ReportWire

Tag: the economy

  • Donald Trump’s Golden Age of Awful

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    No matter how low one’s expectations were for 2025, the most striking thing about the year when Donald Trump became President again is how much worse it turned out to be.

    Did we anticipate that Trump would come back to office wanting to rule as a king, consumed by revenge and retribution, and encouraged by sycophants and yes-men who would insure that he faced few of the constraints that hampered him in his first term? Yes, but now we know that bracing for the worst did not make the inevitable any less painful. In the future, historians will struggle to describe that feeling, particular to this Trump era, of being prepared for the bad, crazy, and disruptive things that he would do, and yet also totally, utterly shocked by them.

    2025 in Review

    New Yorker writers reflect on the year’s highs and lows.

    A partial catalogue of the horrors of 2025 that not even the most prescient Trump-watcher could claim to have fully predicted: gutting cancer research in the name of expurgating diversity programs from the nation’s universities. Shutting the door to refugees—except for white Afrikaners, from South Africa. Empowering the world’s richest man to cut off funding for the world’s poorest children. Welcoming Vladimir Putin on a red carpet at an American Air Force base. Razing the East Wing of the White House, without warning, on an October morning. Alienating pretty much the entirety of Canada.

    Your list might be different from mine. There is so much from which to choose. And that is the point.

    Yet the biggest disappointment of 2025 may well have been not what Trump did but how so many let it happen. Trump has always been a mirror for other people’s souls, an X-ray revealing America’s dysfunction. If this was a test, there were more failing grades than we could have imagined.

    On the first day of his second term, the President pardoned more than fifteen hundred violent rioters who sacked their own U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, in a vain effort to overturn Trump’s 2020 election defeat. Even his Vice-President, J. D. Vance, had said that this was something that “obviously” shouldn’t happen; Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, later admitted that she had lobbied him not to go that far. But Trump didn’t listen. He was putting America on notice. The first outrage was a sneak preview of those to come: if there was a choice to be made, he would invariably opt for the most shocking, destructive, or corrupt option. And who was going to stop him?

    This is why any obituary for 2025 requires a special shout-out to those whose craven folding to Trump might well have proved to be among the biggest bad surprises of the year—the law-firm managing partners and corporate executives and technology tycoons who decided to pay protection money to the President rather than stand up for the rule of law that enabled their great success in the first place. Eight long years ago, the story of the first year of Trump’s first term was the rearguard struggle over control of the Republican Party; this time, with Trump having long ago won the battle for the G.O.P., he has extended his hostile takeover far beyond the realm of partisan politics, advancing a vision of breathtaking personal power in which the President claims the right to determine everything from what appears on the nightly news to the place names on our maps to which laws passed by Congress should be followed and which can be ignored.

    Just a year ago, it was still possible to envision a different course for Trump’s second term—to imagine that, while the President himself might really mean to carry through with his most radical plans, there remained strong forces in society to resist him. Republican leaders in Congress and the Trump-appointed conservative majority on the Supreme Court may yet prove to be something other than the willing handmaidens of democracy’s demise, but they have so far failed to do so. This past year’s disruptions are as much their work as Trump’s; without their acquiescence, as passive or unwilling as it has been at times, many of Trump’s most extreme acts would not have been possible. Just think about Senator Bill Cassidy, of Louisiana, a medical doctor who made much of the “assurances” he extracted from Trump’s vaccine-denying nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy won his confirmation vote, then broke the pledges he had made to get it. Cassidy has, in the tradition of the Senate, been deeply concerned ever since.

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    Susan B. Glasser

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  • Parenting 101: Last-minute holiday shortcuts

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    Whether you’re just getting through Hanukkah or gearing up for Christmas, the holidays can be a stressful time. So here are some last-minute hoiliday shortcuts to save you time, money, and headaches!

    – Make use of leftovers. Or freeze em. Stash some leftover turkey and gravy into Ziploc bags and freeze them, or turn them into a great soup, pot pie, or club sandwich. There’s no reason to go through the trouble of preparing big meals unless you can make use of the leftovers (and save time cooking more lunches and dinners). Throw the carcass into a crockpot with leftover carrots and celery, some water, and let it do it’s thing all day for a terrific and flavourful (and easy) stock. If you really don’t know what to do with all those leftovers, make up some care packages for neighbours. Or donate it to a local soup kitchen.

    – Have extra Tupperware, baggies, and bins on-hand. Kids will be tearing through toys and playsets that have lots of little pieces, so it’s best to have a few organizational tools to keep things in order. That way, pieces won’t get lost. It will also make putting the new toys away later a little easier.

    – Have a potluck. Instead of hosting and being in charge of an entire meal, ask everyone to bring one dish so the food prep is more evenly distributed. Switch things up and do fondue or make-your-own pizzas.

    – Buy ready-made cookie, pastry and bread dough. Why make it from scratch when you already have so much to do?!

    – When baking, make extra and freeze it for last-minute gifts in a pinch. Package cookies in a brown paper bag decorated with your child’s artwork for a distinctly rustic look, or stack in a repurposed Pringles’ can for a creative touch.

    – Enlist help from the kids. Kids can do a lot around the holidays to lighten your load. Have them make homemade cards for neighbours and teachers, decorate cakes or cookies, or help with decorating by giving them simple projects like making paper chains. 

    – Take a little time for you. Stop for five minutes. Sip a cup of tea while watching the snowfall. I know you have lots to do, but you need to pause and rest, even for a few minutes.

    Happy Holidays!

    Melany xx

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  • Apple Expects to Break Holidays Sales Records While Most People Tighten Their Budgets

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    Bored of tech companies that spend amounts of money so big they’re meaningless to you, and doing so while talking like messiahs? Here’s a company that’s planning to rake in an unimaginable amount of money instead, but without so much fanfare: Apple. The world’s greatest quadrilateral prism manufacturer is expecting, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, to have its “first-ever $140 billion quarter” this holiday season.

    This wasn’t one of Gurman’s trademarked leaks, but a closer analysis of something Apple Chief Financial Officer Kevan Parekh said while on a conference call last week that was mostly about tepid sales in China this past quarter: the company’s holiday bounce-back is expected to show sales growth of 10% to 12%. That’s perhaps twice the 6% growth Wall Street analysts had predicted, and would be Apple’s “best iPhone quarter ever.”

    If you’re reading this and saying to yourself “I can barely pay my bills, and neither can anyone else I know. How is Apple going to make all this money?” here’s some context: Where the United States is concerned, this projection means rich people are going to be buying a lot of Apple products over the holidays. It’s always the case that consumers with disposable income spend more, but right now, with the majority cutting spending due to inflation and wage stagnation, places where people with normal incomes go in person to spend money—like Chipotle—are dying, and the strong consumer economy is propped up to an unusual degree by the spending habits of the rich.

