>>> THERE'S A SPECIAL ELECTION TUESDAY, MAY 19 FOR THE 2nd
HAMPDEN AND HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT STATE SENATE SEAT VACATED BY DON
HUMASON. JOHN CAIN, A SMALL BUSINESS
OWNER, VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER AND U.S. NAVY RESERVE OFFICER IS
ONE OF TWO PEOPLE VYING FOR THE POST.
I ASKED THE REPUBLICAN AND POLITICAL NEWCOMER WHY HE'S
RUNNING NOW. >> WELL, I THINK THE TIME IS NOW
FOR ANYBODY TO STEP UP, IF THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND
THE THINGS THAT I SEE GOING ON IN OUR STATE GOVERNMENT WITH THE
OPEN SEAT AND OUR OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF, YOU
KNOW, A BUSINESS OWNER TO GET IN THERE AND REALLY HELP OUT THE
COMMUNITY THAT I'VE GROWN UP IN, THE COMMUNITY THAT'S HELPED ME
THROUGH MY FIRST 32 YEARS OF LIFE, AND I THINK THAT I OWE IT
BACK TO MY COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM OUT SO WITH THIS SPECIAL
ELECTION AND THE OPEN SEAT, I THINK IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY
FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF TO GET IN THERE AND DO GOOD FOR THE
COMMUNITY. >> EARLIER IN THE CYCLE, YOU HAD
HOPED TO RUN FOR THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL SEAT THAT IS
CURRENTLY HELD BY RICHARD NEAL AND BEING CHALLENGED BY ALEX
MORSE. OBVIOUSLY, YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN
SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE.
WHY THE SWITCH? YOU WERE FOCUSED ON CONGRESS,
NOW YOU'VE PIVOTED TO FOCUS ON STATE SENATE.
WHY SWITCH? >> WELL, WITH THE OPENING OF THE
SEAT, WHEN MAYOR HUMASON WAS ELECTED IN NOVEMBER, THAT
CHANGED A LOT OF OUR STRATEGY AND A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME OUT OF
THE -- CAME OUT OF THE WOODWORK AND SAID HEY, THIS WOULD BE A
GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO GET IN THERE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN
YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY, AND THEN POSSIBLY FURTHER EXPAND LATER ON
IF YOU WANT, OR DO SOMETHING GREAT IN THE STATE SENATE AND GO
FROM THERE AND CONTINUE ON WITH YOUR BUSINESS.
SO THE STATE PARTY CAME TO ME, A LOT OF GRASSROOTS PEOPLE CAME TO
ME AND SAID WE DON'T HAVE A CANDIDATE.
WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO RUN. I HAD SOME STATE REPRESENTATIVES
COME TO ME, AS WELL. AND HELPED ME KIND OF GET INTO
IT, SEE WHAT I NEEDED TO DO TO MAKE THAT SWITCH AND HERE WE ARE
NOW, LESS THAN A WEEK AWAY FROM THE ELECTION.
>> AND REPUBLICANS HAVE CERTAINLY HAD A LONG HISTORY OF
SUCCESS, 25 OR SO YEARS OF REPUBLICANS HOLDING THAT SEAT
THERE IN WESTFIELD, SO CERTAINLY HAVE HISTORY ON YOUR SIDE IN
THAT REGARD AND I SHOULD MENTION YOU DO HAVE A CHALLENGER, STATE
REPRESENTATIVE JOHN VELIS WHO IS CURRENTLY A REPRESENTATIVE IN
THE STATE HOUSE, IS PIVOTING AS WELL AND RUNNING FOR THIS STATE
SENATE SEAT. IF YOU WERE ELECTED TO THIS
SEAT, WHAT'S THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR YOU?
>> THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO GET OUR ECONOMY BACK UP
AND GOING IN WHATEVER SAFE MANNER THAT MIGHT BE.
WE NEED TO GET SOME PEOPLE BACK TO WORK.
