00:00:01
Speaker 1: It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:00:07
Speaker 2: Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. As we move into the nine o'clock hour, last hour we had former New Hampshire Senator John Sununu. He is running to be reelected to the New Hampshire, to the U.S. Senate representing New Hampshire. We will have either he or Scott Brown, whoever prevails in the Republican primary. This is a Really probably a historical first, or it doesn't happen often that you have two former senators vying for a Republican, or for that matter, a Senate nomination in either party. We will follow that race closely, and we, of course, will follow the governor's race here in Massachusetts very closely. Delighted to have back with us Brian Shortsleeve. Brian, a week from tonight, the votes will have been counted. How are you feeling?
00:00:56
Speaker 3: Well, Dan, I feel great. I always love being on your show. I'm a regular listener and always appreciate an opportunity to jump on, talk to your viewers. The vote is underway, by the way, on the Republican side. We've had over 70,000 votes already cast. So if you are a Republican or independent, you can vote early this week. You can still vote by mail or you can show up on Tuesday. But this election has begun.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: I think they shut down the early vote, if I'm not mistaken, on Friday or after Friday. I think that's the end of the early voting. So if you want to get and do your early vote, you've got to get it done by Friday. And then you've got to get your your ballot in by mail. I don't know if there's a drop dead date on that. You would know that, Brian.
00:01:42
Speaker 3: There is, and it's coming right up. You've got to get those ballots in the mail by Saturday. But if you're going to drop it in that late, Dan, I would recommend people just get to the polls and vote in person because you want to make sure your vote is counted.
00:01:55
Speaker 2: You know, I'm voting by mail and have already voted by mail in this election. But I always enjoy when I'm home and can vote in my own home precinct, that's the most important way to vote because you go there, you see other people, you know you're participating in something that is much larger than yourself. I don't know if you can connect with what I'm saying there.
00:02:25
Speaker 4: Well, I agree.
00:02:26
Speaker 3: Being there in a precinct, getting your sticker. You know, I voted, bring in your kids, maybe who aren't voting age, but letting them experience it. I think it's so critical. It's such a core part of the American experience. So I think sometimes we take it for granted in this country. But turnout in primaries, Dan, tends to be low. So I'm encouraging all those independents and Republicans that are interested in the future of Massachusetts. Get out there and vote. Often in the Republican primary, turnout may be at or below 20%. And I'll tell you, I've traveled all over the state in the last six months. Voters in Massachusetts know the state is headed in the wrong direction. They want to get us back on the right track. They want change. I have laid out a very detailed set of things. I will do day one to restore affordability. We will strip state-mandated fees out of your utility bills. We will end the tax on tips, end the tax on overtime, suspend the gas tax, fight to roll that income tax from 5% back to 4%. Those are concrete things we can do to make this state more affordable. So if you're interested in getting involved and you believe that Massachusetts deserves a better direction, a better leadership, please get out there and vote.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: It is a sad observation, Brian, but I think your candidacy is really critical. And the reason I believe that is Whether you like it or not, the reality is we live in an overwhelmingly one-party state. The governor's a Democrat. House Speaker's a Democrat. The House is overwhelmingly Democratic. The Senate obviously has a Democratic Senate president where the legislature happens. The governor appoints the parole board, nominates judges. We are the epitome of a one-party. party state. I mean, the only state probably that is more singular party besides Massachusetts might be Russia. I hate to put it like that, but the Washington Post says democracy dies in darkness. We're a pretty dark state right now in terms of having, you know, the competitive fight between Republicans and Democrats. There are some great Republicans, there are some great Democrats, but it's almost like, you know, Custer at Little Bighorn. I mean, the odds are against, not Custer, but the odds are against, in Massachusetts, it's against the state if we continue as a one-party state.
00:05:07
Speaker 3: Well, Massachusetts has always worked better with balance. When I talk to independent voters who are 66% of the electorate now in this state, they don't have an R or a D next to their name. The truth is, in many cases, they feel abandoned by political parties. What they want is common sense voting. leadership. And generally they want, I'd say, fiscally conservative leadership. I am the type of Republican who can win in Massachusetts. I'm the electable conservative. I am a pro-choice Republican. And I'm a businessman, Dan. I've spent my entire life in the private sector building small companies. It's never been harder in Massachusetts than it is right now for small companies to thrive. And that's why we see stats that are coming out every week around businesses leaving Massachusetts. We're now 50th out of 50 in private sector job growth. We're bottom of the nation in terms of new business formation. And we've become a bottom 10% state in terms of college opportunities or job opportunities for young people. The reason for that is that businesses and people are leaving Massachusetts. I know how to get this economy growing again. I know what we have to do to get companies hiring and expanding here. And we need a businessman in the corner office. that can wake up every morning and think about how are we cutting taxes? How are we cutting fees? How are we cutting red tape? Because with 100 people a day walking out the door of Massachusetts, Dan, they are voting with their feet. But I'm the kind of candidate who can win on the Republican side. I am the kind of pro-business, socially moderate Republican that can win in November. And I'm the only candidate in this race who has laid out a very detailed set of plans on exactly what I'll do to make Massachusetts more affordable.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: I mentioned earlier that governors appoint judges, and that's one of the three branches of government. It's a very important branch. And there was this decision a couple of years ago from the state Supreme Court, which was a four to three decision. It's called the Mattis decision. And as a consequence of that decision, they latched onto some theory, some sociological theory that young people who commit a heinous murder, if they're younger than 21, their brain may still be forming or still be emerging. Now, their brain is formed and emerged enough to commit a murder. But the Mattis decision said that people 18, 19, or 20 who have committed murders have a right to a parole hearing. Basically, their sentence of life in prison without parole was vacated by the Mattis decision. And the parole board has taken that opportunity of granting hearings and basically is granting paroles, I think, at a rate when they, at least the first tranche of first-degree, now potentially free first-degree lifers, getting 72 percent, they're just turning them out in droves onto the streets of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I believe that I've heard that you said that one of the first things that you would do as governor, and there's a lot of first things you've got to do, would be to fire the parole board. Would you, if you're elected?
00:08:43
Speaker 4: I will do that.
00:08:45
Speaker 3: I will do that day one. The governor appoints five of the six parole board members. I will fire every single one of them. And we will put members on that board that put public safety first, that put the rights of victims first. What Maura Healey's parole board is doing is outrageous. It's not justice. It's a slap in the face to victims' families. They are releasing over 70% of the criminals that come up for consideration. They are putting murderers back on the street. So for anyone out there who wonders, does your vote matter? Does it matter who the governor is? The answer is yes, because when I am governor, I will control the parole board. I will remove all of those members. And we will put people on that board that are serious about public safety. And by the way, Dan, let's never lose sight of the fact. Let's never forget that the promise made today to Massachusetts residents when we did away with the death penalty was that we'd have something even better. We would have life without parole, okay? And apparently, we don't have that anymore either. It's a slow erosion of the criminal justice system in itself. Leadership means putting the mission first and not backing away from a tough fight. I learned that as a Marine.
00:10:09
Speaker 2: By the way, I'm sure you know this, but I want the audience to know this. These folks on the parole board, the salary is about $ 150, 000 or so for each of them. And Maura Healey has appointed the majority, but there was at least one up there who was a Charlie Baker appointee. So it's just– I just want to be fair to Maura Healey because I want my audience to know that I'm a fair to everyone, whether they're Republican or Democrat. There is a Baker nominee up there as well who was a former state representative, as I understand it. And so you'll have an opportunity not only to fire, if elected, the Healey board members, but you'll be able to fire a Baker board member too. Make it non-denominational, as it were, or non-political. Just get rid of them all and start from scratch.
