Downtown New Bedford's struggles are reshaping local business life

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[music] I stepped out the house today. I was about to turn right back around. If I didn't have appointments, I would have stayed in inside. I It was 16°. Not that it's the coldest I've ever been in, but sometimes you get that snappy wind. You just don't feel like doing anything. Woman friend was telling me yesterday was so cold. She didn't go to the grocery store and she needed to get some stuff. >> I don't know. I I saw a few people at the store when I went over there. [music] I think many people are trying to make do as best they can. By the way, I'm Brian and yes, I will be back for Brian's beat tonight at 6:00. Today being December 9th, it is anti-corruption day. H I don't know. Anti-corruption day. Where do we find the most corrupt people? That's where we should start. Take care of it there. We might be able to take care of it everywhere. Christmas card day. Does that mean this is the date that people mail out their Christmas cards in order to make sure that they get to whomever before Christmas Day? I guess did I'm going to ask it like this. A woman friend doesn't celebrate Christmas, but she is fanatical when it comes to mailing out cards, you know, birthday cards, you know, that's just the type of person that she is. But I'm wondering if people still get into the habit of mailing holiday cards, not Thanksgiving cards, but you know, Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards, Quanza cards. Do folks still do that? Today is Christmas card day and it's World Genocide Commemoration Day because on this date in 1946, the Nuremberg trials began against those involved with the Nazi experimentation, the mass murder under the guise of youth than Asia. Operation Restore Hope. That's what our government called it when our troops landed on Somalia back in 1992. The Brian Speak quote of the day. I grew up in the church and I feel very strongly about it. I grew up in the church and I feel very strongly about it. Maryanne Mobley who I believe at one particular time in her life was a Miss America. All right. So on this portion where I'm in for Barry, I do intend to discuss the denim nativity scene, you know, that whole debacle a little bit later on. But first, I'd like to circle the wagons, if you don't mind me saying, around the backyard. It's a topic just about every one of us has some type of experience. Many of you have publicly stated you're fed up with it. That's what you've told me. It's the holiday shopping season and downtown New Bedford is not hopping, especially after dark. Downtown New Beford isn't the downtown that you grew up with. It's now a downtown shop owners are complaining about that they can't find themselves employees to work at night in. Increasingly, it's a downtown people don't feel safe and joying at night. Even on aha night, the complaints are pretty much the same. Aggressive sleeping on the steps. Excessive noise at the bus station. Panhandling. Drug use on the streets. People screaming up into the air. Employees scared to walk to their cars once the sun disappears. And all of it is driving customers away. Folks tell me, "Hey, they don't go downtown anymore." And that's not a crime report. That's an economic report. April Moses, she owns a shop downtown. She says in the Standard Times, in fact, she's moving April Evans Boutique to Dartmouth. Why? This is April Moses's own words. The drugs have really taken over the unhoused population and my girls don't feel safe working at night, which leads to another problem where I can't keep help. She can't keep help because they don't feel safe in downtown New Bedford at night. Anyway, now I want to be clear. Being homeless in and of itself is not a crime. Many of these people are down on their luck, don't have enough money for down payment on an apartment, dealing with mental health issues, battling addiction. Bottom line, they're human beings. But that doesn't mean the city has to tolerate behavior that destroys the fabric of the neighborhood. and for that matter destroys the rights of everyone else. Public space is supposed to be shared. It's not supposed to be surrendered. Downtown isn't failing because of too little government. It's failing because government, yes, government has tied the hands of the very people who could fix it. the business owners, the property owners, the folks who actually live and work in downtown New Bedford, so-called stakeholders, where are they? They they've done themselves pretty well. They've created a system where they can't enforce all of the rules. Businesses can't really protect their own property. And who controls the homeless services? The bureaucracy that gets funded, whether they solve the problem or they don't solve the problem. And that's a recipe for disaster. Look for yourself. My suggestion. Some will be surprised, some won't be surprised. How about starting with the mayor working down through the police and the city council, you start by enforcing the laws on the books, the laws that are already there instead of creating a newer bureaucracy. So, how do we do this? We start by allowing merchants to remove any a-hole who is harassing customers while trespassing on the shop owner's property. Now, this might lead to private security. No problem with that. Might lead to better lighting. It might allow business owners to use the tools they need without a whole bunch of red tape. It also means something else. We stopped spending taxpayer bucks on programs that enable addiction and dysfunction. And we direct those sources to private, maybe even some faith-based and nonprofit groups that actually get results. Groups that require responsibility. Groups that require sobriety. Groups that require participation. Love to hear your thoughts. 