gambling

Maybe they're only culling the herd

adamg — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:58:41 -0400

Jimbo notes that 108 representatives voted against casino gambling and so he wonders why the Teamsters have only targeted four of them for defeat this fall, including Carlo Basile of East Boston and Jeffrey Sanchez of Mission Hill, but not House Speaker Sal DiMasi, who probably had a lot more to do with our continuing non-casino status.

Casino-related death threats?

adamg — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:05:51 -0400

Death threats targeted DiMasi.

Oh, come on, like you wouldn't like a lucrative book deal

adamg — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:11:18 -0400

Jon Keller breaks the news (dear Channel 4: Read up on permalinks and fix your busted RSS, 'kay?).

The Outraged Liberal thinks the controversy is a bit overblown, it's not like Patrick was Client 10 or something, but still, he's forced to ask: This couldn't have waited?

... The man who showed a great understanding for the yearnings of Massachusetts residents has developed a tin ear, the kind that made Michael Dukakis a temporary one-termer.

David Bernstein writes this is one case where perception matters:

... It's absolutely legitimate for Mass. residents to be wary of gubernatorial absenteeism, even to the point of hypersensitivity, after Romney, Cellucci, Weld, Dukakis. ...

FrankSkeffington: Even if he still lost big, he OWED it to the folks who were in the trenches fighting for HIS bill to provide support by being there:

But no, Deval went. That says a lot about the man and it's not good.

Jay Fitzgerald wonders when the Commonwealth got renamed "Titanic:"

Imagine the captain of a sinking ship exhorting his doomed crew and passengers to remain calm while he hopped into a life boat exclaiming, 'Well, nice knowing you. I'm off to sign a book deal!' ... Of course Deval's casino bill was doomed before it sank below the House surface last week. But the timing of Deval's trip to New York to sign a book deal just doesn't look right. ...

The Bare-Knuckles Do-Gooder vs. Son of Dukakis

adamg — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 13:25:32 -0400

Dan Kennedy is happy House Speaker Sal DiMasi used his Fists of Power for good by killing Deval Patrick's casino plan.

The Outraged Liberal isn't so enamored of DiMasi's display of legislative might and says that, in any case, DiMasi actually tried giving Patrick a fair shake but that Patrick emulated first-term Mike Dukakis by trying to run roughshod over the legislature.

Fun in the legislature

adamg — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:09:40 -0400

WaveMaker is loving Sal DiMasi's claim that nobody was pressured during yesterday's committee vote on the Patrick casino plan, which almost became a tie vote, even though the committee has an odd number of members:

... On the most controversial and far-reaching public policy issue to come before the legislature since gay marriage, one duly elected representative of the people couldn't pull the trigger. Unless Rep. Rice has a clear and obvious conflict of interest that would lawfully prevent him from voting, he should be taken into the public arena and flogged. ...

And then there's the Republican who changed his mind and voted against the bill. Wave Maker, himself a Republican, has more to say about him, but let's turn to the left, where Massachusetts Liberal wonders:

Fashion mavens in the Statehouse today will be checking to see what Wrentham Republican Richard Ross is wearing with his suit. In particular, they will be checking to see if the sling for his twisted arm matches the fabric. ...

Back to Wave Maker:

... There is another element to this vote that should deeply trouble observers of democracy. Legislative Committee votes are to be taken in open sessions where the public and the press are able to observe the process. In this instance, however -- for reasons yet unexplained -- "two votes were taken by email and phone" and counted inside closed offices instead of committee rooms.

A battle-to-the-death grudge match

adamg — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 07:49:59 -0400

Oh, so casino hearings in the legislature next week? The Outraged Liberal reads the latest on the issue and suggests:

Maybe they should hold next week's casino bill hearing in a boxing ring. Or a steel cage. This is about as dysfunctional as state government gets. ...

Curtains for Patrick casino plan?

adamg — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:36:28 -0500

State Rep. David Flynn, D-Bridgewater, tells the Taunton Gazette the proposal won't even come up for a vote.

Via Dan Kennedy.

If you don't want casinos, how would you increase state revenue?

adamg — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 10:02:22 -0500

The Outraged Liberal tries to weigh all sides of the latest casino brouhaha (over that Chamber of Commerce report that mostly, sorta backs the governor's plan) and concludes it's really all about the money:

... The Chamber report restored a little luster to the tarnish that had been building on Deval Patrick, although skepticism can and should remain the order of the day.

But it's also clear that casinos will generate millions in annual revenues for cash-starved state coffers. Skeptics need to be sharpening their own alternatives -- new revenue sources and potential budget cuts -- for what is increasingly likely to be a lengthy, heated battle.

Deval Patrick is a big fat liar

adamg — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 15:34:06 -0500

What makes the statement remarkable is who posted it and where: Lynne flings the accusation on Blue Mass. Group over Patrick's recent statements on casinos:

... I know that being disappointed in your leaders is par for the course in politics. I just thought this time might be a little different. Patrick has decided to hang his hat on bringing casinos to Massachusetts, ignoring large swaths of objective information, and using fear and lies to accomplish it. But it's this last part that I may not be able to forgive.

The state of the State of the State

adamg — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 09:16:44 -0500

Mike Ball analyzes:

Those of us still looking for a path out of the Massachusetts political and economic swamp should take heart from Gov. Deval Patrick's state-of-the-commonwealth address tonight. He appears to have regrouped and to be ready to live up to his biggest campaign promise - that he'd get the necessary cooperation for big changes as he did in his business career. ...

The Outraged Liberal watched a solid speech, notes the loudest applause came when Patrick dared suggest the phone company pay its fair share of property taxes, but also that Patrick mostly stayed away from "the elephant in the room," i.e., casino gambling.

Jay, however, was not the least bit impressed.

Blue Mass. Group liveblogging of Patrick's speech.

The speech itself:
Transcript.
Video.
Audio.

Punditariat:
Adrian Walker: It will take more than a good speech to make his dreams come true.
Globe editorial board: What Adrian said.
Scott Lehigh: Don't bother me, I've got more important things to write about today.
Herald braintrust: He might be mad, mad, we tell you, but, hey, the Globe has a point.

Patrick's proposed budget.