Transcripts For CSPAN Campaign 2020 Deval Patrick In Laconia NH 20240713

On cspan. Former Massachusetts Governor Duval Patrick spoke at a town hall in laconia, New Hampshire. Topics included Economic Growth and combating the nations opioid epidemic. A pleasure. Nice to meet you. Nice to see you. How are you doing . Hows the family . Im good. Im good. My pleasure. John, nice to see you. I like your tshirt. Im so sorry. Excuse me. Hi. How are you . Its nice to see you. Thats how we knew you were here. Its so nice to see you. Wow. We want to shake your hand. Some old friends of mine up in sandwich. Center harborside. Old friends of mine in sandwich where i spent last night. Family ive been for 40 years. Familyhave an extended here. Youre welcome to stay at my house anytime. Hi, everybody. I am the Laconia Democratic Party chair and delicate delegate at large. My story began in 2007. I moved to the state of New Hampshire as a homeless youth. Life was tough at the time. I came here, graduated from night school. Ran for office at a really young age. I was told i was too young to candidate and a run by 46 votes in a city that was all republican. Only hispanic in the same kstate to be elected until two years ago, while we have a few representatives in our state house. I am going to quote the governor, he said something to me that means a lot. He said it earlier. Being the first is only important if there is a second and a third. Now that we in New Hampshire have a couple of hispanics elected, to me thats when it starts to mean a lot. I just wanted to host all the candidates. That was the idea, to have a conversation in the lakes region about the issues that matter to us. We have some he thinks facing us in our voices matter. I met the governor why was receiving the progressive of the year award last week. I extended an invitation and he happily said lets do it, lets make it happen. Here we are. Devalan honor because patrick was the first africanamerican governor for the state of massachusetts. I love this date, of course. The first africanamerican governor for the state of massachusetts, and only the second in our nation. Still to this day we have only had two. I think when our nation is so diverse, there should be more than one or two. I wanted to have him here to have a conversation with all of us. He has been a huge advocate for climate change. Thatyoung person i believe we can only solve the problems of the future if we focus on the biggest threat that we have to our client crime and today, which is climate change. Thank you for being such a champion in massachusetts. With Health Insurance you were a huge advocate of passing Health Insurance in massachusetts and making sure that 90 of massachusetts was covered. 99. Dont leave out any percentages. That is huge. That is something that i value and i think you for doing that before running for president. So, he has been a governor that has had results. To me, without further a do, its a huge honor to have him here in laconia, New Hampshire. [applause] thearlos, thank you for warm welcome and generous introduction. Thank you for your leadership, which has been so key. It has been an example for all of us. I know a couple of you here, you know i much prefer conversation. I wont do a lot of talking at you. I will say a little bit about why i am in the race and what i think the opportunity of this moment is for all of us. Id i will start there because think democrats often, and i am a proud democrat. Although democrats get on my last nerve, i have to tell you. Laconia, laconia as some of you know, i grew up south side of chicago. Poverty. The time in there were other relatives who came and went in our two bedroom apartment. Mother and i used to share oone of those bedrooms, you wod go from the top bunk to the bunk to the floor. I went from overresourced sometimes violent public schools. I didntemember a time love to read but i dont remember owning a book of my own 14 years old. S i got a breakthrough scholarship through a program called a chance to go to Milton Academy which for me was like a different planet. A lot of things we didnt have we he south side but when did what was incredibly important was a strong sense of community. Childwere days when every was under the jurisdiction of every single adult on the block. Street in up down the front of ms. Jones. The side of your head and call home. What adults were trying to get us, when youre a amber of a community you have stake in your neighbors as well as your own. You are responsible for doing to leave things better for those who come behind. What i have ues is p tried to live tried to livet o law. Ege, i did business i was head of Civil Rights Division in the Justice Clinton nt in the administration. Ive been an executive of two ive helped to grow businesses since then where we can deliver measurable or good. L environmental which is to say, i have lived the American Dream. Being ch by which i mean, not limited by the circumstances of and while grit and determination and personal absolutely ty are a y, so was access to Transportation System so you could get back and forth to a an that was ready for you in economy that was expanding when you were ready for it. Leaving the south side there were come top to cometo, other kids just as creative, just as ambitious, just as as me who didnt get that chance. Years, now that over the the American Dream is becoming for and more out of reach more and more people. I also know it doesnt have to that way. We have pulled back from that of common cause and common responsibility for a long time in a whole lot of ways. Think the short term focus, obsession with the short term frankly, is the reason for from the Climate Crisis to, you know, economic anxiety. Ocial i would say even to the we have in offers right now. The anxiety and the frustration and even anger, that comes from the environment around us, i that i s something recognize from the south side of chicago. When the steel mills left it feeling like we had been kicked to the curb. Opioids came in to fill that void. Just in the neighborhood but in our own home. Issues, ifsues became at all, at election time