OUR UNEMPLOYMENT SYSTEM IS BEING CRIPPLED BY THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE
OUT OF WORK RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD
OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD OUR ECONOMY IN A STRUCTURED, SAFE
WAY, GET THE PEOPLE BACK TO WORK, GET OUR STUDENTS, YOU
KNOW, BACK TO LEARNING, FULL SPEED, AND, YOU KNOW, GET OUR --
RECOVER FROM THIS CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC WITH THE DAMAGE THAT'S
BEEN DONE SO FAR, AND THEN JUST WORK ON REBUILDING AND THEN ON
THE WAY, ONCE WE HAVE OUR -- YOU KNOW, OUR DUCKS IN A LINE AND
THINGS ARE BACK TO SOMEWHAT NORMAL, WORK ON THE REAL ISSUES
THAT OUR STATE IS CENTERING, PRIOR TO THE CORONAVIRUS
PANDEMIC. OPIOIDS, SKILLED LABOR SHORTAGE,
AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO TOUCH ON THAT.
YOUR WEBSITE, OPIOID, THE OPIOID CRISIS SEEMS TO BE FIRST AND
FOREMOST ON YOUR MIND. AND YOU'VE SAID THAT YOU WOULD
BELIEVE IN PUNISHING DEALERS AND GETTING HELP FOR VICTIMS.
THAT'S ON YOUR WEBSITE. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR
YOU? >> WELL, FOR ME, THE OPIOID
CRISIS HAS IMPACTED MY FAMILY, MY FRIENDS GREATLY.
SINCE I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, IT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH
PEOPLE THAT I KNOW. I LOST MY BEST FRIEND TO THE
OPIOID CRISIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
AND SOME FAMILY MEMBERS OF MINE ARE DEALING WITH IT VERY
INTIMATELY AND HAVE BEEN IMPACTED SIGNIFICANTLY BY
ADDICTION AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
SO I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS THESE PEOPLE THAT HAVE
THESE ADDICTION PROBLEMS ARE NOT CRIMINALS FOR THE MOST PART.
THEY MIGHT PARTAKE IN CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AS A MEANS TO GET THEIR
FIX FOR THEIR ADDICTION. BUT MOST OF THEM ARE NOT
CRIMINALS THROUGH AND THROUGH. THEY'RE NOT EVIL PEOPLE.
THEY ENCOUNTER SOME TYPE OF ADVERSITY IN THEIR LIFE THAT
THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO OVERCOME AND THEY TURN TO DRUGS TO FIND
THE HELP THEY NEEDED WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT RESOURCES WERE
AVAILABLE TO THEM. SO FOR ME TO GET INTO OFFICE AND
BE THAT VOICE AND SAY HEY, THESE PEOPLE AREN'T BAD PEOPLE BUT THE
PEOPLE SELLING THE DRUGS TO THEM, YOU KNOW, ON THE STREET,
THOSE ARE THE BAD PEOPLE THAT WE NEED TO PROSECUTE, BUT THE ONES
THAT ARE TAKING THE DRUGS, THEY NEED HELP, THEY NEED THE RIGHT
AVENUE, THEY NEED TO GO DOWN THE RIGHT PATH AND THEY NEED HELP TO
SOBRIETY BECAUSE WITHOUT SOBRIETY, THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO
BECOME CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
WE NEED SOMEONE THAT IS CLEAN, THEY HAVE GOALS, AND THAT'S WHAT
WE NEED TO HELP THESE PEOPLE WITH.
THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE ADDICTED, THEY'RE RUNNING OUT OF
RESOURCES, AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN AND THEY TURN TO
DRUG SHOWS WE NEED TO HELP THEM GET INTO HEALTHY COMMUNITIES,
AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE OPTIONS AND RESOURCES FOR YOU TO
GET HEALTH AND BECOME SUCCESSFUL AND CONTRIBUTING DOWN THE ROAD.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN FLOATED AS SORT OF A NEXT
STEP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE OPIOID CRISIS HERE IN
MASSACHUSETTS AND IT'S BEEN A CONTROVERSIAL IDEA, IS THIS IDEA
OF A SUPERVISED INJECTION SITE, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO GO
IN, USE AN ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF SOMEONE
WHO MIGHT OFFER THEM HELP IF THEY GET SICK OR OVERDOSE.
WHAT'S YOUR POSITION ON SUPERVISED INJECTION SITES.
>> I'M NOT A SUPPORT OF SUPERVISED INJECTION SITES OR
SAFE INJECTION SITES. I THINK WHAT THAT DOES IS
PERPETUATES THE PROBLEM OF ADDICTION.
WE'RE NOT GETTING THESE PEOPLE THE HELP THEY NEED TO BECOME
HEALTHY. WE'RE JUST PROLONGING THEIR
ADDICTION AND GIVING THEM AN EXCUSE AND A PLACE TO DO IT AND
NOT REALLY FIND THE RIGHT AVENUE TO BECOME BETTER, BECOME YOU
KNOW, A BETTER PERSON A BETTER CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF SOCIETY
AND GET AWAY FROM THE DRUGS, GET AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
DOING THE DRUGS, BUT I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS
IS A LOT OF OUR DRUG-ADDICTED POPULATION, THEY COME TOGETHER
AND THEY FIND A COMMUNITY OF OTHER DRUG ADDICTS AND I THINK
THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET AWAY FROM THAT
LIFESTYLE. SO HAVING THE SUPERVISED
INJECTION SITES, YOU'RE ASKING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE
SAME PROBLEMS TO COME TO THE SAME PLACES AND WE'RE GOING TO
PERPETUATE OUR ISSUES IF WE DO THAT.
IF IT WE GIVE THEM THE RIGHT RESOURCES TO GET, YOU KNOW -- TO
GET EMPLOYMENT, JOB TRAINING, TO GET OUT OF ADDICTION, I THINK
THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO PUT OUR RESOURCES FIRST AND FOREMOST.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT ANOTHER ISSUE THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT
BEFORE, AND THAT'S THE IDEA OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND
AS YOU SAY THAT WOULD SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
OBVIOUSLY, EAST-WEST RAIL HAS BEEN A HUGE ISSUE HERE IN OUR
REGION. A STUDY CAME OUT THAT SAID THIS
COULD COST BETWEEN $2 BILLION, $2 BILLION AND $25 BILLION.
FOR YOU, IS THE IDEA OF EAST COAST RAIL SOMETHING YOU WOULD
SUPPORT AND WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT YOU THINK WOULD SPUR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? >> I'VE SEEN THE STUDIES FOR THE
EAST-WEST RAIL AND I'VE SEEN THE COST PROJECTIONS, THE RIDERSHIP
PROJECTIONS AND THEY DON'T BALANCE EACH OTHER.
