1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Boston's Bulldozer operate seven days a week. The Kuner Report 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: weekend edition WRKO, The Voice of Boston. 3 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,160 Speaker 2: Okay, I want to ask all of you. You've got, 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 2: obviously the huge snowstorm that just hit us a couple 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 2: days ago. We're still digging our way out of that. 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 2: Potentially another northeaster this weekend, apparently on Sunday. Now they're 7 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 2: not sure if it's going to hit us or not, 8 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 2: but fingers crossed, I hope it doesn't. It's cold, it's 9 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 2: very cold people. Some people say they're losing power or 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 2: they're not able to pay for their heating bills very expensive. 11 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 2: Heally now wants to give a temporary reduction ten percent 12 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 2: gas bills for two months, twenty five percent electric bills 13 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 2: for two months. Are you paying more or less for 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 2: your gas, electric and utility bills, say, compared to last 15 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 2: year or two years ago? In other words, when you 16 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 2: compare how much you pay now compared to under Biden? 17 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 2: Are you paying more or are you paying less? That's 18 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 2: number one. Number two? Am I the only one my 19 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 2: utility bills through the roof. I'm paying a lot more 20 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 2: now than I was last year. And I read you 21 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 2: that story about a homeowner, a new homeowner in Oxford, Massachusetts, 22 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 2: and who bought a townhouse, didn't even move in yet, 23 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 2: didn't plug in a single appliance, kept the heat at 24 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 2: an absolute bare minimum so the pipes wouldn't freeze, and 25 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 2: his first utility bill is one thousand, two hundred and 26 00:01:51,040 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 2: fifty dollars. As I like to say, blank you, okay, 27 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 2: right on the chin, blank you, And he's saying, I 28 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: can't afford this, Like I just I can't. You add 29 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: the mortgage, You add food, you had, cost of living, 30 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 2: you add insurance. He goes, I might as well leave Massachusetts. 31 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 2: I can't keep up with this. And there's a lot 32 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 2: of middle working class people that are saying now Massachusetts 33 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 2: has just become too unaffordable, too expensive. Agree, disagree. Tell 34 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:33,119 Speaker 2: me about your situation. Are you paying too much for utilities? 35 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,399 Speaker 2: And is the cost now getting so high that you're 36 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 2: thinking of leaving the state? Catherine in Boston, thanks for 37 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: holding Catherine, and welcome. 38 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:52,959 Speaker 3: It's Catherine right Tally, I'm obviously paying more. I think 39 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 3: everybody's paying more. What I'm a little confused about is 40 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 3: one of your last callers that you're talking with is 41 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 3: talking about how they AI data centers are a good thing, 42 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 3: like they'll create jobs or whatever. But the data centers 43 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:11,520 Speaker 3: are the problem. Massachusetts has fifty nine data centers, and 44 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 3: these data centers have anywhere from tens of thousands to 45 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:21,400 Speaker 3: some even have over a million servers in these massive 46 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 3: buildings that are running twenty four to seven to power 47 00:03:24,880 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 3: all of these AI programs. And that's a huge infrastructure 48 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:33,720 Speaker 3: that needs to be built and maintained by the electric company. 49 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 3: So who has to pay for that? The customers have 50 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: to pay for that. And I mean, there's a data 51 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 3: center in Northborough, which is twenty five minutes away from 52 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 3: this guy's house in Oxford, and that's what he's paying for. 53 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 3: There's data centers everywhere in Massachusetts. So I don't know 54 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 3: why we're talking like there are none here. We have 55 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 3: a bunch of them, and that's the problem. We're powering 56 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:56,440 Speaker 3: these servers. 57 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,920 Speaker 2: Oh, there's no question putting a tremendous strain on the grid, 58 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 2: there's no It's we're talking about power usage now that 59 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 2: we never thought imaginable even ten, fifteen, twenty years ago. 60 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 2: And that's why you combine that with this push for 61 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 2: solar and wind and battery power. The cost is going 62 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 2: to I mean, it's going to bankrupt us. You know, 63 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 2: you have to go to nuclear power, you have to 64 00:04:27,680 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: go to oil and natural gas. You have to go 65 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 2: to you know, quote unquote fossil fuels. This you have 66 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 2: to You can't have both, you just you can't. And Catherine, 67 00:04:39,279 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 2: look on top of the AI data centers because look, 68 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 2: I'm not a big fan of those for many reasons. 69 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,160 Speaker 2: A lot of the jobs that are created are h 70 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 2: one B jobs which go to foreigners. They don't go 71 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 2: to Americans. Okay, so I have a problem with that 72 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 2: as well. So please don't think that I'm, you know, 73 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 2: a big fan of AI data centers. I'm not. I'm 74 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 2: just saying it's a reality. You know, they're they're they're 75 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,280 Speaker 2: pouring investment into AI. It's happening not just in mass 76 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 2: It's happening in Florida and states all across the country. 