To the editor:
Gov. Maura Healey’s leadership demands a reckoning from Lynn and the North Shore. Two years in, her progressive pragmatism falters: a $932 million migrant shelter bill strains our budget, median home prices near $600,000 lock out families, and the MBTA stumbles despite $1.4 billion in funding. A UMass poll shows 54% approval, but beneath lies discontent — 60% say she’s failed on housing. From a center-right view, her tenure tests our values: fiscal restraint, practical solutions, and fairness for all.
The “right to shelter” law is noble but unsustainable. Cap stays at 90 days and redirect funds to work permits, not open-ended costs, Lynn taxpayers can’t bear. Housing needs bold action—slash permitting to 30 days and offer builder tax breaks, not just $4 billion in slow state plans. The MBTA’s derailments mock Healey’s doubled budget; privatize non-core services and demand accountability, not more cash for dysfunction.
Fiscal discipline fades as Healey dips into reserves amid a $2 billion shortfall, betting on federal aid that may dry up. Crime concerns — tied by some to migrants — need firm policing, not dismissal. And rural neglect? Lynn’s working families deserve infrastructure over Boston-centric priorities.
Healey’s tax cuts and Trump outreach show promise, but incrementalism won’t cut it. We need smarter governance — cap costs, unleash builders, and respect local voices — or face a 2026 reckoning. Lynn knows the stakes. Let’s demand results, not rhetoric.
Ronald Beaty
West Barnstable
