It's nice eyes.
I'm going Boston's news radio.
Thanks very much. Al. There were a couple of articles, and the one in the Herald and one of them in the Globe today. They kind of were the same story, but a bit of a different take. Both of the stories suggested that we have finally come to a realization here in Massachusetts that maybe maybe we have bitten off more than we can chew. The headline of the Globe story, in sweeping changes to shelter policy, mass reflects other states
navigating immigration debate. We've been talking about this now for a long time, a long time, and with us is State Representative Paul Frost. He's a Republican from Central Massachusetts. Home bases Auburn, Massachusetts. Welcome to nightside, Representative. How are you tonight.
I'm doing well.
Thank you for having me on.
I think you're doing better than our shelter system, that's for sure. Your district includes all of Auburn and all of Milbury to great towns right up by the mass turned bike in central Massachusetts, as well as a little bit of Oxford, Charlton and Lester. It's pronounced Lester right, all right. So we got that taken we got that taken care of. So you have been someone who has
followed this story really closely. I actually was covering the story the day that Governor Decaucus in nineteen eighty three assigned what came to be known as the Right to Shelter Law here in Massachusetts in nineteen eighty three. And here we are, I don't want to say it, but it's forty one years later, and we're in a world
of hurt right now. How did we get from a piece of legislation signed by Micrococcus in nineteen eighty three, which was intended to help women and uh and and pregnant women and women with children who were in oftentimes situations of domestic dispute or whatever, from you know, to help those individuals here in Massachusetts. How do we get to where we are today, where we're spending a billion dollars a year on sheltering people who have come here from far away lands looking for help.
Uh, you know, it's a great question. And but the way the Right in the Shelter Law was, you know, was written, was really, as you said, was intended to help people who were local to Massachusetts, people who ran into hard time families who ran into hard times, and we didn't want them living you know, in the alleyway
or in their cars. You know, you want to get them some sort of emergency shelter, especially if they had, you know, obviously with children involved or like you said, pregnant women involved, and and and uh and it's now kind of morphed into this. You can show up for one day in Massachusetts from out of state, out of country and claim that you need a place to stay, you need emergency shelter, and you'll be granted some sort of assistance. And it's gotten crazy, it's gotten out of hand.
It was out of control, and it's still you know, it still is and it's it's unsustainable. And that's what we were saying, you know, almost a year ago, and nothing is really changed and as far as as far as what's been happening, and so it's it's been it's you know, that's not what the system was meant for, you know, for you to be here for a day.
And you know, when the governor did put in a a sort of a cap back in November on the emergency shelter shelter, she was still taking in people and giving them overflow shelter places, so places at the border continuing to send them here, I mean groups at the border continuing to send these families here because they know
they'll get some sort of help. And in meanwhile, they created a waiting list, and that waiting list pitted people who have been a resident of Massachusetts for years and years and years against against those who are coming from out of state, out of country and who have only been here a day, and competing for those spots, uh limited spots that were left in the emergency shelter systems. So, you know, and that was wrong. So it's just it's just been a comedy of errors that could have been
resolved a long time ago. But I know myself and my members of my Republican caucus in the House and the Senate, you know, are are pleased with with some
of the changes the governor's making. We're gonna still have to see how some of this stuff works out, but but it's by much a step in the right direction, uh than than there was when when everything we've been doing and saying and calling for, including you know, filing amendments on the House floor and the Senate floor, have gone uh, you know, just you know, you know, no one's been listening to them, and they've been voting a.
Question that I've never asked anyone before, but I think it's important. It's an important question, and that is we hear the stories about people who have crossed the border. They come from. I think it's one hundred and eighty countries around the world, literally literally, very many of them do not speak a word of English, and if they do speak a word of English, it's probably yes, no, and a couple of other words that they might know.
How are they so fortunate to find their way to Massachusetts. I'm assuming there must be a structure in place for these yes or souls?
So what happened?
So?
