Governor Healey hits the ground running on transit, open records, and climate change

Off to a good start. The Salem Evening News editorial outlines Governor Maura Healey’s commitments and serves as a reminder that Baystaters will want to see follow through. Great to see all three issues are a priority for MASSPIRG.

“Gov. Maura Healey hit the ground running.

In her first week in office — and even before taking office — she pledged to hire 1,000 new employees at the MBTA, open up gubernatorial records to the public and the press, and hire a climate czar to ensure that state policies under her administration line up with the goal of reducing the state’s carbon footprint.

Hiring new employees at the MBTA seems like a good plan no matter what. The devil, of course, will be in the details as that proposal gets implemented. There are serious institutional problems with the MBTA, in addition to a lack of staffing.

Janet Domenitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, told North of Boston Media Group Statehouse reporter Christian Wade, “There’s no one silver bullet. It’s not just more money, more staff or oversight.”