00:10:58
Speaker 3: Public safety is so important, Dan. It's so important. I mean, I was in Fall River knocking on doors Saturday morning talking to families about what's most important to them. The number one thing I heard about was their electric bills. In one case, I talked to a woman who's now paying $ 680 a month in electricity. The second thing I heard about was public safety. Maura Healey's parole board has made the state less safe. Back about two months ago, there was a deranged madman up on Memorial Drive in Cambridge who had an assault rifle. He got 40 rounds off. Thank God there was a former Marine in a vehicle who had a license to carry legally. He's the one that stopped that guy. That individual who was doing the shooting in Cambridge? He had been, he had fired on Boston police officers back in 2020. Rachel Rollins, who is no, you know, she's no law and order type DA. Even Rachel Rollins had requested a 10-year sentence for that guy. He got five years with a soft on crime judge, and then the parole board let him out early. And here we are, he could have killed 30 people. So you've got to fire the parole board, and then you've got to put judges in place to They will end cashless bail. They will get serious about real sentences for people like that who should not be on the streets because the combination of all these things is making the city of Boston and making Massachusetts a less safe place every day.
00:12:33
Speaker 2: Well, you also know, and I did a story on this a week or so ago, Boston has had a big spike in murders this summer, June, July, and August. From January 1st to May 1st, there were five murders in Boston, an average of one a month. One a month. In June, five murders in the month of June. In July, seven murders. And in August is now, we'll end up like July with seven or eight murders. So it's, you know, this stuff is, this stuff is not getting better in Massachusetts right now.
00:13:12
Speaker 3: And, you know, I mean, I raised one of my friends in the South End.
00:13:20
Speaker 2: There's one Democrat who I will be voting for. I want you to know that. And I hope you vote for her as well. Diana DiZaglio. I mean, she has done a great job, but she has been stymied by the Democratic legislature for the legislature to be audited.
00:13:38
Speaker 3: So.
00:13:41
Speaker 2: I don't want to put you on the spot.
00:13:42
Speaker 3: She's doing a great job. I believe that she is running unopposed. And 72% of voters in this state voted for the audit. Look at that. You can't get 72% of people in Massachusetts to agree on anything. They agreed they wanted the audit. By the way, I'm the only candidate in this race who has ever audited a state agency. I did it a decade ago when I was running the financial restructuring in the MBTA. We went after the bureaucracy. We rebid contracts. We found millions and millions of dollars in waste and abuse. So when I'm governor, not only will I work with DiZaglio to get that legislative audit going, but more importantly, we will audit every single contract, every department, every line item, every program in state government. Massachusetts state government has grown by 60% over the last six years. We now have a 66% billion dollar budget. The growth in spending has been enormous. Yet when I look at Maura Healey, I don't see her taking any of the steps to eradicate things like snap fraud, to look for waste and abuse. I mean, if you don't look for waste and abuse, you will not find it. If you go through that budget and you audit every line item, every contract, Dan, there's going to be millions and millions of dollars in savings, and we owe it to taxpayers and to businesses to go do that.
00:15:06
Speaker 2: I was going to say, taxpayers, that's what funds it, taxpayers' money. Got to take a break. My guest, Brian Shortsleeve, Republican candidate for governor. He's on the ballot on September 1st, a little early for a primary date here in Massachusetts. And I'm a little late for our commercial break. We'll be right back here on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve.
00:15:28
Speaker 1: It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:15:34
Speaker 2: My guest is Brian Schwartzley. Brian, we only got a couple of minutes here before the news at the bottom of the hour, and I want to give people an opportunity to talk to you. If people like what you have to say, what's the easiest way for people to reach your campaign?
00:15:50
Speaker 3: Well, everything we do daily on Facebook, it's Brian Shortsleeve for Massachusetts. They're all of our events. And you can also go to our website at BrianShortsleeve.com.
00:16:00
Speaker 2: Pretty straightforward. Hey, let's get a call in. Why not? Well, that was quick and to the point. Let me start it off with Peter in Boxford, Massachusetts. Peter, you are next on Nightside First this hour with Brian Shortsleeve. Go ahead, Peter.
00:16:14
Speaker 5: Hi, Brian, Peter T. And actually calling in again, a classmate of your uncle Connor from BC high, big supporter. I'm just a little bit worried that you're going to be going into a den of brooding vipers, one man with a sword. And how much cooperation are you going to get? They've built up these kingdoms. They don't want to let go of them.
00:16:41
Speaker 3: How do we stop it all?
00:16:45
Speaker 2: Well, they say, was it Mao Zedong who said the longest journey begins with a single step? This might be the single step. Go ahead.
00:16:53
Speaker 3: Go ahead, Brian. Well, thanks for the question, Peter, and always great to connect with a friend of my uncle, Connor. Look, it's about leadership. If you have the right ideas and you have good ideas, people will follow you. You know, when Bill Weld became governor back in 1990, people told him you'd never be able to get anything done. All these Democrats, Democrat supermajority, Bill Weld cut taxes 21 times when he was governor. 21 times. He brought people along. And the reason that happened is because there was an acknowledgement that Massachusetts in those days was headed on the wrong track. We are here again. Massachusetts has a competitiveness problem. People and businesses are leaving the state. I'm a big proponent of rolling the income tax from 5% back to 4%. I've put that back on the ballot for 2028. It will pass. That is an example of something I believe we can get done. I will give you another example of something that I could get done day one with this Democratic legislature. And it's around energy policy. There are a lot of Democrats in the legislature that would like to see us slash all of those state mandated fees out of your electric bill. There's broad support for that. There's broad support for rolling the net zero 2030 and 2050 mandates. back and turning them into recommendations. Those are things I will do day one because there's broad support. But look, it's all about leadership. And one thing I teach in the Marine Corps is leadership is about putting the mission first and never backing down from a tough fight. My mission when I become governor is to restore affordability, and I'm ready to fight for that.
00:18:41
Speaker 5: I'm hoping you're absolutely correct there, Brian, but I just wonder about these people. Their mission is not yours.
00:18:51
Speaker 2: Well, Peter, what is the solution? To keep going down the same road?
00:18:57
Speaker 4: No, no.
00:18:58
Speaker 2: Just eliminate all Republicans from the ballot so we can have a purely Democrat state?
00:19:03
Speaker 5: No, but it's such a steep hill, and I know it's a separate time.
00:19:07
Speaker 2: You know, Peter, I've got to tell you, if you and I were on the same team... I don't want you on my team in the same locker room before the game. We're going to get killed out there. We shouldn't even go out and play this team.
00:19:18
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:19:21
Speaker 5: That's not it at all. The vote is going to be strictly red. I'll never vote blue again in my life. But in this state, it's absurd, just absurd. I don't know about the sanity anymore.
00:19:35
Speaker 2: Better to light a candle, Peter.
00:19:38
Speaker 6: I don't know what else.
00:19:38
Speaker 4: I can tell you.
00:19:41
Speaker 5: They closed my parish at presentation, so.
00:19:44
Speaker 3: I don't know where to go now.
00:19:44
Speaker 5: Well, listen, good luck. September 1st, you got my vote.
00:19:50
Speaker 2: Thank you, Peter.
00:19:51
Speaker 3: Have a, have a great night. Okay.
00:19:53
Speaker 2: Uh, we got one line at 6, 1, 7, 2, 5, 4, 10 30. And one line at 6, 1, 7, 9, 3, 1, 10 30. Got to take a news break at the bottom of the hour. Uh, That sort of talk, you know, five, six days before an election is not helpful. In my opinion.
00:20:14
Speaker 3: Hey, Dan, I am an eternal optimist, Dan. I'm an optimist. I know we can do better. It's all about leadership.
00:20:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'm a glass half full guy.
00:20:26
Speaker 7: I just think that you've got to say, you know, you get knocked down, you get back up. You get knocked down, you get back up. It's as simple as that. And eventually they get tired of it. I'm trying to knock you down. We'll be back on Nightside right after the news at the bottom of the hour.
00:20:42
Speaker 1: It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:20:48
Speaker 2: My guest is Brian Shortslee, Republican candidate for governor here in Massachusetts. We're going to get to as many callers as we can, starting off right now with Dina down in Marion, Massachusetts. Dina, you are next on Nightside with Brian Shortslee. We're right ahead.