THERE'S NOT ENOUGH RIDERSHIP AVAILABILITY EVEN TO REALLY
COVER THE COSTS OF THIS NOT EVEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT, BUT JUST THE NEARLY OPERATION COSTS ARE SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN 60 AND $90 MILLION AND IF NOT GREATER THAN THAT ON A
YEARLY BASIS AND THE RIDERSHIP, IT DOESN'T ADD UP AND THE BUDGET
OF THAT DOESN'T BALANCE. THE MBTA, WE CAN SEE THE ISSUES
WE'RE HAVING WITH MASS TRANSIT IN BOSTON AND THEIR RIDERSHIP IS
HUGE AND THEY'RE HITTING BUDGET SHORTFALLS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T
GET THE REVENUE THEY NEED TO IT OPERATE AT THE SIZE THAT THEY
ARE. AND I DON'T THINK EAST-WEST RAIL
AT THIS POINT GIVES US ANY ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE OUT HERE IN
WESTERN MASS, AND I THINK THAT $25 BILLION AND $100 MILLION A
YEAR COULD BE USED QUITE A BIT BETTER TO IMPROVE THE ECONOMY
THROUGHOUT THE STATE. ESPECIALLY OUT HERE IN WESTERN
MASS WHERE, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WANTS TO LOOK AT WESTERN MASS
AND SAY OH, WE CAN GET TO BOSTON FASTER, BUT A LOT OF US OUT HERE
IN BOSTON LIKE WHERE WE ARE, WE LIKE WHERE WE WORK AND WE LIKE
WHAT WE DO OUT HERE AND INSTEAD OF BRING OUR MONEY OUT TO
BOSTON, BRING THE BOSTON MONEY OUT HERE AND GET SOME MORE
CORPORATIONS IN THIS AREA TO BUILD UP OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OUT
HERE. >> AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU'RE A
SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, CONSTRUCTION AND MECHANICAL
REPAIR BUSINESS. HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC IMPACTED
YOU? >> I'M ALSO A FATHER AND A
HUSBAND SO MY WIFE IS AN E.R. NURSE.
SHE'S WORKING AT THE HOSPITAL REGULARLY, DEALING WITH ALL THE
COVID PATIENTS, THE NON-COVID PATIENTS AND, YOU KNOW, THAT
KIND OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT. MY DAUGHTER IS OUT OF SCHOOL SO
I CO-PARENT WITH MY EX, SO SHE'S TEACHING HER AT HOME AND I'M
TEACHING HER WHILE I'M AT HOME. I BRING HER TO WORK WITH ME, AS
WELL. WE'RE STILL WORKING, WE'RE ABLE
TO COME BACK TO WORK. WE'RE AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS.
WE DO REPAIRS ON A LOT OF FIRE TRUCKS, THINGS LIKE THAT AND
DIFFERENT CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT.
SORE WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING BUT AT A REDUCED
CAPACITY. ONE THING THAT I HAVE NOTICED IS
THAT THE SUPPLY CHAINS ARE BECOMING DEPLETED AND A LOT OF
STUFF WE DO, WE'RE REPAIRING EQUIPMENT, WE NEED PARTS AND IT
TAKES A LONG TIME TO GET PARTS AND A LOT OF TURN-AROUND, IT'S
MUCH LONGER THAN NORMAL, AND A LOT OF CUSTOMERS OF OURS ARE
JUST NOT WORKING. SO THE WORKLOAD ISN'T THERE.
THE REVENUE ISN'T THERE, BUT WE'RE STILL COVERING OUR BILLS
AND TRYING TO PREPARE OUR EMPLOYEES, LIKE MOST OTHER SMALL
BUSINESSES ARE DOING. THE UNEMPLOYMENT PROTECTION
PROGRAM, WHEN THEY HELPED OUT A LOT OF US, WE WERE ABLE TO LAY
SOME PEOPLE OFF AND GET SOME BREATHING ROOM THAT FIRST MONTH
WHERE EVERYTHING WAS SHUT DOWN AND CHAOS.
WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND THE BIGGEST THING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS, WE'RE TRYING TO
OPEN UP NEXT WEEK, HOPEFULLY, ON A STATEWIDE SCALE, IS THE SHORT
TIME FRAME WE GIVE THEM TO GET READY TO OPEN, WE'RE NOT GOING
TO LET THEM KNOW UNTIL MONDAY WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO OPEN ON
MONDAY, AND I THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO LOOK DOWN THE ROAD, WE NEED TO GET THINGS DONE
QUICKER. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT TIME
IS OF THE ESSENCE FOR A LOT OF THESE BUSINESSES.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE READY TO OPEN WITH 12 HOURS NOTICE.
