IT IS TIME TO GO “ON THE RECORD.” SHE HAS THE VOTES ALREADY SO WE KNOW WHO IT WILL BE.
ED: FINESSING THE TRANSITION OF LEADERSHIP ON BEACON HILL.
BUT THERE ARE SOME UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.
SENATE PRESIDENT HARRIET CHANDLER IS HERE.
AND WHAT DOES THE PUBLIC THINK?
CHECKING ON WHO IS IN CHARGE AND HOW THEY’RE DOING ON BEACON HILL.
>> THEY DID COME OUT AND APOLOGIZE BUT IT WAS FRUSTRATING.
ED: THAT WOMAN SPEND HOURS WAITING.
THE MOST DREADED STATE AGENCY, THE RMV UNDERGOES SOME MAJOR CHANGES WITH MIXED RESULTS.
LET’S GO "ON THE RECORD." THE INSIDE WORD FROM WASHINGTON TO BEACON HILL.
TODAY’S NEWSMAKERS ARE GOING "ON THE RECORD." ED: HAPPY EASTER.
I’M ED HARDING ALONG WITH NEWSCENTER 5’S JANET WU.
OUR GUEST THIS MORNING IS MASSACHUSETTS SENATE PRESIDENT HARRIETTE CHANDLER.
AFTER A SEX SCANDAL ROCKED THE SENATE IN DECEMBER, CHANDLER STEPPED IN TO LEAD THE BODY.
AND IN FEBRUARY THE TERM ACTING WAS REMOVED FROM HER SENATE PRESIDENT TITLE.
NOW MORE CHANGES ARE AHEAD.
THE WORCESTER DEMOCRAT HAS BEE SERVING IN THE SENATE SINCE 2001.
SHE FORMALLY SERVED IN THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE HARRIETTE: HAPPY EASTER.
JANE I THINK A LOT OF TAXPAYERS ARE LOOKING FOR STABILITY.
WHEN YOU BECAME PRESIDENT, YOU SAID YOU INTENDED STAY UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER.
ARE YOU PLANNING TO TA OVER -- STAY UNTIL DECEMBER, OR WILL KAREN SPILKA COME IN?
HARRIETT SHE HAS THE VOTES, AND AS SUCH, IF SHE DOES, I WANT TO HELP IN EVERY WAY I CAN TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION AS SMOOTH AND QUICK AS POSSIBLE.
JANET: IT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE YOU ARE READY TO MOVE OUT.
HARRIETT I PROBABLY WILL SOONER THAN DECEMBER.
I NEVER PLANNED TO STAY.
THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I TOLD YOU, I WOULD LIKE TO GET MY OLD LIFE BACK.
WE ARE ENGAGED IN TALKS NOW OF HOW WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
MAKE IT HAPPEN AS SMOOTHLY AND EASILY FOR THE BODY.
JANE JULY IS A PIVOTAL TIME IN AN ELECTION YEAR.
ONCE JOHN IS OVER AND THE BUDGET IS DONE, IS THAT A GOOD TIME FOR A TRANSITION?
HARRIETTE: GREAT TIME.
WE JUST HAVE TO GET THROUGH THE BUSINESS WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESS.
I’M COMFORTABLE THAT WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB IN STABILIZING THE SENATE.
JANE WERE YOU A LITTLE MIFFE BY WHAT HAPPENED AT THAT’S PRESS CONFERENCE WHEN SENATOR SPILKA SAID THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE OVER RIGHT AWAY BUT DID NOT HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU?
HARRIETT I THINK I WAS NOT AS MUCH MIFFED, JUST SURPRISED.
ED: LET’S TALK ABOUT A MEMBER OF YOUR BODY, STATE SENATOR MICHAEL BRADY, ARRESTED FOR DRUNK DRIVING.
SHOULD THE SENATE, THE ETHICS COMMITTEE, STEP IN HERE?