and nt of between so the lack confidence, i think, in government as a source of solutions or a source of even seeing and hearing people, i think, is at a low. Now, we created all of this, right . We, i mean, all of us, in a democracy, you know, you can argue, we get the government we deserve. And if we want better government, we want more engagement, weve got to go it. Reach for we have to insist on it and stop accepting what is what is on offer, as often as we have. When i think about things like, you know, the cheery we keep indicators being told everything is so know, inflation, inflation is low as long as you dont count the cost of education, housing and healthcare, right . The things that enable you to family. Urself and your unemployment is low as long count. S you do the minimum wage jobs have to survive. You know, we dont have to accept this. That, you know, in my experience, in life and in that lasts change requires setting big, broad and then bringing others in. Elected governor, which was the first thing i ever for, 15 minutes after that, as some of you know, the botto of the global economy. Eight years of real focus and people to turn to rather ththan o than on each other, a in achusetts is number one student achievement in healthcare coverage, in veteran in energy and efficiency, i can go on. 25year employment high. We didnt get everything right. Nobody does. Nobody does. Bbut we got as much done as we because we were results focussed. We are about everyone, just the folks who were well connected and knew their way to and around the statehouse. And because the agenda that we had, we kept listening, make ing, listening, to sure it was the agenda that actually married to people at point where policy turns people. When i think about the range of experience dership that ive had, there are some stick. Sons that oone is that we have to we to reject false choices and were offered them all the time. Lilike i say, im a democrat. I dont think you have to hate republicans to be a good democrat. I dont think you have to hate business to be a good social warrior. Ice i dont think you have to hate police to believe black lives matter. Being know why we keep offered these false choices. The other side is brilliant at these little, you know, tradeoffs, socalled. Through that and put that down if we actually want to make change that matters. The other thing, the other lesson that ive learned is that, the way you get change that you share the victory. Again, its about bringing goal, but e in, setting a otheothers may have a smarter, more rent, or just effective way of achieving that goal. Person, any k any party, has a corner on all the best ideas. Lasts is the ange only thing that saves our democracy right now. It itits why what were focusi is an opportunity agenda, a reforming agenda and democratic agenda, because it is so broken, about those. I guess were getting around and listening to people and checking agenda we think is tthe right one is, in fact, on matters. Ow we assure that you are, and whwhen when i say you, i mean thisbody, understands that isnt just a style of campaigning but its a style of we should expect, time, in ability and between campaigns and not just during campaigns. You know, ifou want, youwant leadership that is, know, just about plans and not results, just about being mad, mad, too, by the way, but ust about being mad and not about how we use the opportunity of chang of change to heal us nation. Thats what you want, im not your guy. You want is someone who understands that lasting and is not just ange necessary but is an opportunity i am your , i think guy. Your would love to earn support and your vote. Why dont we start with earning support and have some conversation. So the way were going to do everybody, uld like you speak, just say your first name, where youre here in New Hampshire, and whats important for you as an issue. Call on people, too. My oldest friends name [inaudible] stone house [inaudible] there need to be more that will help people n early recovery, to sustain these solar houses. For longer periods of time. Do you have a limit on how have in a ou can sober house . No. Sociohouse, i had a job lined up. I was in a good position. A lot of people arent lucky enough to be in that position. Coming out of a time where they are disjointed in their lives. Finding a job is difficult, you for, if you havent done it a while. And there have to be more rograms to help, you know, their n them in transition. Yep. If this is too personal just to stop, but when time . Ou decide it was i hit rock bottom basically. I think everybody has to hit they do tom before decide its time. And nobody is going to get help want it. Dont you cant force it on someone. Were you caught up at all in the criminal Justice System . Yes. Do you have a drug course here . Yes. Diversion to sober houses i [inaudible] whenever they get issues that just because i have to work in the program and i of partner with a couple sober house heres sober housen ober house heres in la sobes , we have the biggest death rate. Es at this time of year. People are falling into disparity. They cant afford to continue to go to work because they dont have a license because they lost it. In a state where there is no public transportation, having these things are important. Or death. Ife so one of the things that hes touching on, one of the biggest keep hearing, i they get out of the sober house which normally, they have that,re or Something Like insurance that covers their sobriety for a few months, they 28 days and now they hahave to go find a job, find lace to live, the average rent arouaround here is about 200 week minimum. Being nice. You dont have a job to begn with. So now youre going back to circles that you knew because thats all you know. So i think we need to do a a society on how do we help them continue, you being sober after youve destroyed your life is expensive and thats the only as a nation t it from here on. P soso i find a lot of, esp men, system has forgotten about them so there is luckily reat people in the community that have been working hard but where there are 140 people lost overdoses, to