Of course, some of you likely haven’t made it this far, feeling that my decision not to support Deval in the primary means that anything I say about him for the next 3 1/2 years should be ignored (I suspect this is similar to the attitude of the infamous 20-percenters).
But seriously, he’s going to “decide next month”? Why? Did it not occur to Deval that as soon as the Wampanoag secured federal recognition they were going to set out immediately to build a casino, as they’d been openly hankering to do? We were trying to suss out his feelings months ago — his changes regarding personnel studying the question made it clear he was thinking about it.
Apparently this issue is too darn complicated for Deval, but not complicated enough for thousands of town residents to pass judgment. After all, we’re experts in the field of governance regular people whose jobs consist of have nothing to do with considering governance questions like this.
Casino gambling is like abortion or the death penalty — a question that’s been around for decades with a high moral component. And Deval is saying he doesn’t have an opinion? He thinks I’m stupid — that I’d believe at this point he hasn’t devoted enough thought to the question to have a position. Oh, but next month, when the deal is done or not done, he’ll be ready to make his mark — much like the hot dogging basketball player who wants to be put in when you have a 20 point lead or deficit. Gimme the ball, coach!
he would have had a more ready answer as a private citizen. now there are ramifications for the town and state to consider. why should he have them all thought through at this moment? yes, this possibility has been talked about for some time, but it isn’t the only hard question needing an answer.
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i’m not defending or criticizing patrick. just supposing another answer beyond what you offered in your poll. if i’ve naively missed something, i’m sure you’ll let me know. đŸ™‚
My understanding of management is that one concentrates on the earlier deadlines rather than the further ones. Given Patrick’s periodic rhetoric on property taxes, it’s obvious he’s been devoting a great deal of time to greatly changing our system of town government funding, a project that won’t be effected for years. If he has the time to think about very long term projects, he has had the time to think about immediate questions. I think I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt by assuming he took that time.
Maybe he thinks it’s too early to roll the dice and offer an opinion?
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Maybe Deval honestly doesn’t have a horse in the race?
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Perhaps offering an opinion now isn’t worth the political gamble?
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Perhaps Deval just doesn’t want to show his hand?
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Perhaps he’s playing it cool because he has an ace in the hole? Or up his sleve?
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Perhaps a ‘yes’ vote in Middleboro would force the Governor to play his trump card?
He can’t give you the ball, you may choose to run the other way at the last second! By your own admission you are open to changing your mind. Maybe he is feeling the same way.
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However, my educated (but not informed) guess is that he is not crazy about casinos but will not stand in the way if it passes.
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BTW – For me, as we have discussed, the decision is easy. No to casinos
my initial reaction to the post about the town vote:
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What the hell is going to happen to the traffic in that area? It’s already a nightmare!
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My gut reaction to this post is:
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Why should the governor make a decision before the people of the town have made their opinions known? Aren’t there additional hurdles after this decision that would prevent the casinos from coming in? Why should the governor step in prematurely when the whole thing might not happen anyways?
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leadership
and listening to what people want are not mutually exclusive. It is really up to the governor to dictate which way this should go? I’m not seeing a lack of leadership. It’s not that I’m so enamored of the governor that I wouldn’t agree with a criticism, it’s that I really don’t understand why his decision should trump what the town has to decide. What am I missing?
nor does it preclude listening to others.
As an ardent Patrick supporter, I actually share your sense of frustration with the Governor’s pace and lack of leadership on some key issues.
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When the Governor made his education speech at UMass commencement a few months back, I and others were waiting for some leadership on re-reforming education. However all we got was “free community college, education is good, we’re going to study the rest and get back to you.”
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The Governor seems to think that, by virtue of his office, he is the one that sets the pace. However, there are communities taking votes, a legislature making laws, and a thousand other factors that aren’t going to wait for the Governor to make up his mind.
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Don’t get me wrong, I think the Governor is actually doing a decent job so far, and there is inevitably going to be a let-down period after the hopelessly lofty campaign. But the honeymoon period is long over and it’s time that he puts up or shuts up. We didn’t elect him to stay quiet and wait to see what everyone else does before he makes up his mind.
Also as someone who will be partaking of the upcoming vote, I think its admirable for him to leave this issue to us without telling us what he thinks. It puts people in the unique position of having to think for themselves rather than just doing what Uncle Deval likes.
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I’m going to walk into that voting booth without any idea what Deval thinks, and I couldn’t be more pleased.
I expect it will get one. Whether it will turn out to be what people thought they voted for is another question.
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As for the Gov: criticism is fair game. But what do you wish he would do, exactly?
After all, until the actual offer was made, and the offerees respond, I would consider that the data set was incomplete. Also, as governor, he cannot weigh in on everything, sort of a “pick your fights” approach.
The speaker has made it clear. If we do ever see legalized casinos it won’t be for another 10 years.
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Nothing has changed in the casino wars other than the Indians get to play also. That doesn’t change the sentiment in the legislature.
I think it’s a good thing Deval is letting the town residents have their say before he weighs in. I’d like to think this shows a respect for local control and a move toward empowering cities, towns, and neighborhoods to have a greater say on policies that will affect their lives instead of officials in Boston or Washington D.C.