    Apple’s retail stores are decidedly not in the same category as Chipotle, and according to Gurman, Apple stores are “preparing for an ‘overnight’” starting on Nov. 11. An “overnight” is a bit of Apple-ese that means rearranging the gadgets and perhaps putting up new marketing materials. There isn’t some new Apple product dropping to go along with this overnight, so, Gurman notes, “it’s more likely related to setting up stores for the holiday season.”

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    Mike Pearl

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  • NEMLEC Police Foundation to host comedy night

    NEMLEC Police Foundation to host comedy night

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    DRACUT — Who is a mystery but two of Boston’s “best” comedians will perform when the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council Foundation Inc. hosts its annual comedy night next month to raise money for training programs for police officers in northeastern Massachusetts.

    The event is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 1, at Four Oaks Country Club, 1 Clubhouse Lane, Dracut. Doors open at 6 p.m. The program includes a cheese and cracker display, cocktail reception, a full buffet-style dinner, dessert and coffee.

    Tickets are $75 per person, or $750 for a table of 10. There are several sponsorship opportunities that range in cost from $250 to $2,000.

    NEMLEC allows member agencies to call in the group to respond to emergencies that smaller departments may not be equipped to handle.

    Proceeds will assist NEMLEC’s training programs, including NEMLEC SWAT/RRT/K-9 training, NEMLEC Motor Unit annual training, NEMLEC STARS training, basic and advanced criminal investigation training, school and business safety summits, and active shooter training.

    The programs are available to officers in the NEMLEC region, which is comprised of 65 law enforcement agencies in Middlesex and Essex counties.

    The money also will be used to support local charities, including Cops for Kids with Cancer, which supports families who are struggling with childhood cancer.

    Those who would like to buy a ticket or table, donate a raffle or auction item, or become a sponsor for the event, should contact Executive Director Sharon Crowley at 978-852-3589 or by email at nemlecfoundation@yahoo.com.

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  • Few prepared to cover long-term care costs

    Few prepared to cover long-term care costs

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    Editor’s note: The share of the U.S. population older than 65 keeps rising – and will for decades to come. Since nearly half of Americans over 65 will pay for some version of long-term health care, CNHI News and The Associated Press examined the state of long-term care in the series High Cost of Long-Term Care, which began Friday and continues this week.

    While many Americans will need long-term care as they get older, few are prepared to pay for it.

    Medicare, which provides Americans over the age 65 with health insurance, doesn’t cover most long-term care services. And Medicaid — the primary safety net for long-term care coverage — only covers those who are indigent.

    Federal estimates suggest 70% of people ages 65 and older will need long-term care before they die, but only 3% to 4% of Americans age 50 and older are paying for long-term care policies, according to insurance industry figures.

    The high cost of premiums for those private long-term care policies puts it out of reach for most people.

    Even some who have this kind of insurance find it doesn’t provide enough to cover the costs of home health aides, assisted-living facilities or nursing homes.

    “People think that long-term care insurance is for everyone — but it is not,” said Jessie Slone, executive director of the American Association for Long-term Care Insurance, an advocacy group. “It’s for a very small subset of individuals who plan, and have some retirement assets and income they can use to pay for it.”

    To qualify, applicants need to pass a health review. Slone said insurance companies have underwriting policies with “page after page” of conditions that will disqualify people from getting that coverage.”If you live a long life, the chances of you needing care are significant. So then the issue becomes who’s going to provide for that care, and who’s going to pay for it. For some, long-term care insurance is an option.”

    Prices vary, based on the age when people apply, how good their health is at the time, and how much coverage they want. “You have to start looking at this generally in your 50s or 60s,” Slone said. “Because, as you get older, you’re going to have conditions which insurers are going to look at, determine that you’re very likely to need long-term care and not give you a policy.”

    That coverage, if you can get it, doesn’t come cheap: In 2023, the annual average cost for a policy for a couple both age 55, taking out a $165,000 initial pool growing at 3% compounded annually — ranged from a low of $5,018 to $14,695 a year, according to the association.

    But, compared to auto insurance — which most people may never use — long-term care insurance is a good investment for those who can afford it, Slone said. “Car insurance is the most expensive insurance you ever pay because the chances of you getting into a car accident are somewhat remote. But the chances of someone needing long-term care if they make it to 90 are pretty significant.”

    Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, a national nonprofit advocacy group, views it differently. She said the private long-term care insurance system has become a “bust” amid rising premiums and difficulties accessing benefits.

    Consider the fact that the number of companies offering long-term care insurance is declining, while payouts are steadily increasing as the baby boomer generation ages.”Most people have found it very expensive,” Smetanka said. “But, at the same time, people are finding that it wasn’t covering what they needed.”

    Last year, insurers paid a record of more than $14 billion to cover an estimated 353,000 long-term care claims, according to industry figures. That’s compared to about $11.6 billion just three years ago.

    Currently, there are about 7.5 million people in the U.S. age 65 and older with private long-term care insurance, according to industry data.

    With that incentive, some states, including Washington and California, are looking at creating long-term care social insurance pools funded by payroll taxes and other sources of funding. The effort also is being spurred, in part, by the rising costs borne by states for Medicaid long-term care coverage, which they share with the federal government.

    “More and more states are coming to the conclusion that this is an under-funded system,” said Marc Cohen, a researcher and co-director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. “There are simply not enough dollars going into the system – given the needs and the demands of the growing elderly population.”

    So far, Washington is the only state to try to address the issue. A law approved by the state Legislature in 2019 created a long-term care benefit program, which provides residents with up to $36,500 to pay for costs such as caregiving, wheelchair ramps, meal deliveries and nursing home fees.

    The Cares Funds is covered by a payroll tax that deducts 0.58% out of paychecks but guarantees a $36,500 lifetime benefit for those who have paid into the fund for 10 years.

    Several other states are studying the issue. In California, a task force is looking at how to design a long-term care program, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Massachusetts, Illinois and Michigan also are weighing the costs versus benefits of creating a state long-term care benefits program.

    But the issue of imposing new taxes to pay for long-term care insurance is controversial — and politically unpopular — on both a state and federal level.

    Washington’s long-term care insurance law is facing a repeal effort from a group backed by hedge fund executive Brian Heywood that argues the system should be voluntary. Voters in November will decide whether to allow people to opt out, which supporters say would essentially gut the program.

    “There are a lot of states that are looking to see what happens in Washington,” Cohen said. “If this billionaire who is funding this repeal effort wins, it will be a real blow.”

    Cohen said efforts on a federal level to create a publicly funded insurance pool haven’t gained much traction. A long-term care program created by Congress through the CLASS Plan, which was tied to the Affordable Care Act, was voluntary. That law was repealed in early 2013.

