Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis was in Boston on Monday to file for the Massachusetts GOP primary. During his visit he attended multiple fundraisers where he received over $500,000 in donations for his 2024 Republican presidential campaign.

There was an afternoon fundraiser hosted by Brian Shortsleeve, who managed the MBTA under former Gov. Charlie Baker. The evening event was hosted by entrepreneur and ex-congressional candidate Rick Green.

DeSantis will need to work hard to convince donors to invest in his campaign, as early polls are showing Trump with a significant lead in Massachusetts and across the country.

Below is a video DeSantis posted on social media announcing that he is officially on the ballot in Massachusetts.

Just signed the paperwork — we are officially on the ballot for the Massachusetts primary in March.

We’re going to put in the work and get it done! pic.twitter.com/8VOd9GjEny

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) October 23, 2023

The “New Bedford Votes Youth Empowerment Program” is not only getting the youth interested in local politics, but it is giving them paid jobs to work as poll workers during elections.

New Bedford election commissioner, Manny DeBrito and Ward 4 City Councilor Derek Baptiste took a different approach to spark interest into the youth during a poll worker training event.

Rather than going through the motions at a training session on a rainy Saturday morning that most likely none of the kids wanted to actually attend, Manny and Derek took this opportunity to deliver powerful messages to the kids about how local government changed their lives.

The kids were quickly engaged once the Ward 4 Councilor stood up and began speaking about his life journey. At one point he was almost brought to tears speaking on the trials and tribulations he has experienced growing up in a rough neighborhood.

The most touching part of the whole experience was when both men began speaking about former New Bedford Mayor, Fred Kalisz. They reflected on how Mayor Kalisz truly made an impact on their life and entire neighborhood from bringing busses full of kids to their first concerts and sporting events, to building basketball courts in their neighborhoods.

I felt like I had to ask them afterwards why they felt it was important to tell the kids about Mayor Kalisz.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by New Bedford Guide (@newbedfordguide)

What could of been a quick and boring training on how to be a poll worker, turned into a deeply meaningful conversation that will leave this group of kids with a much better understanding of how important the process of an election truly is.

I also believe it is important to clarify that neither Manny DeBrito or Derek Baptiste ever even remotely hinted as to who to vote for, or which political party is superior than the other. The entire premise was speaking on how a former mayor changed their lives and how they want to do the same for the next generation.

Want to learn more about the “NB Votes Youth Empowerment Program”? Checkout the video below!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by New Bedford Guide (@newbedfordguide)

Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) released the following statement today after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to issue its proposed rule to reinstate net neutrality rules and reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act:

“The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrated that broadband – like electricity and water – isn’t a luxury, it’s essential infrastructure. Today, the Federal Communications Commission recognized that by advancing strong net neutrality protections and rightfully reclassifying broadband as a Title II service. These rules will protect the free and open internet, create a level playing field for all businesses, and help ensure a just broadband future. We commend Chairwoman Rosenworcel for this historic action and will not stop fighting until strong net neutrality protections are fully restored.”

In September, Senators Markey and Wyden led their Senate colleagues in a letter to FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel calling on the FCC to expeditiously reclassify broadband as a telecommunications service under Title II of the Communications Act and restore net neutrality protections.

In July 2022, Senators Markey and Wyden and Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-07) introduced the Net Neutrality Broadband Justice Act to reinstate neutrality and reverse damaging Trump-era deregulation. In 2006, Senators Markey and Wyden introduced the first neutrality bills in the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively.”-Ed Markey’s office.

Poll results released Thursday by supporters of legislation to provide sanctioned spaces for people with substance use addiction to use drugs under supervision without the threat of criminal punishment found that more than two-thirds of Bay State voters are in favor of allowing municipalities to establish the so-called overdose prevention centers.

Massachusetts for Overdose Prevention Centers said that 70 percent of voters surveyed said they would support legislation to allow cities and towns to establish overdose prevention centers, also known as supervised consumption or safe injection sites.

The facilities are illegal under federal law but are favored by some legislators and are being studied by the Gov. Maura Healey’s administration. At such facilities, individuals would be able to use pre-acquired drugs free of legal consequences under the supervision of medical professionals who could intervene to prevent an overdose from turning fatal.

The idea drew majority support among Democrats (85 percent), unaffiliated voters (63 percent), and Republicans (53 percent), the organization said.

“As someone who works every day with people in recovery and their families, it’s heartening that Massachusetts voters recognize overdose prevention centers as an essential tool toward recovery,” Maryanne Frangules, executive director of Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery, said.

The survey was conducted by Beacon Research and sponsored by the ACLU of Massachusetts. It involved online interviews with more than 600 registered Massachusetts voters between Sept. 14 and Sept. 20.

Legislation (H 1981 / S 1242) that would launch a 10-year pilot program involving overdose prevention centers is up for a hearing Monday before the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.

Healey, who served two terms as state attorney general, has previously signaled that she is open to municipalities deciding for themselves whether to open authorized drug use sites. A spokeswoman for Healey said this summer that the governor “supports allowing communities to decide what’s best for their residents, including the option of setting up safe consumption sites, given the urgent need to help connect people with treatment services, address stigma and save lives.”

