North End restaurant owner plans to run for Boston mayor

FRIENDS IN THE MEDIA. LA LA LA LA LA LA LA DEPARTMENT ONLY SAY THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF JUNE. JUNE IS THE BEGINNING OF METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER. SO HAPPY METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER. THAT IS A MOUTHFUL. THAT’S LIKE THREE MEDIA I KNOW, RIGHT? I KNOW THAT’S A THAT’S A PENALTY IN MANY FRONTS. SO JOINING US AT THE TABLE THIS MORNING, DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL ANALYST MARIANNE MARSH, REPUBLICAN POLITICAL ANALYST ROB GREAT. IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU WITH US GUYS. YOU HEARD SETH MOULTON THIS MORNING HERE. MARIANNE. WHAT AND OF THE THINGS HE TALKED ABOUT, LET’S TALK ABOUT HIS HIS REACTION TO THE TO THE TRUMP CONVICTION. WHAT WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT? WELL, I THINK WHAT’S MOST INTERESTING TO ME IS THAT DONALD TRUMP, FOR THE FIRST TIME, IS PLAYING DEFENSE, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING HE’S ACCUSTOMED TO. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST SUNDAY IN OTR, THE ABC POLL THAT CAME OUT SHOWED THAT 20% OF TRUMP VOTERS WOULD RECONSIDER THEIR VOTE, 4% OF THEM SAID IF HE WERE CONVICTED OF A FELONY, THEY WOULD NOT VOTE FOR HIM. SINCE THEN, WE’VE SEEN OTHER POLLS COME OUT THIS PAST WEEK SHOWING THOSE SAME NUMBERS. ANY ONE OF THOSE, JUST EVEN 4%, THAT’S THE GAME CHANGER IN PENNSYLVANIA, MICHIGAN, WISCONSIN RIGHT THERE. THAT’S GAME SET MATCH. SO THAT TELLS YOU A LOT RIGHT THERE. AND I THINK WHAT WHAT THE BIDEN CAMPAIGN HAS TO WRESTLE WITH IS HOW TO DEAL WITH DONALD TRUMP, WHICH IS ALWAYS AN ISSUE. AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT IT. BUT WE’RE GOING TO SEE PRETTY QUICKLY IN THAT FIRST DEBATE, JUNE 27TH, THE POLITICS AND THE DYNAMICS OF HOW THIS IS GOING TO PLAY OUT THROUGH NOVEMBER. ROB, WHAT DO YOU THINK POLITICALLY? I THINK IT’S A TREMOR MORE THAN AN EARTHQUAKE. UM, I MARIANNE IS RIGHT. I THINK IN WISCONSIN, WHERE YOU HAD ED, YOU KNOW, TRUMP WON BY ABOUT 20,000 VOTES, THEN BIDEN WON BY ABOUT 20,000 VOTES. SO ON THE MARGINS, WITH LOWER INFORMATION, VOTERS, IT COULD HAVE AN IMPACT. SO I’M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT IT DOESN’T HAVE AN IMPACT, BUT IT’S NOT EARTH SHAKING. AND THIS IS A RACE THAT’S ON THE MARGINS RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, EVERYONE THINKS THIS IS A VERY CLOSE RACE. SAINT LOW SINGLE DIGITS. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO OPEN UP, BUT YOU HAVE TO ASSUME IT’S ON THE MARGINS. AND THAT BEING SAID, I MEAN, LISTEN, I THINK THE TRIAL I THINK TRUMP PLAYED IT WELL. IT LOOKED LIKE A WITCH HUNT. UM, ALVIN BRAGG LOOKS LIKE HE’S SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO RUN RUN FOR MAYOR OR FOR US SENATE. AND THAT’S THE REASON HE’S DOING IT. BUT A CONVICTION DAMPENS THOSE GAINS THAT THAT TRUMP GOT FROM FROM PLAYING THE VICTIM. SO FROM NOW UNTIL ELECTION DAY, HOW DOES IT HOW DOES IT AFFECT THE ELECTION CYCLE? WELL, I THINK IT COMES DOWN TO THE CLOSE STATES. I MEAN, I DON’T THINK WE KNOW. I AGREE WITH MARIANNE. THE DEBATE. IT’S ALL ABOUT THIS DEBATE IN JUNE. IS BIDEN GOING TO USE IT AS A WAY TO TRY AND GET OUT OF THE DEBATE? I DON’T KNOW, PROBABLY NOT. BUT I THINK THAT’S REALLY GOING TO SET THE STAGE FOR HOW IT IMPACTS. IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO THE CLOSE STATES. IT DOES. BUT LET’S SO IN JUNE 27TH, WE’VE GOT TO THE DEBATE. TWO WEEKS LATER YOU’VE GOT THE SENTENCING. FOUR DAYS AFTER THAT, YOU HAVE THE CONVENTION WHERE HE’S GOING TO OFFICIALLY ALLEGEDLY, WE’LL SEE BE THE NOMINEE AND SOMEWHERE IN THERE HE’S GOING TO PICK A VICE PRESIDENT. SO THERE’S A COMPOUNDING EFFECT OF THIS. THIS ISN’T GOING AWAY. THIS IS REAL. NOW, WE SPECULATED ABOUT IT FOR MONTHS AND WEEKS. HERE WE ARE. FACTS ARE STUBBORN THINGS. AND THE LOST MORE, EVEN MORE STUBBORN. BUT IT’S GOING TO BE ONE ELEMENT, NOT THE ELEMENT. I AGREE WITH THAT. LET’S GO BACK TO LOCAL POLITICS. NOW. LAST WEEK WE TALKED ABOUT