What what's happening with? And it's kind of like a two tiered issue here that kind of branches off from each other. Or what you have is is that you have the group of folks that have come here and
are using the Family Emergency Shelter. Uh, there are folks that the Biden administration allowed, you know, they're applying for asylum, they priding for refugee status, and under the previous administration or the Trump administration, you had to wait it out in Mexico or another or your home country, right, and then you got approval to come over once your paperwork was done and everything was processed, and you could then come over, get your work permit and then you know,
come to you go wherever you want in the United States. What's happening is the Biden administration is letting them in if they if they come for one of these refugee countries, uh status countries, and they they can come in and claim, you know, ask for asylum, which can take years to happen, by the way, and then they.
Go to getting correct me if I'm wrong, but if they get in court dates that are seven, eight, ten years out.
Yeah, that's that's my understanding, but you know, years out. But yeah, they're coming in and without work permits either the FASI istting them in and they're giving but they're giving them lawful permission to be here. So that's a bit of a difference between the people who are coming over legally and then sneaking in and then coming to Massachusetts and other places. These folks are coming in and they have lawful presence now because they have lawful presence
from the Biden administration. What happens is these groups like Catholic charities. Maybe the governor of Texas what have you, takes these folks and says, hey, look, if you go to Massachusetts, the entire state has a right to shelter the law. They're going to give you benefits and a place to live. They'll give you a better shelter than you would here in Texas or somewhere else, and you just have to get there and we'll and we'll help you get there. And that's why that group has come here,
and that's why they overloaded our shelter system. And then, you know, less than a year now if you take the other side of it, which is another group of folks that are coming across illegally and they're not stopping and getting there and they're just coming here. And then you know, they they come into Massachusetts. And that's a whole other issue. And that's been an issue for a
very long time. But the one kind of key thing here about because the Biden administration gives them a lawful presence instead of making them wait in Mexico or where else their home country because he's letting him in. What happens is they have that lawful presence document. Because they have that lawful presence document. They're not considered undocumented, they're not considered illegal, so that's what makes them eligible for
the emergency shelter program. If they were illegal, like as we understand it, undocumented, they would not be eligible for the family Emergency Shelter system. That's why it hasn't blown up before because we've always had illegal immigration coming to Massachusetts and elsewhere. And that's a whole issue as well. Quote incentives and things that Massachusetts does and other states do that you know, makes it an attractive place for
illegal immigrants to want to come here. But these folks are being sent here by groups at the border, you know, Catholic Charity is one of them, because they know they're going to get taken care of. And we had to try to We needed to cut that the incentive off a long time ago, like ten eleven, twelve months ago, and and and we did it, and and we made efforts. In November, I filed several amendments and one of them was a ah A residency requirement in order to apply
for for it. If I did I did so again in in March, and I did so again in April to say, look, and you got to be here for twelve months and I made it to six months, and I made it three month. You know, you had have been here for a period of time. You can't just get these benefits of the day you show up. And we tried to do things on the waiting list. Representative Brad Jones, our House minority leader, filed an amendment during our budget debate that said, hey, look it if if
if you're you know, on the waiting list. You know, is that, Hey, if you're on a waiting list and you have veteran status, you should be able to get priority. And we have that for everything else, right, Veterans get that for housing authorities, everything else. But but we put that on the floor the speaker, I was a co sponsor of that amendment. Representative Jones put that on the floor, spoke on it, and uh, you know, it was voted
down overwhelmingly. All the Republicans voted for it, but voted down overwhelmingly.
So the Democrats essentially voted in unison to prevent.
I believe, I believe there was a in fairness. I believe there was a few Democrats who crossed over and supported our proposal, but it was overwhelmingly opposition by the Democrats, and and to do that and then come find out the governor put our provision into the UH into her new reform that she just released.
I mean, but give it credit for that. We need to take a quick break Paul here. I know I've thrown a lot at you, and you responded really well and given us information, even things I didn't quite realize. You brought it into focus. I assume Catholic Charities has has some sort of a financial benefit of being involved here.
Correct that that I can't I can't speak to that. I don't you know, I don't know the ins and outs of that, so I don't want to say anything that I have.
Read that they basically as an expeditor for all of this, are compensated because obviously people have to to put them in a shelter in Massachusetts. They have to physically get from here, you know, from Texas to here. So that's that. But we can we'll we'll love to have someone on from Catholic Charities tonight some night and talk about that.
