What can Beacon Hill do to keep Massachusetts residents from moving away?

Among Massachusetts' political leadership, it's an article of faith that this state is exceptional, with past accomplishments and present-day strengths that other states should envy. But a new poll from UMass Amherst suggests that many Massachusetts residents have a very different perspective. That survey found that about four in ten people who call Massachusetts home have considered moving elsewhere in the past year, and that the discontent and restlessness captured by that number spans a number of seemingly disparate groups, including political conservatives, lower-wage earners, and people of color.
What, exactly, is the matter with Massachusetts? What would it take for state lawmakers to fix it? And are the solutions they're currently considering the right ones? Adam Reilly weighs those questions with Tatishe Nteta, a political scientist at UMass Amherst and the director of the UMass Poll, and GBH News State House correspondent Katie Lannan.
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[@belg4mit]

Taxes are not the problem. HOUSING COST is. Shame on the legislature for taking the easy way out.

[@Earthbound369]

👍 agree. Rents & housing are too high. Otherwise I love Massachusetts. Life long resident.

[@nakedreef]

@@Earthbound369 , it is happening everywhere. The greed that I see is astounding!!

[@Earthbound369]

@@nakedreef Homeowners with triple deckers selling out to corporate land grabbers who build MORE "Luxury" high rises. No more rooming houses, too many code restrictions. Where do they expect people to live?

[@markcollins2666]

Well. you must admit that high property taxes justify high housing cost. And fees for everything! I remember when Gov. Bill Weld introduced a common sense, one time vehicle registration fee. One and done. Not every two years. After all a fee is payment for a service rendered. As soon as he was gone, POOF! It was back!

[@zero00seven]

They make it impossible to build.

[@DivineDart]

Lower home prices and Invest in the T so people don't clog up the roads

[@markcollins2666]

Massachusetts is fine and dandy... IF your annual income is over 100K a year. Otherwise, it will take every cent you have, to exist at your station in life. I left 8 years ago, as a single man in a 1 BR rented apt, with nothing left, at the end of the month. Today, I own 2 homes, outright! And politicians have the gall to ask WHY?!?

[@Ark-Angel44]

If Massachusetts continues to mirror CA, OR, and WA, it should expect the same outcomes.

[@Morningdovecamp]

Thank you. That was a very informative interview.

[@mjones7887]

I don’t wanna move away but housing is just so crazy expensive.

[@dsm9785]

politicians are so out of touch with blue collar workers. housing here on the Cape has gotten ridiculously expensive. during covid people from the cities moved here and didn't care how much they paid for houses. they drove up the costs for everyone living here year-round, not to mention property taxes went up. with the inflation on food and utilities it's making it very unaffordable. If you didn't get a 10% raise this year you will be that much poorer in 2023. Thanks!

[@americana1234]

The professor gets an A+ . He's the only one really listening and is in tune with current reality not Beacon Hill fiction.

[@cardphins68]

Every place has good and bad, absolute truth, right? Same with Massachusetts but the co$t to live in this State just goes up and up and sorry, I think it's only going to keep increasing. The Food, Insurance, & TAXES are crushing working people.

[@newnormal1841]

. DO NOT GO TO CALIF. 🤺💐

[@randyellis9460]

They can't do anything......this state is so screwed up it will never be right.....half the people don't speak English....crime is everywhere....taxes are huge....and the roads would be better off dirt, we have bumpy tar patches on bumpy tar patches....I could just keep going...looking forward to moving...... and by the way....my family has been here since the pilgrims pulled in on the boat😢😢😢

[@robinshepard4571]

I ♥️. Massachusetts

[@altnewser6484]

Bring back RENT CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@PatrickFoley-vf3lr]

They used to all it Taxachussets for good reason. I'm next door in RI and its not much cheaper, only no good jobs unless you work for the city or state. High property tax, high corruption and no opportunity.

[@nakedreef]

Same thing in FL.

[@darylb5564]

I’d like to know what state they plan to move to. I’m sure a lot of them want to come to Florida. Fingers crossed that they change their voting habits when they get here. People are running out of places to run…

[@nakedreef]

Well FL is NOT the place to run to. That governor is a dictator!! I live in FL and it's Hell here now because of him. He also has ruined it for the people by making sneaky deals with insurance companies and after Ian we ALL got screwed. It will probably take me 2 years to collect on the damages. Fl is a mess! Anyone moving here IS CRAZY. I WISH that I could leave, but I'm old and sick now and wouldn't even know where to go. Just awful.