HARRIETTE: I THINK THE COURT IS NOW WORKING WITH HIM.
HE HAS BEEN ARRAIGNED.
WE ARE DISAPPOINTED, OBVIOUSLY, IN HIS BEHAVIOR.
NOT THE KIND OF BEHAVIOR -- D IS NOT WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT FROM A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE.
BUT HE IS SEEKIN HELP, AND THAT’S THE IMPORTANT THING.
WE HOPE HE GETS TH HELP AND HOPE THAT HE CAN GET BACK AND WORK WITH US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE IT WITH THE LEGAL SYSTEM.
IF MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE, WE WILL LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
ED I BELIEVE THE GOVERNOR’S REACTION, WITH UBER AND LFT IN OUR LIFE RIGHT NOW, WHY WOULD THIS HAPPEN?
HARRIETTE: IT PROBABLY HAPPENS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE.
I’M SURE IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
I’M SURE HE WILL USE A DRIVER OF SOME SORT IN THE FUTURE.
JANET: BUT THE SENATE IS NOT TAKING ACTION?
HARRIETTE: NONE RIGHT NOW.
THE COURTS ARE DEALING WITH HIM AND THAT’S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
JANET: GIVE US AN UPDATE ON THE ROSENBERG INVESTIGATION.
IT’S BEEN SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE HE STEPPED ASIDE AND A LOT OF LOBBYISTS AND STAFFERS FEAR THIS WILL DRAG ON FOR TOO LONG.
WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM?
HARRIETTE: I DON’T THINK IT WILL DRAG ON FOR TOO MUCH LONGER.
I DON’T KNOW TOO MUCH MORE OTHER THAN THAT, JANET, BUT I SENSE -- I HAVE HAD NO CONTACT WITH THE INVESTIGATION AT ALL.
THAT IS THE WAY IT WAS PLANNED.
BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE PROBABLY NEARING THE END OF THE INVESTIGATION.
AT THAT POINT, THE INVESTIGATION WILL GIVE A REPORT, BRING A REPORT TO THE ETHICS COMMITTEE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE ETHICS COMMITTEE WILL MAKE THEIR DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO BRING TO THE SENATE AS BODY, WHICH IS IN WILL BE VOTED ON BY THE SENATE.
AND EVERYTHING WILL BE MADE PUBLIC.
JANET: YOU ARE TALKING MORE DAYS AND WEEKS RATHER THAN MONTHS?
HARRIETTE: DEFINITELY.
DAYS AND WEEKS.
LET’S SAY WEEKS.
MAYBE A MONTH OR SO?
I SHOULD NOT GUESS LIKE THAT, BUT I DON’T THINK WE ARE TALKING ABOUT -- WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS FOR FOUR MONTHS NOW.
WE HOPE IT’S BEEN A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION.
THAT IS WHAT WE WANTED, WHAT WE EXPECT IT HAS BEEN.
ED: WHAT ABOUT COST TO TAXPAYERS?
WE ARE ALWAYS INTERESTED IN MONEY.
HARRIETT WE HAVE NOT GONE OVER ANYTHING THAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD AFFORD.
ED TRANSPORTATION.
IMPROVING AND EXPANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE FROM WORCESTER.
ARE YOU HAPPY WITH KEOLIS AND THE DIRECTION OF THE MBTA IN GENERAL?
HARRIETTE: I DON’T DEAL WITH THE MBTA VERY MUCH FROM WORCESTER.
WE HAVE COMMUTER RAIL.
WE WOULD LIKE MORE COMMUTER RAIL.
MY BIG ISSUE RIGHT NOW IS WE NEED REGIONA RAIL, ELECTRICITY, RATHER THAN THE REAL SERVICE WE HAVE HAD.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS BIG, BOLD, THAT WILL UNITE THE STATE IN A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT FASHION THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
PEOPLE DON’T GO TO WORK AT NOT :00 IN THE MORNING AND COME HOME AT 5:00.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE LATER, COME HOME LATER, HAVE DEPENDABLE SERVICE.
