Walsh is flush

Walsh adviser Michael Goldman, who has been polling on behalf of the MBTA Carmen’s Union, tells Stout that the mayor has Bakerian popularity numbers, with a 72 percent favorable among Boston voters. That’s nearly identical to the walking-on-water governor’s 71 percent statewide favorability. Goldman says Baker and Walsh have identical 67 percent job approval ratings.

Walsh seems to be sailing strong, registering strong popularity despite the horrid winter city residents endured and lots of questions about the Boston Olympic bid, including criticism of the mayor’s role — or lack of one — in the effort to date.

Of the mayor’s high approval ratings, Goldman says, “That’s reflected in the fundraising.” Maybe to a degree. But the longstanding reality is that Boston mayors are prodigious fundraisers because they are Boston mayors. The position is, by statute, one of the most powerful mayoralties of any American city — and people who do business in Boston know that.

That’s why Walsh’s latest report is chock full of real estate lawyers and development types, along with a healthy sprinkling of city workers. And business is business. That means David Passafaro, one-time chief of staff to Mayor Tom Menino, whose relationship with Walsh was chilly, shows up for $500 in his current role as a vice president at Suffolk Construction. (Suffolk employees alone ponied up $2,850 to the mayor in the two-week reporting period.) Bob Walsh, another close Menino ally and successful Boston developer, was also in for $500.

No incumbent Boston mayor has been defeated since the 1949 ouster of James Michael Curley, unpenitent following his federal penitentiary stay. Some have already wondered who might challenge Walsh in 2017. It’s still a ways off, but the mayor already has almost 2 million reasons to feel good about his chances.

–MICHAEL JONAS

 

BEACON HILL

State Sen. Thomas Kennedy of Brockton, who has been in failing health, died Sunday at age 63. (The Enterprise)

State GOP chairman Kirsten Hughes says Gov. Charlie Baker‘s election was a message to lawmakers from voters that they want taxes cut and major reforms implemented such as fixing the MBTA. (Keller@Large)

Two recently appointed members of the MBTA retirement board are calling for a full review of its finances after a report suggested that the fund could be vastly overstating its financial health. (Boston Globe)

MUNICIPAL MATTERS

Vandals place a Confederate flag on the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial across from the State House. (Boston Globe)

In order to avoid a summer water shortage, Barnstable officials sign an agreement with Yarmouth. (Cape Cod Times)

Lawrence City Council President Modesto Maldonado criticizes Mayor Dan Rivera for hosting an after-hours wedding ceremony in the City Council chambers for at-large candidate James Blatchford. (Eagle-Tribune)

Lowell officials invite pizza king and developer Sal Lupoli to tour the stalled Hamilton Canal District site. (The Sun)

In the latest chapter in Mayor Marty Walsh‘s ongoing battle with Beacon Hill residents over handicap curb-cuts, a Suffolk Superior Court judge has ordered the city to stop its installation of sidewalk ramps because the city improperly bypassed the state-designated Beacon Hill Architectural Commission. (Boston Globe)

North Andover raises the legal age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21. (Eagle-Tribune)Easton considers doing the same thing. (The Enterprise)

Boston public schools paid more than $400,000 last year for bottled water because students aren’t allowed to drink from water fountains in three-quarters of the city’s schools because of concern over lead in the water supply pipes. (Boston Globe)

OLYMPICS

Sen. Brian Joyce of Milton wants the Olympics to hold the golf competition and mountain biking events at the Blue Hills Reservation. (Patriot Ledger)

Chris Dempsey and the group No Boston Olympics are thoughtful civic leaders, not “disaffected gadflies,” writes Adrian Walker. “Demanding answers to tough questions is a proud Boston tradition.” (Boston Globe)

Los Angeles will be paying close attention to the reception for bid 2.0. (Los Angeles Times)

The Boston 2024 question is more complicated that just whether there is any public money spent or not, write Matthew Kiefer and Sam Tyler. (Boston Globe)

Oren Cass, who was domestic policy director for the 2012 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, who rode his rescue of the Salt Lake Games to great political advantage, pans the idea of a Boston Olympics. (City Journal)

No one wants to host a velodrome. (Boston Globe)

CASINOS

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh breaks his silence on his talks with Wynn Resorts.(CommonWealth)

WASHINGTON/NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

The debt crisis in Greece which has caused its prime minister to order banks closed until July 6 is triggering concern in stock markets around the world. (New York Times)

The governor of Puerto Rico says the island cannot pay its $72 billion in debt, the highest per capita municipal bond debt of any US state or territory. (New York Times)

Texas attorney general says county clerks can refuse to perform same-sex marriages on religious grounds. (Mashable)

The Salem News, in an editorial, criticizes the US Supreme Court’s decision on Obamacare as violating the rule of law.

Several lawmakers, including Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, file legislation to extend a controversial program dubbed EB-5 that awards green cards to foreigners who invest in the United States. (Wall Street Journal) CommonWealth analyzed the program from a Massachusetts perspective in the winter issue.

Robert Cordy, an associate justice on the state Supreme Judicial Court, says the independence of Turkey‘s judiciary is deeply imperiled by the hardline government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Boston Herald)

ELECTIONS

The National Review takes a look at Donald Trump‘s voting record and finds it’s paper-thin; The Donald has failed to cast a ballot in the last six presidential primaries and has missed a few off-year elections as well.

Hillary Clinton will hit two events in Massachusetts later this week — and Kimberly Atkins says she needs to stir up excitement amidst strong early polling numbers for Bernie Sanders. (Boston Herald)

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

A Harvard study of counties nationwide finds poor children have a better chance of success depending on where they live, based on factors such as income inequality, schools, crime, and share of two-parent households. (The Enterprise)

Israeli national airline El Al’s new Boston to Tel Aviv nonstop flights are are expected to benefit the tech sector. (Boston Business Journal)

Brookline Cab files for bankruptcy; Uber is highly suspected as contributing factor. (Boston Business Journal)

HEALTH CARE

Spaulding Hospital offers to pay transportation costs for patients who have to travel further to receive care once the hospital shuts down. (Salem News)

TRANSPORTATION

A small plane crashes into a house in Plainville and the two passengers and pilot die. (Associated Press)

MEDIA

CommonWealth’s Gabrielle Gurley is a National Association of Black Journalists “2015 Salute to Excellence Awards-Magazines” finalist for “Caught in a time warp,” her Summer 2014 feature article about Pittsfield municipal government’s struggles with affirmative action. (NABJ)