Who Will Replace Michael Graham?
Monday, April 21, 2014
Graham, a major media voice and voice of conservatives sat down with GoLocalWorcester and answered a range of important questions about his role in media and some of the issues the Massachusetts voters need to track.
The question of who will take Michael Graham's position is one that GoLocal explored - SEE THE SLIDE SHOW BELOW.
Regarding the role Graham played in elevating the discussion on politics, Graham said he got an interesting reaction when he announced his departure, "An astonishing number of liberals and Democrats have contacted me to say they agree, that they’re embarrassed by the attacks on diverse opinions from the Left. Brandeis’ decision to strip Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali of her honorary degree and ban her from speaking at graduation is another current example.
Here’s what’s interesting: when I say to these concerned folks on the Left “Why don’t you speak out?,” their answer is often “Because I’m afraid, too.” Or “I don’t need the hassle—these people will really go after you.
Massachusetts’ culture of political and ideological intolerance isn’t just embarrassing—it’s dangerous," said Graham
Here are a few questions Michael Graham answered for GoLocal:
1) What is it that you will miss most about doing talk in MA?
As I said on the show all the time, “I’m the luckiest guy in America. I get to do talk radio….in MASSACHUSETTS.
Every day I would just wake up and find that my topics had been chosen for me: $24 million in taxpayer-funded “bonuses” for obsolete tolltakers; a Lt Governor “examining storm damage” at 4am and 100 mph; A Worcester rep taking pictures of his “Lil’ Legislator” and posting them on the state website; Ed “I vote Present” Markey, Liz “Fauxcahontas” Warren; the pants-wetting school bureaucrats of Lunenburg who shut down an entire football season over a hoax.
The list goes on and on…
I will also miss some of the smartest, funniest and most challenging callers in talk radio. The biggest challenge every day was being more interesting on the radio than my listeners are sitting around a cup of coffee with their friends.
2) What are the important issues MA residents should be paying attention to in this year's elections?
A general answer: Math. Taxpayers have no idea how big a hole Gov Patrick and Beacon Hill have dug for them. There’s a reason why Patrick was pushing for a massive $1.9 billion tax hike last year—they need it to cover all the massive increases in spending.
Since Patrick took office, the average household income in Massachusetts is up by less than 3percent. But state spending has gone up from $26.8 billion to $36.4 billion in eight years– a 36 percent jump in spending. In other words, the state’s been getting raises TEN TIMES FASTER than the taxpayers.
There’s other math, too: We’re reaching the point where half of all state tax revenue goes just to welfare and health care. That’s not going to leave much for local aid, schools, roads, etc.
We just added almost $13 billion in new transportation debt, even though a) we have one of the highest debt loads in the country and b) we’ve just had a series and tax and fare hikes to cover current MBTA/Big Dig debt.
On a specific level, the topic I’m most passionate about is the case of Justina Pelletier. How this sick, then-14-year-old mitochondrial disease patient ended up taken from her parents and trapped in a psych ward for nearly 15 months is a story every media outlet should be covering. The most horrifying part is that, as a parent, nobody will tell me what the Pelletiers allegedly did wrong. According to the judge, the ONLY claim of “abuse” came from Boston Children’s Hospital who decided that following Tufts’ care was a form of “medical abuse.” If the Patrick administration can get away with labeling “I did what a respected hospital told me” a recognized form of child abuse that puts your parental rights at risk—we’re in big trouble.
3) Is talk radio in decline in MA?
I came to Boston specifically to work at an FM talk station, WTKK. Today there are NO FM talk stations in Boston (other than government radio). And no plans for any on the horizon either. ‘Nuff said.
4) What other talk folks in New England and MA did you listen to?
I’m a Howie Carr fan. Also, back when I worked afternoons and wasn’t so busy prepping in the morning, I used to love Dennis and Callahan in the morning when they’d mix sports, politics and local news.
As long as the talk radio brand is as badly damaged as it is today, there’s not much hope for the traditional talk format. What’s happening is that sports talk is having many of the conversations local talk radio used to.
The new format to watch, in my opinion, is business talk or “money talk”—doing the kind of compelling talk about our jobs/money/financial lives that sports radio does about sports. The Barry and Kim Show (heard on AM 830 WCRN) is on the frontier.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Michael Graham will be able to be listen to via his Web site.
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