Charlie Baker will doubtless depart workplace as the most well-liked governor within the nation, however many Bay State residents suppose he dealt with transportation poorly, a brand new ballot discovered.
Fifty-seven % of 700 voters surveyed stated Baker dealt with transit “not too well” or “not well at all,” in contrast with 34% who stated he did a very good job with the hot-button challenge.
However, respondents to the UMass Amherst/WCVB ballot don’t blame the outgoing governor for the issues plaguing the MBTA, with solely 11% saying that they did.
Nearly half, or 48%, stated the fault as an alternative lies with MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak, who was appointed by the Baker administration in 2019 and introduced his resignation this week.
Thirteen % blamed the state Legislature, 3% stated Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was accountable, and the remaining 25% stated they didn’t know who was at fault for a beleaguered transit company that was the topic of a uncommon federal investigation this previous spring.
Less than a 3rd of respondents favored extended federal involvement, by way of momentary receivership of the MBTA, which federal transit officers say they don’t seem to be legally allowed to do anyway. Thirty % oppose such a transfer, and 38% haven’t any robust opinions both means.
Helping Baker, maybe, is that voters really feel he did properly with different state points, such because the pandemic (71%), economic system (65%), taxes (58%), atmosphere (57%), and schooling (57%), and their total feeling that Massachusetts is both higher than (32%) or about the identical (39%) as when he took workplace.
The ballot discovered that Baker’s approval ranking is 68%, a bounceback from 2021 when that quantity dipped to 52% “in the wake of his handling of the pandemic, controversy surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and various scandals,” stated Tatishe Nteta, professor of political science at UMass Amherst and director of the ballot.
“After a shaky 2021, Baker has regained his status as the nation’s most popular governor,” Nteta stated.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”