    “It never got off the ground before it was repealed,” he said. “With the dysfunction in Congress, we’re likely to see more action on a state level than the federal.”

    Recent polls suggest there may be some public support for the move. A survey by the National Council on Aging found more than 90% of the 1,000 female respondents across party lines support the idea of creating a government program to pay for the cost of long-term care.

    “The level of support was significant, and very bipartisan,” said Howard Bedlin, a long-term care expert with the council. “People keep talking about how Congress can’t find bipartisan support. Well, the voters clearly support it.

    “The politicians just aren’t giving these issues the attention they deserve.”

    Christian M. Wade is a reporter for North of Boston Media Group.

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    By Christian M. Wade | CNHI News

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  • Safety net hospital fund shortfall widening

    Safety net hospital fund shortfall widening

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    BOSTON — Lawmakers are seeking more support for the state’s safety net hospitals amid rising concerns about the fiscal health of a fund that helps cover medical costs for large numbers of uninsured and low-income patients.

    Hospitals and health insurers pay into the so-called safety net fund – a pool of money that helps fund care for hundreds of thousands of low-income residents who are uninsured or underinsured – with the state chipping in additional funding. But if the fund runs low, hospitals are on the hook for the shortfall.

    The fund is projected to have a shortfall of more than $220 million in the upcoming fiscal year, hospitals say, rising to the highest level in nearly two decades.

    Without additional funding, financially challenged hospitals will be forced to cover the deficit, leaving less money to provide medical care for low-income and uninsured patients, they say.

    An amendment to the Senate’s version of the $57.9 billion state budget filed by Sen. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, would require commercial health insurance companies to cover 50% of any revenue shortfalls in the safety net fund.

    “We need to do something to help our local hospitals,” Finegold said. “This is part of a long-term problem with funding for hospitals that serve the state’s most vulnerable residents. We need to fix it.”

    Many earmarks

    Finegold’s proposal is one of more than 1,000 amendments to the Senate’s budget, many of them local earmarks seeking to divert more state money to local governments, schools, cash-strapped community groups and nonprofits. Only a handful will likely make it into the Senate’s final spending package.

    The plan faces pushback from the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, which represents commercial insurers who would be impacted by the proposed changes to the hospital safety net program.

    Lora Pellegrini, the group’s president and CEO, said requiring insurers to cover the fund’s shortfalls would jeopardize negotiations between the state Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that seek to reduce assessments paid by medical insurance carriers.

    “This really came out of nowhere, and would be counterproductive to those efforts,” she said. “We have a committee process for a reason and that’s where these kinds of special interest issues should be vetted, not in the budget.”

    But the move is backed by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, which says requiring insurers to cover the shortfall would help alleviate an “unmanageable financial burden” on the health care system “by broadening funding support for the program.”

    “The Health Safety Net is a vital component of Massachusetts’ healthcare infrastructure and its ability to cover the costs of care for low-income and uninsured patients,” Daniel McHale, MHP’s vice president for Healthcare Finance & Policy, said in a statement.

    “At this increasingly fragile time for the entire health care system, it is imperative that we take the steps needed to stabilize the safety net for the people and providers who rely on it each day.”

    Local hospitals affected

    The state’s safety net hospitals and community health centers – which include Lawrence Hospital, Salem Hospital, Holy Family Hospital in Methuen and Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport – serve a disproportionate percentage of low-income patients.

    Many are heavily dependent on Medicaid reimbursements, which are typically less than commercial insurance payouts.

    Nearly 30% of Lawrence General’s gross revenue is for care provided to Medicaid, or MassHealth, patients. The state average is 18%.

    Many community hospitals are collecting from low-paying government insurance programs, and getting below-average reimbursements from commercial insurers, advocates say.

    Lawmakers also swept money from the hospital safety net fund to help cover the costs of new Medicare savings programs that pay some or all of eligible senior citizen’s premiums and other health care costs, including prescriptions.

    Hospitals are also seeing increased demand from uninsured patients as hundreds of thousands of Medicaid recipients see their state-sponsored health care coverage dropped following the end of federal pandemic-related programs, which is driving up costs. Claims processing problems are another factor adding to hospital costs, they say.

    Those and other factors have widened the fund’s shortfall from $68 million in fiscal 2022 to more than $210 million in the previous fiscal year, according to the hospital association. Combined, the shortfall could reach $600 million for the three fiscal years, the association said.

    Biggest expense

    The House, which approved its $58.2 billion version of the state budget two weeks ago, proposed $17.3 million in state funding for the hospital safety net fund. The Senate, which begins debate on its version of the budget next week, has proposed a similar amount.

    In the current budget, the state allocated $91.4 million for the safety net fund.

    But the House budget didn’t include an amendment requiring insurers to help hospitals pay the shortfall. That means even if the Senate approves Finegold’s amendment, it would still need to be negotiated as part of the final budget before landing on Gov. Maura Healey’s desk for consideration.

    Health care coverage, in the meantime, is one of the state’s biggest expenses. Medicaid costs have doubled in the past decade and now account for nearly 40% of state spending.

    MassHealth serves more than 2 million people – roughly one-third of the state’s population – despite federal Medicaid redeterminations that have reduced its rolls over the past year.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • More plans In works for NECC

    More plans In works for NECC

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    HAVERHILL — Public officials are attaching major goals to a plan to redevelop about 16 acres at Northern Essex Community College.

    The Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance and the college on Monday released a request for proposals for a long-term ground lease and redevelopment of campus health and wellness facilities.

    Officials want plans “that will address deferred maintenance, contribute to campus decarbonization, foster neighborhood relationships, and boost recruitment and retention by enabling vibrant athletic programming,” according to DCAMM. 

    The RFP invites proposals encompassing a 45,000-square-foot sports and fitness center, as well as a parking area, baseball field, softball field and asphalt track.

    DCAMM said the RFP was informed by extensive planning and a public hearing in 2023, and “while complementary and mutually reflective of NECC’s creativity and collaborative approach, this project is not directly related to the recently announced potential partnership between Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School and NECC.”

    A site tour is planned for June 26, with a bidders conference on July 10 and proposals due by Aug. 30.

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    By Michael P. Norton | State House News Service |

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  • Stepping up for Colleen

    Stepping up for Colleen

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    A large crowd turned out last Sunday for the 11th annual Step Up for Colleen 5K Walk/Run in Andover. Members of the crowd were decked out in their pink race shirts as they sought to raise money for charity and celebrate the life of Colleen Ritzer, of Andover, a Danvers High School teacher who was murdered in October 2013. Members of the Ritzer family were on hand — her parents Tom and Peggie, sister Laura and brother Dan — to honor Colleen’s commitment to help and inspire others. Boston Bruins national anthem singer Todd Angilly turned out for the event as did mascots for the New England professional sports teams, including Pat Patriot and Bruins mascot Blade.

