Massachusetts has a cost-of-living problem.
Bay Staters pay high prices for housing, heat, power, gas, and food. People work hard and still struggle to pay their bills.
Let’s do something about it.
NewBostonPost endorses Mike Minogue for governor because Massachusetts needs a new approach to making life more affordable.
Minogue, a Republican, is running against Democratic Gov. Maura Healey. He has made energy costs and education central to his campaign.
Minogue isn’t a career politician, but he’s well qualified to lead the executive branch. At Danvers-based Abiomed, he delivered value to shareholders while growing annual revenue from about $26 million to over $1 billion and the workforce from 239 to over 2,000. He helped bring lifesaving heart pumps to patients before Johnson & Johnson bought the company for $16.6 billion in 2022.
One of his main plans would help Massachusetts families pay for their children’s education through a new federal scholarship tax credit program.
The program starts next year. It lets people claim a federal tax credit of up to $1,700 per year for donations to approved scholarship groups. Those groups would then help eligible public and private school families pay for education costs.
Parents could use scholarships for tutoring, books, supplies, special education services, and even required school uniforms. That last point matters because some public schools in cities like Brockton require uniforms, creating another bill for families.
Massachusetts has to join the program for families here to benefit.
Minogue says he’d opt in on his first day in office. And yes, the governor can do so without the legislature’s approval.
Healey has not joined, nor has she committed to joining, even though the program would benefit our students and help Massachusetts families with the high costs of raising children.
Minogue also wants to cut energy bills.
Massachusetts has some of the highest electric rates in America. Winter heating bills hurt family budgets. The last thing we want is Bay Staters rationing food or prescription drugs and skipping doctors’ appointments to pay for heat and electricity. That’s dangerous — and sometimes deadly.
Minogue wants more natural gas pipelines to bring fuel into New England.
More natural gas could help lower energy prices and reduce wintertime fuel-shortage risks. A Jones Act waiver for liquefied natural gas could also help. It’s hard to imagine Healey securing one for Massachusetts given her frosty relationship with the Trump administration.
Minogue also backs nuclear power and more electricity from Canada. That’s good. New York and New Hampshire produce nuclear energy, and Quebec has a massive hydropower supply. Those are reliable, low-emission energy sources. That’s much better than expecting wind and solar to solve our problems.
Minogue also wants to cut utility bill fees, which would save Bay Staters money.
Compare that to Healey, who fought major pipeline projects as attorney general. Now that it’s election season, she says she wants to expand an existing gas pipeline.
Minogue also wants a gas tax holiday when gas prices surpass $4 per gallon. Healey proposed a two-month break from the tax during election season and never seriously fought for its passage; the Massachusetts House killed her proposal.
Both candidates have plans to address high housing costs.
Minogue wants faster building permits and an end to costly stretch codes. Healey points to the housing law she signed, which legalized accessory dwelling units by right.
No governor can fix every problem overnight. New pipelines and homes take time to build. State lawmakers would also need to approve some changes.
But Massachusetts gave Healey four years to address its affordability crisis. So far, it’s only gotten worse on her watch — and her response has been to blame Donald Trump.
It’s time for a new approach.
That’s why NewBostonPost endorses Mike Minogue for governor.