drug its insane, especially under age of 30. So thats education is mportant but at the same time if were going to keep people socioand out of the system, this is another problem that we find. They go to jail and with you come out and you have all of these fines to pay. Out . Ow do you get how do you use it . Y you just go deeper and deeper. You know, one of the rollingwhy were, were out policies in packages instead f in sigh lows is because most people, they dont live in policy silos. About just talk more sober houses or longer houses without talking about how you get wraparound services, how you independent housing, how you get training for the job thats actually available and hoping. T training and how we as a Community Act like we hawe have a stake in you, ta point where you can stand on your own. And by the way, when i say stands on your own, thats not i dont hear that as disrespectful. All need a hand. We all need a hand. So i can tell you some of the tried to do in massachusetts. We did not get this just so. Ts interesting, because i thithink we began to realize, on 5 1 2 e coming years ago, i think, is that right . We began to see what was coming has since come. Adult much in the in dcf. N community but you hear what im saying . We had a family first strategy. Kids would come in because they had been they were in state finding and we were that getting them back to mom aand dad quickly was harder an harder to do because no, maam dad, one or both, were dealing with their own addiction we were beginning to its at was coming and since been a huge wave. Largest d the stateoftheart Treatment Recovery treatment and facility, i think in massachusetts history, and we way, right y the through the recession. Step. Hat was a we did we di do a drug course so we had that diversion. Additional money into Recovery Centers and we had a mandatory, we had an administrative extension of the recovery period. Quite controversial for some. What i dont think we nailed was the transition after that longer recovery. I think i thi it was extended, i would check this. I think it was extended to 65 days. I think thats right. Perfect is didnt the transition on into, you into that housing, into hat job, so you were getting back. Tthe mojo was just being on yo i think thats work we can do. I would ask you, because its come up in a couple conversations here in. New hampshire, its a solution to get resources down to the local and have local solutions, a solution to get it to states solutions, or is it to it t hold it and go at it as a federal solution . The reason i ask that is because ive talked to a few people at its a l level who said state level and the state isnt doing enough. Ive talked to people at the we e level who have said need federal help. A local level. This he perspective of evening. There is no easy solution to problem. He i think it would benefit to level. At the state ththat that way, you know, peo dhs or through like Something Like that, to get the it wouldntd, you know, jujust be with the town, you k. Lilike you like you find, rehabs are closed. Like beds arent opened so you different go to a county, and if its at the state evel, if youre transitioning between counties, you know that wont hold you up as much. Did you have your hand up . Here in New Hampshire, we have a system first name . Our sarah. So here in New Hampshire we have a State Government that sale of the the first addictive substance most people try and thats alcohol supposed to have a fund earmarked for prevention, treatment and access recovery its never been fully funded the fact is from the sale of okay. And so we have these great Liquor Stores on the highways hat you drive by, and were supposed to earmark a ton of that money back into the community and its just not happening. Has it ever happened . I think the first year it pened, we do our budget buy biannum. 40 . That equals a Million Dollars sing every single year for the laconia district. Republicans are not really putting the money where it should go. This is a health crisis. Its not any personal feeling what youve done in massachusetts. Also declared ate Perfect Health emergency. Yeah. Are you from, joe . Im from laconia. Lived here for 33 years to. Touch base on the topic, kind of what hes talking about. Problem isnt with the Treatment Centers the big problem stems out of the nsurance because my personal experience, when i was in a treatment center, im just a company. O an insurance yep. They made a decision after 14 never never meeting me, seeing anything but what they got back from your counselor safe to come back to the streets. I begged and pleaded to say i wasnt ready. Die. Probably going to i dont want to leave and i was down to leave to step a lower level, instead of staying in a safe, comfort area, which was a residential treatment center, because at Insurance Company deemed i was ready to move on to the next level. Would be insurance today, we talked this the medicare, the medicaid of your u myself some prescriptions covered, as soon paycheck, your first now youre on the books. Youre back to work starting to your feet. My insurance has done it to me actuallytimes, which i work here, its a commissionbased job, its up then they pull your medicaid and you have to reapply. Like i have to stay under i cant make a certain amount of money. Dont make this amount of money to keep your insurance, or out of yourcription pocket and try to make this amount of money. Thats one of the biggest ssues, they are putting the money in the right areas. Like he was saying, transition rom rehab to sober living, i went to rehab myself seven times before i figured it out, you know. Everybody is days t, but im on 88 right now. [applause] the issue, like he said, you you come from rehab. You tore your life down. You have nothing. There time you get out, is chuck ees and stars get money. Carlos these places, know who i stay with, its owned by a sober house, hes a he works with people like, if you dont have money to move in. He wont tell you, you cant move in. A lot of these places put their foot down. If you dont have the first week have the deposit, it can be 450 to a thousand dollars just to