Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Patrick to file ethics legislation

By

GOVERNOR PATRICK ANNOUNCES
ETHICS & LOBBYING REFORM INITIATIVES

Moves to strengthen rules and restore public confidence

BOSTON – Friday, October 31, 2008 – Governor Deval Patrick announced today actions aimed at reforming the Commonwealth’s ethics and lobbying rules.

Specifically, the Governor intends to file comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform legislation developed with the advice of a new bi-partisan task force convened by his Chief Legal Counsel and former federal prosecutor Ben Clements.   In addition, the Governor will re-file and expand upon legislation that refocuses state government on matters of broader importance by giving local communities more autonomy over local affairs.

“In a successful democracy, the currency of government is not money. It’s integrity,” said Governor Patrick.  “We in public office are not entitled to our positions.  We are placed here by voters to do the best we can on their behalf.  And we are expected to conduct their business honestly and openly.”

Actions announced today include:

Task Force on Ethics and Lobbying Reform
 
Today, Governor Patrick announced he will create a Governor’s Task Force on Ethics and Lobbying Reform.  The Task Force will be convened by his Chief Legal Counsel Ben Clements and include experts and other distinguished participants on a nonpartisan basis to develop a package of reforms in time for the Legislature’s return in January.  Clements previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for seven years including four years in the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit.  The Task Force is charged with examining the existing regulatory frameworks governing ethics and lobbying and making recommendations to the Governor relative to legislation necessary to strengthen current laws, regulations, investigative and enforcement mechanisms, and penalties.  The Governor plans to include the reform package among the first bills he files at the beginning of the next legislative session in January.

Governing Reform

The Governor will also be re-filing and expanding upon legislation designed to refocus state government on matters of statewide importance by giving local communities more autonomy over local affairs. The current home rule structure dates from the 1960s and guarantees that the Legislature and the Executive spend an inordinate amount of time deciding when and how localities can tax, borrow, regulate private and civil affairs, and make rules for municipal elections.  Forty percent of all legislation passed over the last two years was local laws that affect only one community.  Sponsors of home rule bills are often forced to expend a great deal of time and political capital to get non-controversial, purely local matters moving and enacted, rather than working on matters of broader concern. 

“Now more than ever, we on Beacon Hill need laser-like focus on getting our economy moving again and expanding opportunity and economic security,” said Governor Patrick.

Continuing Reform Agenda

Governor Patrick also stressed the importance of moving forward with reform efforts in other areas of state government, including pension and benefit reform, education reform, health care reform – especially cost containment – and reform of the Turnpike Authority and other transportation practices.

A Renewed Call for Citizen Engagement

Underscoring his commitment to civic involvement, the Governor also called for renewed citizen engagement and asked citizens to take responsibility for their government by standing for election to local and statewide seats, by holding their elected officials accountable, and by voting.

Please share widely!
fb-share-icon
Tweet
0

Comments

  2. Let each town and city decide how many licenses it will grant, and how it will grant them.  Get the Legislature out of this business entirely.

      • my town has denied at least one location a liquor license that I thought peculiar, and another an expanded license so they could sell more than just beer and wine. I didn’t get it.

        <

        p>Then I thought about it. Our town happens to own a building on the edge of the community that we lease out…. to a liquor store…

        <

        p>Now, I’m not going to say it is anything corrupt, I realy don’t know much about why the licenses were denied, but it is damn peculiar.  

  3. Isn’t there a huge list of stuff that keeps not passing? Like streaming video of the state lege in session, stuff like that? Let’s drag ’em all out!

  4. In 60 days. In 60 days Deval wil pull the Pontius Pilate routine. C’mon you guys for Chrissake. In 60 days deval will be the US attorney general—laughing hysterically as the Beacon Moving Van pulls outa Milton. deval could give a rats ass what happens in massachusetts at this moment or into the future. He hit the big score. He’s now on the permanent gravy train. That’s unless of course Bill Ayers has a case of pique and teams up with al Qaeda and makes Washington DC disappear. Now wouldn’t that be irony to the 8th power! Odd that Wilkerson gets canned and Marzilli doesn’t—-now there is legitimate racism. The section eight defense by marzilli holds no water. He was well aware that the activity he was engaging in was unlawful—that’s why he fled.

    • I do notice State Rep. Bob Spellane is skating under the radar. He is white, joined his country club using campaign money. Hmm, interesting questoion. Naa, all our faux liberals? I’m interested to see the Bradley effect on Tuesday. I mean no disrespect to anyone.

      • Do you even know what the Bradley effect is? There’s no reason to suspect we’ll see it this time around. Some noted pollsters even argue that it never existed in the first place, that the elections where it allegedly appeared are cherry-picked examples where reality happened to lie at one edge of the polls’ margin of errors (which certainly can happen).

        <

        p>So I’m interested to hear why you think it will happen. I think it won’t. I think that, in the aggregate, the polls will be shown to be pretty much on target. Sure, you’ll be able to point at one or more polls where Obama’s support was inflated, but there will also be polls where McCain’s support was overstated. In the aggregate, though? I think not.

        • Have seen the Republicans do a lot better than the last polls suggested they would.  I don’t expect much different this time, but I’m not sure it will qualify as a Bradley effect, since it has happened to Gore and Kerry, both men not known for an abundance of melanin.

  5. One of my big things when Deval was running is that we needed to re-look at the state/local divide. It became an even bigger issue as he brought forward the municipal partnership act.

    <

    p>Let’s let cities and towns have more autonomy. Let them decide how they’re going to tax and pay for services. Give them more tools in the tool kit so they aren’t solely relying on property taxes – and those who use city services (roads, police, emergency care, etc.) through something like the meals and hotel tax.

    <

    p>Furthermore, he is right that by getting all these minor issues off Beacon Hill’s hand, they’ll be able to focus on the real, state-wide reform that we need.  

  6. There are so many opportunities to improve the ethical climate on Beacon Hill, so kudos to the Gov (if he’s serious about it) for calling for a fast-tracked proposal to address the culture of corruption and “you gotta give something to get something” in the State House.  One obvious reform would be to create qualifications for lobbyists.  At a minimum, no convicted felon should be allowed to lobby on Beacon Hill.  Can you imagine Dianne (if she’s no longer incarcerated) working the Hill as a lobbyist?  Under existing law, it could happen.  Of course, there are several high-powered convicted felons now working the Hill.  So do you think this is a good idea and do you really think their buddies in the Legislature would ever let such a bill become law?

  7. As a state employee I can say that I feel the Ethics laws are already very strict.  I don’t think there is a need to tighten them up.  

    <

    p>Local autonomy is worth looking at.  We are supposed to be a home rule state but that is not really true.   Look at how often a city or town needs to file a home rule petition on something as simple as erecting a veterans memorial on their town common.

  8. Casablanca, 1942

    <

    p>Captain Renault: “Realizing the importance of the case, my men are rounding up twice the usual number of suspects.”

    <

    p>How many times do we hear this malarky?  

    <

    p>Might be that Dianne’s problem is that she didn’t play get along go along.  Attitude is everything.

    <

    p>“When all is said and done, more is said than done.”

    <

    p>

Archives