THE OTR POP QUIZ.
PRICES AT THE PUMP ARE RAPIDLY RISING WITH PROJECTIONS OF $3.00 A GALLON BY MEMORIAL DAY.
IF THE MASSACHUSETTS GAS TAX IS $0.24 A GALLON, WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GAS TAX?
MASSACHUSETTS IS 24. WHATEVER.
WHAT IS THE FEDERAL GAS TAX?
JANET: THAT IS A NUMBER I KNOW YOU KNOW WELL.
GOVERNOR BAKER: ACTUALLY I DON’T KNOW.
ED: 18.4 CENTS PER GALLON.
GOVERNOR BAKER: IF IT REALLY GETS TO THREE DOLLARS BY MEMORIAL DAY, THAT IS A BIG JUMP IN A TWO WEEK PERIOD.
ED: QUESTION FOR DEALS WITH THE RMV.
RMV IS STILL STRUGGLING WITH A NEW SYSTEM FOR ISSUING DRIVER’S LICENSES.
THE REGISTRY’S WAIT TIME OBJECTIVE USED TO BE SERVING 80% OF DRIVERS IN 30 MINUTES OR -- IN 30 MINUTES.
WHAT IS THE RMV REVISED SERVICE TIMELINE?
GOVERNOR BAKER: FIRST OF ALL, THAT 80% NUMBER WAS A NUMBER WE PUT IN PLACE WHEN WE TOOK OFFICE.
THIS ADMINISTRATION DID NOT START THERE AND I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE PEOPLE AT THE REGISTRY WHO GOT US AT THE POINT WHERE ALMOST 90% OF THE PEOPLE WERE OUT IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS.
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF REAL ID AND THE NEW SYSTEM AND LAWFUL PRESENCE REQUIREMENTS ALL AT ONCE WAS A BIG LIFT AND EVERYBODY KNEW IT.
IN THE PAST WEEK THEY GOT TO THE POINT WHERE ABOUT 80% OF THE PEOPLE WERE IN-N-OUT IN AN HOUR OR LESS -- IN AND OUT IN AN HOUR OR LESS AND 50% WERE IN AND OUT IN 30 MINUTES OR LESS.
WHERE I SIT, I THINK OUR GOAL OUGHT TO BE WHERE TO GET --TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE WERE.
ED: THAT WAS THE ANSWER WE WERE LOOKING FOR.
JANET: ARE YOU HAPPY WITH THE WAY THEY HAVE DONE IT SO FAR?
DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE IMPLEMENTED THIS FASTER?
GOVERNOR BAKER: THE SYSTEM THEY ARE REPLACING HAD BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1986.
FOR YOUR VIEWING AUDIENCE, THAT WOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME TIME BOB STANLEY AND OTHERS BECAME LEGENDS IN THE COMMONWEALTH AGAINST THE METS.
THAT SYSTEM HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR A LONG TIME AND IT WAS A KEYBOARD SYSTEM, NO MOUSE, NO DROP-DOWN MENUS, NOTHING.
JANET: THERE WERE A LOT OF PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATED.
GOVERNOR BAKER: THEY DID NOT ANTICIPATE A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS.
JANET: I WAS A VICTIM OF ONE OF THE PROBLEMS AND MY PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.
MY QUESTION IS NOT ABOUT ME, BUT ARE YOU HAPPY ABOUT THE WAY IT ROLLED OUT OR COULD IT HAVE BEEN SMOOTHER?
GOVERNOR BAKER: YOU CAN ALWAYS DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS BETTER.
WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE PROCESS AND PEOPLE ARE INTO LIMITING THINGS THEY ARE LEARNING EVERY DAY.
THAT IS WHERE WE ARE AT THE POINT WHERE 80% OF PEOPLE ARE IN AND OUT IN AN HOUR.
THE CHANGE IN THE RULES GOING TO THE FEDERAL REAL ID LICENSE AND EVEN THE LAWFUL PRESENCE OF A LICENSE IN MASSACHUSETTS AND THAT PUTS BURDENS ON THE CONSUMER AND ON THE COMMONWEALTH
AND FOR ALL OF US, IT HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
JANET: ONE QUICK ASIDE, THERE IS NOW A MOVE A FOOT IN STATES TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE "X" INSTEAD OF MALE OR FEMALE ON THE LICENSE.
GOVERNOR BAKER: WE DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.
THIS IS -- ED: THIS IS CHAMPIONSHIP TOWN, THE CELTICS HAVE BEEN A PLEASURE TO WATCH.
GOVERNOR BAKER: THEY HAVE BEEN A PLEASURE TO WATCH BECAUSE THEY ARE A GREAT TEAM WITH A CAPITAL "T." THE TWO BIG STARS ARE SITTING ON THE BENCH CHEERING ON THEIR
TEAM.
IT IS PRETTY INTERESTING.
ED: THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO STICK AROUND, GOVERNOR.
TED REINSTEIN IS TALKING ABOUT YOU.
>> NOW CHALLENGED ON HIS RIGHT, GOVERNOR BAKER'