THAT IS THE BIG LAND WE HAD TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE.
I’M ALSO VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE RTA BUSES.
OTHER THAN THOSE OF YOU WHO LIVE IN THE BOSTON AREA, WE DEPEND ON BUSES IF WE DON’T DRIVE.
IF YOU DRIVE, YOU ARE FORCED TO DE WITH ABSOLUTELY CLAUDE GIROUX.
IT IS AWFUL.
WE ARE A SMALL STATE.
THE ROADS ARE THAT MUCH MORE CLOGGED.
I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD LOOK AT O RTA’S MORE CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY THAN IN THE PAST.
ED: TRAVELING ON THE SURFACE -- HARRIETT IT IS REALLY AWFUL.
WE HAVE TO THINK MORE ABOUT NEW AND DIFFERENT WAYS TO DEAL WITH THAT.
JANET: HOW DO YOU PAY FOR BIG AND BOLD?
TAXES?
HARRIETTE: I THINK THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO PAY FOR IT.
WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID TO.
COUNTRIES IN ASIA AND EUROPE HAVE DONE RAIL TRANSPORTATION, REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS.
JANET: DO YOU SEE OVERALL TAXATION, LIKE A BROAD TAX, OR TARGETED TAXES?
HARRIETTE: W HAVE A PLAN COMING UP BEFORE US THIS YEAR, BEFORE THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER.
THAT WOU ADD, FOR ANYONE EARNING OVER A MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR, WOULD ADD ANOTHER 4%.
IF IT PASSES.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHETHER IT PASSES.
BUT IT BRING IN $1.6 BILLION T $2.3 BILLION, SOMETHING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT IS DESIGNATED FOR EDUCATION AND TRANSPORTATION, MONEY WE NEED.
IF WE DON’T USE THAT, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT RIDE CALLING SERVICES, TAXING THEM, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AIRBNB.
LOOKING AT WHAT TECHNOLOGY HAS BROUGHT THAT WE HAVE NOT EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THOROUGHLY ENOUGH.
ED MENTIONING TAXES, THE THIRD RAIL.
NO PUN INTENDED, IT IS A BAD WORD.
READY FOR THE OTR POP QUIZ?
HARRIETTE: I HATE THESE, BUT GO AHEAD.
ED: HERE WE GO.
THE THEME OF THIS WEEK’S OTR POP QUIZ IS “HUH?” WHAT FORMER U.S. SENATOR SUGGESTED THAT STUDENT ACTIVISTS LEARN CPR INSTEAD OF PROTESTING THE LACK OF GUN CONTRO
A FORMER U.S. SENATOR.
SUGGESTED THAT STUDENTS LEARN CPR INSTEAD OF PROTESTING A LACK OF GUN CONTROL.
JANET: SOMEBODY THAT RAN FOR PRESIDENT.
HARRIETTE: BIDEN?
NO, IT HAS TO BE A REPUBLICAN.
ED: RICK SANTORUM.
HE BACKED AWAY FROM IT.
HE SAID HE MISSPOKE, BUT HE DID SAY IT.
HARRIETTE: WHAT A STUPID THING TO SAY.
ED WE HAVE A PICTURE WITH THIS ONE.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS PICTURE.
THIS IS AN MBTA GREEN LINE TRAIN WRAPPED IN A LYFT AD.
COMPLETELY WRAPPED IN IT.
LYFT IS A RIDE-SHARING COMPANY.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROMOTING PRIVATE TRAVEL.
HOW DOES THE T EXPLAIN THIS?
HARRIETTE: I’M NOT SURE.
ED THE SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE MBTA IS UNDER A LEGISLATIVE MANDATE TO MAXIMIZE NOT THEIR REVENUE.
MONEY IS GREEN THE MATTER WHERE IT COMES FROM.
HARRIETTE: ALL RIGHT.
ED: STAY WITH U