Casinos prove sticky political issue in Boston, too
Sure, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Democratic House leaders are struggling to pass a constitutional amendment allowing casinos out of that chamber.
But the political bickering over casinos in the Massachusetts statehouse appears even more dramatic. It seems that while Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick was making a public appeal for allowing casinos in a committee meeting Tuesday, the Democratic House Speaker was bringing lawmakers to his office to urge them to oppose the measure.
From the Wednesday edition of the Boston Globe:
It was a day the Patrick administration has been anticipating for six months, but having arrived, might have wished had never come. First thing in the morning, hours before the hearing was gaveled to order, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi essentially declared Patrick's plan dead.
"Right now, my answer is no," DiMasi told a breakfast meeting of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
In his strongest rebuke of Patrick's plan to date, he disparaged the governor's job projections and revenue estimates and then attacked it in on broad moral grounds.
"Casinos will absolutely cause human damage on a grand scale," DiMasi said during his 30-minute chamber address. "After six months of debate on this bill, I believe this evidence is not there, the case has not been made, and time is running out."
It was a day full of dramatic events. Last night, while the hearing was still going on downstairs, DiMasi continued to work against the proposal by calling individual committeee members into his office to try to influence their votes, said Representative Richard Ross, a Wrentham Republican, who was unpersuaded.
- Ryan Alessi
Had you bothered to follow what has been happening in Frankfort since mid January, you would not have made a statement that the bickering in Massachusetts over casino gambling has been worse than here. The Lt. Gov. and Rocky Adkins almost came to blows in a caucus meeting over casino gambling for goodness sakes. Have you not been listening to what other representatives have said about Beshear?
David Williams nearly laughed Beshear out of Frankfort when he learned about Beshear's proposed amendment. The Speaker of the House is being knifed in the back, and may be in his last term as Speaker.
You all have so little credibility it's frightening. Quick making insipid statements, trying to cover for Beshear.
Posted by: nothing but the truth | March 19, 2008 at 10:13 PM
Months ago:
http://www.bluegrassroots.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=614
Posted by: It's a Gamble! | March 20, 2008 at 02:46 AM
House rejects casino bill; backers vow to roll again Racetracks, unions, tribe pursue strategies
By Matt Viser
Globe Staff / March 21, 2008
Led by House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi, the House last night resoundingly defeated Governor Deval Patrick's casino bill, 108 to 46, but racetracks, unions, and other gambling proponents vowed to keep up their lobbying blitz.
Among the gambling initiatives still bubbling on Beacon Hill were a renewed push for slot machines at the state's four racetracks, a plan for a statewide casino referendum, and maneuvers in the Senate to resurrect the governor's bill, which would have licensed three resort casinos in the state.
The focus will also turn to a quest by the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, which is asking the federal government to allow it to build a $1 billion resort casino in Middleborough.
But yesterday the biggest spotlight remained on the House, where DiMasi strongly declared his political victory. Patrick, having given up his fight by Wednesday night, left the state for New York.
Here is a very similar situation to Kentucky . . . The Governor lost his bid for Casino Slots and took a vacation or something to New York.
Don’t tell me big money can’t be defeated if we stand together.
READ THE STORY FROM THE BOSTON PUBLICATION.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/21/house_rejects_casino_bill_backers_vow_to_roll_again
Posted by: Jim Anderson Stivers | March 21, 2008 at 02:11 PM