There were 2,357 confirmed and estimated fatal opioid-related overdoses in Massachusetts in 2022, a record high, according to the most recent data from the Department of Public Health. The fatality rate of 33.5 overdose deaths per 100,000 people reflected a 2.5 percent increase over 2021 and a 9.1 percent increase from 2016, the pre-pandemic peak.

Supervised drug use sites are illegal federally, though two have operated for about two years in New York City without drawing a public response from federal officials. The New York Times reported that staff at the facilities reversed two overdoses on the first day they were open.

When the idea of safe injection sites was previously debated on Beacon Hill, it was met with pushback from federal law enforcement officials. In 2018, the Massachusetts Senate considered an opioid addiction prevention bill that would have authorized a pilot program of supervised sites for illegal drug use. The Senate ultimately adopted an amendment to study the idea instead.

“Since the Massachusetts Medical Society leveraged extensive research and data to inform its decision to advocate for the establishment of an overdose prevention center in the Commonwealth in 2017, subsequent evidence has only fortified our position that such facilities save lives and offer pathways to medically appropriate treatment and rehabilitative services for those living with substance use disorder, a chronic disease,” Dr. Barbara Spivak, president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, said. “As disparities and overdoses caused by synthetic drugs like fentanyl continue to rise and ravage families and communities, it is clear the majority of residents of the Commonwealth agree with physicians in their belief that the time is now to deploy a proven harm reduction tool that can save the lives of our patients.”

The Healey administration said in June that DPH has been instructed to craft a “comprehensive plan” to prevent overdoses, including an analysis of the “feasibility” of overdose prevention sites.

“We are hoping to move quickly on this,” DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein said in June. “As you heard me say, we are committed to having a report ready by the end of the year so that we can make sure that we’re presenting the evidence-based plan to the governor and to others across state government.”

In 2019, a state commission tasked with studying ways to reduce the harm of substance use disorder concluded that Massachusetts should pilot “one or more” safe drug consumption sites, even as its members — including then-Public Health Commissioner Monica Bharel, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh, and Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders — cautioned that doing so would carry legal risk.

“The Board of Election Commissioners advises the public that absentee/mail-in ballots for the Municipal Election are now available. Any voter can request to receive a ballot by mail, can vote absentee in the Election office during regular business hours, or can Vote Early in person. The Election Office is located in City Hall, 133 William Street Room 114. Office hours are from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The last day to register to vote is Friday, October 27th.

Voters can Vote Early at the following locations prior to the election:

• Saturday, October 28 – 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Main Public Library, 613 Pleasant Street
• Wednesday, November 1 – 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Taber Mill, 217 Deane Street. (Coffin Ave. entrance)
• Thursday, November 2 – 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Hazelwood Senior Center, 553 Brock Avenue

Parents or Family members can apply for an absentee ballot on behalf of their children attending out-of-city or State Colleges and Universities. The deadline to apply for an Absentee/Mail-in ballot by mail is Tuesday, October 31 by 5:00 p.m. or in-person in the Election Office the day before the Election on Monday, November 6 by 12 p.m. All Absentee/Mail-in ballots must be mailed out but can be hand-delivered to the office or returned via the drop-off boxes outside City Hall or on Elm Street outside of the SRTA bus terminal. All Absentee/Mail-in ballots must be returned to the Election Office by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 7th to be accepted. On Election Day, polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

In the Municipal Election, New Bedford voters will be casting their votes for Mayor, Councillor-at-Large, Ward Councillor, School Committee, and Assessor-at-Large.

Any New Bedford resident who is uncertain about their voting status, designated polling location, has changed their address since the last election, or would like to request an absentee ballot should contact the Board of Election Commissioners at (508) 979-1420.”

If you live in the New Bedford area you might have recently seen protesters with signs reading “Free Karen Read” on the corner of Route 6 and Highway 140. In recent weeks there have been a few organized protests setup by this group on that busy intersection.

They are protesting to free Karen Read, 42, of Mansfield, who was indicted on charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. She is accused of hitting Boston Police Officer, John O’Keefe with her vehicle outside of a friend’s house in Canton after a night of drinking on Jan. 29, 2022.

Independent Journalist, Aiden Kearney, more famously known as “Turtleboy” has brought a ton of attention on this case claiming that Karen Read is innocent and being set up. His relentless work on this case has spread word across Massachusetts and the entire United States.

Since this case is rapidly gaining popularity, we decided to show up to the recent protest in New Bedford and interview the protesters, watch below!

Right now there is much to talk about in New Bedford, good and bad. We are approaching an election, offshore wind is in full swing, the south coast rail is under construction, we are in a housing crisis, the police department is understaffed, and the list can go on for things to discuss.

As a journalist, I reach out to our elected officials, our police department, and our fire department, for comment on issues in the city, it’s common practice.

When we reach out to Mayor Mitchell’s office with questions, we receive answers immediately. The same goes for the New Bedford Police Department, when a crime happens in the city and we reach out, they get back to us with full transparency.