00:21:05
Speaker 8: Hey, Brian, how are you? Hey, Dan. So how are you? I'm just, you know what, I have been a fan of, not a fan, but I've been following Brian for quite some time. And I would say that it's really challenging as a Republican to shift away from the idea that somebody can be a moderate, a social moderate, and still be a solid Republican. And so I feel like sometimes we lose some of those votes that really are short-sighted. And at the same time, right now, capturing those independents and the Democrats, I.
00:21:41
Speaker 3: Mean, you fill that hole.
00:21:42
Speaker 8: You fill that open spot. Because Maura Healey, and I've said this before, I mean, I voted for her. I thought she was the better candidate, mistakenly, last time around. And I'm ashamed by it. Everything that's happened from The energy policy that started back in 2024, which is really what got me started, and seeing how you responded to it, the comments you made, all made sense to me. Her fiscal irresponsibility has been just astounding. Every time I turn around, she prioritizes her, in my opinion, her national ambitions. And so we really need, in my opinion, hands down, need Brian because he is You attract the broader audience, and people just have to get away from the party symbols too. Those independents just need to show up on primary day and vote and see– how else do I say it? Really vote for the person that's going to get the job done. So I'm all in for Brian. And it's been frustrating to watch this whole experience with the Republican Party. The pettiness has gone on from both. I mean, a little bit from both sides, but it's just the noise gets tunes out so much of the substance. And there's no comparison between Minogue and short sleeve. To me, it's a no brainer. So just wanted to sort of put my two cents in.
00:23:13
Speaker 3: All right.
00:23:15
Speaker 2: Well, that's more than two cents. Brian, go right ahead, Brian.
00:23:18
Speaker 3: Well, I'll tell you what, Dina, thanks for your confidence. And the one thing all the Republicans at the Worcester Convention agreed on back in April was we've got to beat Maura Healey. I'm the pro-choice Republican in this race. I am the candidate who can win. I am the electable conservative. Over the past 60 years, every governor we've elected in the state is a pro-choice governor. We need to put someone in who can beat Maura Healey. I can beat Maura Healey, but a vote for Mike Minogue in this primary is a vote for Maura Healey. If Mike Minogue is our nominee, this election will be about Trump and abortion. If I am the nominee, this election will be about your electric bills and about Maura Healey's failed policies, and we will win. Because at the end of the day, independent voters in Massachusetts, by a two-to-one margin, believe the state's headed in the wrong direction. They want immediate relief. They want tax relief. They want a governor who will slash all those fees out of their utility bills. They want to feel safe. I will do those things. We know exactly what independent voters want, but independent voters in Massachusetts are socially moderate. I'm a Charlie Baker Republican. I'm proud of that. I'm the guy that can win in November. And I really appreciate your support.
00:24:41
Speaker 2: Thanks, Dina. Appreciate your call.
00:24:43
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
00:24:44
Speaker 2: Have a great night. Thank you. Let's keep rolling. We're going to go to, oh, not too far from Marion. We'll go to Chris in Bunstable. Chris, you were next on Nice Out with Brian Shortsleeve. Go ahead, Chris.
00:24:56
Speaker 9: Good evening, guys. Thank you. I know time's at a premium, so I'll make it quick. I just wanted to make a point about judgment. You know, we need a governor who exercises good judgment. So next week, we're going to make our choice for governor. There's only one name on the ballot for lieutenant governor, and that's Brian's running mate, Sean Oliver. The other candidates didn't qualify for the ballot. You know, Brian exercised extremely good judgment, picking Sean Oliver as his running mate. They've run as a unified ticket since then. We need to keep them a unified ticket towards November. And I'm proud to support both of them. They both got my vote next week.
00:25:33
Speaker 2: All right. Short and sweet and to the point. That's for sure. Brian, quick comment for Chris.
00:25:38
Speaker 3: Well, I'll tell you, Sean Oliver is a great, great candidate. I am very, very proud of him. The first decision you make when you run for governor is to pick a running mate. I made a great choice in Sean Oliver. Mike Minogue failed that test. He did not recruit a running mate. And then he went off... and attack Sean Oliver for standing tall for election integrity. So I am thrilled with where we are with Sean. He represents the best of us. He's a corrections officer. He's a municipal leader in New Bedford. When I'm governor and he's lieutenant governor, New Bedford, Bristol County, Cape Cod, Plymouth County, we'll have a very loud voice on Beacon Hill.
00:26:19
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for the call, Chris. Appreciate you listening tonight.
00:26:22
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:26:22
Speaker 2: Have a great night. Going to go next to, yeah, get one more in here before the break. Don't have to make people wait that long. Bill, Billy is in Braintree. Billy, you are next on Nightside. Welcome.
00:26:33
Speaker 4: Yes, Brian, you were at the MBTA for one year. And when you took over the job, the team was a mess. And when you left, it was a bigger mess. You only lasted there one year. What was the problem there?
00:26:50
Speaker 3: Well, when I look back at my time at the T, the Boston Herald said that we turned an underperforming bloated agency into one that finally delivered for taxpayers and delivered results for riders. The Boston Globe said my leadership was the best thing that ever happened to the T. All the improvement you see today at the T, the new red line cars, the new orange cars, the green line extension, the automated fare collection system, that all goes back to the Fiscal Management Control Board back in 2015 and 16. Dan, you were talking earlier with a caller discussing whether you can get anything done in state government. When I went to the MBTA, we had a $ 300 million operating deficit. The T was in a financial crisis. The governor didn't call a politician. He called me a businessman, a turnaround artist. It took me one year to cut that deficit in half. It took us two years to balance the budget. And that's the first time the T had balanced the budget in 15 years.
00:27:50
Speaker 4: Nobody buys that. Nobody buys that. You left out a mess. You couldn't handle the job. Who are you kidding?
00:27:57
Speaker 2: Do you have any specifics there, Bill, that you'd like to share with us? No.
00:28:03
Speaker 4: Well, the construction is collapsing. There was all kinds of union problems. Crime on the T. I believe they were running in a deficit, financial deficit.
00:28:20
Speaker 2: And so you're going to blame that. Brian was there for what.
00:28:23
Speaker 7: Year, Bill?
00:28:25
Speaker 4: He's the general manager. He was there from 20, was it a little over a year? He's the general manager. He keeps boasting about his success at the team.
00:28:34
Speaker 2: Well, he just talked about some specifics. I was trying to get some specifics from you. Who are you voting for for governor, Bill?
00:28:42
Speaker 4: Minogue.
00:28:43
Speaker 2: Okay. Good luck. Thanks very much for your call. Let me take a break. Coming right back on Nightside. There's always one, Brian. Don't worry about it.
00:28:53
Speaker 3: Hey, look, Dan. I'll talk to anyone, anytime, anyplace. I'm happy to take tough questions. No, that's what.
00:28:59
Speaker 2: We do here on Nightside. I mean, it's as simple as that. But I just, I was looking for some specifics that maybe he might have said, you made this decision. I didn't hear any specifics there. But, you know, that's, you know, gave him a shot, gave him a shot. That's all. And I think he was honest with me. We'll be back on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve. Here, give us a call. The only one line is 617-931-1030. We're going to get everybody in the line in. And if you get in, we'll try to get you on as well.
00:29:31
Speaker 1: You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:29:37
Speaker 2: All right, back to the phones. We go try to get everyone in. Let me go to Ursula in East Boston. Ursula, next on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve. Go right ahead, Ursula.
00:29:47
Speaker 10: Hi, Dan. Thank you so much for taking my call. I'm just calling to tell Brian he's got my vote, the vote of everybody in our household. I admire Brian so much, and I think he is the only candidate that can go up to that statehouse and take on that legislature. He's already taken on the redheaded stepchild of state government, the MBTA, and I think that gives him great standing to take on the legislature. I think he is going to be a phenomenal governor, and I urge everybody to vote for him. He's got my admiration and my vote.