walk in the door. What kind of drug addict that just destroyed his life is going ask mom, dad, family and friends, im finally doing the things, let me borrow a thousand bucks so i can go into a sober house. Is enough anddays ill tell you, 28 days isnt enough for anybody. Tries and multiple thats the worst part. Weve all seen it, multiple, friends already laconia from addiction. Community. Wn to our we can fix it here and then fix it at a bigger level. Right here, people dont and i think New Hampshire is number two in the United States for opioid ohio. Ms besides people dont realize the severity of the issue. Want to see behind the scenes what its real and see somebody, to you know, family, what happens to them after somebody overdoses and dies, and now your kid is going into the foster care system and they think all of addicts are bad people. A lot of these people would give the shirt off their back in a they are sober but they cant seem to kick that ssue because of either insurance, you know, not the right treatment policy or they cant, its a combination of everything, you know what i mean . Wanting e down to you it but you cant do it by yourself. Its impossible. It really is. The struggle to see it first hand. Its crazy. Thats you know, no offense, the politicians dont know how it is on the street you know what i mean . They dont see how it affects people. More about, maybe react on the question of shame. The way it gets in the way of policy making. A shared we have social responsibility to break down a lot of the stigma this. Iated with its a health issue. Dont ber, and i this is so deep, i hate to turn , but i have some other want to remember. Your last point, what people see, dont see what they look uncled dont look for, my sonny was one of those relatives who came and went. He came and asons went is because he was in and or jail. Ber settings you know. Reaction my mothers into railroad tenets, the rooms are behind each other. Remember saying to my mother, uncle is doing something strange. Everybody else was out except my me, and him. And he was in the front shooting up. Big. S probably about this and i saw how agitated he was, relaxed he antly was, and i think i had gone in while this was happening and, know, he was just hanging there. Mother flew into a rage. And, because she felt that this something that her child let alone be at risk of, but just should see. Him out, locked the door. Grandparents were away in kentucky. Door all night long. When my grandparents got back a next day, there was complete like, just a fight to mother fights between my and her mother, because this is what happens, you know. Torn apart. Not just the person who is suffering as deep as the the whole oes but exactly. But so im acknowledging, first all, that we need to think comprehensively. His is really where you started, and i think you built on it. I get it. I dont know all the pieces that there need to be. But i promise that, not just as politician, but as a human i hear see you, and i want to serve you. [inaudible] one of the big things that concerns me, im a college right now going to school for several engineering and eventually i want to come New Hampshire. Where are you going to school . [inaudible] to come back home. The problem is, you know, you look at all the young people, back to new oming hampshire. They are going back home their home might be. [laughter] but, so it concerns me, how young people to want to go back to where they came from rather than off to boston of the large one cities that just seems to be everybody . Well, you know, as the parent always a eople, im little careful about saying what oung people what i think should do. E [laughter] so im not even looking at him. His eyes right now. Things that we know make possible the American Dream. Right . We know its a great school within reach of everyone. Frankly, education, right through life, because more and more, our economy is going changing fast, and the ability to get training and get retrained for a specific job, not just training and hoping, job, i think ific is critical. We did some work on that in massachusetts. On this in some work my private sector life. Schools, on ding on university, community college, best aining is the single money for of public the future. The second element, if you will, we build an economy thats going out and not just is innovation. Thats all kind of industries cutting edge of a knowledge economy. Doesnt mean you have to have a ph. D. Right . The middle skills gap, socalled, which i came to understand at the worst of the recession in massachusetts, 175 people 775,000 people, i think it was, looking work, and 125,000 vacancies at the same time. Employees were telling us is that in the case of many of those jobs, they couldnt people with the skills necessary for the jobs they had, those jobs required more than a High School Diploma but not necessarily a college degree. Of certification that was targeted for that job. Of jobs, and that kind of sensibility, that we a future n shape around the innovation economy. It doesnt have to be or entrated in boston, Silicon Valley requires the third thing. Infrastructure and investment. Thats roads, rails and bridges, yes. Also Work Force Housing, right . You know, high Speed Internet service. Which changes everything. Of in n the sort those hubs that you talked about, that i mentioned but up North Country where we were just now, even cell service spotty. How can you participate in a nowledgebased economy if youre not in one of those hubs . Frankly, there is another thing invested in, in is achusetts, which i think a model. Nationalize it, thats not exactly what im saying but that i have seen, and that weve put to great effect something called mass a llenge, which was publicprivate incubator for new usinesses and Small Businesses trying to grow, so if you had an idea and you needed some wanted to work alongside other folks, you could this incubator, and as it began to grow could you et some seed money to get going. Capital, not alone. Capital. Difference. Right . And so the notion of being able you know to be an engineer, to, in new u want hampshire, might be