508 99960500. I go downtown quite often as many of you know. When I used to do the Saturday morning show, I would come in during the four o'clock hour and I would take a little side trip, I guess you could call it, going through downtown because I wonder what's going on in downtown New Bedford at 4:00 a.m. early Saturday morning. And yes, there was activity. There was almost activity every especially when the weather is better Saturday morning. There were times around the sort of bus station there would be a whole bunch of people bunch of cars and I would wonder why here. I mean, there's no bus until at at the earliest 5 or 6 in the morning. So, why is everybody just kind of hanging downtown? And I'm talking about people that at first glance I would say, I don't think they're homeless. Why at 4:00 in the morning are they hanging out downtown? Did they miss a connection? Are they talking to the people in the other cars? Long time ago, when I was Brian the cab driver on a Friday night or early Saturday morning as it would be, I would park down by the bus terminal. As I think about it now, wow, what a foolish move that could be. But I that's not what I was thinking. I was thinking, you know what? Somebody might need a ride, and I want to be there to give them a ride. I wasn't the only cab driver thinking like that. And I would have to say, knock on fake wood. By and large, it was safe. There were a few fights, but you know what? That stuff happens every once in a while. If you're down there on a regular basis, you're bound to see a fight or two or people uh doing drugs or hooking up for prostitution. You know, it's the law of averages. But now I look at downtown and you know here's something else and I believe I believe it was um this April Ryan or somebody else that was interviewed by the Standard Times that made a a pretty interesting point. I think I've got it here somewhere that this has happened over the past couple of years. the uptick in nuisance in downtown New Bedford. I say nuisance because very rarely is there really bad crime, you know, stabbings, shootings, that kind of stuff. But the nuisance crimes, people urinating in in doorways, uh people going into stores, sitting down in chairs, um not looking to buy anything, just taking a load off their feet. You know, that's part of the problem, too. You've got people that might be a little cuckoo upstairs and they don't know any better. They they're just, "Hey, here's a place for me to sit." not necessarily thinking they may be disrupting somebody's business affairs. So I come back to you. Is it are you are you of the mindset that says we need more police on the street in downtown New Bedford? problem is you put more people on the streets in downtown then you have nobody covering the north end or the south end or not enough people anyway covering some of these other territories. It is a stretched police department. No if ends or buts about it, but I think, you know, I've brought this up before. It's very difficult to fight every crime that's on the books. There's the crime of the one that I brought up yesterday that, you know, there's no police around to to stop the woman who was on her cell phone. and, you know, pretty much bumperto-bumper with with with my vehicle. Are they supposed to watch that? Are they supposed to watch what's going on at Celia's boutique downtown? Well, you you only have so many officers, but you have a whole bunch of crimes. Whole bunch of crimes. I think we have too many crimes in the books. I think we have we have laws. Yes, we have too many crimes in the books. We have too many laws on the books. We have laws that overlap other laws to, you know, to make it more specific. Distracted driver, which could mean any number of things, but now you have to say that they can't use their cell phone. Well, if you're using a cell phone, you are a distracted driver. What I'm getting at is you have x amount of police officers, you have y number of laws, and x can never keep up with y because while x is taking care of one y problem, there is y to the 3r, y to the 4th, y to the 5th, y to the 10th, going on and you can't be everywhere every time. So, part of me is saying, let's let's stop for a second. Let's look at the laws that are on the books. Let's look at the laws that are on the books and see which ones are suitable for our city. Now, there are certain laws that are that are state laws, and that might mean legal action going back to the state to, you know, legal corrective action going back to the state to to maybe change some of these laws. Not that you want to stop certain things that are crimes, but you can't expect a limited police force, whether we're talking New Bedford, Fall River, Dartmouth, Fair Haven to do the job of what you would need a police state to do. And so I I think that's that's where we start. Now, as far as as far as how you let these business owners try to fend for themselves, I you know what? I'm not against one of these business owners protecting themselves with a gun if they think it's necessary. If they know how to handle it, why not? It might deter somebody from thinking that they can just kind of sit down in anybody's chair or harass a customer for no good reason at all. You know, hey, you know, put up a little sign. I'm going to