Gov. Deval Patrick’s chummy relationship with President Obama doesn’t seem to be serving the best interests of the commonwealth.
Patrick wouldn’t ask for a waiver to opt out of Obamacare, when we already had the majority of residents covered under Romneycare. The botched rollout of the Health Connector website has cost the state tens of millions of dollars and counting.
Now the Bay State finds itself embroiled in the immigration nightmare unfolding thousands of miles away in Texas.
Since April, seven flights packed with hundreds of undocumented foreigners have flown across the country to Massachusetts, putting a huge strain on our local jails where these illegals are being housed. The governor claimed he knew nothing about this just a few weeks ago when asked by the media, including the Herald. Either he was not being truthful or he is leading from behind. Neither option is good for Massachusetts.
Shouldn’t the governor pick up the phone and ask his friend Barack to stop relocating illegal immigrants here, or at least ask about the game plan?
That’s what Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker told Boston Herald Radio he would do.
“It’s been a couple of weeks, maybe even a month now, since news broke on this,” Baker told Hillary Chabot and me on the “Morning Meeting” show yesterday.
“I would be in constant contact with the federal government, the White House and the folks at ICE to the point where I would go to Washington and take a few of the sheriffs and the folks engaged in the conversation with me.”
Why isn’t Gov. Patrick furious that we are being saddled with this burden? It seems instead of using his close relationship with Obama for the betterment of the commonwealth, he has consistently chosen to cover for his friend. Patrick’s allegiance should be first and foremost to his own constituents.
Baker says there needs to be stronger leadership on such a serious issue as the border crisis. “I think it is important for Massachusetts leaders to stand up for Massachusetts on this one and get answers from the federal government ... and what is the end game here,” Baker said.
Patrick’s friendship with Obama continues to cost taxpayers a bundle. It needs to stop being a one-way street where Massachusetts suffers just so Deval can keep a friend.
Jaclyn Cashman co-hosts “Morning Meeting” from 9 a.m. to noon on Boston Herald Radio. Follow her on Twitter at @JaclynCashman.
Copyright © 2024 Jaclyn Cashman.