Will take quick break. My guest is Paul Frost. At this point, we are spending billions of dollars, a billion dollars a year to house migrants here in Massachusetts, and I don't see where it's going to stop. That's would be my next area of questions with State representing Paul Frost. If you'd like to join the conversation, feel free, uh six one seven, four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty. We'll get you in as well as triple eight nine to nine, ten thirty. My name
is Dan Ray. We are having a conversation here on a Friday night. I think it's important and we're going to continue with this. I think, I hope into the next hour or so because it's kind of a movie target and I want to understand it better so I can make consider judgments, and I hope you do as well. We'll be right back on night Side.
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
My guest the state represented Paul Frost. He's a Republican from a Republican from Auburn. He also has been appointed to a committee to study this situation. He bipartisan committee. What do you what do you hope this committee is going to achieve or accomplish?
So it's a Special Commission regarding this emergency Family Shelter crisis, and we will see. You know, we just had our first meeting last week and it was just more of an introductory meeting. I know, Senator Fatman who I am, Senator Ryan Fatman who I am on this commission with from the Republican side, you know, are hoping to get across.
I think a lot of the things that some of these things that have already now have happened that the Governor's announced, but to talk about we needed we need to stop the spigot, you know, to keep it from continuing to grow out of control. And you know, you need to stop the influx and and then you know,
otherwise it's just never going to stop. And uh so, well, but and now some of this new information that's come out, and I think the Commission will probably be talking about that and seeing how that's going to be implemented and see if are the costs going to get shifted to other other parts of the budget. Are they going to
there going to be other expenses? I mean, you know, how are these how we basically going to tell folks, sorry, we're full, you know, if you want to stay, we have no place for you, but you might be better off, you know, going somewhere else. And and until you do that, really, until you do that, then these groups at the border aren't going to stop sending them here and and uh
and and that's been my issue all along. I mean I even shut down a session for like three days in December because of this, because they wouldn't include any form reforms but they wanted to spend money that stole Christmas read yes yes, yes, yes yeah for three straight days.
I Uh, I held up session with other members of the Republican Caucus and uh and and uh because you were like, look, you know, we want either want to roll call vote on this final bill or or we want you to put in reforms that that are that are necessary to put a stop to it. And and they wouldn't do either. And eventually, because we were an informal session time of year, the Democrats had to show up with over eighty one members to to push it through,
and they eventually did. But because they didn't want to have a debate, they didn't want to call us back for a formal session, they didn't want to have a roll call vote, or they didn't want to you know, send it back to the committee and come out with some sort of meaningful reform to put a stop to it. And and uh, and here we are.
I want to I want to go to phone calls, but I got to kill litle other questions along the way. The folks who are going to after is it now nine months are going to be in effect? I should out of the centers, which I therefore I assume is that that is that the number that the governor's talking about. Do they get nine months?
So it is the stuff that you got people in these overflow shelters and and and that are waiting for for like the hotel stage if you will, you know, the more the longer term stays. And then they did pass this bill that that myself and others voted against because again they didn't want to put meaningful reforms in the stop it. They will try to put a caveat on like not a cab yeah sorry, put a put a cap on how long people could stay in the hotels.
But then they made all these sort of exemptions and then and then you could apply for you know, oh, you could apply for stay longer, stay longer, stay longer. You know. Ultimately, how that's going to happen. I mean, one of the things to Dan what I want to know, and we haven't got answers to yet, is these folks that some of these folks have now got employment, but
they're still living in the hotels. So it's like, Okay, are these people that are getting employment, are they going to be able to afford and they're going to be able to form market rate housing right? Or are they going to need some sort of affordable subsidized housing that's
already in demand as it is. So is there going to be another sort of uh roadblock if you will, up ahead where where we've already got a strain on the system to get affordable housing for folks and subsidized housing for folks, are they going to be entering that system and and and and and and really causing more of a bottleneck is probably the better term I should
be using. And and uh, you know, we don't know the answer to that yet, but I you know, are are these folks able to get gainful employment to get out of the hotels with their families and and uh and get and get.