come in here and be an a-hole. You might come out with more than one hole. 508996500 to get on to the program. Hello. >> Hello. I have something I want to report. Um, it might be worthy. It might not be worthy. >> Why are you reporting it? >> Well, cuz you know what? I think it's worthy. So, I want to share this with every every listener. Um, you know, Mora Hilly, she started this thing with the uh having these um meter readers on our house, apartment buildings, whatnot. Right. >> Smart meters. >> Yes. And it is happening in Carver as we speak. >> It's happening where? >> In Carver. >> Carver. Okay. >> Yep. In Carver at a mobile home community. And um the individual I was talking to was like, "Wow, they were doing this yesterday. They are digging up the road. They are putting down this new wiring and whatnot. They're trying not to go all the way into your property, but they're laying laying down because all of this the data reading has to be done obviously through wiring, right? And that's why she asked for more money this year from the electrical company, from the the energy company period. She said, "Please, cuz I need data readers and she's hiring people for this and that." >> I want to make sure I Moray Healey is hiring me readers. >> Oh, data readers. >> Oh, data readers. >> Data. Okay. She she she started hiring last year a bunch of people to work for the data reading because she needs people that can h that can read this. And then she asked the electrical she asked the hu you know the big legs um hey can I can I employ these people because when these meters go in and we're all getting them and if you refuse you will get a fine. um like I wouldn't call it a fine but every month you will pay basically it's a slap on your your butt uh you don't apply you don't uh do things uh this the way the state wants her the green initiative um you're going to get spiked in the butt. So anyways, so it's starting and it's literally starting right here in Cara in our back backyard and um my friend's like she's like and him they're they're a couple married couple. They're like, "Oh my god, they've been digging up the street weeks ago and they couldn't figure out what they're doing. They won't go actually into your yard. It's like into your driveway." And she's like, "They're digging up and they're putting these lines down." And I'm like, "Oh, those are the data th those are the power lines they want put in put in place." So, >> but where do those power lines go? >> So, here we are with what they're doing and it's going to feed into the um the meters at your at their uh your gas electric meter. Like, we don't get an actual reading anymore. We used to, but we don't. And guarantee you this, uh, you look at your bill from years ago, you had an actual reading. It was state on your bills, your gas, your electric reading. But no, we haven't had an actual reading stated on our bills because more healing definitely is going to do this new meter reading, you know, this whole new >> So, you know, I I'm going to curve you. I'm going to curb you for a second because the the what you're talking about isn't just a Mory Healey. It was also going on during the Baker and if I'm not mistaken, it goes Yes. Yeah. >> No, >> no. I'm I'm talking about the the meter readings. >> How you know that? Okay. So, I want you to back up your facts. I've got my facts where your facts. >> Okay. Because >> I will. Okay. >> And here it is. >> Bring it on. under the Baker administration or more importantly since I've been living in Dartmouth Woods, nobody comes by to actually do a meter reading. >> Okay. Well, you know what? Um, I'm going to stop you right there and I'm sorry to do this, but you're right. Here's the thing. You look at your your gas bill. You look at your electric bill and it will show and it will say on the bill itself actual reading. You haven't had an actual reading in two years. You always had it during the Baker administration. >> No, I I'm telling you because I'm down there and I can see, especially when I was at home, that nobody came to actually read a meter. >> But here's the thing. I'm saying to you, look at your paperwork. The paperwork says actual reading. Now, was it >> whe You know what? Whether it says actual reading, I could give a rat's butt. What I'm telling you is people don't actually come to do a meter reading. They may take a gun and snap snap at a a reading at a meter, but nobody is coming to your to your actual meter anymore and taking a meter reading. That's what I mean. So, you know, it's it's great to try to blame an administration. One administration is carrying on a program from another administration. I I don't like Mora Healey, but I'm not going to blame this on Mora Healey. All right. She is she is following up on a program that an administration prior to her was doing. I I do appreciate the call, you know. partisan politics. You know, I guess as a libertarian, it it's really easy, but libertarians see the crap on both sides. But what's worse is that other people don't see it. 508 99960500 is how you get on to the program. Brian in today for Barry who is going to be back tomorrow. >> Secretary Hexath is responsible for all of these strikes because he's responsible for the campaign and for the rules of engagement and for how it's being carried out. >> This is WBSM. You know, most people are not business owners, but just about everybody knows one. The dirty little secret is most owners don't qualify for a bank loan because they lack collateral. At Legitimate Business Funders, owners can get up to $2 million in funding with no collateral, even with a low credit score. And they can get that funding in a couple of days. 