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    By News Staff

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  • Senate unveils $59.7B budget

    Senate unveils $59.7B budget

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    BOSTON — Money for free community college, regional transportation and increased spending on housing and child care are among the highlights of the Senate’s version of next year’s budget, which was rolled out Tuesday.

    The $59.7 billion Senate budget is slightly more than a spending plan approved by the House of Representatives about two weeks ago, and boosts local aid to communities in the next fiscal year by $38.1 million to nearly $1.3 billion.

    Meanwhile, it increases Chapter 70 funding for schools by $316 million to more than $6.9 billion. That would fully fund the third year of the Student Opportunity Act, which was approved by the Legislature in 2019. The law calls for diverting $1.5 billion to schools over seven years.

    The plan also proposes spending $1.3 billion in proceeds from the newly enacted “millionaires tax” by divvying up the money for a range of education and transportation programs and new initiatives.

    The voter-approved law, which went into effect last year, set a 4% surtax on incomes above $1 million.

    Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues said the plan makes targeted investments in higher education, transportation, and reflects the upper chamber’s efforts to make the state “more affordable, equitable and competitive.”

    “It maximizes and continues to build on the progress we’ve made in key sectors of the state economy,” the Westport Democrat told reporters at a briefing Tuesday.

    The Senate’s budget doesn’t call for raising taxes or new fees, and pumps more money into the state’s reserves or rainy day fund, which would bring the total to more than $9 billion by the end of the fiscal year.

    A key provision of the Senate budget calls for spending $117.5 million to offer free community college for all Massachusetts residents, and another $28 million for stipends for low-income community college students to cover the cost of books, transportation and child care, among other expenses.

    The plan would earmark $214 million for the state’s 15 regional transit authorities – including $40 million to provide bus service free of charge to passengers. Several RTAs, including the Merrimack Valley Transit Authority, have been offering free and discounted bus service under pilot programs.

    Increased funding for expanding child care, health care, housing and mental health services also are part of the Senate’s proposal.

    The House approved a nearly $58 billion budget that includes new spending on public transportation, public safety, environmental protection, health care and housing. Healey unveiled a $56.1 billion budget in January that calls for capping spending increases at 2.9% across the board, citing the state’s declining revenue collections.

    Lawmakers are debating the spending plan amid concerns about the state’s finances, with taxes and other revenue coming in below benchmarks in recent months, and with federal pandemic aid drying up.

    Healey wielded her executive powers in February to slash $375 million from the current fiscal year budget to close a gap between spending and revenue.

    Senate President Karen Spilka said the spending plan calls for making “key investments,” but shows fiscal restraint as “prudent stewards of taxpayer dollars.”

    “Revenues rise and fall, but this is not the time to take our foot off the pedal when it comes to making investments in our residents that will improve quality of life, build a world-class workforce and keep people in Massachusetts so they can live, work and raise a family,” the Ashland Democrat told reporters on Tuesday.

    Senators are expected to file hundreds of proposed amendments to the budget ahead of debate on the spending bill next week, which could drive up the bill’s final price tag. The fiscal year begins July 1.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Biden’s nursing home rules face pushback

    Biden’s nursing home rules face pushback

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    BOSTON — Nursing homes would be required to meet stringent staffing requirements under new Biden administration rules that the long-term care industry says are “unattainable” and could force some facilities to close their doors.

    The new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rules, which were finalized last month, will require nursing facilities that receive federal funding through the programs to employ enough staff to provide at least 3.48 hours of daily care for each resident.

    That includes 2.45 hours of nurse aide time and 0.55 hours of registered nurse assistance. Facilities also must have a registered nurse on site 24 hours-a-day, seven days a week.

    The White House says the new rule will require nursing facilities with 100 residents to have at least two registered nurses and at least 10 nurse aides as well as additional care staff per shift. Facilities caring for residents with higher needs will be required to increase staffing above the minimum levels, according to the new rules.

    Additionally, the Biden administration is requiring home care agencies allocate at least 80% of their Medicaid payments to staff compensation. States would have flexibility to adjust the rules for small and rural home care providers, according to the directive.

    Nursing home operators that fail to meet the new federal standards could lose Medicare and Medicaid funding, effectively putting them out of business.

    “Medicare and Medicaid pay billions of dollars per year to ensure that 1.2 million Americans that receive care in nursing homes are cared for, yet too many nursing homes chronically understaff their facilities, leading to substandard or unsafe care,” the White House said in a statement.

    “When facilities are understaffed, residents may go without basic necessities like baths, trips to the bathroom, and meals – and it is less safe when residents have a medical emergency,” the statement said.

    But the Massachusetts Senior Care Association, which represents nursing homes, said the new rules are “simply unattainable” for nearly every facility and, if implemented, “would lead to widespread disruption in accessing skilled nursing facility care.

    The association said the workforce crisis — with more than 7,000 vacant positions in nursing facilities — is “directly contributing to the current instability throughout the Massachusetts health care system.”

    “CMS’ failure to provide funding to hire, train and upskill the thousands of individuals necessary to meet the requirements of the final rule is projected to cost over $175 million annually in the commonwealth alone,” Tara Gregorio, the group’s president, said in a statement.

    Gregorio said the association is “fully committed to working with our government partners to secure the funding necessary to hire additional direct care workers, increase wages for our deserving staff, and to promote career pathways.”

    A MassHealth spokesperson said the agency, which oversees nursing homes, is “deeply committed to ensuring that members receiving services at nursing facilities across the state are getting excellent care.

    “We are currently reviewing the rule and its impact and look forward to working with our federal, state, and local partners,” the statement said.

    The state Department of Health’s long-term care facility regulations require a minimum of 3.580 hours of care per resident a day, 0.508 hours of which must be by a registered nurse. That’s higher than the standard for the new CMS regulation.

    DPH regulations also require 24 hour nursing service with an adequate number of trained nursing personnel on duty around the clock, according to the state agency.

    The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that roughly one-quarter of facilities would meet the minimum nursing requirement, including the onsite 24/7 rule.

    But the American Health Care Association, a trade group representing for-profit nursing homes, says about nine in 10 facilities would fail to meet at least one of the new staffing requirements. One-third of facilities would fail to meet all three standards, the group said.

    “While it may be well intentioned, the federal staffing mandate is an unreasonable standard that only threatens to shut down more nursing homes, displace hundreds of thousands of residents, and restrict seniors’ access to care,” AHCA President and CEO Mark Parkinson said in a statement. “It is unconscionable that the Administration is finalizing this rule given our nation’s changing demographics and growing caregiver shortage.”

