It's Nightside with Dan Ray on w b Z, Boston's news radio.
Dan Hawkins, thank you very much. We are going to talk this hour with a Republican running for governor. He's not the only Republican running for governor, but certainly he's someone who has a very impressive resume and someone who will be taken as a serious candidate in the Republican primary next year. Brian Shortsleeve, Brian Shortsleeve, Welcome back Tonight's Side. The last time I think you were a guest, we were talking about the MBTA.
That's exactly right, Dan, you have a great memory. That was back in twenty sixteen and we were talking about driving reform at the NBTA after the Snowmageddon of twenty fifteen.
Well, hey, I haven't heard the word snow mcgeddon in a while, but you're right, I do remember that winter, the winter of twenty fourteen to twenty fifteen. And yeah, now, how long were you at the tea? Just to refer fresh People's recollection, how long were you at the tea? And what was the accomplishments that you're most proud of?
Well, you know, looking back on it, I was enjoying my life in the business world. I'm a businessman, you know, at Core, and when the T imploded in the winner of twenty fifteen, Governor Baker called me and asked me to lead a rescue mission to go in and drive reform.
So I did it.
I spent two years, Dan, to answer your question, spent two years was sort of summer of fifteen to summer of seventeen. And when I arrived at the T, we had a three hundred and thirty five million dollar forecast deficit. The system was in shambles, and my mission and the mission of the Fiscal Management Control Board was to deliver a balanced budget, get costs under control, and put the system back on a path to fiscal stability. I was a great experience. I'm very proud of what we accomplished.
We delivered the first balance budget and more than a decade at the TEA, we had the lowest operating expenses in years. We got that green Line extension project back on track that had been left for dead the FEDS had pulled their funding in early fifteen. We got that built and you can now take a one seat ride from downtown crossing to Tufts. So I think we accomplished a great deal that I'm really proud of what we did.
After you left. I'm just curious, do you as you look at the T these days. I guess the new T general manager, mister Ang who was brought in by the current governor from he came in, I believe from New York. I'm not an expert on the tee, but he seems to be getting pretty good grades. Has he been able to build on some of the things that you said in motion?
Well, you know, I was on the tea last week and I rode on a phenomenal orange line car which we had procured back in twenty fifteen sixteen. The new red line cars are coming in, so I'm really proud of the progress. I will tell you this though. The one thing that we delivered back in twenty fifteen sixteen that More Healy has not is a balanced budget for the T. The TA cost about a billion dollars more
to operate today than it did then. The costs have exploded across the board, so I think it's really incumbent and critical for that organization to get focused on cost control when you look at many elements of the system, whether it's what it costs to put a bus on the road, or what it costs to run you know,
the paratransit systems. The cost have exploded, and frankly, when you're adding you know, two hundred million dollars a year of operating expenses, that organization revenue will never catch up. You've got to You've got to focus on cost control. So when I look at your organization, I'd say they're spending about a billion dollars more than we were, they're delivering a third fewer trips, and there's a lot of opportunities to get refocused on cost control to make sure it's fiscally sustainable.
They've also, it seems in the last few years, the last two or three years, they've had some horrific accidents. I remember the train where people were literally jumping out the windows of the train and jumping into the Mystic River. The fellow the other day, his family was I get They agreed to a five million dollars settlement. He was dragged to his death. They just seemed to be as
well as sealy tiles falling. It would seem to me that maybe the tea in the last few years, even before mar Healey has regressed from where you from the direction you had put it in. Would you agree?
Well, I was very proud to deliver a balance budget. We tripled capital spending, We got those Orange line cars. The red line cars we've procured are coming. So I'm proud of what we did. But I will tell you today, I think the costs are too high. They're growing at an unsustainable rate. In twenty twenty four, last year, the TEA had more derailments than any major transit agency in
the country by a factor of four. So I would encourage Governor Healey and her team to get focused on cost control, get focused on safety.
The TEA is critical.