laconia or it might be someplace else. You have housing that you can afford. Infrastructure you can access so you can participate in a market thats larger and you can have some around you, who show you what it might be like when you decide, you know what . Just work for this big Civil Engineering company. Own civil ave my engineering firm. Understand how to do this, and i think adapting some of that attitude to a changing is critical. The last thing i would say, and im ell me whether what saying responds to what youre is that bout, historically speaking, weve pretty good in america at innovation. Transition, good at right . So we do the next thing but we around to the impact on people, if at all, later. A way to think innovation own economy, and we bring people in as we go. Did some terrific work around the job creation responding to n climate change. We had this exploding new sector around energy efficiency, solar, and wind. Its exactly the kind of thing and ve to do nationally globally. No one has gone to coal country, said look, the stone age didnt end because we ran out of stone. Isnt going to end because we run out of coal. Weve got a better idea. How about we do some of this here. How about coal country is the wind development. I dont know. I havent been either. Im saying, we dont think out. Were so short term focused from a commerce and a Government Point of view. We think out a little bit, and e ask others to help us think out. But i think it can be, it can be incredibly exciting and on ingful way to deliver change that lasts. What am i miss something what have i left out . Expected that to be it. One of the things that brings me out is that im a mom of four daughter was born before the aca was established. Aca it most 11 with the repealed lifetime limits on what you can pay for healthcare. My s really important to child, and so im wondering, as president , what will you do to all children can have access to the healthcare that they need and that they can receive the services that they need. Because angela is here in New Hampshire but we go to massachusetts for her medical care. Glad you added the last part because mostly what weve been talking about is the important question of unit s universal access, thats we dont have the capacity to meet the need. Should speak to all slogan, i r put that it way because people of Different Things by medicare for all. I think we should have a public aca. On in the that public option could well be medicare. Could well be. Reason i land there is because i think there is value n the creative tension of having private insurance, having figure out how to compete for a big part of the market thats going to move to a no cost or a cost option, which means they are going they are going to do the work with others in that needs to be system costs down, right . Other thing, we need innovative tension on the edicare side, on the public most because frankly, policybuy a supplemental on top of medicare because medicare doesnt go far enough. Havent know, we before you s ven joe point joe was raising about whether the coverage you have actually meets the needs you have. Right . That you can rely on it theout having to argue with Insurance Company. Our folks in of assachusetts covered because there was a Big Coalition of policymakers ow, and insurers and providers and atient advocates and labor and on and on. The Faith Community that came together to invent the bill that and thatromney signed, went into effect the day i took office. Thats why it should be called patrick care. To that group stuck together refine it because we kept learning things. Think i signed three, four, maybe five major healthcare bills after the first one because we kept learning new things, and i think thats how at it to come nationally. And this is to the point about capacity, right . We have fewer and fewer medical into family care or primary care. Why . Why . Because of the debt they incur to go to medical school pay it off is to high paying specialty. Its all connected, right . About ave some ideas that. Think there are things we ask doctors to do that other edical professionals can do at lower costs, and weve got i one kind of, one example, i suppose, in massachusetts, by way, its different statetostate, but in think im ts, i remembering correctly, that a certain t can only do things to your feet but if your feet is really hurt and you need help improving the what do on, you know, you call the profession you go to, to get retuned. Chiropractor. Had to have ally that on film. Anyway, chiropractor could do werente couldnt, they authorized by the licensing authorities. There is a lot we can do to this out so there is actual service. Health. Terrific response. You know what im talking about, doctor. Ccess to a its a terrific solution. Tele ved on the board of a Health Company so ive been learning a lot about it. The rules are about to change, i think, in january, so that by ice is reimbursable medicare, i think it is, but if access to high speed broadband, so what. Its back to the point i was making, its interconnected. We have to do more than one thing at the same time in order really, really get the again. Y going i may bring up one thing. [inaudible] gay ransgender people and rates ofve the highest suicide, and threats of violence against then. What would ow due to ensure that lgbtq people against, scriminated and that we can live the dream . N well, the first thing i would enforce os, we need to and as someonee, who led the Civil Rights Division in the justice in an administration that was actually interested in the subject matter, i can assure you that the department would be funded and supported and urged enforce the laws vigorously. I think there are some gaps in laws. And, you know, i need some help understanding those. I also think there are some gaps in our understanding, just our understanding. We were talking earlier, that of the ways we accomplished or achieved the bragging point of being first in the nation you you can marry anyone love, is because people made it personal. People and to realized that their neighbors, heir friends, in many cases, their family members, with you to