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Vendors charging Massachusetts taxpayers $64 a day to feed each illegal immigrant: report

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Vendors charging Massachusetts taxpayers  a day to feed each illegal immigrant: report


New details have emerged about the staggering sums of cash Massachusetts taxpayers are forking out to pay for the state’s influx of illegal immigrants, with vendors charging an eye-popping $64 per day to feed each person, according to a new report.

The new report by CBS News reveals that vendors are charging $16 for breakfast, $17 for lunch and $31 for dinner per day for each migrant it feeds – as the total cost of the crisis is expected to cost hardworking taxpayers $1 billion. 

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One vendor, Spinelli Ravioli Manufacturing Company in East Boston, was awarded a $10 million six-month no-bid contract to provide and deliver meals, reports CBS, citing records.

A facility at the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex will be housing over 300 migrants. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)

MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENT CONDEMNS RIGHT-TO-SHELTER LAW TURNING BAY STATE INTO ‘DESTINATION FOR MIGRANTS’

The state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities told CBS that the no-bid contract is justified because of the unprecedented increased demand and the requirement that families be provided with three meals a day or sufficient food access. 

The state has previously said that it is obliged to cater to the migrants because of its 1983 sanctuary city law which was passed to deal with the relatively small number of homeless families and pregnant women, although critics have said the law does not apply to migrants who are not U.S. citizens.

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The state’s right to shelter law requires it to provide families with refrigeration and basic cooking facilities, but some of the accommodations do not have those appliances, leaving the state to contract out for food and delivery, CBS reports. 

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, center left, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey pause to look at the cots set up on the gym floor as state and local officials toured the Melnea A. Cass Recreational Complex. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)

“We’re here today because we really don’t have a choice,” Gov. Maura Healey, a Democrat, said earlier this month as she toured the Melnea Cass Recreation Center in Roxbury that was controversially closed to the public and converted into a makeshift migrant center. The Roxbury facility, which can accommodate up to 100 migrant families of four, quickly reached full capacity while other migrants have been sleeping at Logan Airport.

In August, Healey declared a state of emergency as the state became overwhelmed with the thousands of migrants arriving, many of whom had arrived by plane sent from other states after the commonwealth reached around more than 20,000 individuals in state shelters.

COMMUNITY LEADER SAYS BOSTON ‘PASSING THE BUCK’ TO MINORITY AREAS IN MIGRANT CRISIS

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Spinelli Ravioli said it is not the exclusive meal vendor and does not have a guaranteed contract, or financial agreement, beyond this initial “emergency period.”

“We are currently in the bid process for an enduring contract and are looking forward to continue to aid the State and the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to reach their goals,” the company told CBS. 

State Sen. Peter Durant, a Republican, said lawmakers have been appealing for the administration to hand over information on contacts for the better part of a year and that they have been “stonewalled on the information.”

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey at a press conference announcing significant action related to the state’s emergency shelter system. (Photo by Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images / Getty Images)

He said the cost of the crisis will ultimately be burdened upon the taxpayer.

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“That’s the concern is the money has to come from somewhere and so there’s only really two options. You either raise taxes or you cut services. So, this all of this kind of flows downhill right straight to the taxpayers.” 

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The high costs of feeding migrants in Massachusetts come on the heels of a December report Healey sent to the state House and Senate Ways and Means Committees, writing that the state would need more than $1 billion to continue funding the emergency shelter system through 2025.

Healey and other members of the state’s congressional delegation have appealed for federal funding, but the Biden administration has only provided about $2 million to the state for emergency shelter and other migrant needs, according to The Salem News.

Meanwhile, school districts have spent more than $11.4 million over the past year from a state fund to help them cover additional costs from educating newly arrived migrant children, according to The Salem News, citing a report by legislative budget writers.

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Smoke from North Attleborough fire visible for miles

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Smoke from North Attleborough fire visible for miles


Fire broke out at an apartment building in North Attleborough, Massachusetts, on Monday afternoon, sending a column of smoke high into the air.

NBC affiliate WJAR-TV reports the smoke was visible from miles away from the building on Juniper Road.

More details were not immediately available.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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Life Care Center of Raynham earns deficiency‑free state inspection

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Life Care Center of Raynham earns deficiency‑free state inspection


Life Care Center of Raynham has received a deficiency‑free inspection result from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, a distinction awarded to a small share of the state’s licensed nursing homes, according to a community announcement.

The inspection was conducted as part of the state’s routine, unannounced nursing home survey process overseen by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These comprehensive, multi‑day inspections evaluate multiple aspects of facility operations, including staffing levels, quality of care, medication management, cleanliness, food service and resident rights.

State survey records show that Life Care Center of Raynham met required standards during its most recent standard survey, with no deficiencies cited, based on publicly available state data.

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The announcement states that fewer than 8% of Massachusetts nursing homes achieve deficiency‑free survey results. That figure could not be independently verified through state or federal data and is attributed to the announcement.

In addition to the state survey outcome, the facility is listed as a five‑star provider for quality measures on the federal Medicare Care Compare website. The five‑star quality measure rating reflects above‑average performance compared with other nursing homes nationwide, according to federal rating methodology.

Officials said the inspection results reflect ongoing compliance with state and federal standards designed to protect resident health and safety. According to the announcement, the outcome is attributed to staff performance and internal quality practices.

This story was created by Dave DeMille, ddemille@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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Brian Shortsleeve 'On The Record' about GOP run for governor of Massachusetts

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Brian Shortsleeve 'On The Record' about GOP run for governor of Massachusetts


Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve joins “On the Record” to discuss his case for the corner office, the war in Iran and Massachusetts’ $63 billion budget. Hosts Ed Harding and Sharman Sacchetti also press him on a ballot question that would cut the state income tax rate.



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