Jobs be able to market Here's what I'm thinking, representative what gainful employment can these folks get I mean, you know, God love them. They don't bring necessarily any professional skills, so they're going to be working at best at minimum wage jobs. I assume, what a mess. What a mess. Let's do this. Let's let's get some phone calls going here. People are waiting, so if you're if you're up, We've got full lines. I'd love to get some of these folks on the end. Let me go first off, to
let me get to where I want to get to. Here. Jack is in Plymouth. Jack, I'm gonna get your name be from the news at the bottom of the hour. You're first on with state Represented Paul Frost talking about the migrant shelter crisis here in Massachusetts.
Ahead, Jack, Yeah, Hey, Dan, Hey, Representative Frost. I'm calling in from Plymouth here, and I'm just really really encouraged to hear this conversation, particularly as it relates to the role of the Republican Party here in this crisis, because just hearing what Rep. Frost was saying, the amount of action that the Republican Caucus has taken on Beacon Hill is really really, really encouraging. And if anybody knows how Beacon Hill is run. It's totally controlled by the Speaker
of the House and the Senate President. And the idea that Governor Healy has basically taken word for word a mirror image of what the Republicans have been proposing for months, is a testament to those sort of experienced leaders in the Republican caucus that have been advocating for so so long.
And what really ticked me off actually is I was thinking about this, and this is why I called in, is I know folks in my neck of the woods, like Matt murratory Susan Gifford, are facing primaries where they're being accused of being rhinos, when in fact it's totally
the opposite. They're the ones who have been on Beacon Hill fighting the good fight, and their words and their actions, their proposals, their speeches on the House floor have been the impetus for the governor to finally wake up from whatever crazy slumber she's been in to actually start to
turn the tide on this issue in our state. So why why I called in, to be totally honest with you, is I'm set up with people calling our Republican leaders in Deacon Hill rhinos, and you know, somehow, you know, we look.
Look the fact. The fact of the matter is, Jack, when you think about it, I think it's twenty five members in the House. Correct me. If I'm wrong in these numbers, you would know them better than I would call twenty five members out of one sixty in the House of Representatives, that's correct, and four I think in the State Senate that's correct. So that's ten percent of the State Senate. And it's I don't know one sixth
in the House of Representatives. It's a small group. And you know, fratracide is supposed to be illegal, and it sounds like it's a circular firing squad, and why anybody is trying to take people out? And further we can you know the second part. We need a two party state in Massachusetts. It's as simple as that. And anyone who doesn't understand that obviously doesn't understand the way politics are supposed to work. A little bit of a checks
and a balance. And congratulations to you, Paul for what you and your colleagues have done. And Jack, hopefully people will listen to what you have to say, and that is, you know, the Republicans don't get any stronger and the second party in Massachusetts, which is the Republican Party, doesn't get any stronger when we have fresh acide going on within the Republican Party.
It's time to unite behind the people fighting the good fight. It's so important. We cannot be taking out the people that have experienced and have delivered results on these issues.
Yeah, and I think it's also time to try to grow the party and make people realize that, hey, a little competition is going to be good up at the state House, because obviously things are run up thereby as you said, the Speaker and the Senate President and even most of the Democrats in the legislature. They just have to move along like a group of cattle. We're going over here. Boys. Let's go boys and girls. Anyway, they'll get me going on that. I just think we need
a second party in Massachusetts. That and we have one. And I would hope that some people would look at rational people who are running as Republicans and say, hey, maybe it's time to have two parties in Massachusetts. So one party state, and we're not doing well by if people are leaving this state in droves from everything we've read. But anyway, but I want to get off that bandwagon and thank you for the call, Jack. I appreciate it.