like them and happened e members of the lgbt community. For these purposes. And then we got, i think we were just beginning to get a concept a consciousness about trans, as i was leaving office. I think its the same thing. People are just afraid. Unfamiliar, and im not saying, im not saying the transcommunity has to gather than i everany more felt that black people had to carry the burden of making other comfortable with us, before we were treated with basic human dignity. Im saying. Hat but i think one of the reasons to divide us asy in this country, and im taking of a step beyond your question is that we dont know each other. Have ways to know each other. Cartoon thing. Everybody is one dimensional. Them into the smallest possible box and push them off the side. I have some thoughts about that. Transpeople and they are people. First and foremost. Models eadership that that behavior, and, you know, he gaps in the laws and the enforcement of the laws, im all in. Me. Ch but the modeling of behavior thats about treating all people with the dignity, every living thats got to come from, you know, how you behave, and i hope you can count that from me. Become president , call me. Dont say if, say when. My name is john, im from New Hampshire, and im here today with the partnership to protect our retirement future. The question i wanted to ask met . Have we we have. I was working out at rebel stokes a few weeks ago. You. Ood to see good to see you again. The question i have to ask you, thehat the your position on financial tax, also known what we call retirement tax, im orried about it because thats something, its what would be, at least on what other proposing, would be a. 5 on all financial transactions. Worried about that you dont like it . I dont like it, im worried because it could really ffect a lot of just everyday, like people who have just regular old retirement accounts. Unions. Funds, those benefits that they fought or, the two biggest Pension Funds are like the california and new york Pension Funds. They could get slammed, even new funds here in hampshire could get hurt. 529 would get taxed. I was worried about that. Do you think you could carve exceptions or set the limits such that a lot of ow, i know other candidates arent focusing on that. I just wanted to know, do you you support that retirement ax . That, what do k you think should be done . I hear you, john. I think, i want to do in the tax system is simplify the personal tax. E three progressive brackets. Say, few, y, i should deductions or exemptions, you know. Deduction, aritable housing deduction, probably income tax earned rate. Of the business tax, not even the Business Community wanted to go as low as 21. 25. Thats competitive. That works. But they didnt finish the work. Eliminate all the loopholes. The loopholes were in place as a to arguments about how the rate wasnt competitive. If the rate is competitive then get rid of the loopholes and everybody contribute, right . We have some of the most rofitable companies in the world here paying zero taxes. Thats got to end. Has to the estate tax and what that rate is, we can talk about that but concentration of generational wealth, and by the way, i dont think wealth is the problem. I think greed is the problem. Its the hoarding of all the benefits, all the goodies on a few on the expectation that its going to trickle down to everybody else, which is a shaky idea when it was proposed 30 or ago, and its proven how much it fails. After that, i dont know. What that, i mean, i hear youre saying. Not he question for me is about what taxes beyond what i have said, should or should be adjusted, its secondary what it is, what a government should do or not do. Not do . I hear what youre saying about blanket across the board financial tax, which is a different, different, a completely different impact on retirees withdrawal from a the 401k. Ade within brought that up, ira. Ously she has an there are a lot of people who have 529s, kids with 529s. Going to be super affected by that. Thats why i feel its important. Obviously when you have a plan thats a tax on everybody, that could really the people who arent as well off, who are still in the market, thats where they can get effective. You have thats counterproductive, really. Yeah, i hear you. Your mom speaking for here in part. Shes about to be affected yy it. Yeah. Did you want to add to his point . In any way . I think he had a very good question. Great. Were all going to be affected by this. Thats right. This one . Shy side over here. [laughter] i am wondering how you feel, drives mersonally, it crazy when i hear, well, we need ordable healthcare and Affordable Housing and no solution is affordable. Obama care was a great start but wasnt affordable. The problem isnt with, i mean, i have a daughter. Her mid30s. Home ey cant buy a a ause the lowest cost for home is 230,000 or 240,000, and they are in beginning jobs. They cant do a home isthat. Its not high. Ts are rents are very high. They cant save money. A , you know, they just want little piece of the dream, like everybody else. A little piece. To have a need mansion. They just want a nice little house. Affordable housing. Its wages that are not keeping area, especially, we went from having, in the very, very re massive manufacturing area, and afta took all of those jobs away and my husband lost his job place, and in its weve gotten just retail and restaurants and we cant live on that. I was saying, you know. When you look at the actual jobs created, and its not to say, that retail and restaurant work worthy. It absolutely is. The question is, how do you build . How do you move forward . We have how many young people do you know, do we all know, who are trying to decide after child one whether it is more efficient affordable to go back to work and pay childcare or just home. My daughter stays home. She cant afford it. Towhat we want is for people have that choice and not to make it for them. First of all, that we question of job of how ashe economy, as i was i was trying to describe to ben, you create an economy where you can get a toe on. And then move if your first job is, you