There's four hundred thousand people that ride it every day, but there's seven million of US DAN who are paying the bills, and we've got to make sure that that organization is sustainable and doesn't require continual state bailouts.
Speaking about cost controls, there was an audit released today by state auditor Diana Desauglia. I believe we'll have the auditor with us tomorrow night during this very hour. Even the Globe, which is very supportive, I think of the incumbent governor their headline that I believe will be in tomorrow morning's newspaper. Is Healy used unlawful no bid contracts as migrant and homeless families surged into emergency shelter system? Audit chargers, I'm sure you've had a chance at least
to read a little bit of this audit report. I'm sure it was very, very interesting. Get a quick comment from you. Your reaction to it.
Well, I've spent four years as an officer in the Marine Corps after college, Dan, and most of the most important lessons I learned about life and leadership I learned in the Marine Corps. I'll tell you what this state needs a rescue mission, and this audit is a prime example of that. It's completely off the rail. You've got no bid contracts, You've got one hundred and fifty dollars cab fares. I even read about one particular fair that was one hundred and forty dollars fare to move someone
two hundred and twenty feet. What does it tell you? It tells you that this administration has written blank checks. They're really not focused on on productivity, on efficiency, and this is sort of a classic Beacon Hill mess. And I think it's going to take a marine and a businessman in that corner office to get the state back
on track. And this audit is a classic example of what happens when you have a career politician at the helm instead of having a businessman who lives in the real world and understands how to balance budgets and drive productivity and everything else. We've also called for the governor to fire Secretary Augustus because I believe has laid out clearly in that audit. There's just one example after another
of the administration breaking the laws. So I call him the governor to make that move at the time for account of ability and taxpayers. You know, taxpayers deserve better.
What about the Secretary of Transportation. She has kept a pretty low profile, and she called for a lot of construction of new tolls about a year ago, and seeing to me that that was something that the government was not happy about. But no changes, no changes, She's still there, you have.
Thought, so well, Look, Dan, I ran the Tea for two years. I delivered the lowest operating expenses in the history of the organization. We balanced the budget. Here's what I can tell you. The Tea does not have a revenue problem. The Tea has a spending problem. The Tea has increased its expenses by a billion dollars in five years. That's completely unsustainable. The organization is delivering about a third
fewer trips. Even just the bus system itself, it cost the Tea almost three hundred bucks per hour to put a bus on the road today. That's almost twice what it was five years ago. So at the Tea, it's about controlling spending, and I would call on the governor and the secretary to get serious about it. We had a fiscal Management Control Board in place. We brought incredible transparency of the organization. We met every single Monday. We
stripped out abuse. I'll give you an example. I mean, we had employees that I got there that were building taxpayers for twenty seven to twenty eight hundred hours of overtime in a year dan in on top of two thousand regular hours. That's literally that's more overtime hours than there are waking hours in the year. But those are
the sorts of things. We put prophecies to place, We managed it, and when I was done with the team, even the Boston Globe was forced to say that the Fiscal Management Control Board in my leadership was the best thing that ever happened to the transit agency. If I would encourage the governor and the secretary to get serious about cost control, get serious about efficiency, and get serious about safety.
And the secretary in this instance you talking about is Monica Tibbet's nut.
That's right.
The Secretary of Transportation, Who's right. I seemed to have an inclination early on to put up toll boots wherever she could find a little extra space along any various and sundry highways. My guest is Brian short Sleeve, Harvard graduate,
Harvard Business School, Marine, very interesting background. We have a bunch of calls we're going to get to if you'd like to join the conversation six one seven, two four ten thirty six one seven, nine three thirty Brian, I want to go to phone calls as soon as we get back, because I think I've asked questions and give you an opportunity, gave you an opportunity to kind of introduce yourself, and I think a lot of people probably who listen to my show will like what they heard.