Yeah, thank you, Jack. Yeah, you know, I wanted to say, I would you want to give a shout out, you
know to Representative of Matt Moore Toy. He's running for State Senate and that's a big seat that we can win as Republicans, and he's been, you know, on the side of this issue as as Representative Sdue Gifford, wh's a fellow member of House Publican leadership with me, and uh, you know, and they've always been there when I've been you know, pushing these amendments to put a residency requirement in, They've always had to support them and to vote for
them and advocate for them. And it's it's it's truly uh important that we have those voices because look, it's like, you know, I don't think what we're talking about right now is hey, see we told your show so uh ha ha. No, It's like, look, see, if you listen to what's earlier, we could avoided a lot of this
heartache and saved a lot of money. And we told you this was going to happen, and and we're here to offer solutions, not just say no to everything, and and and and that's what we're here for, and that's what we're doing. And I do also want to thank
the Master up Amy Carnival. He's been doing a fantastic job for us and and and in talking about what we're pushing on and what we're pushing out uh and as Republicans in the state legislature and uh and and we really had a really good relationship in doing that and then trying to inform the voters of what's happening and what's going on at Deacon Hill and and that that yes, you're minority party is doing stuff, is taking is fighting the good fight, and isn't afraid to and that's we're up to.
So all right, well, I'm not afraid to take the news at the bottom of the hour. And we got to do that and we get back. The only line we have open is six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty. Look, this is a very important issue, and I think the Democrats have bungled it in Massachusetts.
UH.
And we're in trouble for this is another problem we have in Massachusetts. We have been outstrategized by some of the Republican governors down south who said, hey, you're you're a sanctuary state. We got some people who need sanctuary, and we're all paying for it, and there's going to be impact on school systems. I know that Representative Frost has a hotel in his district. We talk a little bit about that, but more importantly, want to hear from
all of you. We'll be back on Nightside right after the news at the bottom of the hour.
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's News Radio.
All right, we're going back to the phones. My guest is Paul Representative Paul Frost. He's a Republican from Auburn, Massachusetts. We're talking about the migrant shelter problems that now I think everyone in Massachusetts is acknowledging. Let's go to Robert and Charlton. That is what Mark does all the time, folks, and we just sometimes my patience runs thin. Robert and Charlton, you're on with state Representative Paul Frost. Go ahead, Robert.
Well, what I wanted to call about was I think that as much as we might be happy with Mari Healy's decision, it didn't happen in a vacuum. It's not just oh well, the situation got really bad, and so she decided id better do something about it. It happened in concert with the Republicans making the case that hey, not only is this a problem, but it's also something that we have a solution for. And it kept presenting solutions, you know. Paul Frost suggested, hey, let's put a six
months residency requirement. Democrats said no. He said three month residency requirement. Democrats said no. But the thing is, instead of just saying well, they're rejecting my solution, he offered another more mild solution. Well, sure that you can accept this.
And when you have an opposition party actually making the case against whatever policy is being pursued, they can really highlight the fact that whatever problem is going on didn't happen because it's a force of nature that there's nothing you can do about. But it's the direct results of policies, policies that we have here but not in other states.
And if you don't make the investment in a strong opposition party by getting people elected and backing them up, you're going to have a situation where there's just one narrative. And even if people think no, that doesn't add up. There isn't an alternative to put pressure on him. And so if you want to see good results, you have to make long term investments and you can't just get mad, yell at the TV and see a change.
It's uh my, what my concern is, and I want Paul to addressed this as well. But my concern is when these folks are are basically told that they have to leave the shelter because they've been there so long, how are they going to survive? They've they've come here, they've been sent here, they've been brought here. What's next, Paul, for for these poor souls who have come here under the impression that we're going to be a sanctuary city.
I remember a sanctuary state. I remember that Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll made a plea for people to take the pressure off the shelter system and to bring people into their homes, into their spare rooms and their spare bedrooms. I don't think there's been a lot of people who have who have offered that. What's next? Do they just get turned out in the streets, or as you say, do they then get on some sort of other public relief system? Uh? Here in Massachusetts, which will
just raise the cost. Uh, the taxpayers will have to pay to support people who can't support themselves.
