Episode Transcript
[00:00:17] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, November 4th. Quincy voters are heading to the polls today for the citywide election for city councilors and school committee members.
[00:00:29] Polls are open at all 31 precincts and will close tonight at 8pm Over 2600 voters have already cast ballots, 1314 people voted early last week and 1341 mail in ballots had been returned to City hall as of yesterday. Mail in ballots are due at City hall by tonight at 8 o'. Clock. There is a ballot Dropbox located outside City Hall. There are races for all but the Ward 2 City Council seat today. There are six candidates for the three at large council seats and six candidates for three school committee seats. City Clerk Nicole Crispo is predicting a voter turnout of 18 to 20%. There are 69,025 registered voters in Quincy. QATV will have live election coverage Beginning tonight at 8pm the City of Quincy is asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit brought against it over a proposed ballot question that would address the mayor's salary. In a filing in Norfolk Superior Court, The City lists 14 reasons that the case should be dismissed, arguing that the lawsuit is frivolous and that the city acted in good faith and complied with the law.
[00:01:51] Quincy Citizens for Fair Raises is suing the city, claiming that over a thousand signatures on their ballot petition were incorrectly rejected because the city failed to use the printed names to verify the voter signatures. The group was trying to get a question on today's city ballot asking voters if they want to reset the mayor's annual salary to $183,000 and allow 2% annual raises for all elected officials. The city claimed they fell short of the required number of signatures and filed the petition too late. A judge rejected the group's request to allow the ballot question today, but the lawsuit is still pending and another court hearing is set for November 24th. The mayor has since decided to roll back the salary from 285 to $225,000 and and we'll ask the City Council next week to approve that amendment.
[00:02:52] The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is offering to help pay for some of the costs of installing statues of saints Michael and St Florian at a suitable location in Quincy if the city will also agree to add a statue of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. In a letter to Mayor Thomas Koch last week, PETA said that the St. Francis statue would be a moving tribute to both the animals of Quincy and those who rescue, shelter and care for them. PETA says they're responding to concerns raised about placing the statues outside the new police station by offering to help cover the costs of those statues if they are moved to another meaningful public place. Place they suggest perhaps near City hall, provided that that display also include a statue of St. Francis. The letter says PETA would help design and install the St. Francis statue so the final display reflects the values of the Quincy community and transcends religion. A judge recently ordered the city not to install the statues of St. Michael and St. Florian on the new public safety complex until a lawsuit is settled.
[00:04:14] President Trump's administration said yesterday it will partially fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after judges in Boston and Rhode island ruled it is required to keep the food aid program running. The U.S. department of Agriculture had planned to freeze payments to snap starting on November 1st because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the government shutdown. The program serves about one in eight Americans and is a major piece of the nation's social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month. Nationally. More than a million Massachusetts residents would be affected 32% are children, 31% are people with disabilities and 26% are older adults. It's not clear how much beneficiaries will receive or how quickly beneficiaries will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. Process of loading the SNAP cards, which involve steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks. In some states, the average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person. Most states have boosted aid to food banks. Some are setting up systems to reload benefit cards with state taxpayer dollars. It also spurred lawsuits. Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode island ruled separately but similarly last Friday, telling the government that it was required to use one fund with about $5 billion to pay for the program. At least in part, the benefits and administration cost over $8 billion per month.
[00:05:59] Business confidence in Massachusetts slid further in October as companies grappled with rising prices, federal government disruptions and ongoing uncertainty over tariffs. That's according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index. The last time the index saw businesses report pessimistic territory for eight months was during the pandemic.
[00:06:27] The index, which has been running since 1991, is based on a survey of more than 140 Massachusetts employers.
[00:06:34] It's on a 100 point scale, with 50 being neutral. A reading above 50 is positive and a reading below is negative. Companies that participated in the index expressed a variety of views. One employer said that federal government contracting is decreasing for small businesses and tariffs are hurting everyone.
[00:06:56] But another was more optimistic, saying October rebounded significantly from a slower September. Meantime, the index says the federal government shutdown hinders economic analysis because federal agencies have suspended the collection and processing of most official statistics. In the press release, Alan Clayton Matthews, professor emeritus of economics and public policy at Northwestern University, said that federal policy changes also impact state productivity.
[00:07:27] A garage in Cohasset went up in flames yesterday afternoon, fully engulfing the structure that had several gasoline and propane containers inside. The scene on Beechwood street broke out about 12:20 yesterday afternoon with huge plumes of smoke rising above nearby trees. The homeowner told crews nobody was in the garage at the time. The area was briefly closed off while firefighters worked to put out the flames. Cause of the fires under investigation the State Police bomb squad was called to a home in Brockton Sunday morning after a TNT type explosive was found. Brockton police and firefighters were called to 86 Mellon street after a person who moved into the home found the devices in a shed while cleaning the property.
[00:08:17] After the area was secured, members of the state Police bomb squad responded to the scene and safely removed the devices for disposal. There were no injuries.
[00:08:28] A check of business news this morning. Stocks are mixed. The Dow is down 226. The Nasdaq rose 109. The S&P is up 11.
[00:08:38] Global stocks retreated despite the big lift in overseas markets from optimism over artificial intelligence technology as traders sold shares to lock in recent profits. The dollar was down, the euro fell and oil at $60 a barrel.
[00:08:57] Sports Celtics fell to the Jazz, losing 105 to 103. They'll be hosting the Wizards tomorrow night at 7:30 tonight. The Bruins are in New York against the Islanders at 7.
[00:09:13] The National Weather Service forecast for today? A wind advisory. Sunny and quite gusty with temperatures in the mid 50s for tonight clear.
[00:09:24] Chilly lows drop to the upper 30s. Sun and clouds tomorrow high 57.
[00:09:30] Thursday partly cloudy with a high of 51 and partly cloudy Friday high 53.
[00:09:36] The marine forecast calling for 2 foot waves. That west wind at 20 to 25, gusting to 40 knots at times. There is a gale warning up offshore. High tide 9:36aM Sunrise 6:21 sets at 4:33.
[00:09:53] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Tuesday, November 4th.
