If you happened to catch the interview this morning with Speaker Deleo on Ch.5, then you witness a question and answer session that was absolutely painful. It’s long been clear that the reasons for Mr. Speakah’s laser-like focus on bringing expanding gambling to Massachusetts were mostly parochial. But, giving the many years that he has been pushing for increased gambling, one would think he would have at least a minimally basic knowledge of general facts on the subject- if only for the cover of looking like he had actually given genuine consideration the broader picture at some point. Unfortunately, his performance during the “Pop Quiz” (it’s not really a pop quiz, it’s always a feature on this show) portion of ch5’s “On the Record” exposed that Mr. Deleo has failed to even take the minimal step of learning basic facts about the industry he is pushing so hard to bring to his state, or even the details of his own bill. It should be emphasized that the questions were not about arcane details of an unexpected topic like “What is the GDP of Kazakhstan?” or “What book did Mitt Romney promise South Korea he would help censor in Mass public schools?” These were basic questions about casino gambling, the number 1 topic on the State House agenda today (thanks to Deleo) and the subject of a proposed change in law that will bring the biggest cultural & economic change to the Commonwealth in a very very long time.
The complete video of the interview are on ch5’s website here and here, but seem to have no easy embedding option, anyone interested in what’s going on in the state should watch the complete interview. The “Pop Quiz” portion is on youtube, see for yourself here the level of knowledge, and attention to detail, that is driving this immense change:
Ugh…if non-answers, wrong answers, and unintelligible muttering were high rhetoric, the above performance by Deleo would be the new Gettysburg Address. Let’s review the questions, none of which the Speaker of the House was able to answer correctly:
What is a “Whale” in casino terminology?
What is the annual revenue of all casinos on the Las Vegas strip?
How many states have some form of legalized gambling?
What year was Suffolk Downs built?
In current Mass casino plan, what % of revenue goes to the state?
Not surprisingly, the closest Deleo came to a correct answer was on trivia of Suffolk Downs history. This one is by far the least meaningful to any discussion of the merits of the gambling industry, but the likeliest for Deleo to actually know because “saving” Suffolk Downs* by bringing in new kinds of gambling has been Deleo’s #1 priority for a long time. He was only off by seven years on the date Suffolk Downs was built, and when given the correct answer Deleo says something like “well seven years, that counts.” If casinos would be as generous with citizens as Deleo is with himself here, massively expanded gambling might actually be a good deal for the people. “Hey, you were only off by seven on the roulette wheel. Close enough, that counts, here’s the Jackpot!” or “You got 28 in blackjack. Only seven from 21, that counts!!”
Deleo’s laughing through this whole sorry performance may be the saddest part. This is not a joke, but the truth is that the decision making process at the State House right now is one. And the surrounding political/business/media culture is too. If they weren’t, a high official would have to make a least a decent charade of knowing what they are talking about when their parochial interests drive them to make changes to the state that will effect millions of people and billion of dollars, not to mention the culture for decades to come. And they certainly couldn’t admit, with a chuckle, that they are woefully ignorant about how the industry they are working so hard to enrich actually operates. This would be a pretty minimal hurdle. But, at this moment in time, it appears they don’t even have to bother with anything like that. In fact, one of our highest officials is so confident that he won’t be held accountable to even minimum basic standards that he’s willing to go on TV and actually laugh at his own shocking cluelessness regarding the issue he himself considers most important. That’s a pretty long fall for the Athens of America.
*Suffolk Downs will not be “saved” even if expanded gambling passes and they get one of the licenses. It will become a whole new thing, virtually unrecognizable from what it is now or once was. People who are supporting this because they think it will bring some kind of renaissance of long-gone glory days at the track are deluding themselves.
I agree with your assessment of DeLeo, and believe that the Senate President, the majority of the legislature and the Patrick administration also fail to fully grasp this issue or to take it as seriously as it merits.
Not only have I witnessed a similar pattern of clueless and cavalier attitude during the past ‘debates’, but last week some of my colleagues met with Greg Bialecki, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development and his staff, to discuss the current proposals to expand gambling.
From the subsequent press release:
GAMBLING OPPONENTS QUESTION ADMINISTRATION’S GRASP OF EXPANDED PREDATORY GAMBLING ISSUES
…coalition leaders were dismayed by the absence of answers to questions about revenue, regulations, jobs and social impacts.
“We were shocked to learn they did not have answers to simple questions”, stated Tom Larkin, President of United to Stop Slots.
-How much revenue is expected, short and long term?
-How many jobs are expected short and long term?
-What are the financial costs to the state to set up the regulatory structure?
-What will be the effect on the State Lottery?
-How are projections derived to estimate gambling addiction and money spend or lost in Connecticut?
-What plans do the Administration have to constrain political corruption?
-How much gambling revenue will come from “new” money as compared to the redistribution of existing money?
“An independent cost-benefit analysis has never been done by the Administration, therefore, they cannot provide straight answers to basic questions”, concluded Larkin.