And you know, it's a million dollar question. And uh, you know, don't have the answer of that yet. And I hopefully, being on this special Commission, will be able to address that and uh and and ask those questions, what's gonna happen? How is this all going to work? Where are they going to go, you know, whether they
get jobs or not? What? How is this? Is it going to come up the system somewhere else in as far as the housing market goes, and especially when it comes to affordable and subsidized housing, And how is it gonn affect market rate housing? I mean, you know, if you only have so much limited housing supply as it is, and now you're adding more demand for it, uh across the you know, across the different types of across the spectrum,
then what not going to do? And and I think those questions are still yet to be answered and how they're going to how it's going to be handled. And that's not you said. That's why a lot of our emphasis early on has been about two things. One, how do we stop off? You know, we stopped this from continuing to happen, to shut off the spigot so the problem doesn't get any worse. And then the second thing was, Okay,
how about these people on the waiting list. You know, we should be taking people like veterans or you know, which we're going to do now, but you know, and other people from Massachusetts who've been here a very long time. You know, they should get priority in any sort of waiting list, and that, you know, we look like we're getting closer to that as well. But so those are kind of our areas that we've been trying to address. And obviously the federal issues involved and stuff like that
about the border and what to do. And you know, if they, if they, if they, if a lot of these families had to remain in Mexico or or their home countries, then we would not be having the issues we are having now. But that's more than just a FED giving us money.
Yeah, well, they're not giving us much anymore. And when they give you know, again, people say the Fed's giving us money, but you you guys, you both know and and I know that all the FEDS does is take our money from us. In Washington, they basically take whatever they want to run the federal government, and then they send us a little money back. It's not like they're giving us anything returning money that we know.
They're getting us much back at all for this issue. That's another whole problem. And look at, look at I was just talking to one of my colleagues on the State Committee and UH, and he was telling me how bad the traffic was a weekend or so ago with UH Vice President Kamala Harris UH Motorcate holding up roots six and and I said, well, geez, I said to all them like, oh my goodness, I said, you know,
I mean too bad. She couldn't gum up the border as the as the czar as he did the traffic on the Cape cod But I mean it's it's just, you know, but they come here, you know, Kamala Harrison, Joe Biden, they have a problem coming here to raise money, but they don't seem to want to do anything about the shelter crisis and the and the problem that you know, they basically caused by their policies. And now we're you know, and now you know, we need to say no, no, no, sorry,
this is not what our system was meant for. Uh, don't send everybody here because we're gonna have to We're gonna have to shut off the system for out people from people out of state or people, you know, basically people out of state, people out of country. So how that we got to do?
All right, Robert, thank you for your call. I appreciate your your thoughts tonight. Thank you, sir. Thanks, You're welcome, Paul Frost. We got one more segment coming up. We'll get to all the callers if we got a couple of open lines. Still at six, one, seven, two, five, four to ten thirty back on night Side right after this.
Now back to Dan ray Line from the Window World night Side Studios.
On w b Z, the news radio. Okay, guts full lines. Try to get everybody in here as quickly as we can. Let me go to Linda in Ipswich. Linda, you're next one nights.
I go ahead, Hey Dan, how you doing good?
Linda? What's on your mind?
Okay? I've been living in Ipswich at the Housing Authority since April eleven, two thousand and eight. I have been allotted six hours a week for housekeeping. In the last eighteen weeks, nobody's shown up. Therefore, they are putting me out. So I don't even have a car to live in, and I'm really concerned. For fourteen years or so, everything works fine, and now all of a sudden, I'm not desirable.
Why you don't like living?
I don't because for aken weeks nobody's come to do housekeeping. I am disabled. I cannot take my own Linde again.
So you're being put out because no how house keeper has come and and and they're blaming you. Uh, let me ask you, Representative Frost, hold on, Linda, Let's try to get a solution for you.
And sure I'm not the only one that's going through.
Hold on, Linda, Linda, take it down a step. Representative Frost Frost, what should Linda do? She lives in Ipswich, She's not in your district. Any suggestion or idea for her?
I mean, one of the things you can do is maybe you know, reach out to your legislators and and uh and you know, ask them to to make a call to the housing authority and maybe even call the state housing and and and see what what's actually going on here and under what you know, under why what provisions? They have to do this without having more information and everything else. I can't say exactly what will happen, but
I think that's a place to start. If you've already dealt with your housing authority, is is maybe reach out to your state legislators and they can talk about So.
Now here's the problem. Lind's going to have Linda, who is your state senator? Who is your state representative? I'll bet you you.
Don't know, right, No, I don't just gonna okay.
Hold on, represent right, I'm gonna ask you if you could have someone in your office, even though she's not in your district, to call Linda on Monday and find out for her who her state representative and state senators are. Would that be Yeah, we can.