[@nakedreef]

It's like this all over the country! If they move, to a state like FL for instance (which I would NEVER recommend) they will find that house prices and rentals are over the top. If they go to any red state to get lower taxes, they'll find themselves in states that can't support themselves. Sometimes, it's better to stay put and wait it out, because these high prices will come down a little and things will balance out after the recession. It should be getting better in a year or two.

[@americana1234]

Yeah and I got a bridge to sell you ....

[@ydkman]

​@@americana1234That's original...😂

[@Michael_19056]

I was born here in Massachusetts. I have remained here for more that five decades. My wife and I have visited many states as we plan to leave Massachusetts. I can assure you that, at least in our case, the desire to leave is not because we want to live some where warmer. I shovel snow wearing my sandals. Nor is it motivated by taxes. I am in amoungst the very highest percentile earners in the state and money means nothing to me. It is because we are unwilling to accept how we are, and have been, treated by people like Healey and Wu who have made it abundantly clear that we are not welcome if we don't comply with unconstitutional edicts such as the (then) vaccine madates. It is the extremely substandard educations that our children are receiving. Massachusetts can claim the moniker of "most educated" all it likes but we are familiar with educational standards from my wife's origins in Eastern Europe and, belive me, the education levels here are exceptionally subpar by comparison. In particular, in mathematics. It is the constant destructive woke pressure on our children - everything thing from "[insert noun here] justice" to the ever increasing trans nonsense. We have travelled enough to understand very clearly that there are many places where the average person on the street is kinder, more intelligent, and more decent than the miriad of over educated, mass media consuming, low intelligence townies that we are constantly dealing with here in Massachusetts. This is why we are planning on leaving.

[@Earthbound369]

Don't let the door slam on yr as* when you leave. Seeya!

[@dawn8656]

@@Earthbound369 looks like you proved this person’s point.

[@hotmic4045]

Too many Mass-holes like sad romantic. They listen to other Mass-holes like Jim Broude and Margery Egan on GBH and never question their nonsense.

[@nakedreef]

I sure hope that you don't come to FL! We're Overcrowded as it is! Not enough infrastructure to support new people! It's turning into a dump. Medical care is the lowest. DRs that fail up north land up down here. And when you're older, that isn't good. But you're rich, at least it looks that way by your post. And by reading your post I can see where you lean. FL doesn't need any more of that kind of thinking. You may want to try the Dakotas. Perhaps Texas.

[@Earthbound369]

@@dawn8656 1 thing is true about Massachusetts. We're NOT stupid. I doubt op lives here as stated. I can smell a political troll thru my phone will respond accordingly.

[@annebailey4599]

Keep voting Democrats people. Just pray you make it home alive. #unsafecities

[@nakedreef]

I always vote democrat now. I left the red side long ago, after it went bad.

[@Earthbound369]

MASSACHUSETTS IS SAFER, RICHER, AND BETTER EDUCATED THAN ANY RED STATE. FACT Ps. And the people are better looking 💋

[@greatest7391]

@@nakedreef Both bad sadly. Politics has turned into a TV Show ie Family Feud.

[@Jedwardsss]

Do the people leaving get to retain their honorary title of “mass-hole”?

[@elliottbailey2522]

@0:48 how can she make this speech about "sparks of revolution" and she banned assault rifles thus undermining the second amendment ???

[@Earthbound369]

We don't WANT Fkn assault weapons. Massachusetts has the LOWEST GUN DEATHS IN THE COUNTRY By keeping death merchants out. That ain't changing. PERIOD.

[@BraddahHuna]

There is NO HELP FOR THOSE OF US WITH DISABILITIES. THAT IS TOTAL BULLSHIT

[@nakedreef]

Same in other place also.

[@Earthbound369]

Depending on the types of help you require, there's more $$ for social services in Massachusetts than most other states. You need to get in touch with the right agencies, because if you can't find help here, you won't find it another state.

[@nakedreef]

@@Earthbound369, I think you're correct.

[@BraddahHuna]

First stolen land, first genocide, first slaves, etc