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I pay him every two months and it was the exact same amount for like month A and month B. I paid those two months. Two months later when I do it again it's the exact to the penny. So I called up I says how is this happening? How is this possible? She didn't say that they don't read the meter but she tried telling me it was too complicated basically for me to understand. But that's I mean I was how could that physically possibly be you know and uh the only other thing I >> you're you're using the same amount every month >> to the penny. >> Yeah. No, >> no. Well, >> I mean, well, the funny thing was like month A was one amount, month B was a different amount, then month C was the same as month A, and month D was the same as month B. You know what I'm saying? >> Yeah. >> So, how did that happen? That's why it was So, and then my uh electric bill, I have solar amount used 0.00, but they still charge me $10 um delivery fee. >> Yeah. Yeah, you you got to pay for all the other stuff. People that get freebies and whatnot. Yep. No, they've mentioned that to us. >> But when you look at it on paper, it's bizarre because it's it's right there in front of you. 0.00 and then a $10 delivery fee for delivering cuz I'm on cuz I'm online with them, I guess. Right. >> You're online with them. You don't get any money back because you're giving them some power. Somebody told me on my what I have left over my uh the excess money there that I've I've created, I could pay my my son's bill or a family member's bill, but I never really got get [clears throat] that far into it. I didn't uh well, right now I'm I have an excess, but uh I I've been very fortunate not to have to pay. It keeps adding up by at the end of the month, I have a small amount left over. Well, you you do me a favor and whatever that excess is, you give it to me so I can pay a little bit less of my bill. Thanks for your call, man. >> All right. >> I do appreciate it. Uh we uh let's let's let's continue. Thank you for your patience. Hello. >> Uh good afternoon. >> Good afternoon. >> Uh as far as the actual reads go, uh Eversource, you'll never see a meter reader walk up to your house or go into a seller anymore. All the meters are are smart meters. Uh they they read it from a car just by driving down the street that goes for gas and electric. And that's in this area. Other areas are different. In uh California up in up in the hills, they use a helicopter to read the meters. >> That must be accurate. >> Well, it it is it is accurate. Uh I'm a retiree from Eversource. I got a little bit of knowledge there. Uh yeah, that's so you know all readings are are actual readings. There's no more estimated readings far as ever source goes. >> I don't know. Look, I believe you. Okay. And to me that is not an actual meter reading. They may use that term, but that that's not actual to me. Well, when you drive, if you were out in front of your house, you'll see the car drive by and when it drives by, it captures the reading on your meter at that moment. And that's the actual reading. Believe me, it's the actual reading. >> All right. I I don't want to believe you. How about that? >> Okay. >> No, I I appre I The one I really don't want to believe is that up in the helicopter thing. >> Yeah, that's in California up in the hills where it's hard to get access to. Some of the houses they actually use a helicopter >> sh and the people don't complain. >> Well, I guess it flies high enough they don't hear it. >> No, that's not what I mean. I I just you I'm I'm reading your meter from 10,000 ft up. Something doesn't sound right about that. >> Okay. And also that they're starting in Western Massachusetts right at the moment. They're putting the smart meters in that uh if you don't want a smart meter, you are going to have to pay an extra fee for having someone come out to read your meter. Uh that's what that that's what they're telling you. But that's a croc of stuff, too. But uh >> why do you say it's a croc of stuff? >> Well, there's a lot of other stuff behind it. >> Might be. But I mean, what to me a croc sees are are are funny. To me, a croc of stuff means uh there might be some loopholes to get around it. >> There's they say it's just for reading the meter, but there's a lot of other fees that are, you know, bundled with that that they don't really tell you about. >> Surprise, surprise. >> If if if you take if you sign up for the meter when it comes, if you accept it, you don't have to pay that extra monthly fee. If you for some reason don't want that meter because you fear it for some reason cuz that new meter they can shut you off from the office if you have like if you don't pay your bill they can shut you off by just by just pressing a button and your meter will shut off. >> So they can't do that now. >> No they can't do that now. >> They physically have to have somebody come out. >> All they can do is read it now from the car. >> All right. I I So I used to think that they could actually read it from the office. >> No, they they the car drives around around your property and it transmits the signal when the car drives by. But they will be able to read the the new meters they're going to be putting in. They're going to be able to read it from the office. There will be no meter readers. >> Artificial intelligence unless you want a meter reader and then they're going to charge you extra if you want a