But let's see what some of the listeners feel and we'll be back some of the callers feel Actually, we'll be back on Nightside talking gubernatorial politics with Brian Shortly. There's at least two former members of the Baker administration who are running for this position. Mike Kneely is also a former member of the Baker administration, and we will talk to him. I believe we're scheduled talked to him on Thursday night, so we talk. We'll finish up with Brian.
We have about forty five minutes, plenty of time for calls and questions. Looking forward to hearing from you. We'll be back on night Side right after this.
It's Night Side with Boston's News Radio with us.
Is Brian Shortly if he's a Republican running for governor and we'll get this one out of the way soon. Here, Brian, you've got to be related to my former colleague, Joe Shortsleeve. I assume it's something.
Oh yeah, Joe's terrific.
He's the best.
Joe is my father's younger brother, all right, So that.
Would make him an Uncle's an uncle, all right, all right, So give him a shout out when you see him for me. Let's get to the phone. It's going to go to a different Joe This is not Joe Shortsleeve. This is Joe and Vermont. Hey, Joe, you're wrong with Brian shortsleaved candidate running for governor.
Thank you, Dan and mister short slave. I just wanted to say a couple of things fast, because kill other people. In seventy one, I remember taking the brand new tea, the Red nine. I grew up in hauled Fantaska. I went to UMass Boston, the old downtown campus before the Harvard kIPS.
Uh.
It's good to hear a good Republican candidate. I wish you a lot of the luck, sir. Hopefully you'll get lucky like Phil Scott and Vermont.
Yeah, you get Phil Scott in Vermont. You got yeah, Chris Sinunu in New Hampshire.
And I was gonna mention him too, I was, I was thinking about that. Oh yeah, but I'm a home from a road trip, so I'm I'm lucky to be on the first call.
Well, Joe, appreciate you, Joe, I enjoyed a lot.
Thanks, Joe, appreciate it. Brian, thank you.
Good good.
Governor's got terrific. Thank you so much.
All right, thank you, Joe, thank you? All right? Yeah, there there there New England states. They do tend to elect Republicans. Again, we're here, you know, well, Paul Salucci, Charlie Baker, there have and of course Mitt Romney was here as well. Uh, you know, go back a little further. You got John Volpi and Frank Sargent. This is this is this is a state that that is always liked, that balance between the Democratic legislature and a Republican governor.
So who knows, let's keep rolling. You're going to go to a Ben in Fall River, Massachusetts. Ben, you're next on nice side with Brian Shortsleeve, Republican candidate for governor.
Thanks for having me on.
I just wanted to ask you real quick, Brian, where do you stand on the NBTA Communities Act. Thanks for the question.
Ben.
I oppose the MBTA Communities Act and I support a full repeal. That's an example of administrative overreach. It's an example of a one size fits all approach to a problem, and it's a law that doesn't respect the uniqueness of local conditions, of local infrastructure.
And if I could, I know what the MBTA Communities Act is, but there are some of my audience who might not know. And I know, you can explain it, and you can explain why you're a posed or go ahead.
Well.
The NBTA Communities Act is a law that was put in place a couple of years ago that requires any community which is on the NBTA system, which is about one hundred and seventy communities in the state, to dramatically increase the amount of multifamily housing that they have to give you an example, a town like Milton with eight thousand homes would be required to put in over two
thousand multifamily units. A small town like Lincoln, Massachusetts, with two thousand homes might be required to put in six hundred multifamily condos. There are plenty of communities in the state that want housing, and in fact, when I was at the MBTA, we worked really hard on something called transit oriented development. And what transit orients developed means is working with communities like Quinsy that want housing. The MBTA owned all sorts of land along the Red line and
we would effectively give that land to developers. They would build multi family. But that's a win win, I mean, that's a good incentive. It's a carrit people wanted to do it. The NBTA Communities Act is very different. That is administrative overreach. That is forcing in some cases a small suburban town without adequate infrastructure to zone itself to handle hundreds and hundreds of multifamily and condo units. So I think we got to go back to the drawing board.
