Commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King at the Arlington Street Church 1/16/12 at 6:00 PM
A question for Steve Crosby: if we build it, will he come?
In light of the news that MA’s new gambling czar Steve Crosby agreed to address an event sponsored by pro-casino interests, Judy Meredith raises an excellent question: “Spinning the Wheel: What the Industry Means for the Commonwealth.’’ What if the anti gambling folk organized a conference with the same title that featured some experts with data on how other states have/are handling/benefiting or not from organized gaming. And Steve agreed to address the group. Separately from any panel of paid organized anti gambling activists of course. What a fabulous idea. And Crosby’s comments to the Globe seem consistent with something like this: He said he accepted the invitation [to address the pro-casino event] because he wants to include casino interests as he starts a broader conversation with the public about how the industry can benefit the state…. “We’ll be talking to lots of people in public settings who have interest in this,” Crosby said, referring to the gambling commission. “That will be the nature of our business.” So, who’s going to organize this side of the “broader conversation” that Crosby says he wants? Surely there’s some enterprising anti-gambling folk here with the wherewithal to put on an event that wasn’t just [...]
Redistricting gone right
In case you missed it, the legislature redrew the boundaries for all 200 legislative districts and our 9 (formerly 10) congressional districts this year. And in what seems to be a first in the modern era, almost nobody is complaining. Good government groups, advocates for minority voters, Republicans, and Democrats alike all seem to agree: the legislature did an astonishingly good job. Sure, a few oxes were gored – that’s inevitable. But it seems like the pain was spread around pretty fairly. There’s a big article on this year’s redistricting process in this week’s Globe Magazine. I’m not going to take the time to summarize it – just go ahead and read it on your own, because there’s a lot in there. Let’s just consider the bit about Pam Wilmot, head of Common Cause Massachusetts and occasional BMGer: Wilmot’s almost utopian vision for democracy frequently clashes with reality. She’s often in the news for attacking questionable uses of public dollars or some egregious pension deal. Not this time, though. “It’s very gratifying to see the process work so well,” Wilmot tells me. It may not sound like it, but believe me: This is a truly shocking quote from Pam Wilmot. [...]