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • SENIOR LOOKOUT: Breakfast raises money for Meals on Wheels

    SENIOR LOOKOUT: Breakfast raises money for Meals on Wheels

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    In 1974, World War II veteran and Gloucester House owner Michael Linquata offered the Gloucester House Restaurant to SeniorCare to use for a fundraiser benefitting the Meals on Wheels home-delivered meals program. After Mike’s retirement from the restaurant, Lennie and Dotty Linquata carried on this tradition, helping SeniorCare raise tens of thousands of dollars to ensure older people who have difficulty preparing their own food, or are unable to get out, receive a nutritious meal at their home Monday through Friday throughout the year.

    For five decades, the Gloucester House in downtown Gloucester has welcomed diners for a special Breakfast Buffet in the name of Meals on Wheels. This breakfast is a community tradition, supported by dozens of sponsor organizations, students from the Gloucester High School JROTC program, and individual community members. This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the breakfast, the need to raise money for this important program is more urgent than ever before.

    SeniorCare delivers Meals on Wheels to more than 600 older adults each day. In 2025, SeniorCare expects to provide 200,000 meals in the homes of and at dining sites for older residents in Gloucester, Beverly, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Topsfield, and Wenham. The anticipated expense to provide these meals is $2 million. Funding for the program is projected to fall short by $140,000. Grant writing and fundraising events such as the breakfast will be needed to successfully deliver these meals.

    According to the Greater Boston Food Bank, 1 in 3 Massachusetts adults face food insecurity and the number of people accessing its partner food pantry network doubled during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2022 report “The State of Senior Hunger in 2020,” published by Feeding America, Massachusetts reports that 5.3% of seniors in the state were experiencing food insecurity.

    Researchers who study senior hunger say the causes are complex and compounded. Many older residents no longer drive due to safety concerns or they can no longer afford the expense of owning a vehicle. Rides on public transportation may be difficult due to illness, disability, and dementia. These illnesses alone can deprive a person of the ability to feed themselves. Food insecurity can then cause worsening of health conditions — it’s a vicious circle. The bottom line is that adequate nutrition is a critical aspect of healthy aging.

    Meals on Wheels is not just a nutrition program. In addition to lunch, the Meals on Wheels driver brings companionship and a watchful eye on the health and safety of our seniors. Some lunch recipients tell us that their driver is the only person they see on most days.

    The 2024 Meals on Wheels Fundraiser Breakfast will be held next Friday, May 17, from 7-9:30 a.m. at the Gloucester House, 63 Rogers St in Gloucester. Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased online at www.seniorcareinc.org or will be available for purchase at the door.

    As mentioned earlier, the Gloucester House Restaurant has hosted this fundraiser breakfast buffet to benefit Meals on Wheels since 1974. One hundred percent of the proceeds from these amazing community breakfasts has been used to support Meals on Wheels. The Linquata family’s generosity and kindness are not lost on us. We are grateful for this long-standing tradition and we give much thanks to the Linquata family and the Gloucester House team.

    For more information on SeniorCare’s nutrition programs — including how to volunteer to help or how to get assistance for an older friend in your life —contact SeniorCare at 978-281-1750 or visit our website at www.seniorcareinc.org.

    Tracy Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

    Tracy Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

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    Senior Lookout | Tracy Arabian

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  • Bankrupt Steward to sell hospitals

    Bankrupt Steward to sell hospitals

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    BOSTON — Bankrupt Steward Health Care System said it plans to sell all its hospitals — including eight in Massachusetts — to help pay off $9 billion in outstanding liabilities.

    The privately owned health care group is preparing to put its 31 U.S. hospitals up for sale as early as next month and hopes to finalize transactions by the end of the summer, the company’s attorneys said at a Tuesday hearing in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Texas.

    Steward, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, plans to keep all of its hospitals open over the long term, attorney Ray Schrock told U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Chris Lopez, who is overseeing the company’s Chapter 11 proceedings.

    “Our goal remains that there are zero hospitals closed on our watch,” Schrock said. “There’s going to be a change in ownership in many hospitals, we recognize that. But we don’t want to see any of these communities fail to be served.”

    In court filings, Steward disclosed that it has $9 billion in liabilities, including $1.2 billion in loans, $6.6 billion in rent obligations, $1 billion owed to medical vendors and suppliers, and $290 million in unpaid employee wages and benefits.

    The company plans to hold auctions on June 28 for its hospitals outside of Florida, according to court filings. The deadline was negotiated as part of a $75 million bankruptcy loan, but Schrock said Steward may seek more time to sell its hospitals if necessary.

    “What we don’t want to do is have a fire sale of the assets,” Schrock told the judge, according to published reports. “There is a lot of value here.”

    Steward, the largest private for-profit hospital chain in the country, operates 31 hospitals across eight states — including Holy Family Hospital in Methuen and Haverhill — and employs more than 30,000 people, according to its website.

    The company also operated New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, which closed in April, leaving behind millions of dollars in unpaid rent and fees.

    Steward’s management has cited an increase in operating costs and insufficient federal government-program reimbursement among the factors leading to the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

    Gov. Maura Healey has blamed “greed and mismanagement by Steward’s management, and says the bankruptcy process will increase transparency in the company’s hospital system.

    Healey has stressed that medical care will continue at the Steward hospitals throughout the bankruptcy proceedings and that patients won’t go without medical care.

    “Ultimately, this is a step toward our goal to getting Steward out of Massachusetts, and it allows us to do that to protect access to care, preserve jobs, and stabilize our health care system,” she told reporters at a Tuesday briefing on the company’s bankruptcy filing.

    The Healey administration has activated an “emergency operations plan” in response to Steward’s financial woes, including a command center to monitor the company’s hospitals in the state and manage the fallout of a bankruptcy filing.

    In a court fling ahead of Tuesday’s bankruptcy hearing in Texas, Attorney General Andrea Campbell argued that Steward “extracted value” from its Massachusetts hospitals to “pay substantial dividends to investors and expand their network in other states.”

    “These diversions have threatened to impact the debtors’ hospitals’ ability to provide health care within the commonwealth,” she wrote. “The debtors’ hospitals have been left without adequate resources to timely acquire and maintain needed equipment and infrastructure or even ensure an uninterrupted supply of emergency room drugs. Many are in disrepair.”

    Healey and members of the state’s congressional delegation, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have criticized the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management’s role in Steward’s finances. Cerberus created Steward after buying St. Elizabeth’s and five other Catholic hospitals in Massachusetts in 2010, according to the company’s website.

    In a statement, the company’s CEO, Ralph de la Torre, said the bankruptcy proceeding will ensure that the company is “better positioned to responsibly transition ownership of its Massachusetts-based hospitals, keep all of its hospitals open to treat patients, and ensure the continued care and service of our patients and our communities.”

    Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Cahill touts financial strength in State of City address

    Cahill touts financial strength in State of City address

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    BEVERLY — Mayor Mike Cahill used his annual State of the City address this week to highlight accomplishments and to reiterate that the city is in a strong financial position.






    Mike Cahill




    In a 30-minute speech at City Hall, Cahill said the city has built up reserves of over $30 million over the last decade — money that can be used to keep the city running smoothly in the event of an economic downturn.

    “Our reserves are meant to get us through a recession when revenues fall precipitously and to do so without wholesale layoffs and drastic deep cuts to critical services,” Cahill said.

    “These reserves are not meant to be used to outspend still strong and growing revenues during good economic times,” he added. “They are meant to help us keep delivering the services people need and rely on right through the worst economic times and through economic recovery from those bad times.”

    In his speech in front of the City Council on Monday night, Cahill ran down the accomplishments of each city department, calling it “a great year in Beverly.”

    Highlights mentioned by Cahill included:

    – The hiring of the first woman as city engineer, Lisa Chandler

    – Progress on upcoming traffic projects like a proposed roundabout at the intersection of Brimbal Avenue and Dunham Road, a traffic signal at the intersection of Corning, Essex and Spring streets, and the Bridge Street reconstruction project

    – Daily visits to the Senior Center are up 63%

    – Over 150,000 people visited the library

    – Two new parks on Simon Street will be completed this summer

    – New tennis courts will be built at Centerville and Cove playgrounds

    – A major renovation of Holcroft Park will begin this summer

    – The city’s senior tax workoff program has grown from 50 to over 90 seniors

    – The city will launch its first Beverly Youth Council for young people to learn more about local government and advocate for youth issues

    – The Fire Department has ordered a new pumper truck, which will replace Engine 1 in Central Fire Station when it arrives

    – Five new civilian dispatchers have been hired for the combined civilian, emergency medical services, police and fire dispatch system, with the goal to be “fully civilian” by fall, freeing up uniformed police officers to serve out in the community

    – The city’s veterans department prevented the eviction of three veterans from their houses

    – The city received 73 of the 80 grants it applied for over the last fiscal year, bringing in over $5 million in revenue

    – The mayor’s office launched an iPad translation program for visitors to City Hall whose primary language is not English

    – Four applications have been submitted under the city’s new accessory dwelling unit ordinance

    – The Salem Skipper rideshare program expanded into Beverly starting May 1

    – The city’s community garden has moved from Cole Street to Moraine Farm, and garden plots are still available for this season

    – The city’s electricity aggregation program started on May 1, providing residents and businesses with lower electricity costs while increasing the amount of clean renewable energy

    – Coastal resiliency projects at Lynch Park and Obear Park are in the design and permitting phase

    – Beverly Airport had its most flights since 2003 and is planning to rebuild its main runway

    Cahill closed by thanking the city’s department heads and staff for their work.

    “Thanks in significant part to their contributions, the state of our city remains strong,” he said to the City Council. “With their partnership and with yours, I know the state of our city will improve and become ever stronger well into the future.”

    Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

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    By Paul Leighton | Staff Writer

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  • Town Meeting OKs budget, local option taxes in first night

    Town Meeting OKs budget, local option taxes in first night

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    MARBLEHEAD — Town Meeting approved local meals and rooms taxes in its opening night, but technological hiccups ultimately forced the meeting to pause after Article 26, leaving the back-half of the warrant for night two on Tuesday.

    A smattering of technical issues plagued the opening of Town Meeting, causing it to take more than an hour to move through procedural articles. Issues ranged from audio cutting out in the overflow chamber outside of the middle school’s auditorium and video projector issues that prevented the timely display of the articles being voted on. The issues were finally ironed out by about 8:40 p.m., nearly two hours in.

    The meeting also saw the successful launch and use of an electronic clicker system for vote tracking, which showed that Town Meeting opened with more than 800 people when a vote of 704 to 97 was tallied to close out Article 6. More than an hour later, a narrow, three-vote margin was tabulated in 20 seconds with no need for further verification or manual tallying.

    Dozens of Marblehead union employees lined the entrance to the auditorium at Veterans Middle School prior to the start of the meeting, calling for a restoration of prior cuts that took place to balance prior budgets.

    “There’s no more room to cut that budget,” said Jonathan Heller, co-chairperson of the Marblehead Education Association. “They’ve been able to bridge between a reduced budget and level-service budget. That’s what we’re hoping this town will approve tonight, to get us back to level budget at first.”

    The unions were quiet during the meeting, however, with a brief comment from Terri Tauro, president of the Marblehead Municipal Employees Union, on an indefinitely postponed article on the police contract. 

    “I’d like to start with a shout-out to our town employees,” Tauro said. “Marblehead’s town employees educate your children and keep them safe. We keep your power on, plow the snow, and care for your aging parents. 

    “For many of us, the wages we make working for the town are far less than what it would take to live in the town,” Tauro said. “It may soon be that our wages won’t cover living in this state. Massachusetts is, after all, the fourth most expensive state in this country to live.”

    The first articles to receive substantial debate were 24 and 25, two measures to add meals and lodging taxes, with each factoring in generating about $200,000 in revenue for the budget passed in Article 26. 

    Debate also focused on the reported 261 short-term rental units that exist and are presently untaxed in Marblehead, a group of property owners that one resident Monday night suggested would put the town’s only two hotels at a competitive disadvantage.

    Carolyn Pyburn, of Gilbert Heights Road, sought instead to lower the 6% proposed for the rooms tax down to 4%. That vote failed by a razor-thin margin of 391 to 394 — a result that arrived within 20 seconds with the new voting method.

    “This is another no-brainer,” said Albert Jordan, a Roosevelt Avenue resident, of the rooms tax. “There’s 351 communities in Massachusetts, and most of them are doing this.”

    Peter Conway, an Orchard Street resident, raised another issue with the tax: That many rooms are paid for in advance.

    “You can’t go back to the guests who’ve made a contract with you,” Conway said of hotels. “To be fair, that would have to be put off until at least the fall to give the businesses the chance to reach out to people.”

    Article 24, the meals tax, passed 515 to 294. The main vote for the rooms tax, after the failed amendment, was 469 to 345. The budget then passed 611 to 63 after a series of votes on individual departments and appropriations that reflected similar approval margins.

    The meeting was adjourned following the budget, leaving articles 27 through 53 for night two, Tuesday, beginning at 7 p.m.

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    By Dustin Luca | Staff Writer

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  • Trail group hosting Solistice Party

    Trail group hosting Solistice Party

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    HAMILTON — The Essex County Trail Association invites all to its annual Summer Solstice Party under the tent in a beautiful field at Groton House Farm on Saturday, June 22, from 6-9:30 p.m.