00:30:24
Speaker 2: That's pretty good endorsement, Ursula. Brian, say hello to Ursula.
00:30:30
Speaker 3: Well, Ursula, I appreciate your support. We've talked on this show tonight about whether you can get things done in public life. I will tell you this. Never let anyone tell you that you can't drive change in government. and you can't make tough decisions and drive reform and save money. You absolutely can't. When people tell you you can't get anything done, what it really means is they don't have the political will to do it. There's a tremendous amount we can do to make Massachusetts more efficient, to eliminate waste, to audit programs. And I did all those things at the T. We audited everything, every contract, every department, overtime, the cell phone bills. And what you find when you do that is that Often in these big state agencies, no one is looking for waste and abuse. If you look for it, you will find it. Across state government right now, across a $ 65 billion state government, you're going to find enormous, enormous opportunities to save money if you have a governor like me that's done it before. I mean, look at EBT and SNAP fraud. Dan, you've talked a lot about that. I mean, it is pervasive. Maura Healey has not done anything about that. Maura Healey has not made a single referral to the U.S. attorney on snap fraud. Andrea Campbell, who has sued Donald Trump 57 times, hasn't brought a single case, not a single case around public benefit fraud. Yet Leah Foley, the U.S. attorney, is now on her sixth snap And every time they do an investigation, Dan and Ursula, they find millions of dollars in fraud. We've got to do that across all of state government. I'm the guy to do it. I'm the man with the plan on this. I will not need on-the-job training. I know how to do it. I've done it before. I've walked the walk, not just talk the talk when it comes to on it.
00:32:28
Speaker 2: I loved the no-bid contract to the taxi cab company on Cape Cod, $ 6 million no-bid contract. for the folks who had come here during the great immigration debacle of the Biden administration. And the way it worked was that when they picked up one of the immigrants who had to go shopping or go to a doctor's appointment, the immigrants did not have cars, they would throw the meter and under the contract, the meter started at $ 40. So if they were driving someone a mile to a doctor's appointment, it would end up being a $ 43 cab fare because it started at $ 40. Welcome to Massachusetts.
00:33:12
Speaker 3: Diana DiZaglio did a terrific audit on that Mercedes cab contract. One of the things she found, Dan, was that the state was paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancellation and no-show fees to Mercedes cab. And she read the contract and she said, well, there's nothing in this contract that that provides for a cancellation fee. She asked the state procurement guy or gal, why are you paying it? You know what the answer was? The answer was no one in state government had ever reviewed a single invoice. They were just paying the bills.
00:33:50
Speaker 2: That's only the taxpayers' money. Ursula, loved your calls. Keep calling Nightside, okay?
00:33:54
Speaker 3: Thanks.
00:33:56
Speaker 10: Brian, my mom always said, it ain't bragging if you can do it, and you've already done it, and you're going to be a great governor.
00:34:03
Speaker 9: Can't wait.
00:34:04
Speaker 2: Thanks, Ursula. I appreciate it. Let me go to Nicole in Boston. Nicole, you are next on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve.
00:34:11
Speaker 3: Hi, Dan. I'm a big fan of the show.
00:34:13
Speaker 11: I just wanted to call in and say that I'm voting for Brian. And from the research that I've done, he's the only candidate with experience auditing a state agency. I mean, that guy talking about the MBTA. I don't see Mike Minogue in any positions like that. So, yeah, I just wanted to call in and say.
00:34:32
Speaker 9: Go Shortsleeve.
00:34:33
Speaker 2: All right. Quick to the point. Quick to the point. Thank you, Nicole. I appreciate it very much. Keep calling the show. I'm going to get two more in here for us, Brian. If with some luck, let me go to Susan in Brookline. Susan, you are you are next. Brookline is not a Republican stronghold, as I'm sure you know, Brian. But we got Susan. All right.
00:34:54
Speaker 12: My whole my whole family is voting for Brian. When Brian worked at the T, he had these public meetings.
00:35:02
Speaker 3: Every week and he'd go over the numbers.
00:35:05
Speaker 12: And I went to one of them and I was so impressed that I kept saying, I went home, I said to my husband, I hope this guy runs for governor someday. We need him. I mean, he's incredible. And then, and then I remember the Carmen's union was doing radio ads, trying to convince us that he was a bad guy and he wasn't negotiating fairly. Like that told me everything I needed to know.
00:35:31
Speaker 3: Thank you for the confidence. And I think transparency in state government is so important. I hosted over 150 public meetings every Monday for two years in front of the cameras. But I'm a big believer when you're in public life, you've got to be transparent. That is a huge difference between Mike Minogue and I. I'm an open book. I will tell you exactly where I stand. I will answer any question, anytime, anyplace. Mike Minogue refuses to take tough questions. He doesn't want to do debates. One of the reasons why he's at 32% right now in the polls against Maura Healey, which is about where I am, one of the reasons for that is despite $ 15 million of TV advertising, no one has heard of Mike. And the reason for that is because we haven't done televised debates. We have an opportunity in this race to do televised debates all over the state and radio debates on things like your show, Dan. That was a great opportunity for us to raise awareness out there with independent voters that we've got Republican candidates that have a plan, a plan on the economy, a plan on the audit. Mike Minogue has refused to debate. He doesn't want to answer questions.
00:36:48
Speaker 2: He doesn't want to come in and join us in March. for just what you call an introductory conversation. Susan, I want to get one more call in, but thank you so much for calling the show.
00:36:59
Speaker 12: Go short sleeve.
00:37:01
Speaker 4: Go short sleeve.
00:37:03
Speaker 2: All right.
00:37:03
Speaker 4: Thanks, Susan.
00:37:05
Speaker 2: John and Dedham, you are the caboose on the train here. You've got about 30 seconds. Go right ahead, John.
00:37:10
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:37:11
Speaker 4: I'll make it quick.
00:37:11
Speaker 6: I don't know if I can answer this in one phone call, Brian. First time I heard you on the radio station, you have my vote.
00:37:17
Speaker 4: I am concerned.
00:37:18
Speaker 6: I'm hoping, how do we get the stubborn Democrats and independents to realize that the Republicans are what the Democrat Party used to be? I've never seen the Democratic Party, not just Massachusetts nationally, so full of fraud, anti-victim, pro-criminal, anti-American.
00:37:35
Speaker 4: Citizen, pro-illegal.
00:37:36
Speaker 6: It's just mind-boggling. And Brian, what can I do to help you win? So if you please repeat the whole thing.
00:37:45
Speaker 2: You were anticipating my question here. Brian, how could folks get in touch with your campaign?
00:37:48
Speaker 3: It's a great question. Go grab 100 of your friends and tell them to get out and vote on Tuesday. Independents can vote in this primary. Turnout is often low. So just get on the phone, grab your friends that care about Massachusetts having a new direction. I'm a fighter. I will take the fight to Maura Healey. I will beat Maura Healey. But we need people to come out and vote. So think about like-minded friends. Send them a text. They can go in, vote early tomorrow, drag into the polls Tuesday. You can still get an absentee ballot. Got to get out there and vote.
00:38:21
Speaker 2: What's your website, Brian, real quickly?
00:38:23
Speaker 3: It's BrianShortSleeve.com or on Facebook, it's Brian Short Sleeve from Massachusetts. And I'm asking for your vote.
00:38:30
Speaker 2: All right. Thanks so much, Brian. Best of luck. We will talk to you, I'm sure, at some point in the not-too-distant future. Thank you so much for your time tonight.
00:38:38
Speaker 3: Thank you, Dan.
00:38:39
Speaker 2: And, John, thank you for your call. Keep calling Nightside. We've got to go for a break for the 10 o'clock news. And when we get back, we're going to talk about Meta's billion-dollar, in fact, their $ 17. 1 billion reckoning today.