There are really good solutions out there to the housing crisis. Transit oriins development is one of them. I'll tell you something else, Dan and Ben. The state of Massachusetts owns over one hundred thousand acres of vacant land right inside Metro Boston. If we developed even ten percent of that, we could create close to two hundred thousand new units. If I was governor, if Governor Shortsleeve was in that
corner office, that's what we'd be focused on. Vacant land in the city, in areas where the community wants the housing and the state controls the land, so the state can get it done more quickly. So there's a lot of ways to increase the housing thought, But the NBTA Communities Act I think is the wrong the wrong approach.
Ben, great question.
Than you are my vote, sir.
I appreciate it.
Thank you so much.
Thanks Ben, appreciate thank you. Ben. Let me get one more in here before the breaking to go to Jen in pevity. Jen, you were next on nice hat with Brian Schwartzleey, go.
Ahead, Jen, Hi, Thank you. Dan. You know govern Wrong De Santos, who you raised money for. Mister short Steve has signed strict abortion laws in Florida. Can you support those laws? And where do you stand on protecting the unborn?
Well abortion writers are guaranteed under the Massachusetts Constitution. I consider myself pro choice. I wouldn't do anything to change those laws. I really admire Governor Santis' service in the Navy. I'm a Marine officer and I always admired his service in the Navy. I also admired the economic record of Florida. You know, Florida's added over five hundred thousand jobs private
sector jobs since twenty twenty three. In Massachusets, we've actually lost six thousand jobs in three years since Healy took over. If you look at our private sector in this state, it's smaller than it was three years ago. We're now at the very bottom of the list in Massachusetts in terms of private sector job growth. And when I look at other states like Florida and I see the growth in their economy. I think we've got to get serious in Massachusetts about creating a much stronger pro growth set
of policies here. We've got to cut taxes, we've got to cut fees. We've got to reduce utility bills, which is one of the highest expenses at small businesses and families bear. But the result of all those things, as Governor Healey herself noted two weeks ago, is people are leaving. Companies are leaving, students are leaving, and they're leaving because of Healey's failed policies. They're leaving because the cost of living is too high, because she's continued to propose taxes,
and because she's grown state government too quickly. So we've got to get this economy growing again. I'd like to see Massachusetts back where it was between twoenty ten and twenty twenty one. We were the fastest growing state in the Northeast, and we were leading in new business rate.
Can I interrupt?
Can I just interrupt? Because I'm confused. You're talking about jobs and the economy, but I'm just talking about pro life versus pro choice, and you raise money for life. I confused, jin let.
Me in throw it for a second. I think he actually answered that question, but if you want him to answer it again, he'll go right ahead.
I am, I am, I am pro choice. Abortion rights are guaranteed under the Massachusetts Constitution. I support that it wouldn't do anything to changes here in Massachusetts.
I think that's pretty drunk answer.
Thank you, You're welcome, have a great night.
We take a break.
Thank you.
News. At the bottom of the hour, one line open six, one, seven, two, four, ten thirty. My guest Brian Shortsleeve, Republican running for governor. It's we're coming up on an election here. I know we just went through a presidential election, but I think it's important, particularly on positions like governor, to get these candidates in front of people so people have it chance to ask questions. Jen asked a tough question. She asked
a tough question twice. Not a problem. Back on Nightside right after this.
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on w B Boston's news radio.
We're talking with Brian Shortsleeve. He is a candidate for governor here in Massachusetts, running as a Republican. For those of you who want to catch up, he's a graduate of Harvard and Harvard Business School, businessman, worked in the Baker administration and was actually put in charge of the MBTA. He's a Marine Corps veteran, served four years, did tours duty in Bosnia and the Persian golf and he's he's with us tonight taking phone calls. Let's get back to
the calls. I appreciate people's patients. We try to move as quickly as we can. Jack is in Rockland. Jack, welcome. You are next on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve. Right ahead.
Jack. Hey, Brian, really impressed with your campaign so far. My question for you is what are you going to do to make this state more affordable and keep young people here?
