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3 takeaways from Josh Kraft's interview on WBUR's Morning Edition
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If last night's dramatic Celtics win over rival New York Knicks is a preview of what could come in the playoffs, sign me up. But first, the news:
The race to be Boston's next mayor is officially officially on. Mayor Michelle Wu formally kicked off her campaign for a second term this past weekend. And for the first time since announcing his own candidacy, challenger Josh Kraft joined WBUR host Tiziana Dearing for an in-studio interview to present his case that Wu is putting "ideology over results." Listen to the full interview here, or read the takeaways below:
- Marty rules: Kraft has centered his campaign around the promise of building more housing to lower costs. One way to do that? Relax affordability rules implemented by Wu that he says is making it harder to build. " I would return to the regulations under Marty Walsh to get housing built," Kraft told Tiziana. Specifically, as part of his housing plan, Kraft has said he would rollback the city's required percentage of income-restricted units in larger housing projects from 20% to 13%, the minimum threshold under Walsh. (The Dorchester Reporter has a closer look at the two candidates' housing positions here.)
- Not my dad: Kraft, who is running as a Democrat, stressed he has "never voted" for and "never financially supported" President Trump, despite his family's ties to the Republican. His father, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, was longtime friends with Trump (at least until the Jan. 6 riots), and Trump recently appointed the patriarch's wife to the board of the Kennedy Center. But the younger Kraft is not a fan. "I feel that he lacks the temperament, the ethics, and the values to be the president of the United States," he said, highlighting Trump's pardoning of Jan. 6 rioters and the recent Signal group chat fiasco as examples. "I love my dad, alright," Kraft said. "We agree on many things. One of the things we disagree on is Donald Trump, and we've disagreed on that since 2016."
- Speaking up for speech: Kraft is Jewish, and has crossed the partisan aisle in the past to support Republican members of Congress for taking pro-Israel positions. However, he said he does not support Trump' threats to pull funding from local colleges over their response to pro-Palestinian protests on campus. "One of the things that makes America great is the First Amendment," he said. "Whether I agree or disagree with you, that's not the issue. The issue is you should have the ability to speak your mind. So I will support that wherever and whenever."
ICYMI: Keep an eye on our Boston mayoral candidate tracker for the latest on who's formally in the race and the potential contenders who've hinted at a run.
Meanwhile at City Hall: Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson says she plans to resign from office, after agreeing yesterday to plead guilty to federal public corruption charges. As WBUR's Walter Wuthmann reports, the second-term councilor is facing a prison sentence of one year, plus three years of supervised release and restitution of $13,000, for organizing an alleged bonus kickback scheme. "Please forgive me," she said in a statement. "I will be resigning. It is the right thing to do."
- Now what? The exact timing of Fernandes Anderson's resignation remains unclear — which is sort of important. According to Boston's City Charter, the city will have to hold a summer special election (like in 2023) for her District 7 office, if Fernandes Anderson officially steps down before May 8. Several candidates have already announced plans to run for her seat in the November election.
Storm in a port: Massachusetts Port Authority leaders are warning that a proposed fee by the White House could be bad news for the Boston area. The Trump administration is looking to charge cargo ships built by or affiliated with China up to $1.5 million at each port visit. Massport CEO Rich Davey told reporters yesterday the fee could lead to ships bypassing the Port of Boston’s Conley Terminal.
- Why? While the Conley Terminal sees about 2.3 million metric tons of cargo per year, it's a relatively small port. "We would likely see a number of ships deciding to skip us and probably go right to New York, as an example," Davey said. He added a drop in business would both put terminal jobs at risk and force local businesses to spend more on ground services to bring goods to the state.
P.S.— Unfortunately, more April showers are in the forecast this weekend. The good news is there's still plenty to do around Boston, from Broadway trivia to an autism-friendly museum night to an early Earth Day celebration. Read the full list here.
