Keller @ Large: What are Massachusetts Republicans focused on?
BOSTON - WBZ Political Analyst Jon Keller sat down with Taunton Mayor Shaunna O'Connell and discussed topics that are important to Massachusetts Republicans.
O'Connell said as mayor of Taunton, she's most concerned about infrastructure, education and public safety. As the state budget is currently being debated, O'Connell said she'd like to see an increase in general aid.
"It has not kept up with inflation, it has not kept up with other increases in the budget and it's a real challenge for municipalities when we see these very miniscule increases in that particular number, especially when we are seeing increases of ten percent, at least in Taunton, in our education money. So there's the ten percent increase in that, which is great for our schools, but that requires us to contribute more to the schools, which we're happy to do, but we're not seeing the increase in our local aid number."
As for what Republicans should do for more success in Massachusetts, O'Connell told Keller lawmakers need to connect with people and focus on what's important to them.
"You have to put the people over the politics," said O'Connell. "And I've always done that. And people know that I care about working families, they know that I come from low-income housing myself and that I've had my own challenges and that I'm grateful for everything that I have right now."
Keller @ Large: Part 2