JOSH KRAFT POTENTIALLY CHALLENGING BOSTON MAYOR MICHELLE WU. NOW ONE OF THE NORTH END RESTAURANT OWNERS UPSET ABOUT THE BAN ON OUTDOOR DINING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, SAYS HE’S GOING TO RUN GEORGE MENDOZA NOT SHY ABOUT GOING IN FRONT OF MICROPHONES. OTHER NAMES LIKE COUNCILOR ED FLYNN AND JIM ROONEY BEING TOSSED AROUND. HOW VULNERABLE IS THE MAYOR? ROB? I DON’T THINK SHE’S VERY VULNERABLE. WE KNOW YOU CAN’T BEAT SOMEBODY WITH NOBODY. I THINK A LOT OF THESE GUYS JUST LIKE TO READ THEIR NAME IN THE PAPER. BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO ACTUALLY RUNNING, THEY WIMP OUT. I EXPECT THAT TO BE THE CASE HERE, TOO. MARIANNE, WHAT DO YOU THINK? IS MAYOR WU VULNERABLE? NO, SHE WON HER FIRST RACE BY 29 POINTS. THE NUMBERS ARE 64%. SHE WON 35%. SHE LOST THE HER CURRENT POLLING 57% IN FAVOR OF HER SUPPORT. 35% OPPOSE HER. SHE’S IN VERY GOOD STANDING. PEOPLE CONSTANTLY UNDER ESTIMATE HER. AND I THINK, LOOK, WHETHER YOU’RE A RESTAURANT OWNER IN THE NORTH END OR YOU’RE JOSH KRAFT, YOU KNOW, GO AHEAD AND RUN. COME ON IN. BUT JUST BECAUSE IT MIGHT LOOK EASY DOESN’T MEAN IT IS EASY. AND IT DOESN’T MEAN WHEN YOU HAVE A MICROPHONE LIKE THE RESTAURANT OWNER IN THE NORTH END AND USE IT AND SOUND LIKE DONALD TRUMP, THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL OR A GOOD CANDIDATE, OR JIM ROONEY, YOU THINK MICHELLE WU ISN’T GOING TO SAY IF HE GETS INTO THE RACE? OH, YOU’RE RUNNING FOR YOUR THIRD PENSION. YOU HAVE TWO OTHER STATE PENSIONS, AND NOW YOU WANT A THIRD ONE. WHO KNOWS? NEXT ITEM LIQUOR LICENSES. A FEW MONTHS BACK, BOSTON CITY COUNCILOR BRIAN WARRELL JOINED US RIGHT HERE ON OTR. HE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE LIQUOR LICENSES IN THE CITY. HE WANTED AN ADDITIONAL 250. THE HOUSE HAS JUST PASSED A BILL THAT WOULD ADD A LITTLE OVER 200, 205. THOSE LICENSES WOULD GO TO AREAS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE LONG BEEN UNDERSERVED. DORCHESTER ROXBURY MATTAPAN EAST BOSTON BEACON HILL DOESN’T ALWAYS LISTEN WHEN THE CITY COMES CALLING. IT IS NOT DONE YET. IT’S GOT TO GO TO THE SENATE AND THEN IT’S GOT TO GO TO THE TO THE GOVERNOR. BUT IS THIS AN EXCEPTION? MARIANNE? WELL, THIS GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO CITY COUNCILOR AYANNA PRESSLEY. OKAY. SHE’S THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THIS FORWARD. IT HAS BEEN GOING ON ALL THOSE YEARS. SHE’S BEEN IN CONGRESS FOR HOW LONG NOW? SO SHAME ON EVERYONE FOR NOT GETTING THIS DONE. AND INCLUDING THE LEGISLATURE. BUT IT’S A MATTER OF EQUITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THAT’S HOW SHE ALWAYS SOLD IT. THAT’S HOW BRIAN WARRELL IS SELLING IT. IT’S TIME FOR IT TO GET DONE. ROB I CAN SEE THE GEARS MOVING. IT BECAME EASIER ON ON THE THRESHOLD FRONT WHEN YOU KNOW, THE STATE HAS NOW LITTERED THE CITY WITH POT SHOPS. SO WHAT’S A COUPLE HUNDRED MORE LIQUOR LICENSES AS WELL? MAYOR WU ALSO WANTS THE LEGISLATURE TO APPROVE A HIKE IN BUSINESS PROPERTY TAXES. MAYBE NOT SO LUCKY WITH THAT ONE. ROB, WHAT DO YOU THINK I THINK SHE’S BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE. IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. YEAH. MARY ANN, WELL, FIRST, I DON’T THINK THE LEGISLATURE SHOULD HAVE SAY OVER THESE MATTERS THAT ARE CLEARLY CITY AND TOWN MATTERS THAT HAVE MAYORS AND TOWN MANAGERS AND CITY COUNCIL, IT SHOULD BE UP TO THEM. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO, I AGREE WITH ROB. THIS COULD BE TOUGH, BUT IF YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE ANY SHOT AT GETTING IT DONE, MAYOR WU NEEDS TO RUN A CAMPAIGN OUTLINING THIS AS A WIN WIN WIN FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROPERTY TAXES FOR RESIDENTS. SO ALL THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY GUYS AND BUSINESSES WILL ACTUALLY HAVE A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE USING THEIR PROPERTY SO THAT THE THE THE LEGISLATURE IS SAVING THE CITY FROM ITSELF. IF IT STOPS US, I MEAN, COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE IS A