meter reader. >> Yeah, that's a pretty good fee, too. I forgot what it was, but it's >> 35 45 bucks. One or the other. >> Yeah, something like that. Yeah. >> All right, man. Thanks. I appreciate it. >> Thank you. >> To me, that is not somebody actually coming out to read your meter, but you know, we can look I guy says he worked or works for Eversource. That's what they call it. It's not what Bri calls it. Hello. >> Yeah, Brian. >> Yes. Uh I had totally agree with that uh that previous caller. I retired from Eversource and I was a meter reader but I did not have the vehicle to read the meters. [clears throat] You get a reading on your day by a vehicle driving up a street and picking up all that data that those meters were put in years ago to get accurate readings because there was some error human error. Also, it eliminated the problem of slipping and sliding in the winter time for the meter readers. Also, dog bites. >> Oh, >> so that basically is how it happens with these new meters. I'm not familiar with, but I know all the data was picked up as it is now. Driving up your street on [clears throat] a specific day picking up your readings. I I know that happens. I I just don't call that an act. >> What's the term that we were using now? I can't even think of it. >> Actual. >> Actual reading. Yes. I mean that that that's a to me that's a driveby reading which I guess in in Eversource instar terminology uh that that's an actual meter reading. >> Yeah. that what what would you rather have an accurate reading by a meter reader or by the vehicle [clears throat] that will give you an accurate reading? >> I'd rather have somebody come up and read the damn meter. >> Not if you had a dog. [laughter] >> Oh, but you know, I look I I I think that's a a good point, but maybe it's up to the homeowner to make that meter more accessible if there is a pet that you have to worry about. Yeah. Some of them are inside, others are outside. So >> Oh, there are people that I've seen places where the meters down in the basement. >> Yep. Yep. I've been there. >> And so is the dog laundry as you go down that step. >> Exactly. And some of them they they smell they're dank and you know I I I get that. But it's accurate. You're right there. The eye, you know, the eye is right there. You write it down and then you go off. Yeah. I guess somebody could could fudge the numbers, but to me that's that's keeping people employed. >> Yep. Okay, Brian. >> No, thank you. I appreciate the call. 508 99960500 if it's accurate. Am I supposed to be okay? And going back to a previous caller who the the guy who was talking about the helicopter, I I I want to know why it's necessary to to charge people extra money since you already have folks around the extra 35 45 bucks to have somebody come out and and read the meter. And if I recall correctly, Elijah Duza, who used to come on my night show, he stated, "If you add everything up, you do the whole thing out, it's less expensive if you keep the old meter and make somebody come out and do the meter reading." and he was combining not only uh the actual cost that taking that $45, but um different things that the company will be able to do. I mean, as in tracing what rooms you're heating and and and when you run your electricity the most, all all that kind of stuff. And and the same thing with your gas. So, look, it it it's up to each person, but maybe it's time to consider an alternative to to Eversource, if there is such a thing. >> I'm coming to Boston. I'm bringing hell with me. >> WBSM LowCost Air helps you find the best airfares, foreign and domestic. Lowcost Air 8002216085. Lowcost Air 8002216085. Dashing through the [music] store, Dave's looking for a gift. One you can't ignore, but not the socks he picked. >> I know. I'm putting them back. >> Hey Dave, here's a tip. Put scratchers [music] on your list. >> Oh, scratchers. Good idea. >> It's an easy shopping trip. We're glad we could. >> Thanks, random singing people. >> So, beave [music] a little. >> Please play responsibly. must be 18 years or older to purchase player claim. >> AI agents are everywhere automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed. But agents make mistakes. [music] Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. [music] Rubric Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guard rails, and rewind mistakes so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI transformation at rubric.com. That's rub i k.com. >> Family broadcasting live from the Carefree Home studios. [music] This is WBSM Carefree Homes, your home improvement experts. Roofing, sighting, windows, and more. Get a free quote at Carefreeomes company.com. Carefree Homes. Trusted [music] local family. >> Calling Dr. Howard. Dr. Fine. Dr. Howard. >> Woo. Woo. Woo. So, I was just talking to um my boss out in out in California and he's got one of these smart meters and um I said, "Well, I'd love to talk to you about it." And he goes, "Well, really, it's my wife who has to deal with piggy PG&E." And um I said, "Well, you know anything about these helicopters uh flying up in the up in the hills to get at some of the houses?" And he said, "Yeah, it does happen. No big >> AI agents are everywhere automating tasks and making decisions at machine speed, but agents [music] make mistakes. Just one rogue agent can do big damage before you even notice. Rubric Agent Cloud is the only platform that helps you monitor agents, set guard rails, and rewind mistakes [music] so you can unleash agents, not risk. Accelerate your AI transformation at rubric.com.