Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

New Speaker shakes up the House; Bosley out as Economic Development chair

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Speaker Bob DeLeo has named his leadership team and committee chairs.  John Rogers and his supporters are notably absent (Rogers is out as Majority Leader and has no chairmanships).  Surprise!

The full list is available here.  A few highlights: Tom Petrolati (Speaker pro tem), Jim Vallee (Majority Leader), and Ron Mariano (Assistant Majority Leader) are in.  So are BMGer Charley Murphy, who will chair House Ways & Means, and Bob Spellane, who will head up the Public Service Committee.  Notably on the outs: BMGer Dan Bosley, who will no longer be chair of Economic Development, and whose anti-casino views will therefore hold considerably less sway going forward (Brian Dempsey will be the new chair).

One cannot help noticing that Petrolati, Mariano, and Spellane have had ethical issues swirling about them for some time.  (Also, apparently Petro “was unaware of a history of racial tension in Charlestown,” despite Charlestown’s front-and-center status during the busing woes of the 1970s.)  The names of Vallee and Murphy, as well as Gene O’Flaherty (who keeps his job as House Judiciary chair) have also surfaced in stories regarding what one might call conduct unbecoming a legislator.

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Comments

  1. I can say that DeLeo has shown himself to be petty.

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    p>But obviously this is all about casinos. What was his quote when he was shouted a question after winning the speakership? “Let the games begin!”

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    p>Get ready for the epidemic of desperate addicted gamblers – coming to a town near you!

      • for old scratch tickets, hoping to find a “winner” that someone else accidentally discarded, you wouldn’t be so flip.

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        p>Anyways, it’s a lot “easier” to obsessively pump dollars into a slot machine than it is to repeatedly stand in line at the gas station. Don’t worry – Based upon today’s news, you’ll get your slots, video poker and 21. Have fun and don’t blow your wad all in one place.

        • Get ready for the epidemic of desperate addicted gamblers – coming to a town near you!

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          p>… the outrage over the casino thing vs. the complacency and acceptance surrounding the lottery. The fact is the lottery is far more pervasive and accessible than a couple of casinos would ever be.  I can’t believe the lottery is materially less addictive.  Therefore the premise of your statement as it relates to the casino debate is absurd (to me).

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          p>

          • I do think that the lottery is materially less addictive (for some) than slots or table games.

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            p>For one thing, the atmosphere is substantially different — dingy convenience store vs. lights and action.  For another, the feedback loop is very different.  You win anything on a scratchoff, you’ve got to go back to the counter, wait on line, and do another transaction.  In slots or tables, BAM! you get the money.  Now put more in, pronto.

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            p>I agree, the lotto is problematic, and Keno even moreso.  I’d like to see them scaled back, perhaps eventually to elimination.  In the mean time, I think casinos are more addictive and may attract a bigger/different scope of people… and making a problem worse is “worser” than keeping the bad status quo.

  2. here’s the list of Senate chairs:

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    p>

    Senate Majority Leader: Frederick Berry
    Senate President Pro Tempore: Stanley Rosenberg
    Senate Assistant Majority Leader: Joan Menard
    Senate Majority Whip: Marian Walsh
    Senate Assistant Majority Whip: Steven Tolman
    Senate Minority Leader: Richard Tisei
    Senate Assistant Minority Leader: Bruce Tarr
    Senate Minority Whip: Robert Hedlund
    Senate Assistant Minority Whip: Scott Brown

    Committee on Ways & Means – Chair: Steven Panagiotakos
    Committee on Ways & Means – Vice Chair: Stephen Brewer
    Committee on Ways & Means – Assistant Vice Chair: Harriette Chandler
    Ranking Republican, Committee on Ways & Means: Michael Knapik

    Ethics & Rules – Chair: Frederick Berry
    Bills in Third Reading – Chair: Jack Hart
    Steering & Policy – Chair: Jack Hart
    Post Audit & Oversight – Chair: Marc Pacheco
    Bonding – Chair: Mark Montigny
    Global Warming – Chair: Marc Pacheco

    Financial Services – Chair: Stephen Buoniconti
    Higher Education – Chair: Anthony Galluccio
    Children & Families – Chair: Gale Candaras
    Economic Development – Chair: Karen Spilka
    Mental Health – Chair: Jennifer Flanagan
    Public Health – Chair: Susan Fargo
    Education – Chair: Robert O’Leary
    Telecommunications – Chair: Michael Morrissey
    Judiciary – Chair: Cynthia Creem
    Housing – Chair: Susan Tucker
    State Admin – Chair: Brian Joyce
    Environment – Chair: Anthony Petruccelli
    Public Safety – Chair: James Timilty
    Tourism – Chair: Sonia Chang-Diaz
    Public Service – Chair: Thomas McGee
    Revenue – Chair: Benjamin Downing
    Community Development – Chair: Michael Moore
    Elder Affairs – Chair: Patricia Jehlen
    Consumer Protection – Chair: Michael Morrissey
    Municipalities & Reg. Gov’t – Chair: James Eldridge
    Election Laws – Chair: Thomas Kennedy
    Transportation – Chair: Steven Baddour
    Health Care Financing – Chair: Richard Moore
    Labor – Chair: Thomas McGee
    Veterans – Chair: Kenneth Donnelly
    Federal Stimulus Oversight – Chair: Marc Pacheco

  3. Quite disappointing…essentially, the same old boys club redux…

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    p>O’Flaherty keeps Judiciary and Costello keeps Public Safety…guess the trial defense attorneys will continue to be protected at all costs…these two have little regard for the victims of crime…their bread is buttered on the other side.