Well, thanks for the question, and I'll tell you the affordability crisis of Massachusetts is driving people in businesses out of the state. Just look at your utility bill, and I look at mine every month. My bill is about three hundred bucks. One hundred of that is related to the core cost of electricity, but the other two hundred or all those transmission charges. And if you look at
those charges, what do you see? You see the energy efficiency charge, to distributed solar charge, the electric vehicle charge, the net metering charge. Those are all state mandated fees, and that is where all of the growth and these bills are, So I think we've got to cut those fees. We've got to get those bills under control. We've got to cut taxes, and we've got to reduce the cost of living here. It's becoming too expensive for young people
and for working people live in Massachusetts. And that's why under Governor Healy and her failed policies, we've seen record exodus of people. There's five hundred people a week leaving the state. There's fewer people working in the private sector here than there were three years ago. Even just this week, you Math Benchmarks put out a report showing that our economy in Massachusetts contracted at four times the national rate in QW to one, so we shrunk four times faster.
And the reason for that big drop in mass GDP was slowing job growth. Right, People are leaving, companies are leaving, the private sector is getting smaller. So we've got to go go over all those things. But it starts with It starts with cutting taxes, cutting fees, and making this state more affordable for small businesses and for families.
Sounds like the planning to me. Thanks so much all right, Jack.
Appreciate you calling.
Thank you.
Next, Let's go next to Tom and Boston. Tom, you were next on N I said with Brian Schwatzlee, go ahead.
Tom right, Dan, thanks for taking the call. I just had a quick question for Brian about the audit the legislature bill that Massachusetts voters passed last year. I think it was seventy two who wanted to have it passed and twenty eight again.
Two percent, you're correct, Tom, seventy two percent of all the voters overwhelmingly. We could call that a landslide. Go right ahead.
Yeah, I'd call it a mandate.
Dan.
And in my question is, you know we have Speaker Mariano and we have President spill Cup in the Senate who are who are kind of blocking is not letting the light into the legislature. So I'm I'm just want to ask Brian if if he'd be willing to hold the legislature's feet to the fire, maybe stand with autor does ugly and say, Hey, the taxpayers want this done, the voters want this done. Can we please open the books and see what's going on with our tax dollars
up on Beacon Hill? Can we count on you to do that, Brian, you bet.
Look, we got to audit the legislature day one. As we see today when we see the work that the OTTIT put out on the migrant crisis, we see the Heliad administration hiding information, not being transparent, we see no big con tracks. We see money being wasted, you know, across the board. I would say it's blank checks, right, and I think Beacon Hill needs a complete overhaul. I would do that. So I'm a strong supporter of the
audit and I'm a strong, strong supporter of transparency. You know, when I ran the MBTA, we brought unprecedented transparency at organization. We went through every department, we went through every cost, We questioned, we questioned everything over you know, more than two hundred and fifty public meeting. So I would ask, where's the governor on the audit? And what the Attorney General ought to be doing is she ought to be
using her powers to force the legislature to comply. But in both of those cases, I don't see Governor Heally stepping up and I don't see the Attorney General using the power of her office to force an audit. When I'm governor day one, that audit will will happen, by.
The way, just for your benefit, Tom Tomorrow night, Auditor Disaccio would be joining us at nine o'clock to talk about the audit there was. I look did a little bit of that tonight and there's a no big taxicab contract in that audit. Brian, correct me if I'm wrong.
For six I know a little bit about those type contracts because we ran a lot of bus service at the tee and.
I can tell you.
Well by my quick math, six point eight million dollars spent at what it sounds like was almost one hundred dollars per per fair. That's like sixty to seventy thousand trips on Cape cod In one case, there was one hundred and forty dollars cab fare to move someone two hundred and twenty three seat. That's an example of blank checks,
an example of people not paying attention. And I think you know Beacon Hill needs an overhaul, and that's a that's a classic example of government run amock under under government, Governor Healy, I would change that.