Speaker 1: It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:00:07
Speaker 2: Thank you very much, Dan Watkins. As we move into the nine o'clock hour, last hour we had former New Hampshire Senator John Sununu. He is running to be reelected to the New Hampshire, to the U.S. Senate representing New Hampshire. We will have either he or Scott Brown, whoever prevails in the Republican primary. This is a Really probably a historical first, or it doesn't happen often that you have two former senators vying for a Republican, or for that matter, a Senate nomination in either party. We will follow that race closely, and we, of course, will follow the governor's race here in Massachusetts very closely. Delighted to have back with us Brian Shortsleeve. Brian, a week from tonight, the votes will have been counted. How are you feeling?
00:00:56
Speaker 3: Well, Dan, I feel great. I always love being on your show. I'm a regular listener and always appreciate an opportunity to jump on, talk to your viewers. The vote is underway, by the way, on the Republican side. We've had over 70,000 votes already cast. So if you are a Republican or independent, you can vote early this week. You can still vote by mail or you can show up on Tuesday. But this election has begun.
00:01:20
Speaker 2: I think they shut down the early vote, if I'm not mistaken, on Friday or after Friday. I think that's the end of the early voting. So if you want to get and do your early vote, you've got to get it done by Friday. And then you've got to get your your ballot in by mail. I don't know if there's a drop dead date on that. You would know that, Brian.
00:01:42
Speaker 3: There is, and it's coming right up. You've got to get those ballots in the mail by Saturday. But if you're going to drop it in that late, Dan, I would recommend people just get to the polls and vote in person because you want to make sure your vote is counted.
00:01:55
Speaker 2: You know, I'm voting by mail and have already voted by mail in this election. But I always enjoy when I'm home and can vote in my own home precinct, that's the most important way to vote because you go there, you see other people, you know you're participating in something that is much larger than yourself. I don't know if you can connect with what I'm saying there.
00:02:25
Speaker 4: Well, I agree.
00:02:26
Speaker 3: Being there in a precinct, getting your sticker. You know, I voted, bring in your kids, maybe who aren't voting age, but letting them experience it. I think it's so critical. It's such a core part of the American experience. So I think sometimes we take it for granted in this country. But turnout in primaries, Dan, tends to be low. So I'm encouraging all those independents and Republicans that are interested in the future of Massachusetts. Get out there and vote. Often in the Republican primary, turnout may be at or below 20%. And I'll tell you, I've traveled all over the state in the last six months. Voters in Massachusetts know the state is headed in the wrong direction. They want to get us back on the right track. They want change. I have laid out a very detailed set of things. I will do day one to restore affordability. We will strip state-mandated fees out of your utility bills. We will end the tax on tips, end the tax on overtime, suspend the gas tax, fight to roll that income tax from 5% back to 4%. Those are concrete things we can do to make this state more affordable. So if you're interested in getting involved and you believe that Massachusetts deserves a better direction, a better leadership, please get out there and vote.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: It is a sad observation, Brian, but I think your candidacy is really critical. And the reason I believe that is Whether you like it or not, the reality is we live in an overwhelmingly one-party state. The governor's a Democrat. House Speaker's a Democrat. The House is overwhelmingly Democratic. The Senate obviously has a Democratic Senate president where the legislature happens. The governor appoints the parole board, nominates judges. We are the epitome of a one-party. party state. I mean, the only state probably that is more singular party besides Massachusetts might be Russia. I hate to put it like that, but the Washington Post says democracy dies in darkness. We're a pretty dark state right now in terms of having, you know, the competitive fight between Republicans and Democrats. There are some great Republicans, there are some great Democrats, but it's almost like, you know, Custer at Little Bighorn. I mean, the odds are against, not Custer, but the odds are against, in Massachusetts, it's against the state if we continue as a one-party state.
00:05:07
Speaker 3: Well, Massachusetts has always worked better with balance. When I talk to independent voters who are 66% of the electorate now in this state, they don't have an R or a D next to their name. The truth is, in many cases, they feel abandoned by political parties. What they want is common sense voting. leadership. And generally they want, I'd say, fiscally conservative leadership. I am the type of Republican who can win in Massachusetts. I'm the electable conservative. I am a pro-choice Republican. And I'm a businessman, Dan. I've spent my entire life in the private sector building small companies. It's never been harder in Massachusetts than it is right now for small companies to thrive. And that's why we see stats that are coming out every week around businesses leaving Massachusetts. We're now 50th out of 50 in private sector job growth. We're bottom of the nation in terms of new business formation. And we've become a bottom 10% state in terms of college opportunities or job opportunities for young people. The reason for that is that businesses and people are leaving Massachusetts. I know how to get this economy growing again. I know what we have to do to get companies hiring and expanding here. And we need a businessman in the corner office. that can wake up every morning and think about how are we cutting taxes? How are we cutting fees? How are we cutting red tape? Because with 100 people a day walking out the door of Massachusetts, Dan, they are voting with their feet. But I'm the kind of candidate who can win on the Republican side. I am the kind of pro-business, socially moderate Republican that can win in November. And I'm the only candidate in this race who has laid out a very detailed set of plans on exactly what I'll do to make Massachusetts more affordable.
00:07:05
Speaker 2: I mentioned earlier that governors appoint judges, and that's one of the three branches of government. It's a very important branch. And there was this decision a couple of years ago from the state Supreme Court, which was a four to three decision. It's called the Mattis decision. And as a consequence of that decision, they latched onto some theory, some sociological theory that young people who commit a heinous murder, if they're younger than 21, their brain may still be forming or still be emerging. Now, their brain is formed and emerged enough to commit a murder. But the Mattis decision said that people 18, 19, or 20 who have committed murders have a right to a parole hearing. Basically, their sentence of life in prison without parole was vacated by the Mattis decision. And the parole board has taken that opportunity of granting hearings and basically is granting paroles, I think, at a rate when they, at least the first tranche of first-degree, now potentially free first-degree lifers, getting 72 percent, they're just turning them out in droves onto the streets of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I believe that I've heard that you said that one of the first things that you would do as governor, and there's a lot of first things you've got to do, would be to fire the parole board. Would you, if you're elected?
00:08:43
Speaker 4: I will do that.
00:08:45
Speaker 3: I will do that day one. The governor appoints five of the six parole board members. I will fire every single one of them. And we will put members on that board that put public safety first, that put the rights of victims first. What Maura Healey's parole board is doing is outrageous. It's not justice. It's a slap in the face to victims' families. They are releasing over 70% of the criminals that come up for consideration. They are putting murderers back on the street. So for anyone out there who wonders, does your vote matter? Does it matter who the governor is? The answer is yes, because when I am governor, I will control the parole board. I will remove all of those members. And we will put people on that board that are serious about public safety. And by the way, Dan, let's never lose sight of the fact. Let's never forget that the promise made today to Massachusetts residents when we did away with the death penalty was that we'd have something even better. We would have life without parole, okay? And apparently, we don't have that anymore either. It's a slow erosion of the criminal justice system in itself. Leadership means putting the mission first and not backing away from a tough fight. I learned that as a Marine.
00:10:09
Speaker 2: By the way, I'm sure you know this, but I want the audience to know this. These folks on the parole board, the salary is about $ 150, 000 or so for each of them. And Maura Healey has appointed the majority, but there was at least one up there who was a Charlie Baker appointee. So it's just– I just want to be fair to Maura Healey because I want my audience to know that I'm a fair to everyone, whether they're Republican or Democrat. There is a Baker nominee up there as well who was a former state representative, as I understand it. And so you'll have an opportunity not only to fire, if elected, the Healey board members, but you'll be able to fire a Baker board member too. Make it non-denominational, as it were, or non-political. Just get rid of them all and start from scratch.
