DEM FIRM TURNS PARTY POOPER IN NURSE FIGHT
Work to oppose ballot question puts salt in wound
A prominent Democratic consulting firm has raked in more than $1.1 million in fees from the hospital group opposing Question 1, the nurse staffing referendum backed by the nurses union and the state Democratic Party, records show.
Dewey Square Group, the Boston firm whose roster includes well-known Democratic consultants Michael Whouley, Charles Baker and John Giesser, has received a total of $1.14 million from the Coalition to Protect Patient Safety, which is funded primarily by the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, according to campaign finance filings.
The powerful hospital coalition has already spent more than $17 million to defeat Question 1, with a relentless TV ad campaign depicting the question as costly and dangerous. The ballot question, backed by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, would limit the number of patients assigned to a single nurse.
Opponents have depicted the referendum question as too costly, forcing emergency rooms to turn away patients and community hospitals to cut back on patient care. Ginny Terzano, a principal at Dewey Square, said the lobbying and consulting firm was hired to “educate voters” about the dangers of Question 1.
“We are managing the overall effort,” Terzano said. “There is a campaign to defeat this because we do believe it will hurt overall patient care.”
But Question 1 has been endorsed by a who’s who of Democratic politicians such as U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Mayor Martin J. Walsh. They argue the staffing limits will keep nurses from being overworked and improve patient care
Dewey Square’s leading role in the No on 1 campaign has not gone unnoticed by unions and other traditionally Democratic groups.
“It’s not just that they’re working for them, it’s the tactics they’ve employed,” said MNA spokesman David Schildmeier. “They are the brains behind this whole deceitful campaign.”
Terzano noted not all unions are supporting Question 1, and opponents include a major nursing organization and emergency room nurses.
“We have a fundamental disagreement on the approach,” she said. “We have thousands of nurses working to defeat Question 1.”
Dewey Square was founded by Whouley and Baker, who have for decades worked on Democratic campaigns and are known as hard-nosed but effective strategists.
Whouley was senior adviser for the 2004 Kerry presidential campaign and field director for the 1992 Clinton campaign. Dewey Square’s clients include U.S. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III. The firm has made millions from corporate clients, including lyft, McDonald’s, MGM Springfield, Sony Pictures, the Special Olympics and the UFC.