Friday, October 23, 2009

Clyde's Misdirection -- including a $20,000 gem

Clyde's at it again. This time, UMASS Professor, head of the Center of Policy Analysis and industry consultant Clyde Barrow has claimed that "I am not, and never have been, employed by, retained by, or paid by, a casino or gaming company," as if that was the complaint. It's a classic red herring, something most University professors attempt to avoid. Clyde's not one of them. Yes, Clyde, we know you aren't technically in the employ of "a casino or gaming company," but you have been in the employ of groups and committees that want casinos and/or gaming companies, frequently. It's a distinction without a difference.

Consider:
  • Clyde Barrow took $20,000 on behalf of the UMASS Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis in 2006 by a Rhode Island union group supporting an effort to pass a bill legalizing a casino in Rhode Island, right after Harrah's, one of the country's largest union chains, gave $25,000 to the union group.
  • In 2008, Barrow took $15,000 from Maine's Yes on 2 Campaign as a full-fledged consultant.
  • Just recently, Clyde Barrow took $11,000 from a New Hampshire Golf Course wanting to build a casino on its greens. They don't own a casino or gaming facility, they just want to own one. Big difference, right?
  • Both New Hampshire and Maine are on top of his considerable salary at UMASS Dartmouth, which was $144,000 this year and over $150,000 last.
  • And that's just all I know about it. Every time Barrow writes an article or pens a paper, I seem to find some new consultant fee he was more than pleased to take from a group wanting to build a casino, the Harrah's example just being the most recent.
Almost discrediting Barrow's entire article, he basically says at the end, 'so what if I've taken money? Academics do it all the time.' Honestly, that's more like it. Just admit it, Clyde, you don't mind schilling for casinos. Be honest about it. Opponents of casinos in Massachusetts aren't after Barrow to be an impartial resource on casinos. We just want people to have an honest understanding of who he is and how important he's been to casino proponents. He prays off the image of an unbiased college professor, but is in fact very partial and on the take from the industry's many lobbyist groups. Clyde Barrow could choose to be honest about his past history, but he knows that would be extremely damaging to his efforts. So, instead he tries to lie, mislead and distort his record, which is par for the course for the industry's powerful and greedy lobby.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why CLT matters?

Barbara Anderson/CLT matters because Marian Walsh exists

Barbara Anderson/CLT matters because Sal DiMasi exists

Barbara Anderson/CLT matters because Diane Wilkerson exists

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Middleboro Remembers said...

Ryan,

First, Clyde can do little better than label opponents "chatterers."

Now, he calls those who oppose predatory gambling "zealots."

Wow!

Ryan, now you've gone and done it!

Now you've really hurt his iddy biddies!

Wow! A zealot calling someone else a zealot?

What else can you say?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ryan said...

Anon,

I have always have an exceptionally liberal comment policy. Please do not abuse it. I will not tolerate spam -- do not ruin it for everyone, because that's the kind of stuff that has made me start thinking about requiring registered user names on this blog and I know not everyone wants to register some kind of name/pen-name with blogger.

Anonymous said...

Why CLT matters?

Barbara Anderson/CLT matters because Marian Walsh exists

Barbara Anderson/CLT matters because Sal DiMasi exists

Barbara Anderson/CLT matters because Diane Wilkerson exists

About Ryan's Take