This leads me to Representative Tony Cabral. Over the past few weeks, I have reached out to speak with him on several occasions via phone and email. The emails have been unanswered and I’ve never received any call back even after leaving multiple voicemails.

The strange part is these aren’t even hostile or difficult inquiries. I’ve just been asking for his thoughts on the future of New Bedford and other basic questions regarding some hot topics in the area, really not hard-hitting questions.

I hesitated to write this article calling out his lack of transparency until I saw him posting photos of him speaking in Boston about “government Transparency” on social media.

The fact that Tony Cabral blatantly ignores local journalists in the very area he represents, and then stands at a podium in Boston speaking on “government transparency” is utterly ridiculous.

Sam Drysdale
State House News Service

While its right-to-shelter law will remain in place, Massachusetts may not be able to guarantee shelter for immigrant families as soon as the end of this month as the state’s shelter system reaches capacity, Gov. Maura Healey said Monday.

The governor appointed a new emergency assistance director to lead operations “in this new phase” of the ongoing emergency shelter crisis. Lt. General Leon Scott Rice, former director of the Air National Guard and adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, will take the job to “work across our incident command structure in a close collaboration with local officials and stakeholders.”

There are close to 7,000 families (close to 23,000 people) enrolled in the state’s emergency shelter system, Healey said Monday — over double the number of individuals enrolled at this time last year, and even up significantly from the 5,600 families being housed when Healey declared a state of emergency in August.

“We do not have enough space, service providers or funds to safely expand beyond 7,500 families, we expect to hit that limit at the end of the month,” Healey said during a press conference in Room 157 of the State House. “From that point on, we’ll no longer be able to guarantee shelter placement for new families entering.”

In an effort to move some people out of shelters, Healey also announced steps to place migrants in housing and jobs.

The administration is shifting its strategy to prioritize access to the home-base rehousing program, rental assistance, and private sponsorships for families who’ve been in shelter the longest, Healey said.

The governor once again called upon the federal government to streamline work authorizations for immigrants, to help them get on their feet, but changed her tune Monday — this time saying, “we are not waiting any longer.”

“We are connecting as many shelter residents as we can to work opportunities. First, we’re working with shelters and employers to help match work eligible residents with jobs. That work is being led by our MassHire Regional Offices and Workforce Boards, and they are getting results,” Healey said. “For example, MassHire South Shore is working with Dunkin Donuts to connect shelter residents to 30 open jobs.”

The governor said the state is also developing a new job training initiative with the nonprofit arm of the Commonwealth Corporation Workforce Agency.

The governor said her administration is not getting rid of Massachusetts’ “right-to-shelter” law, but will not be able to fulfill it when the system reaches its max capacity.

The following is an opinion sent to New Bedford Guide. It does not reflect the opinion of New Bedford Guide, nor is it an OP-ED. In fairness and objectivity, we share opinions from our readers whether we agree or disagree with their opinion.

Do you have a counter opinion to this opinion? Have an opinion about something else? Email us at info@newbedfordguide.com.

_____________________________________________________________

“Trump missed his calling as he is never boring before his MAGA audience as he spews brilliant comedic insults, denigrations, whining and revenge. He should have been a stand up comedian.

His audiences alternate between provoked anger at his targets and ridiculing hilarity about their perceived enemies.

Having mastered the one liners he has never had to analyze or familiarize himself with true facts about any issue as he intuitively understands that which will engage their allegiance and donations to his coffers. Even if his statements lack all credibility they have great comedic value.

No previously revered politician, president or war hero is spared his eviscerating and insulting comments. Destroying all respect for the government, the military, the judiciary, the FBI, and Department of Justice, all that remains for them is to place their trust and money on him.

Rarely has a national figure engaged such fealty and attention for such a long period, and despite well documented criminal indictments. The more beleaguered Trump becomes, the more intensely his supporters lose faith in previously respected American institutions, leaders, representative democracy and clamor for more rallies and public appearances. Laughter and ridicule alleviates the inadequacies of their lives.

He may very well join the pantheon of great comedians, but never of U.S. presidents.”-Betty Ussach, Dartmouth.

“The following is an opinion sent to New Bedford Guide. It does not reflect the opinion of New Bedford Guide, nor is it an OP-ED. In fairness and objectivity, we share opinions from our readers whether we agree or disagree with their opinion.

Do you have a counter opinion to this opinion? Have an opinion about something else? Email us at info@newbedfordguide.com.

_____________________________________________________________

Since it is not necessary to select the speaker from the present members of the House, nor even a previously elected representative, Liz Cheney would be a great nominee.

Undoubtedly, a large contingent of Democratic representatives would vote for her and adding a sufficient number of Republicans who are really ethically committed to putting this country back on stronger footing, would join them.

Cheney is no less conservative than Kevin McCarthy but she has exhibited outstanding consistency in her political philosophy and ethical standards. She is also not deterred by standing firm in the face of enmity from the Trumpists who value allegiance to Trump rather than to the constitution or rule of law.

This is a point in American history where unprecedented actions and behavior are glorified and not always for the good. The elevation of Liz Cheney would be a nod from the Democrats that a functioning two party system is far better than an autocracy.” -Betty Ussach, Dartmouth.