There is no excusing the Speaker from not paying attention when his long time friends and supporters offered to pick up some of his personal expenses or offered him gifts, even if it was “perfectly legal”. He just didn’t think how it would look on the front page of the paper, and how even these perfectly legal activities would further erode the public’s confidence in government.
There is no excusing his long time personal friends for exploiting their friendship with him for their own personal gain as ‘strategists” advising special interests trying to influence public policy. I doubt they thought for a second how they were betraying the trust of their long time, now very powerful friend.
It is tragic, in my view, that the Speakers long record of legislative achievements are damaged by ethical “questions” that triggered multiple investigations and may have prompted his resignation.”
Hence my advice to ambitious political leaders in the same Globe article.
“I would hope and pray that every member of the Legislature who wants to grow up to be a leader pays attention,” said Judy Meredith, a longtime human services lobbyist. “They should pay attention to their relationships when they take a loan or golf fees.”
We need the lobbying reforms so we have the information to pay attention. And then we have to find the time and the information we need to start paying attention.
Crossposted at ONE Massachusetts
First, I agree that for far too long our elected officials (both parties) have hid in the dark and run for cover when the lights are turned on like cockroaches. It sounds like ONA MASS is trying to present the data for people to at least see what is happening.
<
p>However, the second half of fixing this ingrained problem with pols is for people to care, and the people I refer to is US. We can use Sal as an example. Sal has had a stink around him for sometime now. We know in politics “where’s there’s smoke there is almost always fire”. And yet, what has happened to Sal since all these embarrassing stories have surfaced… nothing. He has still been the darling of Beacon Hill, won reelection easily and then won the SPeaker seat with an overwhelming 135 out of 160 votes with 14 voting present. In addition, many on this site supported Sal with warm congrats on his victory. Some might say well he’s out now but “we the people” had nothing to do with him resigning. Stories were broadcast all weekend from North End supporters who “love Sal”.
<
p>If Ethics reform is ever really going to work it will need the citizens, like you and me and everyone else here to care about their politicians and hold them to a high standard. The leading candidate of the Speaker’s seat already has a huge scarlet letter carved on his forehead and my take is “people don’t care”.
<
p>Howie Carr is demonized by many on this site for his schtick but his calling attention to the never ending lists of hacks in Mass is something we should say thank you for. But instead we mock him and ignore the many “transgressions” he points out. Clearly his motives are for self promotion but does his publishing of the legions of connected people with all their “Sal-like” deals going on slow down anyone’s election or re-election, nope.
<
p>So I admire your efforts and your fortitude but I fear without the stick of consequences (or as Obama likes to say “accountability”) then nothing will ever happen…
………… from State House News reporting on Finneran’s remarks on his radio show. “I realize from hard experience and from scar tissue that I have today that the office draws a focus that is really hard to relate to anyone who hasn’t been there before,” he said. “It becomes a Bermuda triangle. There’s power and influence with it, there’s no question about it. It becomes a hobby . . . to shoot at the top person.” He also had a message for the two representatives hopeful to replace DiMasi as speaker. “You know who should be listening? John Rogers and Bobby DeLeo,” he said. “There are now three speakers in a row . . . who left in clouds of ethical accusations, criminal accusations . . . You have to be toughest on those with whom you are closest. The DiMasi thing speaks for itself.” ………. While claiming “it’s hard to reach any hard and fast conclusions,” Finneran said, “Friends will take advantage. They will self-promote.” …………..
They all commit these violations on the hill, but the Speaker has a bigger magnifying glass and gets caught more often. All are guilty when they break the law or violate any ethics rule, not just the leadership and all should be punished (by the people with their votes).
If Finneran thinks that “it becomes a hobby…to shoot at the top person”, it is because they make such large targets. Not one, not two, but three speakers have left because they misused the power of their position. What is the lesson?
<
p>The overlay of corruption in the State House combined with the arrogance of power unchecked by a meaninful, competitive election process, will distort a governmental process that should be focused on the welfare of the tax-payers and not the self-aggrandizement of public officials.
I do not know how long you have known about this hearing. Me, I do not get the State House News. I cannot afford it. I tried subscribing, and after two years, I still have not paid off my one year subscription! Ouch.
<
p>You are on the side of good, I believe this. But you are also paid to be on the side of good, and do have access to the State House News and advance notice of hearings like this.
<
p>If the fact that a hearing on this Ethics Bill was going to occur was posted when you first heard of it, people like me could have reviewed the legislation [it can be found online] and either attended and testified – as you know I do at times – or provided written testimony.
<
p>So, at this point, I have to ask, because you have access to this information and I do not:
<
p>1. How long will the hearing be “open” for written testimony?
<
p>2. To whom should written testimony be sent?
<
p>3. What is the link to the Gov’s ethics legislation [saving me time makes it more likely that I will do something with this as I have to keep my case load current, meet all deadlines, and bill clients to have an income.
<
p>Remember, I don’t have the luxury of “W2 income that pays me for fighting for a progressive agenda” – or in fact, any of the citizen activism I engage in. All that is pro bono, at least for me and for most who post at this site.
<
p>And while I agree on the importance of the netroots becoming more and more active on the grassroots level, it will take information from people like you, which means as much advance notice of hearings of interest [etc.] as you can provide.
It’s been hard to track this one. Despite all the noise from the MSM, like usual, they only broadcast the ethical problems of elected officials and not their attempts to address them. The main stream press did not cover the establishment of the House’s temporary committee on ethics, nor the announcement of this hearing. Neither did the State House Legislative site or the Governor’s own page on the integrity task force, where you can get a copy of the legislation.
<
p>I found out about the hearing by talking to a member of the Task Force almost 10 days ago. Subsequently I did find this article on the SHNS last Thursday. (I assume it was posted in the House clerks office.)
<
p>
<
p>1. The Temporary committee will continue to accept testimony for the “forseeable future” so send it in to Representative James Fagen. You can get his email address from the statehouse website http://www.mass.gov
<
p>Finally Deborah, please be patient. We do our best here to teach folks interested in influencing public policy how to insert their opinions and good information to the “right person at the right time.” We don’t have the W2 to track every issue.
…but I remembered that I had only seen this in Friday’s SHNS Roundup, with no date/time/etc.
<
p>After all, why report on this when you can give space to whether or not Rush was mean to Obama?
<
p>Thx for finding out that we can all still submit written testimony. I’m just sceptical that accepting testimony for ‘the foreseeable future’ is just code for ‘We ain’t gonna ACT on this or anything…’
James.Fagan at state.ma.us
<
p>Probably sooner is better than later – so thanks Judy. But it would be helpful, truly, for you to share that kind of “nuts and bolts” information if you want the netroots to also do more grassroots advocacy. We are just learning too and not full time pros, to put it mildly.