Politics

Read the reactions to Charlie Baker’s 2021 State of the Commonwealth address

"How do you square being the most popular Gov in America with not using that capital to do something more ambitious for humanity?"

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker delivers his televised State of the Commonwealth address from his ceremonial State House office on Tuesday evening. Erin Clark / The Boston Globe

By Nik DeCosta-Klipa

3 minutes to read

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday night that the state of the commonwealth remains “strong.”

Not everyone agrees on who should get credit, or even the basic premise.

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Baker’s annual speech drew mixed responses from Massachusetts state lawmakers and political activists. Amid the administration’s halting vaccine rollout and policy clashes over police reform, transportation, and climate change, some members of the Democrat-controlled Legislature criticized the Republican governor’s actions, while top State House leaders tried to strike a more collaborative note.

Here’s a look at the reactions to Baker’s State of the Commonwealth address:

State lawmakers:

https://twitter.com/KarenSpilka/status/1354231529417928705

Massachusetts Democratic Party:

“The big takeaway from tonight’s speech: Charlie Baker’s record over the last year doesn’t give him much to brag about, but he tried anyway. Charlie Baker actually gave himself a pat on the back for his administration’s COVID response, despite overseeing many failures when it comes to testing, protecting long-term care residents, mitigating the disproportionate harm COVID is visiting on communities of color, and now failing to get the vaccine into people’s arms.
“Baker’s tepid comments on what he called the ‘mood of the nation’ might be fitting for some other time, but not on the heels of an attack on our Capitol by insurrectionists sponsored by the leader of his Party. But Baker doesn’t even live up to his weak words. Charlie Baker’s Republican Party here in Massachusetts continues to support twice-impeached Donald Trump, while he stands by and permits that.
“The reality is this: thanks to Baker’s failed management and absent leadership, the state of our Commonwealth embarrassingly lags behind the majority of states. For nearly a year, the Baker-Polito administration has added to the body of evidence that they need to be pressured to take even the slightest action, and they’ll drag their feet the entire way. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: that’s not leadership, it’s negligence.”

Massachusetts Republican Party:

Progressive Massachusetts:

“Charlie Baker’s gratitude toward frontline workers rings hollow in light of his failure to take meaningful action to protect them.

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“No worker should have to choose between their health and their job, but Baker has failed to advocate for emergency paid sick time. No one should go homeless during a pandemic, but Baker has let the eviction moratorium lapse and vetoed essential tenant protections. No one should have to breathe the polluted air that increases the likelihood of disease and death during a pandemic, but Baker has vetoed landmark climate legislation.

“Rather than investing in communities so that we can have an equitable recovery from both recession and pandemic, he believes that we should settle for short-changed services that leave us falling ever behind.

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“The ‘good management’ skills Baker touts have been nowhere on display during COVID, but management skills were never enough. We need good management and good values. Baker, sadly, has shown neither.”

Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance

“Since the pandemic hit, state spending has increased, along with an increase to the state payroll. Legislators even saw to it that they received another pay raise this year. It’s important our state’s leaders appreciate the sacrifices made by countless Massachusetts residents in dealing with the effects of this pandemic, but far too often those sacrifices do not seem to be shared by our elected leaders. Governor Baker’s speech did very little to alleviate this perception,” stated Paul Diego Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

“This month, small businesses and their employees saw taxes go up, healthcare premiums rise, and onerous new regulations go into effect. Governor Baker has ensured resident’s gas taxes will increase by signing up for the Transportation and Climate Initiative,” continued Craney. “Many businesses are now learning that, while they were able to stay afloat and keep employees working by receiving forgivable PPP loans from the federal government, Massachusetts now wants them to pay state taxes on these loans. The Governor has also imposed the state income tax on out of state workers who work for in-state companies.”

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“Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, Senate President Spilka, and Speaker Mariano need to do everything they can to promote an economic recovery. Today’s speech did very little to address that need,” concluded Craney.

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