know, clean tech economy, for putting insulation they are pretty well paid jobs, but maybe you move on to a more technical job. Doing some electrical work. And by the way in massachusetts, out of who are coming lowtech schools, were looking three offers at 60,000, 65,000 starting salaries, when i was in office. This whole middle field gap that were not preparing people for people, making training available. I think the other thing that we hould be focused on, and can, and i think this is a collaboration that can be done with the private sector is an equity stake in the businesses youre building and work. E places that you employee ownership, coopes, i cca, cca. Hats called cca, in manchester. Amazing. Think im right, 40 billion company here in New Hampshire. Meaning, they are member owners. They have a stake, so when the someone wants n to do their next thing, buy that have a thing of value, right . You have an equity interest thats parts of your wealth when i think hair i sigh give me the hairy eyeball. Here is a wonderful city planner and developer i know who this is a pretty interesting idea. Illustrates where, how my head has been turned. He said, you know, if i want to go, if he wanted to go to oxbury, a neighborhood in boston, an africanamerican neighborhood in boston, and build a 13story tower on vacant and, he said heres what would happen. The neighborhood would rally and say, you know what . No. Because youre putting pressure rents and were going to be forced out. City would do its job, which is basically to referee developer and the neighborhood, and what would happen, he said, is the city do 11 ay, you can stories, not 13, and you have to ake a contribution to the neighborhood, a pocket park or some combination like that. Suppose by w the way, at 11 stories, also right . E on the rents, he said, suppose i could do it developer, atas a said, let me ut i have all 13. The first are retail, the next couple of offices, affordable and market rate on the and luxury condos top. That was his concept. To the city, let me have those last two stories and ill take the value of that it to the neighborhood as equity in the building. Ts still true that there is going to be pressure on the they have a thing of value thats growing over time, as he put it, we stop arguing about how to preserve for poor poverty people and instead start focusing on how we lift people poverty and get them on a path of economic mobility. Lot to like about experiment g as the doesnt result in folks being, you know, imprisoned by some, they dont have control over. So what am i saying . Youre absolutely right. Absolutely s undeniable that jobs that enable are e to build the future critical, and i think thats one f the reasons why in an innovation economy is something that we should try to own as a nation instead of feel so by it. Ned because they tend to be better paying jobs, although not all of are, you know, require ph. D. s, not even most of them ph. D. s. Precision manufacturing, for example. But i also think alongside that be creating opportunities for people to build wealth. The job is important but to build wealth. By people used to do it owning a home. I think its probably true that people still do it by owning a cant get to the home in the first place, you i can say the obvious things that will be in our policy positions about investing Affordable Housing, Work Force Housing is what im talking about but most of that rentals, i think. A stion, how do you get total, and start to build . I can tell you, this has been on he minds of black and brown communities for a long, long time. Because its a bad habit that weve been stuck with for a long time. Better believe its on my heart. Runninge not officially for president until you have signed a laconia president ial letter. Room. M glad you left you can do like Bernie Sanders and go around middle. Bout in the wherever you like. Just like youre not going to tell young people what to think, not going to tell you where to sign. [laughter] you. Ank last but not least, on behalf democrats, thank you. Youre traveling a lot. Hungry, i have no idea. I brought snacks for everybody. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, carlos. [applause] youre awfully quiet. Listening. Our newest elected city counselor councilor. Its not only in the policy making but in the transition of he policy to get to the areas needed. We can talk about Affordable Housing, and other things, and make policies at the top. To the ranslates down dealing o are actually oneonone with a whole bunch of situations. Up whether it was government or state administered policy, but the state, if they are greedy, and ont get to the places where its needed, but its really this quiet, and i ful interchange, dont know how you translate that on to the national stage. To all of all, its up of you. You have to make it personal, right . To decide this is the kind of leadership. Can i just say one last thing, in response to that, and im looking over here because really impatient with me. Im not that interested in policy. T im interested in policy where it actually touches people. Remember we were doing this, ill tell this quick story ill leave. John and i john you may have talked about n i this before. We were working on criminal massachusetts. In we had some pretty clear ideas about what we wanted to do in sentencing reform and what have you. And we kept meeting people. Meeting people who had been in, who said, look, im out i cant get a job because the things even for, i can ready apply for but i have to check the box that says i have a record and no one will even talk after they see that. So we need law that is ban the box. I , you know, it wasnt what had been thinking about. But we kept hearing it over and over again. Cory is the system in massachusetts that tracks record. S criminal and we did cory reform that was the box and about your ability to purge your record. Shortened t to be again. We went out to sign the building in freedom house. People, in a big, unairconditioned hall, on the hottest day in the history of and, you know, you squeeze n to get to this thing, just euphoria because people are excited. We