    Enjoy an appetizer table, complimentary beer and wine, and dinner from Creative Catering in Beverly, all while enjoying the sounds of Orville Gidding’s band.

    Browse the silent auction of one-of-a-kind items including a handmade bird house by a local artist, a full CSA share from Iron Ox Farm, Bruins tickets, and much more.

    This year ECTA will be live auctioning one item, a beautiful 16-foot white cedar and mahogany canoe generously donated by White Rose Canoe of Newbury.

    This is ECTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year and all proceeds go toward its mission of maintaining trails in its member towns of Hamilton, Wenham, Topsfield, Ipswich, Essex and West Newbury for all types of passive recreation.

    Tickets, $95 for members, $105 for non-members, and $950 for a table of 10 (limited availability), are available online at ectaonline.org and at the door until capacity is reached.

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  • Stepping up for Colleen

    Stepping up for Colleen

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    A large crowd turned out Sunday for the 11th annual Step Up for Colleen 5K Walk/Run in Andover. Members of the crowd were decked out in their pink race shirts as they sought to raise money for charity and celebrate the life of Colleen Ritzer of Andover, a Danvers High School teacher who was murdered in October 2013. Members of the Ritzer family were on hand – her parents Tom and Peggie, sister Laura and brother Dan – to honor Colleen’s commitment to help and inspire others. Boston Bruins national anthem singer Todd Angilly turned out for the event as did mascots for the New England professional sports teams, including Pat Patriot and Bruins mascot Blade.

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  • Staying alive at sea: Those who work on water take safety training

    Staying alive at sea: Those who work on water take safety training

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    Local commercial fishermen making a living in one of the deadliest occupations in the nation learned or honed fundamental safety skills Thursday at U.S. Coast Guard Station Gloucester, 17 Harbor Loop.

    The all-day session was the first of a free, two-day safety training offered by the Gloucester office of Fishing Partnership Support Services, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the health, safety and economic security of fishermen.

    On Thursday, fishermen and others who work on the water learned or honed fundamental skills through hands-on training on EPIRBs, signal flares, mayday calls, man overboard recovery, firefighting, flooding and damage control, dewatering pumps, immersion suits, personal floatation devices and life rafts.

    Among those taking part were members of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and the Beverly Harbormaster’s Office.

    The training included the organization’s innovative First Responder at Sea Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program for the fishing industry. This training, designed to position fishermen as first responders at sea, was recently recognized by the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose.

    Friday’s session involves drill conductor certification, with fishers digging deeper into what they learned Thursday. This involves new information in cold-water survival, helicopter rescues, vessel stability, liability, and emergency procedures.

    Those who complete the two days of training are Alaska Marine Safety Education Association certified drill conductors, which meets Coast Guard requirements under 46 CFR 28.270.

    Requesting opioid education and naloxone distribution training for fishermen may be done by visiting www.fishingpartnership.org.

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    By Times Staff

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  • Andover voters approve capital improvements, reject ballot questions

    Andover voters approve capital improvements, reject ballot questions

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    ANDOVER — After a turbulent first day of Town Meeting, a noticeably more subdued crowd approved millions of dollars in capital improvements while voting down ballot questions Tuesday night.

    Voters struck down two articles that sought to add similar nonbinding ballot questions for the next local election.

    The questions would have asked residents their opinion on the town meeting form of government.

    Members of a committee that recently studied whether the town should continue with Town Meeting spoke against the articles, saying a ballot vote could undermine the group’s work.

    “Town Meeting is where knowledge and perspectives are exchanged,” said Jon Stumpf, chair of the town governance study committee.

    Others residents were worried about what the town should do with the results of a survey.

    “It robs all of us of the benefits of deliberation and debate,” said committee Vice Chair Dara Obbard. “It could lead to something we won’t have a say in.”

    The articles were defeated 266-190 and 268-161.

    “Of the people, by the people, for the people,” said Keith Saxon, who advocated for studying if the town should continue to hold Town Meeting.

    “We have 26,000 registered voters in Andover,” Saxon said, pointing to the meeting’s low attendance.

    The proposal may have elicited a feeling of deja vu for some voters.

    At a Special Town Meeting in November, voters approved an article similar to what was rejected at this meeting.

    Due to a minor procedural rule, the article was not technically legal, according to town legal counsel Doug Heim, who said ballot questions need to be voted on at a regular Town Meeting, not a Special Town Meeting.

    That vote also saw a lot more participation. It was approved 1,181 to 692.

    Rather than use their authority to add the question for the election in March, the Select Board decided to throw the article back to voters at this Town Meeting.

    The petitioner for the original article proposed the similar article.

    This resulted in two articles that sought to achieve a similar aim to the one adopted in November but later found to be invalid.

    Some in town think that Andover has outgrown Town Meeting, a form of government where residents come together once or more in a year to vote on legislation, rules and appropriations.

    Many have argued the low attendance is evidence of this. Those in favor have said Town Meeting is unique in its ability to give every resident who wants it a direct voice in local government.

    Voters approved Article 23, which limits the town staff positions that the Select Board must approve. Before the change, the board had to approve every position, including part-time positions such as lifeguard.

    Voters also approved millions of dollars for capital projects, including sidewalk repairs and tree removal.

    Residents voted to spend more than $4 million from the town’s general fund for projects related to IT infrastructure and minor storm drainage improvements.

    More than $7 million for water and sewer expenses was appropriated with the majority, $6 million, destined for water main replacement and distribution improvement projects.

    The full list of articles voted on can be found at andoverma.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=945.

    The number of voters participating in the later votes that night were fewer than during the previous day or even earlier that night when MBTA zoning was debated.

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    By Teddy Tauscher | ttauscher@eagletribune.com

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  • Tarr details ‘new threat’ to Salisbury Beach

    Tarr details ‘new threat’ to Salisbury Beach

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    SALISBURY — Standing before a smattering of local officials at Blue Ocean Music Hall, state Sen. Bruce Tarr detailed what he called a “new threat” to Salisbury Beach.

    Joined by town environmental consultant Tom Hughes and Town Manager Neil Harrington on Monday, the Gloucester Republican said the northern part of the beach is in serious danger of massive overwash.

    Overwash is the flow of water and sediment over a coastal dune or beach crest during storms.

    “The damage will be exponentially worse than what we’ve seen so far. And importantly, it will make the cost of remediation substantially higher, if it’s even within reach. This area of the beach is extremely vulnerable and it compels our action,” Tarr said.

    The Senate minority leader’s speech was billed as the latest attempt to stave off severe, ongoing erosion at Salisbury Beach.

    After a few minutes, Hughes took the microphone and elaborated on the latest threat.