Day one my understanding, and you may want to check into this, and Tom, you may want to talk to the auditor tomorrow night, because she has really suffered the slings and arrows of a lot of people up at the legislature, including the legislative leadership, and with no support from the governor or the Attorney general. My understanding is that on this no bit of contract, every fear that was called, once the call was made in the fear was accepted, it was one hundred and forty dollars to
pick the person up. And at that point, however far the person who was living in the shelter had to go the fear, that meter started running at one hundred and forty dollars, which is extraordinary, which explains why a fear there was only two hundred and twenty three feet only cost one hundred and forty dollars.
How about well, look, that's a classic example, right of that classic example, I mean, Healey's team blew billions of dollars. These are no bid contracts, probably sweetheart deals, and literally got taken for a ride with one hundred and forty hundred and fifty dollars bills and even bloated food bills I think I read about. So that's an example of of of of the need for transparency. We owe it to the taxpayers of this state and the voters of this state that voted, as you noted, Tom by seventy
two percent of all. We got to do it. And Governor Heally could have a press conference tomorrow and she could force that audit, and the AG, I would say, could do the same. So under a governor shortly, we would do that day one.
Tom, thank you for the call. I want to get one more Indio before the break, but I did want to explain that to people. Let me go to will in Worcester, Massachusetts, central part of Massachusetts. Will you next on Nightside with Brian Shortsley.
Hey, how's it going?
Thanks for taking the question.
I'm wondering, Brian, your top supporter in Surrogate, Mark Lombardo, has repeatedly attacked the House Republican leader Brad Jones, and really the entire GOP caucus. I'm wondering, do you agree with Lombardo that Brad Jones should step down? Where do you stand on this?
Look, I'm getting a great response out there from across the spectrum. I've spent the last three months meeting with grassroots groups and Republican town committees.
I think there's.
Tremendous support broadly across our party to come together. What matters is we got to send Governor Heely packin. We've got to win the twenty six race. I'm the candidate that can do that. I think I bring this party together and we're gonna We're gonna welcome support from across the across the spectrum, and I think it's going to take that to beat Heally. But that should really be our focus.
I'll bet you'd like that. Yeahos, go ahead. Will This is into the weeds a little bit. I don't know that too many people are interested in some of the internescing warfare of the Republican Party. But if you want to follow up with one question, go ahead.
Yeah, Dan, I understand it's just as Governor mister Shortley would be dealing with these kinds of antics from both sides. So I'm wondering, do you think Brad Jones should step down or do you support him and his speakership as minority leader.
Look, I'm getting broad support across the board from Republicans, from independence of Democrats. We're going to unify this party and we're gonna win in November. I'm the leader to do that and uh and I welcome support from across the board. We've got to you know, we've got to stick together. We've got a lot of work to do to beat more heey in twenty twenty six.
Appreciate the call, Thank you very much. We'll take a quick break. Coming back on nightside. I got Sanda, I got Joanna, I got Sam, and I even got room for you. One line at six one se Well that just filled one line at six one, seven, nine, three thirty. Back on nightside.
Right after this, you're on night side with Dan Ray on w BEZ Boston's news radio.
Back to the phones we go, were you full lines? Let's keep rolling here, going to go to Sanda in Boston. Sandy, you were next on nightside with Brian short Sleeve.
Go right ahead, Hi, mister short Sleeve. I would like to know, with offshore wind three times as expensive as the terrestrial version and the possible denise of our wonderful fishing industry, what is your position on offshore wind?
Well, offshore wind, by a factor of three, is the most expensive form of renewable energy. We I got three young boys. I care a lot about clean water, right clear, a lot about the environment. And clean air and a clean environment. But we need to do it in a way that doesn't bankrupt the fishing industry, doesn't drive families out of the state because it's too expensive, and it
doesn't damage our economic competitors. When I look at when I look at the Healy Agenda, and I look at all those state mandated fees that you see on your bill, I would tell you those fees need to be cut because they are making the state too expensive. They're driving people out of the state. Healy this week on Tuesday
did a huge about faith. I mean, she had a press conference Tuesday and which she effectively acknowledged that our energy policies have been a complete failure, and she said it's time to move those state mandated fees off of the bill. She questioned whether there was any return on a lot of those fees, and listening to it, all I could think was that it's too little, too late. Here we are We're almost three years in her term.