00:10:58
Speaker 3: Public safety is so important, Dan. It's so important. I mean, I was in Fall River knocking on doors Saturday morning talking to families about what's most important to them. The number one thing I heard about was their electric bills. In one case, I talked to a woman who's now paying $ 680 a month in electricity. The second thing I heard about was public safety. Maura Healey's parole board has made the state less safe. Back about two months ago, there was a deranged madman up on Memorial Drive in Cambridge who had an assault rifle. He got 40 rounds off. Thank God there was a former Marine in a vehicle who had a license to carry legally. He's the one that stopped that guy. That individual who was doing the shooting in Cambridge? He had been, he had fired on Boston police officers back in 2020. Rachel Rollins, who is no, you know, she's no law and order type DA. Even Rachel Rollins had requested a 10-year sentence for that guy. He got five years with a soft on crime judge, and then the parole board let him out early. And here we are, he could have killed 30 people. So you've got to fire the parole board, and then you've got to put judges in place to They will end cashless bail. They will get serious about real sentences for people like that who should not be on the streets because the combination of all these things is making the city of Boston and making Massachusetts a less safe place every day.
00:12:33
Speaker 2: Well, you also know, and I did a story on this a week or so ago, Boston has had a big spike in murders this summer, June, July, and August. From January 1st to May 1st, there were five murders in Boston, an average of one a month. One a month. In June, five murders in the month of June. In July, seven murders. And in August is now, we'll end up like July with seven or eight murders. So it's, you know, this stuff is, this stuff is not getting better in Massachusetts right now.
00:13:12
Speaker 3: And, you know, I mean, I raised one of my friends in the South End.
00:13:20
Speaker 2: There's one Democrat who I will be voting for. I want you to know that. And I hope you vote for her as well. Diana DiZaglio. I mean, she has done a great job, but she has been stymied by the Democratic legislature for the legislature to be audited.
00:13:38
Speaker 3: So.
00:13:41
Speaker 2: I don't want to put you on the spot.
00:13:42
Speaker 3: She's doing a great job. I believe that she is running unopposed. And 72% of voters in this state voted for the audit. Look at that. You can't get 72% of people in Massachusetts to agree on anything. They agreed they wanted the audit. By the way, I'm the only candidate in this race who has ever audited a state agency. I did it a decade ago when I was running the financial restructuring in the MBTA. We went after the bureaucracy. We rebid contracts. We found millions and millions of dollars in waste and abuse. So when I'm governor, not only will I work with DiZaglio to get that legislative audit going, but more importantly, we will audit every single contract, every department, every line item, every program in state government. Massachusetts state government has grown by 60% over the last six years. We now have a 66% billion dollar budget. The growth in spending has been enormous. Yet when I look at Maura Healey, I don't see her taking any of the steps to eradicate things like snap fraud, to look for waste and abuse. I mean, if you don't look for waste and abuse, you will not find it. If you go through that budget and you audit every line item, every contract, Dan, there's going to be millions and millions of dollars in savings, and we owe it to taxpayers and to businesses to go do that.
00:15:06
Speaker 2: I was going to say, taxpayers, that's what funds it, taxpayers' money. Got to take a break. My guest, Brian Shortsleeve, Republican candidate for governor. He's on the ballot on September 1st, a little early for a primary date here in Massachusetts. And I'm a little late for our commercial break. We'll be right back here on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve.
00:15:28
Speaker 1: It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:15:34
Speaker 2: My guest is Brian Schwartzley. Brian, we only got a couple of minutes here before the news at the bottom of the hour, and I want to give people an opportunity to talk to you. If people like what you have to say, what's the easiest way for people to reach your campaign?
00:15:50
Speaker 3: Well, everything we do daily on Facebook, it's Brian Shortsleeve for Massachusetts. They're all of our events. And you can also go to our website at BrianShortsleeve.com.
00:16:00
Speaker 2: Pretty straightforward. Hey, let's get a call in. Why not? Well, that was quick and to the point. Let me start it off with Peter in Boxford, Massachusetts. Peter, you are next on Nightside First this hour with Brian Shortsleeve. Go ahead, Peter.
00:16:14
Speaker 5: Hi, Brian, Peter T. And actually calling in again, a classmate of your uncle Connor from BC high, big supporter. I'm just a little bit worried that you're going to be going into a den of brooding vipers, one man with a sword. And how much cooperation are you going to get? They've built up these kingdoms. They don't want to let go of them.
00:16:41
Speaker 3: How do we stop it all?
00:16:45
Speaker 2: Well, they say, was it Mao Zedong who said the longest journey begins with a single step? This might be the single step. Go ahead.
00:16:53
Speaker 3: Go ahead, Brian. Well, thanks for the question, Peter, and always great to connect with a friend of my uncle, Connor. Look, it's about leadership. If you have the right ideas and you have good ideas, people will follow you. You know, when Bill Weld became governor back in 1990, people told him you'd never be able to get anything done. All these Democrats, Democrat supermajority, Bill Weld cut taxes 21 times when he was governor. 21 times. He brought people along. And the reason that happened is because there was an acknowledgement that Massachusetts in those days was headed on the wrong track. We are here again. Massachusetts has a competitiveness problem. People and businesses are leaving the state. I'm a big proponent of rolling the income tax from 5% back to 4%. I've put that back on the ballot for 2028. It will pass. That is an example of something I believe we can get done. I will give you another example of something that I could get done day one with this Democratic legislature. And it's around energy policy. There are a lot of Democrats in the legislature that would like to see us slash all of those state mandated fees out of your electric bill. There's broad support for that. There's broad support for rolling the net zero 2030 and 2050 mandates. back and turning them into recommendations. Those are things I will do day one because there's broad support. But look, it's all about leadership. And one thing I teach in the Marine Corps is leadership is about putting the mission first and never backing down from a tough fight. My mission when I become governor is to restore affordability, and I'm ready to fight for that.
00:18:41
Speaker 5: I'm hoping you're absolutely correct there, Brian, but I just wonder about these people. Their mission is not yours.
00:18:51
Speaker 2: Well, Peter, what is the solution? To keep going down the same road?
00:18:57
Speaker 4: No, no.
00:18:58
Speaker 2: Just eliminate all Republicans from the ballot so we can have a purely Democrat state?
00:19:03
Speaker 5: No, but it's such a steep hill, and I know it's a separate time.
00:19:07
Speaker 2: You know, Peter, I've got to tell you, if you and I were on the same team... I don't want you on my team in the same locker room before the game. We're going to get killed out there. We shouldn't even go out and play this team.
00:19:18
Speaker 4: No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:19:21
Speaker 5: That's not it at all. The vote is going to be strictly red. I'll never vote blue again in my life. But in this state, it's absurd, just absurd. I don't know about the sanity anymore.
00:19:35
Speaker 2: Better to light a candle, Peter.
00:19:38
Speaker 6: I don't know what else.
00:19:38
Speaker 4: I can tell you.
00:19:41
Speaker 5: They closed my parish at presentation, so.
00:19:44
Speaker 3: I don't know where to go now.
00:19:44
Speaker 5: Well, listen, good luck. September 1st, you got my vote.
00:19:50
Speaker 2: Thank you, Peter.
00:19:51
Speaker 3: Have a, have a great night. Okay.
00:19:53
Speaker 2: Uh, we got one line at 6, 1, 7, 2, 5, 4, 10 30. And one line at 6, 1, 7, 9, 3, 1, 10 30. Got to take a news break at the bottom of the hour. Uh, That sort of talk, you know, five, six days before an election is not helpful. In my opinion.
00:20:14
Speaker 3: Hey, Dan, I am an eternal optimist, Dan. I'm an optimist. I know we can do better. It's all about leadership.
00:20:21
Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I'm a glass half full guy.
00:20:26
Speaker 7: I just think that you've got to say, you know, you get knocked down, you get back up. You get knocked down, you get back up. It's as simple as that. And eventually they get tired of it. I'm trying to knock you down. We'll be back on Nightside right after the news at the bottom of the hour.
00:20:42
Speaker 1: It's Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:20:48
Speaker 2: My guest is Brian Shortslee, Republican candidate for governor here in Massachusetts. We're going to get to as many callers as we can, starting off right now with Dina down in Marion, Massachusetts. Dina, you are next on Nightside with Brian Shortslee. We're right ahead.
