- The Globe finally got around to talking about Diane Patrick's connections to the casino industry, something I brought up on December 24, 2007. When do I get my own column?
- Seriously, though, while I'm not going to automatically expect Patrick to be supportive of casinos because his wife works for the nation's most influential law firm dealing with casinos - I do think the Governor ought to be upfront and frank with that conflict of interest.
- I say that as someone who has been and is very supportive of his administration. This casino issue is a serious drag on his base, though, and I hope it stops soon - because we have an election to worry about in two years and need the base strong. Plus, we've been successful in other areas and should focus on them for now, until the job is done (Municipal Partnership Act, education, biotech bill, etc.).
- Speaking about up front and frank, I had a down-right irate Lynne on the phone today, not very happy with what we'll politely call "distortions" on casinos (emphasis mine):
The governor also prodded his fellow Democrats who control the Legislature,
saying delays in acting on the bill will not forestall the inevitable arrival of casino gambling on Indian tribal lands but may prevent the state from implementing the controls and deriving the tax benefits outlined in his legislation. - Ignoring all the legal reasons why the Governor is wrong here (federal law, for one), I'm hoping this basic point can resonate with the public: if casinos were that damn inevitable, wouldn't they already be here by now? Seriously, since they're not, there's got to be a reason why. There have been federally-recognized tribes here for years now, yet no casinos. That's not a coincidence.
- Here is a local campaign we need to rally around. Donate time, donate money and donate energy to this thing, because State Senator Brown has got to go - he's literally one of the worst on Beacon Hill.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Friday Roundup: Casinos, Scoops and More
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1 comment:
Hearing his comments, I have to admit that his tack that the legislature better enable casinos now before the feds do, robbing the commonwealth of control and revenue, is likely a sound one. That's just the type of approach that inspires lawmakers. There's long-term blame awaiting if he's right and they sit.
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