    “That overwash elevation is a little bit above 15 feet above sea level,” Hughes said.

    Until last fall, according to Hughes, all of the dunes exceeded that elevation. But now there is a 1,200-foot stretch of the northern beach that is in the 13- to 14-foot range.

    “This is what would happen if nothing is done is we would get a significant overwatch event, a sustained storm that essentially just flattens the barrier and exposes 1A and all of the homes behind it to risk,” Hughes said, referring to Route 1A (North End Boulevard).

    The fix Hughes has been working on with Tarr would come in two phases. Phase one would look to restore the dunes to an elevation of 17 feet above sea level. The estimated cost would be $1.75 million.

    “It’s a very small project. It would need to be maintained until we can do a phase two,” Hughes said.

    The phase two project would bring the elevation up to 19 feet and extend the volume out further towards the water.

    “That requires more significant permitting,” Hughes said.

    The total cost for both phases would be approximately $6 million.

    “For us to be able to act, we have to be concerned about the shorebirds that will soon be on the beach, or at least there’s the potential for them to be on the beach, which presents a significant constraint in our ability to do work,” Tarr said.

    Tarr said to secure Salsibury Beach it will take the cooperation of various parties, including the Merrimack River Beach Alliance, Department of Conservation and Recreation, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, state legislators, town officials, federal legislators, local stakeholders, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Transportation and other state regulatory agencies.

    “We cannot address this situation properly without everyone being at the table, and we think that we have set the stage with all the work that’s been done and all that you’ve heard today for us to have a productive path and one that will avoid significant damage,” Tarr said.

    Asked where the funding would come from, he said it would come from a number of sources, including the Salisbury Beach Preservation Trust Fund.

    The Salisbury Beach Preservation Trust Fund was the idea in 2008 of former state Sen. Steven Baddour, who worked with then-state Rep. Michael Costello, D-Newburyport, to make it a law. Baddour and Costello undertook that task after devastating storms ravaged Salisbury Beach three years in a row, including the Patriots Day storm of 2008, which scoured sand from the beach that is owned and maintained by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.

    “That’s in the near term, and in the long term we hope to cobble together the resources to have a sustainable beach. And again, our federal partners have identified some very promising sources,” Tarr said.

    Tarr emphasized that one of the big reasons the beach is such an urgent issue is that it protects Route 1A.

    “One-A is the subject of a planned project for reconstruction that literally is going to cost millions of dollars, so there’s a transportation component here, and we’re exploring the synergy potentially between investment in the road and investment in the beach that protects it,” Tarr said.

    Route 1A is also an emergency route for the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station.

    Regarding a timeline for securing funding, Tarr did not provide specifics but stated that for this initial short-term solution they would need to have it done by mid-June.

    “That means getting dollars fast, that means executing emergency contracts, that means mobilizing equipment,” Tarr said.

    He said he has continued to have in-depth conversations with Gov. Maura Healey.

    “She has walked this beach. She was instrumental in getting three access points restored after they were damaged by a storm not all that long ago. She knows what we face, and we’re all trying to work together to find a path forward,” Tarr said.

    Harrington shared that he hoped Healey is paying attention.

    “We are here to plead with the governor to listen to the citizens of Salisbury, to follow the science about what’s going on here at the beach, and to work with our legislative delegation to get this critical, immediate funding for the beach,” Harrington said.

    Erosion at Salisbury Beach has been going on for some time, dating back to December 2022 when the initial damage from nor’easter Elliott occurred.

    Local leaders first learned during a Salisbury Beach Resiliency Subcommittee meeting May 4 that the Department of Conservation and Recreation had shut down Points 8, 9 and 10 for a year due to beach erosion caused by the nor’easter. Points 9 and 10 were reopened the Friday before Memorial Day, with point 8 restored just before the Fourth of July.

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    By Matt Petry | mpetry@northofboston.com

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  • Healey signs off on migrant funding, reforms

    Healey signs off on migrant funding, reforms

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    BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey has approved a plan to pump hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding into the state’s beleaguered emergency shelter system, which has been overwhelmed by a historic surge of asylum seekers.

    Healey signed a supplemental budget late Tuesday that will divert $251 million into the shelter system and to cover housing, food and other migrant costs. The plan would also authorize a transfer another $175 million from an escrow account set up to cover emergency housing costs, if needed.

    The spending bill also reforms the state’s emergency shelter system, limiting migrants to nine months beginning on June 1, with up to two, 90-day extensions for those who are employed or participating in a work-training program or are a veteran or pregnant woman, among other situations.

    Healey said the spending plan “dedicates resources to balance the budget and maintain critical services and programs” and sets limits on stays in shelters, “which is a responsible step to address our capacity and fiscal constraints as Congress has continued to fail to act on immigration reform.”

    “We will be finalizing details of this policy in the coming weeks and ensuring that families and providers are informed of the requirements and the services that we have available to help them secure work and stable housing,” the Democrat said in a statement.

    The spending bill was approved by the House and Senate in a largely party line vote, with Republicans opposed to the changes. It comes only months after Healey signed another bill that included $250 million for migrant costs. To date, the state has spent an estimated $700 million on migrant costs.

    Democrats who pushed the spending bills through both chambers on largely partisan votes argue that the additional funding and reforms are aimed at preventing a collapse of the state’s beleaguered shelter system.

    Republicans have argued that record spending on emergency shelter will crowd out education spending and other priorities in the upcoming budget, with the state’s revenue benchmarks coming in below projections for several months.

    Massachusetts is wrestling with a record influx of thousands of migrants over the past year amid a historic surge of immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Healey declared a state of emergency in August and deployed the National Guard to help deal with the influx. Her administration also set a 7,500-family cap on the number of people eligible for emergency housing last October. Hundreds of families are currently on a waiting list for housing.

    The governor has set new restrictions on migrants and other homeless families who are being housed at large-scale “overflow” sites that were set up in response to the shortage of beds in state-run shelters.

    Under the new rules, which went into effect on Wednesday, migrant families staying in those sites will be required to document every month that they are searching for work and permanent housing or risk being denied shelter.

    Healey has estimated the state will spend nearly $1 billion to support emergency shelter for homeless families and migrants over the next year.

    Despite requests from Healey and members of the state’s congressional delegation for federal funding, the Biden administration has only provided about $2 million to the state for emergency shelter and other migrant needs.

    In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, asked the federal agency to grant a waiver to the state for expedited work authorization for migrants “in the absence of significant financial or structural assistance” from Congress or the White House.

    Healey said the state has been able to secure work authorization for nearly 3,600 migrants to date but continues to see an “unabating influx” of new arrivals.

    “We need more federal assistance to support these families and connect them with job opportunities,” she wrote. “These immigrants are ready to joint the workforce and we need to support them in the process.”

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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