sign the bill and im on the guy hands me his his cell phone. And he says, governor, talk to cell end, and i take the phone and i said, and the guy on the end says, governor, thanks for signing the bill. It will make a difference in my life. Its a true story. I spoke the phone back, to him and i said, look, i hope you make the most of it. Four years later, im in the western part of the state, and, an event and we stop at this restaurant, relatively new downtown to grab lunch, to take out. Standing there in front, after we place the order, guy, he walks is by and he does a double take, which i always attribute to the im taller on tv. And he says, are you governor patrick . I said yes. He said, do you remember signing that cory reform bill . Yes. D he said do you remember talking to a guy on the phone that day, day . He cell phone that i said yes. He said i was that guy. He said i was sitting in jail when when you talk that call. Got out, got a job here on account of that bill. Said im the executive chef at this restaurant today. To me, its not until the down to us that it matters. Not interested in kind of a notch in my belt, bragging rights. Im interested in what i was taught to be interested in, now tos what we do right those whol better for come behind us. [applause] joe, appreciate it. You for your willingness your story. Keep pushing. To be proud of him. See you as always. You mentioned that challenge. My daughter has shes the beneficiary. Fantastic. Up. Should have spoken yeah. It is. Are willing tole hard. Thats great. I hear you. Thanks for your area. Thank you. Its great. Youve got an active committee . Yes, we actually do. Good people. Real mighty. Mall but we get things done. Thank you very much. Thank you, ben. Are you in your studies . Now. Am a junior so good stuff. My bachelorsto get degree next fall and after that, ill get my masters. Overlapping yeah. The fiveyear program. Good stuff. What kind of engineering do do . Want to Civil Engineering. So the infrastructure stuff, good luck to you. Thank you. You . Ow are good. Shevon. Im hi. Excellent. Yeah. H,. Thank you chlt how long were new worcester . There was for three years. Back to ou been worcester . I have. Fire. s on oh, my gosh. Obviously, everyone always asks about entering the race late but youve been spending a lot of time in New Hampshire. Talk about your strategy. First of all, were later, not late. Decided. Ve not its a wide open race. Be here are, and will lot and in South Carolina a lot and a half t month because its important for me to reintroduce myself to the people f New Hampshire and to listen to them. You know, the reason i think, field the reasons why the is still so wide open is that we ave a lot of talent in the democratic field but we dont have a lot of people with a record of results. I have ave plans, results. And i think that i have some to get resultsow that last. When youre talking to the voters here, a few questions linked back to healthcare. Talk about your plans for healthcare. Think that the time is here for universal has some care and that implications as we talked about oday, to actually having the capacity to meet that need. Y own view is that we ought to have a robust public option inside the aca, as we continue build and improve on the aca, and that public option might medicare. But i think there is some value creative tension and competition between a free low cost public option and insurance. Can you speak to the ideas around election security. Dont think its been fully touched on yet in your policy agenda. Do you have specific ideas in mind . For . A concern you its a huge concern and its also something ive worked on in the past. Suppression and purging, some of the things frankly weve been reading a lot georgia and in are nsin, in florida, deeply concerning, to the point ou wonder whether the other side believes they can win in a fair fight. Lets have a fair fight. Same have lets have day registration. Lets have automatic egistration, when we turn when young people turn 18. Gather d the partisan gerrymandering. Money in dark elections. Lets also have a National Agenda so that we learn to know each other. We come to know each other i think one of the reasons why its so easy to divide us is that we just dont. One other question i have, reporting out from the Washington Post today says one of every four Circuit Court judges is now a trump appointee. That u talk about especially on your background in law. Think whats most concerning is that the hard an agendabeen driving a lot of pretty radical jurists on the bench. I think an unusual number have declared not qualified by the National Rating agency, the merican bar association, so that should be very concerning. That will not be the case in a administration. Well have top quality, serious jurists, experienced jurists, you know, of, continuing integrity in our federal judiciary. Least that a the president can do. Any concern about not being able to be part of the debates . I know that field has already been getting smaller and smaller anyways, but not being able to go against the competition. Well, listen, im against the competition anyway. The debate is not that marker for me. The debate stage in the fullness of time but thats not the end game. Game is winning. Thank you. Take care. Give back all of electronics. Watch our live coverage of the president ial candidates on the campaign trail and make up your own mind. Unfiltered20, your view of politics. 2020 democratic president ial candidate joe biden holds a town hall meeting today in peterborough, New Hampshire live at 2 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan online at cspan. Org, or listen live on the free cspan radio app. The house will be in order. For 40 years, cspan has been providing unfiltered coverage of congress. The white house, the supreme court, and Public Policy events from washington, d. C. And around the country so you can make up your on mind. Created by cable in 1979, cspan is brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. Cspan, your unfiltered view of government. Queen elizabeth ii delivers her annual christmas message from windsor castle