Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Teamsters: “You want us to go get some movies?”

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Jay Fitzgerald reports that the Teamsters local 25 had a little request to make of the gubernatorial candidates:

Local 25, whose film unit has a notorius [sic] past that includes allegations of shaking down movie producers filming in Boston, bluntly asked gubernatorial candidates in a questionnaire if they’d “commit to form a Teamster chaired commission to attract the Motion Picture Industry to Massachusetts.” [“attract”?? Yeah, that’s what they’ll do. — ed.]

None of the three Democratic candidates – Reilly, attorney Deval Patrick and venture capitalist Chris Gabrieli – completely rejected or embraced the Teamsters’ bold power play.

Reilly held out the possibility of later agreeing to the plan by saying as governor he would be “open to additional ideas.”

A Patrick spokesman said Patrick agreed to the concept of a commission with Teamster appointees, but declined to guarantee a Teamster chairman.

A Gabrieli spokesman said his candidate agreed to work with labor groups but didn’t promise any specific jobs.

Well, none of these smoothly modulated, thoughtful answers articulates what I was thinking: “Hell, no! What are you, nuts?!” (Who knows, maybe I’ll get a little phone call tonight about that.)  It seems to me the more vague and non-committal — i.e. the closer to “no”, the better the answer to that question.

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Comments

  1. Let’s look at some possible benefits:

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    • The Sopranos movie could have them opening up shop in the South End;
    • Joe DeNucci begins his career in film;
    • Whitey Bulger could get some experience on a set;
    • Maybe Martin Scorsese would move to Boston;
    • It could provide cover to move Hoffa’s body to Fenway Park — tourist dollars ahead!;
    • It could derail some future Senate Presidents and House Speakers into less damaging careers; and
    • It would get the guys who did the ceiling in the Big Dig out of construction.

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    Pass the popcorn.

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