY WHEN SMALL BUSINESSES DIDN’T, BUT STATES LIKE MAINE, 15,000 BUSINESSES
GOT THERE IS.
THE OPENING INVESTIGATION, SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS THE MONEY FIRST.
PEOPLE NEED THE MONEY FIRST AND THEN PEOPLE GET IN LINE.
JANET: WE CAN’T TOTALLY -- ROB: WE CAN’T ONLY CLOSE OUT THOSE INSTITUTIONS BECAUSE THEIR STAFF NEED TO GET PAID AS WELL.
NOT ALL OF THEM CAN AFFORD TO PAY THEIR WORKERS WITHOUT FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.
JANET: BARACK OBAMA APPLAUDING THE CONTACT TRACING PLAN FROM GOVERNOR BAKER.
A LITTLE LESS RELIANT ON TECHNOLOGY, PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS WATCHING THIS CLOSELY.
WILL TAKE HER THE HERALD -- WILL BAKER BE HERALDED?
ROB: DEPENDS ON OF IT WORKS.
HE HAS TO HIRE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO DO THIS.
EVERYBODY’S LEARNING AND BEING ENTREPRENEURIAL ON THE MOVE.
HOPEFULLY HE WILL COME BACK ON AND WE NEED MORE TESTING.
I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE GOVERNOR DO MORE.
IT’S THE BEST WAY OUT OF IT.
MARY: I AGREE WITH ROD ON BOTH HOW HE PERFORMS AND THE TESTING, BUT THE STATE HAS TO DO ALL OF THIS.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, DONALD TRUMP, ISN’T GOING TO HELP US AT ALL.
ANDREW CUOMO, THE GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK, AND JB PRITZKER, THEY ARE WORKING WITH CHARLIE BAKER TO DO THIS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE TO TAKE ON EVERYTHING OURSELVES.
TESTING AND TRACING, WE COULD B