She's been a champion of this, she has driven those fees up, and she basically knowledge on Tuesday that generally those those energy policies have been a failure because they're making the state too expensive. For families and too expensive
for businesses. So I think we've got to approach things always starting with reducing the burden on working people and taxpayers, making sure this is a state that working families can afford to live in, and it starts with cutting those state mandate fees you see on your utility bill.
Thanks, thanks, andder appreciate your call.
Thank you, you're welcome.
Let's go to Jonah Joanna. Excuse me, Joanna and Dennis. Joanna, you are next on nice side with Republican candidate for governor Brian Shortsleeve.
Go right ahead, Joanna, Thank you Dan.
Thank you Brian for taking my call. As as you heard, I'm from the Cape, and one of our state representatives here in the Cape, Stephen Xaros, is filed a bill called the Buffer Bill, and I wonder, Brian, if you know anything about that and.
What it's called. I think it's called it's called the Halo Act. We talked about that an hour for an hour last night on night Side with a Democratic member of the Legislature from Milton, Massachusetts, UH state Representative Richard Wells, and we're going to talk and he they're all in favor of this Halo Act well protect first responders, firefighters, police officers, e mts. We'll be talking with someone who's opposed to it in the next hour, so you may
want to continue to listen. Joanna, I get you. Joanna wants Brian would like your response on the Halo Act.
Well, I've known Rep. Zorro's for a long time. He's got forty years of a law enforcement experience, and I really appreciate him leading on this issue. This is common sense legislation. We should protect law enforcement, we should protect first responders. This Halo Act allows them to do their jobs. So I strongly support it. I commend Representative Zorro's It's fine to protest, it's America. Everybody can protest, but you can't interfere with local law enforcement and first responders when
they're doing their job. So this is common sense legislation. I hope it passes, and it's great to see Repsaro's providing a leadership leadership role on it.
So and we'll be talking about that in the next hour, and you could go and listen to what Representator Wells had to say in our nine o'clock hour last night. On nights that on Demand Dot com when we post all our hours and podcast form.
Thank you. I will do that and I appreciate your response and hope to be calling you governor one day soon.
Well, thank you, thank you, Joanne.
Let me keep rolling here, We're going to get I'll try to get everybody, and let's go back to the South Shore. Sam is in Plymouth. Sam, you're next on Nice that with Brian Schwartzleeve Gohadhead.
Sam, and you can a little bit more about your business by the ground.
Yeah, he's looking, wants to know more about your business background. The connections not great, Sam, So.
Yeah, well, thank you, yeah, thank you for the question. I've been out of college for thirty years, and two of those years I was working on the MBTA reform plan. In four of those years, I was an officer in the Marine Corps. But the other, you know, the other twenty five plus years, I've been in the business world. You know, I've been building companies. I have a real passion for working with small companies. Our firm helps small companies become big companies, helps them higher up, help them
scale up. So I'm very passionate about the small company economy and in the state of Massachusetts, sixty percent of the people who work in the state work in small businesses, and all of the growth of our state are small companies, those twenty to forty, twenty to fifty employee companies. So I think we need to make this state a much
better place to do business. NFIB had a recent study out which I read, that said fifty percent of small businesses in Massachusetts are planning to close or move in the next five years.
And here were the reasons.
Number one, taxes are too high. Number two, utility build are too high. We've got the most expensive electrics to electricity costs in the country. And it goes on and on. So when I think about our small business economy, I think it's so critical to cut taxes, to cut fees, to cut those state mandated fees, get utility bills under control. Because small business is the backbone of America. It's the backbone of our economy. We need small businesses to prosper
and grow. But unfortunately, under Governor Healey's failed policies, we've got more businesses closing in the state than opening. We've got five hundred people a week leaving, and we've got close to you, close to five thousand fewer people working in the private sector here than there were three years ago. We're like forty ninth out of fifty in the country right now in private sector job growth. We've got to turn all that around. It starts with supporting our small businesses.