THEY NEED SOME OF THESE GUYS AND GALS ARE GOING TO NEED A WEEK OR
TWO TO GET THINGS UP AND RUNNING, TO MAKE ORDERS, TO GET
SUPPLIES IN SO THEY CAN OPERATE EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY AND
PROFITABILITY-WISE. >> BUT THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID
THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A LIGHT SWITCH SO IT'S NOT AS IF
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO OPEN ON MAY 19th.
HE HAS A FOUR-STEP PLAN, A PHASED PLAN FOR THE WAY THAT
WOULD WORK, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE CRITICAL OF THAT
APPROACH. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HIS OVERALL
RESPONSE, GOVERNOR CHARLIE BAKER, FELLOW REPUBLICAN, WHAT
DO YOU THINK HIS OVERALL RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC?
>> WEM I'M NOT CRITICAL OF HIS OVERALL PLAN.
AND I UNDERSTAND WE CAN'T JUST OPEN THINGS UP LIKE A LIGHT
SWITCH. WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE
COMFORTABLE GOING BACK TO WORK. GET PEOPLE COMFORTABLE GOING
BACK TO BUSINESSES AND PURCHASING THINGS, BECAUSE LIKE
YOU SAID, A LIGHT SWITCH, THAT'S FOR CONSUMERS AS WELL AS THE
EMPLOYERS AND THE BUSINESS OWNERS, BECAUSE YOU OPEN LIKE A
LIGHT SWITCH, AND THERE'S JUST NOT THAT TIME -- MARKETING AND
HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE OPEN AND THAT KIND OF STUFF SO IF WE HAVE
A GOOD PLAN WITH ITEMIZED THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE FOR THESE
BUSINESSES TO OPEN, PRIOR TO THE OPENING OR EVEN THE ANNOUNCEMENT
OF THE OPENING, LET THESE BUSINESSES KNOW WHAT'S EXPECTED
OF THEM, IN ADVANCE, BEFORE DROPPING THE HAMMER ON THEM AND
SAYING YOU CAN OPEN TOMORROW WHEN EVERYBODY WANTS TO OPEN AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE, PUT NOT BEING READY FOR IT.
WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW -- IT'S GOING TO IMPACT
OUR SAFETY AND OUR HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE, IF WE'RE NOT READY FOR
IT, BUT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO GO BACK TO WORK.
CONSERVATIVE MAKE SURE THERE'S CLEAR GUIDELINES IN PLACE IN
ADVANCE WANT ANNOUNCED OPENINGS. GOVERNOR BAKER HAS DONE -- HAS
DONE A JOB THAT I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD WANT TO TAKE ON
AT THIS POINT. WITH NATIONAL POLITICS AND WITH
LOCAL POLITICS AND EVERYTHING, HE'S REALLY TRYING TO BALANCE
EVERYBODY'S BEST INTERESTS AND REALLY TRYING TO TAKE THE INPUT
FROM THE PEOPLE AND HE'S IN A REALLY TOUGH POSITION.
SO I THINK AS GOVERNOR, HE'S DONE A GOOD JOB OF DOING WHAT HE
HAS TO DO FOR THIS STATE. BUT HOPEFULLY, WE CAN GET SOME
BETTER GUIDELINES COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE SOONER AND
HOPEFULLY GET THINGS UP AND RUNNING A LITTLE BIT QUICKER
THAN, YOU KNOW, THE FINAL STAGE FOUR, PHASE FOUR OF THE PLAN
THAT IS A VACCINE. I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE
FAR-FETCHED. IN THAT REGARD, I MIGHT NOT
AGREE WITH THAT, BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR AND WE'RE OPENING
BUSINESSES, WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE NEED TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYBODY AND JUST KEEP PUSHING
FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF US GET THROUGH THIS TOGETHER.
>>> WE HAVE ALSO INVITED DEMOCRAT JOHN VELIS TO DISCUSS
WHY HE'S RUNNING FOR THE 2ND HAMPDEN AND HAMPSHIRE DISTRICT
STATE SENATE SEAT.