We can absolutely do that if you can relay that information to you.
What I'm gonna do is they're gonna have Linda leave her number with Rob, and when we finish our conversation at ten o'clock, I want Rob to give you her number, and Linda, you stay by your phone on Monday and we'll get you a call and we'll find out for you who your state rep and who your state senator is.
Okay, Oh, well, thank you man, I appreciate it.
Okay, hold on, Uh you give your number to Rob and we'll keep rolling on here. Let me go next to I lean in, Hell, I lean. We're a little tight on time, and I want to get you in under the wire. Go ahead, I lean. H. Well, thank you.
I My big concern is that.
The dollars are being taken from other state programs. And uh, this Linda's story just ahead of me is very, very sad. I happen to have a son who's in the mental health system, and they that that's the Department of Mental Health. I think it gets gets money cut before anybody else. And so he's he he really shouldn't even be in the Department of Mental Health. He should have been rehabilitated already.
He's perfectly capable of going out to work and and but he needs help getting, you know, to get started with this.
But now, I mean, that's that's a huge question. This late in the hour, I really kind of open that can of worms. You know, we've done We've talked about this before. We'll talk about it again. And I think it's good that you made Representative Frost aware of it. Okay, I will say.
I will say that you know that this is an issue about priorities and when you talk about spending and you talk about allocating resources, and one of the things is, you know, one of my issues, and you know, people want to read about what happened in December of twenty twenty three. You can go to my website at Paul Frost dot com, like at the article right that you can read it. But when is that one of the things that we were talking about with Look, we're going
to spend one hundreds millions of dollars back then. That was that was like the first spending ask whether with a request for more coming at that time. And meanwhile the governor a month later does nine sea cuts. She starts, you know, because the revenues are down for that year, so or reading expectation. So you know, one of the things she cut she cut all these fire safety grants
and grants for senior center. One of one of the rants that she cut was money I got in the state budget last year for the Auburn Fire Department for our turnout gear. It was fifty thousand dollars grant. They cut it in half. The twenty five thousand dollars. Arbor is a host community. That's that's that has, like you said, as a whole hotel dedicated to this this migrant crisis, and she cut half the the money for their turnout gear.
So it is an issue about priorities and where money is gonna come from and where money is going to go. And yes, a lot of the money that they're spending, the billions so they're spending right now, some of it is one taime revenues that's going away, that's going to go away, and and and it's going to be a
bigger problem come next year. And I think that's maybe another reason why we're seeing the Republican getting, you know, not the Republican, the governor getting the picture from the Republicans to maybe start doing something more meaningful.
Ali, thanks for calling and raising that issue. It's an important issue. We'll continue to talk about it, you know that. Okay, thank you, Eileen.
Well, thank you for the response from Representative Frost.
I appreciate that.
Thank you. We are flat out of time, Paul the hour flu for the callers on the line, stay there. I want to continue to talk about this next hour, So you stay right there and we will get to you as soon as we get through the news. Paul Frost. How can folks reach you at the state House if they want to try to support the work you're doing? What would you How can they get in touch with you?
Sure, if they like to reach out to me, they can reach out at I have an email at Paul at Paul Frost dot com. Again, that's Paul at Paul Frost dot com. F bro OSD. You gotta you gotta spell it out because people see Forest and cross and Frost.
We got to spell it, Paul, Yeah, and uh.
Yeah, Paul at Paul Frost dot com. You can email me there and then for a phone number at the state House six one seven seven two two two four eight nine. Again that's six one seven seven two two two four eight nine, Paul.
I appreciate it. Don't hang up because we want to get Linda in Ipswich's phone number. And I know that she's not even close to your district, but I would appreciate it as a person, get that path that information to her. And if you know her state rep or state senator, maybe you can kind of put a good word in because it sounds to me as if she's being taken advantage of. Thank you, Paul, appreciate you call very much. I appreciate your time tonight very much. Here
it comes to ten o'clock news, we'll be back. We're going to stick with this topic. I think it's an important one where we have a dilemma here. A dilemma is something that you got to try to figure how you're going to get out of. I don't know that there is an escape valve here. We're coming back on Night Side