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    p>DeLeo talks a good “ethics a priority” on Greater boston and every other media outlet…but these appointments do not match the talk.

  4. The list is a mixed bag….where is Ellen Story (D-Amherst) who was a loyal/early supporter of DeLeo and a bright progressive legislator?  What did I miss?

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    p>Some nominations are pragmatic (Wagner stays with transportation, McNaughton belongs with Veterans), some are clinkers (Coakley-Rivera, not so bright-volatile, Swan; whatever!).

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    p>Some nominations are curious (Koutoujian, Finance?  Has Peter been a closet Wall Street wannabe stuck in health care for years?).

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    p>Some lack inspiration (O’Flaherty, Judicial – that’s the best the MA House can do? oi:)

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    p>The Globe stated,

    DeLeo is also promoting several up-and-coming lawmakers to key positions. Representative Charles A. Murphy, a Burlington Democrat, will become chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and Representative James Vallee, a Franklin Democrat, will become majority leader.

     OK, let’s hope up and coming will prove to be something good for a change and those two might have a sense that there is a state west of Beacon Hill.

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    p>Bosley may be out but Scibak will be vice-chair of emerging technologies and he is smart, ethical and opposed to casinos.

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    p>Petro/Mariano….gag.

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    p>Many committees with good geographical mix.  One can hope.

      • Which is a good post for someone who has the Longwood hospitals in his district, and has pushed for training programs for the residents of nearby Mission Hill, Roxbury and JP. JP is also home to the Public Health Commissioners of the state and the City of Boston.  Oh, and the State Labs are here too.

      • Divisions are the sections of seats in the House chamber, of which there are four.  So division chair is a leadership post with responsibility for organizing or polling the people who sit in his or her division.

          • A little bit of both I think.  They are supposedly charged with enforcing the rules in their Division but my understanding is that is more like the Speaker’s lieutenant.  

  5. Not much to be excited about here, although maybe my town will benefit with  our Rep’s new role on Ways & Means.

  6. it would be nice for some new faces, or for some active and awesome women like Alice Wolf to get the real goods. In fact, it would be nice for some more women as chairs, period.

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    p>It was beyond obvious Bosley was going to lose his position, but disappointing nonetheless. We’re really going to have to ramp up our efforts to block slots now, especially since DeLeo wants Racinos, which are the worst of the worst.  

  7. The definite absence of Lowell’s three on the House list – Rogers supporters, every one of them.

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    p>Then again, maybe it was their cunning plan, for one or two of them anyway, as I don’t think they like hard work…

  8. Mariano? Oh great. This’ll be good for clean, transparent governance.

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    p>

    “A $1,000 lunch at Capital Grille. Do you think that’s right? Do you think your constituents eat at Capital Grille?” Wu asked.

    “Well, most of the money that I raise is from the industry,” Mariano said.

    He’s talking about executives and lobbyists for banks and insurance companies. But wait until you hear why they’re so generous to the chair of the Financial Services Committee.

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    p>Vallee? Fantastic. Nice guy.

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    p>I miss Sal already — influence-peddling-friends, ticket scalping and all.

    • He personally saved Sen. Scott (BE AFRAID, there’s a sex offender in every dark corner) Brown’s first race against Angus McQuilken by very publicly endorsing him and holding a fundraiser for him.  In subsequent years they held co-fundraisers.  Vallee is socially and fiscally conservative.  

  9. I love Kaufman at revenue. If there’s any chance of a conversation about new revenue, this is the committee to lead it. Khan at Children & Families is good, as are Wolf at Elder Affairs, Malia at Mental Health & Substance Abuse, and L’Italien as vice chair of Ways & Means.

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    p>The only real disappointment for me is seeing O’Flaherty still heading up Judiciary. But as PP mentioned above, seeing him paired with Sen. Creem should be very entertaining.

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    p>All in all I think there are more steps in the right direction than sliding backwards.  

  10. Now Chairman Murphy proved himself willing to engage and debate on BMG during his run for State Senate.

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    p>While I was with another candidate in that special election (now Senator Ken D), Charlie impressed me with a level of candor and a grounding in reality. He is taking on a tough job at Way & Means. The Speaker made a good choice.

  11. …is a self-described DLC’er. The line-up from DeLeo is pretty disapppointing given the number of progressives who supported him in the race.

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