00:21:05
Speaker 8: Hey, Brian, how are you? Hey, Dan. So how are you? I'm just, you know what, I have been a fan of, not a fan, but I've been following Brian for quite some time. And I would say that it's really challenging as a Republican to shift away from the idea that somebody can be a moderate, a social moderate, and still be a solid Republican. And so I feel like sometimes we lose some of those votes that really are short-sighted. And at the same time, right now, capturing those independents and the Democrats, I.
00:21:41
Speaker 3: Mean, you fill that hole.
00:21:42
Speaker 8: You fill that open spot. Because Maura Healey, and I've said this before, I mean, I voted for her. I thought she was the better candidate, mistakenly, last time around. And I'm ashamed by it. Everything that's happened from The energy policy that started back in 2024, which is really what got me started, and seeing how you responded to it, the comments you made, all made sense to me. Her fiscal irresponsibility has been just astounding. Every time I turn around, she prioritizes her, in my opinion, her national ambitions. And so we really need, in my opinion, hands down, need Brian because he is You attract the broader audience, and people just have to get away from the party symbols too. Those independents just need to show up on primary day and vote and see– how else do I say it? Really vote for the person that's going to get the job done. So I'm all in for Brian. And it's been frustrating to watch this whole experience with the Republican Party. The pettiness has gone on from both. I mean, a little bit from both sides, but it's just the noise gets tunes out so much of the substance. And there's no comparison between Minogue and short sleeve. To me, it's a no brainer. So just wanted to sort of put my two cents in.
00:23:13
Speaker 3: All right.
00:23:15
Speaker 2: Well, that's more than two cents. Brian, go right ahead, Brian.
00:23:18
Speaker 3: Well, I'll tell you what, Dina, thanks for your confidence. And the one thing all the Republicans at the Worcester Convention agreed on back in April was we've got to beat Maura Healey. I'm the pro-choice Republican in this race. I am the candidate who can win. I am the electable conservative. Over the past 60 years, every governor we've elected in the state is a pro-choice governor. We need to put someone in who can beat Maura Healey. I can beat Maura Healey, but a vote for Mike Minogue in this primary is a vote for Maura Healey. If Mike Minogue is our nominee, this election will be about Trump and abortion. If I am the nominee, this election will be about your electric bills and about Maura Healey's failed policies, and we will win. Because at the end of the day, independent voters in Massachusetts, by a two-to-one margin, believe the state's headed in the wrong direction. They want immediate relief. They want tax relief. They want a governor who will slash all those fees out of their utility bills. They want to feel safe. I will do those things. We know exactly what independent voters want, but independent voters in Massachusetts are socially moderate. I'm a Charlie Baker Republican. I'm proud of that. I'm the guy that can win in November. And I really appreciate your support.
00:24:41
Speaker 2: Thanks, Dina. Appreciate your call.
00:24:43
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
00:24:44
Speaker 2: Have a great night. Thank you. Let's keep rolling. We're going to go to, oh, not too far from Marion. We'll go to Chris in Bunstable. Chris, you were next on Nice Out with Brian Shortsleeve. Go ahead, Chris.
00:24:56
Speaker 9: Good evening, guys. Thank you. I know time's at a premium, so I'll make it quick. I just wanted to make a point about judgment. You know, we need a governor who exercises good judgment. So next week, we're going to make our choice for governor. There's only one name on the ballot for lieutenant governor, and that's Brian's running mate, Sean Oliver. The other candidates didn't qualify for the ballot. You know, Brian exercised extremely good judgment, picking Sean Oliver as his running mate. They've run as a unified ticket since then. We need to keep them a unified ticket towards November. And I'm proud to support both of them. They both got my vote next week.
00:25:33
Speaker 2: All right. Short and sweet and to the point. That's for sure. Brian, quick comment for Chris.
00:25:38
Speaker 3: Well, I'll tell you, Sean Oliver is a great, great candidate. I am very, very proud of him. The first decision you make when you run for governor is to pick a running mate. I made a great choice in Sean Oliver. Mike Minogue failed that test. He did not recruit a running mate. And then he went off... and attack Sean Oliver for standing tall for election integrity. So I am thrilled with where we are with Sean. He represents the best of us. He's a corrections officer. He's a municipal leader in New Bedford. When I'm governor and he's lieutenant governor, New Bedford, Bristol County, Cape Cod, Plymouth County, we'll have a very loud voice on Beacon Hill.
00:26:19
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for the call, Chris. Appreciate you listening tonight.
00:26:22
Speaker 4: Thank you.
00:26:22
Speaker 2: Have a great night. Going to go next to, yeah, get one more in here before the break. Don't have to make people wait that long. Bill, Billy is in Braintree. Billy, you are next on Nightside. Welcome.
00:26:33
Speaker 4: Yes, Brian, you were at the MBTA for one year. And when you took over the job, the team was a mess. And when you left, it was a bigger mess. You only lasted there one year. What was the problem there?
00:26:50
Speaker 3: Well, when I look back at my time at the T, the Boston Herald said that we turned an underperforming bloated agency into one that finally delivered for taxpayers and delivered results for riders. The Boston Globe said my leadership was the best thing that ever happened to the T. All the improvement you see today at the T, the new red line cars, the new orange cars, the green line extension, the automated fare collection system, that all goes back to the Fiscal Management Control Board back in 2015 and 16. Dan, you were talking earlier with a caller discussing whether you can get anything done in state government. When I went to the MBTA, we had a $ 300 million operating deficit. The T was in a financial crisis. The governor didn't call a politician. He called me a businessman, a turnaround artist. It took me one year to cut that deficit in half. It took us two years to balance the budget. And that's the first time the T had balanced the budget in 15 years.
00:27:50
Speaker 4: Nobody buys that. Nobody buys that. You left out a mess. You couldn't handle the job. Who are you kidding?
00:27:57
Speaker 2: Do you have any specifics there, Bill, that you'd like to share with us? No.
00:28:03
Speaker 4: Well, the construction is collapsing. There was all kinds of union problems. Crime on the T. I believe they were running in a deficit, financial deficit.
00:28:20
Speaker 2: And so you're going to blame that. Brian was there for what.
00:28:23
Speaker 7: Year, Bill?
00:28:25
Speaker 4: He's the general manager. He was there from 20, was it a little over a year? He's the general manager. He keeps boasting about his success at the team.
00:28:34
Speaker 2: Well, he just talked about some specifics. I was trying to get some specifics from you. Who are you voting for for governor, Bill?
00:28:42
Speaker 4: Minogue.
00:28:43
Speaker 2: Okay. Good luck. Thanks very much for your call. Let me take a break. Coming right back on Nightside. There's always one, Brian. Don't worry about it.
00:28:53
Speaker 3: Hey, look, Dan. I'll talk to anyone, anytime, anyplace. I'm happy to take tough questions. No, that's what.
00:28:59
Speaker 2: We do here on Nightside. I mean, it's as simple as that. But I just, I was looking for some specifics that maybe he might have said, you made this decision. I didn't hear any specifics there. But, you know, that's, you know, gave him a shot, gave him a shot. That's all. And I think he was honest with me. We'll be back on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve. Here, give us a call. The only one line is 617-931-1030. We're going to get everybody in the line in. And if you get in, we'll try to get you on as well.
00:29:31
Speaker 1: You're on Nightside with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
00:29:37
Speaker 2: All right, back to the phones. We go try to get everyone in. Let me go to Ursula in East Boston. Ursula, next on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve. Go right ahead, Ursula.
00:29:47
Speaker 10: Hi, Dan. Thank you so much for taking my call. I'm just calling to tell Brian he's got my vote, the vote of everybody in our household. I admire Brian so much, and I think he is the only candidate that can go up to that statehouse and take on that legislature. He's already taken on the redheaded stepchild of state government, the MBTA, and I think that gives him great standing to take on the legislature. I think he is going to be a phenomenal governor, and I urge everybody to vote for him. He's got my admiration and my vote.