Thanks am, appreciate the question. Thank you very much, appreciate it. Let me keep rolling. He going to go to Chrissy in quinsy, Chrissy and quinsy. That's almost rhymes. Go ahead, Chrissy, you're own Brian Shortsleeve.
I'm Heleia. How are you tonight? I have a few things things to bring to your attention. One, I have a family member in the trades, the Union trades in Boston, and I'm not sure if you're aware of this issue, but there is very little skills going up in the city of Boston this year. The tradesmen. There's a lot of them out of work right now. My relative is not, but they're very concerned because Mayor wu has put in
all these very strict guidelines. Any new commercial building going up in the City of Boston has to be all powered by electricity.
But do they.
Realize that where do we get electricity from? You need coal or gas or oil to produce the electricity and these power plants.
Christy, let's get a question here, because we're getting laid on time and there are others who I want to get to. What's your question?
Yes, question is how do we become active in your campaign? How would we find out that information?
Well, thank you so much for the question, Christy. My website is www dot Brian Schwortzleeve dot com. Love to get you involved, love your support. We got to streamline that building code. As you noted, Mayor WU has added a whole bunch of things into the building code, whether it's the green you know, the green search chargers, the green requirements, the affordable search chargers.
The result of all.
Those things in Boston and there's not a single project that pencils out. Boston is critical to this state, right. Boston needs to get back on track for Massachusetts to get back on track, and I think it starts with streamlining permitting, streamlining those requirements, cutting those taxes and fees so builders can get back to buildings. So we'd love to have you on the team. Please check my website, sign up, and give us a call.
Because we're excited about having another Republic and running for governor in this state again.
Okay, we'll give his website thank you after one more call, thank you, Christy. Let me try Debbie in Boston. W next on Nightside with Brian Schatzlee, you've got to be quick for me. W called late. Thank you very much, but tight on time.
Okay. As a conservative I voted for Donald Trump, and Brian, I know that you did too. Can I count on you to support his agenda? Holy support at starting with mass deportation of the unvetted illegal migrants.
We'll tell you what. The border is secure, and that's a good thing. Whoever would have fought at Massachusetts would be a border state. Yeah. Here we are three years into Healy's term and we're still spending at last count, three million dollars a day on the migrant crisis. That's three million dollars a day. That's over a billion dollars a year. With that much money at the state level, we could be given every city in town over seven
million dollars of local aid. So I think Heally's failed policies around the migrant crisis and the right to shelter alaw been a big driver of our budget issues and to get this budget back on track and get the state back on track, We've got to fix those things. State spending is up close to fifty percent over the past six years. It's an enormous amount of growth, and the cost of the migrant crisis has a lot to do with it.
All right, Debbie Wi, I hate to do this to you, but we're flat we're flat out of time. Okay, thanks, thanks so much. Appreciate Brian. If folks want to get in touch with the campaign, how do they do that?
Well, thank you www dot Brian Shortsleeve dot com. We've got a terrific movement going. We've got great interest, a lot of volunteers, so we'd love to get people signed up to help us out.
And I will tell you that on Thursday night, we will have another Republican running for governor, and that is the candidate Mike Kanneely. I'm going to ask you one quick direct question. I'm hoping to get a yes or no. Will you support whoever is the Republican nominee for governor?
Absolutely?
Yes?
Okay, well that's Kanneely that same question as well. Brian, thank you very much for your time tonight and besta walker. We'll have you back.
Thank you, Dan, You're very welcome.
All Right, we get back. We're going to talk about the Halo Act. We're going to talk with an attorney who disagrees with me and as opposed to that act, and you'll be able to participate in the conversation right after the ten o'clock news on Nightside