77 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 2: So you know, it is what it is. My question 78 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 2: to you is you look at now taxes, how much 79 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,479 Speaker 2: money now is being siphoned off and diverted towards illegal 80 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: aliens five billion under heally and counting. You look at 81 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 2: now the skyrocketing utilities costs, energy costs, the cost of rent, 82 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 2: the cost if you want to buy a home, the 83 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,479 Speaker 2: cost of housing. Here. Look, really, I don't live in 84 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 2: a you know, I live in a nice house. It's okay, 85 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 2: it's not worth eight hundred nine hundred thousand dollars, which 86 00:05:44,800 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 2: is what people tell me. It can you know now 87 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 2: worth on the market. I bought it for barely five hundred. 88 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 2: It's practically doubled in value. I'm telling you it's not. 89 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 2: It's not an eight nine hundred thousand dollars house. It's 90 00:05:55,880 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 2: not even close. It's insane. So and let's say I 91 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,799 Speaker 2: sell it. Okay, Well, I got to buy a house 92 00:06:03,839 --> 00:06:07,200 Speaker 2: that's going to cost as much anyway. So I don't know, 93 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,720 Speaker 2: especially young people, I don't know if they can ever 94 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 2: achieve the American dream. It's so hard now to buy 95 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 2: a home. A rent three thousand dollars a month. Who 96 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: can pay that? And you know you got the cost 97 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 2: of food, you got the cost of insurance. I mean, 98 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:24,360 Speaker 2: you know better than I do. With the mismanagement under 99 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 2: the Democrats and Catherine invite Look, Katherine, you're a warrior 100 00:06:28,760 --> 00:06:32,320 Speaker 2: in the Republican Party. I'm a big fan of yours. 101 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 2: You're to me the heart and soul of the mass GOP. 102 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:39,400 Speaker 2: We need people like you if for ever to retake 103 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 2: this state back. Where is the Republican Party, the mass GOP. 104 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 2: Why can't they capitalize on these affordability, cost of living 105 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:57,200 Speaker 2: issues that are to put Elizabeth Warren's phrase hammering the 106 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 2: middle and working class. I've got to ask you, where 107 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:05,640 Speaker 2: are the Massachusetts Republicans because I don't see they're nowhere. 108 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 2: And just a final point that I want to go 109 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 2: to you. I mentioned this on X last night. Take 110 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 2: it to the bank impeccable sources. Trust me, you know, 111 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 2: I mean literally, you put the house on it. The 112 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 2: Massachusetts Republican Party is now nearly bankrupt. They're practically bankrupt. 113 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: They have no money. And this is a key reason, 114 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 2: not the only one, but a key reason is the 115 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 2: mass GOP chair Amy Carnavalley. Her leadership, her tenure has 116 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 2: been an absolute disaster. She can't raise cash and so 117 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 2: now we've got one of the most important gubernatorial elections 118 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,679 Speaker 2: in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We cannot 119 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 2: allow Healey to have another term. She is going to 120 00:07:56,640 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 2: destroy this state and bury the middle and working class. 121 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,760 Speaker 2: And yet there's no money so we can't run an 122 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 2: effective campaign against her. And by the way, I warned 123 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 2: everybody about Carnivalley and the people who supported her. They 124 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 2: have to be held accountable for this, because what did 125 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: they say? She's a winner? The cap sign she win 126 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:26,200 Speaker 2: a winner. Most Democrats are gonna go uncontested. They're not 127 00:08:26,280 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 2: even gonna be challenged for state House and State Senate races. 128 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 2: And we're gonna there's nothing in the war chest to 129 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 2: be able to go up against Healy. And by the way, 130 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 2: this woman is a lobbyist, and they said the reason 131 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 2: why they had the parachuter in was because she could 132 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 2: deal with donors and bring in cash. There's no cash. 133 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:51,679 Speaker 2: So my question to you, Catherine is where is the 134 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 2: Massachusetts Republican Party and are they now about to blow 135 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 2: one of the most winnable important elections in our lifetime? 136 00:09:01,520 --> 00:09:06,400 Speaker 3: What say you, Jeff, I've been asking that same question 137 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 3: for the better part of the past six years. Where 138 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 3: is the mass GOP? And they're essentially non existent. Their 139 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 3: goal is to maintain the status quo of keeping the 140 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 3: Democrats in power in Massachusetts. And we absolutely are going 141 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 3: to blow twenty twenty six because we have three Republican 142 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 3: candidates for a governor that have declared their candidacy so far, 143 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,079 Speaker 3: and they're all weak. I haven't found anything good. I've 144 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 3: actually found many bad qualities of all three of them. 145 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,719 Speaker 3: And we don't ever put up any candidates that are 146 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:43,040 Speaker 3: willing to tell the truth. We put up candidates that 147 00:09:43,080 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 3: are weak. We put up candidates that are too scared 148 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,840 Speaker 3: to go too far right. We put up candidates who 149 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 3: try to play it safe and try to play the 150 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 3: game of politics and try to appeal to the Democrats. 151 00:09:56,040 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 2: And you Knowled and you nailed it, and they're doing 152 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:05,320 Speaker 2: it again. They're doing it again, and I'm telling you 153 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 2: they're going to blow this election. If they don't change 154 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 2: course now, they're going to lose to Healey. And I'm 155 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 2: telling you, if they lose to Healey, it's time to 156 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 2: disband the Republican Party because they're useless. 157 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: You're locked into Boston's Bulldozer. The Kooner Report weekend edition, 158 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: The Voice of Boston WRKO