00:30:24
Speaker 2: That's pretty good endorsement, Ursula. Brian, say hello to Ursula.
00:30:30
Speaker 3: Well, Ursula, I appreciate your support. We've talked on this show tonight about whether you can get things done in public life. I will tell you this. Never let anyone tell you that you can't drive change in government. and you can't make tough decisions and drive reform and save money. You absolutely can't. When people tell you you can't get anything done, what it really means is they don't have the political will to do it. There's a tremendous amount we can do to make Massachusetts more efficient, to eliminate waste, to audit programs. And I did all those things at the T. We audited everything, every contract, every department, overtime, the cell phone bills. And what you find when you do that is that Often in these big state agencies, no one is looking for waste and abuse. If you look for it, you will find it. Across state government right now, across a $ 65 billion state government, you're going to find enormous, enormous opportunities to save money if you have a governor like me that's done it before. I mean, look at EBT and SNAP fraud. Dan, you've talked a lot about that. I mean, it is pervasive. Maura Healey has not done anything about that. Maura Healey has not made a single referral to the U.S. attorney on snap fraud. Andrea Campbell, who has sued Donald Trump 57 times, hasn't brought a single case, not a single case around public benefit fraud. Yet Leah Foley, the U.S. attorney, is now on her sixth snap And every time they do an investigation, Dan and Ursula, they find millions of dollars in fraud. We've got to do that across all of state government. I'm the guy to do it. I'm the man with the plan on this. I will not need on-the-job training. I know how to do it. I've done it before. I've walked the walk, not just talk the talk when it comes to on it.
00:32:28
Speaker 2: I loved the no-bid contract to the taxi cab company on Cape Cod, $ 6 million no-bid contract. for the folks who had come here during the great immigration debacle of the Biden administration. And the way it worked was that when they picked up one of the immigrants who had to go shopping or go to a doctor's appointment, the immigrants did not have cars, they would throw the meter and under the contract, the meter started at $ 40. So if they were driving someone a mile to a doctor's appointment, it would end up being a $ 43 cab fare because it started at $ 40. Welcome to Massachusetts.
00:33:12
Speaker 3: Diana DiZaglio did a terrific audit on that Mercedes cab contract. One of the things she found, Dan, was that the state was paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in cancellation and no-show fees to Mercedes cab. And she read the contract and she said, well, there's nothing in this contract that that provides for a cancellation fee. She asked the state procurement guy or gal, why are you paying it? You know what the answer was? The answer was no one in state government had ever reviewed a single invoice. They were just paying the bills.
00:33:50
Speaker 2: That's only the taxpayers' money. Ursula, loved your calls. Keep calling Nightside, okay?
00:33:54
Speaker 3: Thanks.
00:33:56
Speaker 10: Brian, my mom always said, it ain't bragging if you can do it, and you've already done it, and you're going to be a great governor.
00:34:03
Speaker 9: Can't wait.
00:34:04
Speaker 2: Thanks, Ursula. I appreciate it. Let me go to Nicole in Boston. Nicole, you are next on Nightside with Brian Shortsleeve.
00:34:11
Speaker 3: Hi, Dan. I'm a big fan of the show.
00:34:13
Speaker 11: I just wanted to call in and say that I'm voting for Brian. And from the research that I've done, he's the only candidate with experience auditing a state agency. I mean, that guy talking about the MBTA. I don't see Mike Minogue in any positions like that. So, yeah, I just wanted to call in and say.
00:34:32
Speaker 9: Go Shortsleeve.
00:34:33
Speaker 2: All right. Quick to the point. Quick to the point. Thank you, Nicole. I appreciate it very much. Keep calling the show. I'm going to get two more in here for us, Brian. If with some luck, let me go to Susan in Brookline. Susan, you are you are next. Brookline is not a Republican stronghold, as I'm sure you know, Brian. But we got Susan. All right.
00:34:54
Speaker 12: My whole my whole family is voting for Brian. When Brian worked at the T, he had these public meetings.
00:35:02
Speaker 3: Every week and he'd go over the numbers.
00:35:05
Speaker 12: And I went to one of them and I was so impressed that I kept saying, I went home, I said to my husband, I hope this guy runs for governor someday. We need him. I mean, he's incredible. And then, and then I remember the Carmen's union was doing radio ads, trying to convince us that he was a bad guy and he wasn't negotiating fairly. Like that told me everything I needed to know.
00:35:31
Speaker 3: Thank you for the confidence. And I think transparency in state government is so important. I hosted over 150 public meetings every Monday for two years in front of the cameras. But I'm a big believer when you're in public life, you've got to be transparent. That is a huge difference between Mike Minogue and I. I'm an open book. I will tell you exactly where I stand. I will answer any question, anytime, anyplace. Mike Minogue refuses to take tough questions. He doesn't want to do debates. One of the reasons why he's at 32% right now in the polls against Maura Healey, which is about where I am, one of the reasons for that is despite $ 15 million of TV advertising, no one has heard of Mike. And the reason for that is because we haven't done televised debates. We have an opportunity in this race to do televised debates all over the state and radio debates on things like your show, Dan. That was a great opportunity for us to raise awareness out there with independent voters that we've got Republican candidates that have a plan, a plan on the economy, a plan on the audit. Mike Minogue has refused to debate. He doesn't want to answer questions.
00:36:48
Speaker 2: He doesn't want to come in and join us in March. for just what you call an introductory conversation. Susan, I want to get one more call in, but thank you so much for calling the show.
00:36:59
Speaker 12: Go short sleeve.
00:37:01
Speaker 4: Go short sleeve.
00:37:03
Speaker 2: All right.
00:37:03
Speaker 4: Thanks, Susan.
00:37:05
Speaker 2: John and Dedham, you are the caboose on the train here. You've got about 30 seconds. Go right ahead, John.
00:37:10
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:37:11
Speaker 4: I'll make it quick.
00:37:11
Speaker 6: I don't know if I can answer this in one phone call, Brian. First time I heard you on the radio station, you have my vote.
00:37:17
Speaker 4: I am concerned.
00:37:18
Speaker 6: I'm hoping, how do we get the stubborn Democrats and independents to realize that the Republicans are what the Democrat Party used to be? I've never seen the Democratic Party, not just Massachusetts nationally, so full of fraud, anti-victim, pro-criminal, anti-American.
00:37:35
Speaker 4: Citizen, pro-illegal.
00:37:36
Speaker 6: It's just mind-boggling. And Brian, what can I do to help you win? So if you please repeat the whole thing.
00:37:45
Speaker 2: You were anticipating my question here. Brian, how could folks get in touch with your campaign?
00:37:48
Speaker 3: It's a great question. Go grab 100 of your friends and tell them to get out and vote on Tuesday. Independents can vote in this primary. Turnout is often low. So just get on the phone, grab your friends that care about Massachusetts having a new direction. I'm a fighter. I will take the fight to Maura Healey. I will beat Maura Healey. But we need people to come out and vote. So think about like-minded friends. Send them a text. They can go in, vote early tomorrow, drag into the polls Tuesday. You can still get an absentee ballot. Got to get out there and vote.
00:38:21
Speaker 2: What's your website, Brian, real quickly?
00:38:23
Speaker 3: It's BrianShortSleeve.com or on Facebook, it's Brian Short Sleeve from Massachusetts. And I'm asking for your vote.
00:38:30
Speaker 2: All right. Thanks so much, Brian. Best of luck. We will talk to you, I'm sure, at some point in the not-too-distant future. Thank you so much for your time tonight.
00:38:38
Speaker 3: Thank you, Dan.
00:38:39
Speaker 2: And, John, thank you for your call. Keep calling Nightside. We've got to go for a break for the 10 o'clock news. And when we get back, we're going to talk about Meta's billion-dollar, in fact, their $ 17. 1 billion reckoning today.
