Brian Shortsleeve for Massachusetts NEW BEDFORD, MA – Today, Brian Shortsleeve, Republican candidate for governor, and Shawn Oliver, Republican candidate for lt. governor, announced their “Shore Up the South Coast” plan a bold, targeted initiative to strengthen the economy, protect traditional industries, revitalize downtowns and ports, support local communities, and improve infrastructure across the South Coast region.
“The South Coast has hardworking families, historic ports, rich farmland, and a proud maritime heritage. The underinvestment in this region that we’ve seen from the Healey Administration is appalling,” said Shortsleeve. “The Shore Up the South Coast plan will cut the red tape, back our fishermen and farmers, rebuild our ports and downtowns, and deliver the infrastructure our communities deserve. This is how we make Massachusetts affordable and prosperous again for working families.”
“From Fall River and New Bedford to our fishing fleets and family farms, the Shore Up the South Coast plan puts real solutions first,” said Oliver. “We’re fighting for the industries that built this region, restoring local control, and delivering results that will create jobs, strengthen public safety, and keep the South Coast thriving for generations to come.”
The “Shore Up the South Coast” plan includes:
- Make Massachusetts affordable to do business: We’ll cut unnecessary regulations, lower taxes on businesses, and designate Fall River and New Bedford as priority economic development zones. We’ll expand tax incentives for manufacturers creating full-time jobs, recruit advanced manufacturing, defense, marine technology, and life sciences companies, and dramatically speed up permitting so businesses can grow instead of waiting years for government to get out of the way.
- Stand up for our commercial fishermen: Washington bureaucrats and Beacon Hill politicians have spent years making life harder for an industry that has sustained this region for generations. We’ll fight unfair federal regulations, oppose unnecessary fishing closures, invest in our working waterfronts, and protect the seafood industry that supports thousands of South Coast jobs.
- Stand with our farmers: We’ll reduce burdensome regulations, protect farmland from unnecessary state interference, expand agricultural development programs, and promote our cranberry growers, dairy farms, and local food producers.
- Make our ports economic powerhouses once again: We’ll invest in cargo expansion, seafood processing, cold storage, marine manufacturing, workforce training, and critical port infrastructure. We’ll pursue public-private partnerships that create permanent jobs, strengthen industries along the Taunton River and Mount Hope Bay, and support ferry service and waterfront redevelopment that benefits local residents.
- Revitalize our downtowns: We’ll provide grants to redevelop storefronts, encourage new restaurants and small businesses, preserve historic buildings, redevelop vacant mills, and expand tourism around incredible destinations like Battleship Cove, Heritage State Park, and our beautiful waterfronts.
- Protect local communities: We’ll increase unrestricted local aid so cities and towns can invest in police, fire, schools, and public works without constantly begging Beacon Hill for permission. We’ll oppose unfunded mandates, protect Proposition 2½, and restore local control.
- Fix transportation: That means improving commuter rail reliability, expanding parking, accelerating long-overdue road and bridge repairs, and prioritizing safety improvements on Route 24, Route 44, Route 140, Route 6, Route 18, and Route 495.