But, I’d assume he at least wasn’t laughing at his own lack of knowledge through the whole meeting. He also knew only you guys would see and hear his inability to answer basic questions. Deleo seemed quite happy to go on TV, and show anyone & everyone who cared to watch.
Very deadpan in public, more Boardwalk Empire in private.
As far as DeLeo’s lack of restraint, maybe we should forgive him. He must be positively giddy at the looming prospect of being granted his greatest wish.
But they all are. And yet, for some reason they seldom seem amused when I respond to their actions with a corresponding lack of gravitas.
I watched last years’ house debate with a look on my face like that kid from Home Alone, and subsequently wrote an appropriately titled post called “When Stupid People Ruled the Earth”. After the Senate vote I wondered out loud, when it was that the General Court had became the House of Slytherin.
I’ve watched this circus for 4 1/2 years. Last year I tried to sum up the attitude I witnessed from our leadership throughout the whole process as follows.
“Let them eat slots!” ( click here larger version)
But then, silly season got it’s start back in Middleboro back in 2007:
Seriously, Scout, if I didn’t laugh, I’d cry. Ok… sometimes I cry.
…how scary it is how natural and at home Coakley looks in that ‘picture’.
She’s got that thoughtful, ‘maybe-I-shouldn’t-really-join-the-others-in-an-excess-of-frivolity-since-I-am-the-Attorney-General-so-I’ll-just-stand-here-quietly-at-the-back-being-complicit’ expression.
This was filmed AFTER the vote was taken. It’s the Senate’s problem now!
Look – this will bring in money, this will provide jobs for Legislator-connected nieces and nephews who got out of college with the degree and now can’t find a job. Why just today, Pres. Murray was pushing the forensic accounting jobs, perfect for the business school grad with college debt and a Democrat grand-dad!
It’s the Lottery, only BIGGER! Besides the Essential State Employee jobs we can put in Group 4, there’s adminstration for all the seperate funds, and bartending and restaurant management jobs – even blackjack dealing and remedial pole dancing for Republicans’ kids!
I mean, what more do you NEED to know? We’re right here at the opening of a BRAND NEW CESSPOOL!
as is the rest of the leadership in the legislature.
Faulty projections- HAHAHAHAH
Cronyism- HAHAHAHAH
Sweetheart Deals HAHAHAHAH
and so on.
n/t
any of the other clowns for that matter, but it’s more likely that the ball started rolling because someone once thought it was a good idea and no one bothered enough to stop the ball from rolling long enough to question it.
Stan Rosenberg said once that most of the legislature was resigned to gambling. Without attributing that much insight to other members, I think that’s the case.
DeLeo could be laughing at us, and though I have no love lost on the guy, but I don’t reject the idea that an idea in motion remains in motion. A lot of these folks just aren’t that deep.
I’m not sure which is worse.
But in my experience, people are usually much more stupid than they are corrupt.
They certainly can be both, and DeLeo’s shilling for racinos certainly wasn’t by accident, (though not corrupt in legal terms).
But once casinos were in motion, how much attention did DeLeo really need to do? If he were serving the Commonwealth, he should pay a lot of attention, but mainly he just has to let it or make it happen.
1. ‘Evil’- means to do it (“corrupt” isn’t quite right, nor is evil, but it’s more like “means to do something most people would think is wrong”).
2. Clueless
3. Misguided- misinformed or coming from a “wrong” reference point. DeLeo’s father worked at the track so maybe he’s got some weird thing going.
Depressing thought.
like lemmings, maybe? Nietschze used the term “herd animal,” but not only for politicians.
A. Sheep
B. Lemmings
C. Democrats
D. All of the above
A. Irrelevant
B. Mass Republicans
C. Jealous
D. All of the above
So 3 casinos that no one is forced to go to will “bring the biggest cultural & economic change to the Commonwealth in a very very long time”?
Huh?
That’s as sensical as saying gay marriage is going to cause all teenage boys to start taking up receptive anal sex.
25 percent! Even I knew that one! The other questions (at least in the clip in the above article) were not particularly pertinent.
For someone who gridlocked Beacon Hill, has spoken of little else and twisted arms to get this done, you just might expect more.
What a pity he wasn’t asked how many more Gambling Addicts we can expect in the Commonwealth.
Surrounded by corruption, scandals and indictments, his ignorance is curious.
How many BILLIONS of MA dollars have gone to RI, CT, NJ, NV, etc. over the year?
Duh?
Amberpaw often cites the lack of Open Meeting Laws at the legislative level as the reason some less savory things go on. For me it’s the concentration of power in the hands of the Speaker that is the culprit. Fixing both would probably go a long way. As a Representative Deleo is only elected by 1/160 of the state population. If he thinks expanded gambling is good for Suffolk Downs and thus his district he has every right in the world to cast his own vote accordingly. However, he should not have the power to make his colleagues fear him more than their own constituents. The idea that some switched their vote it seems based on who is Speaker rather than on the merits is shameful.
The fast-moving train of building casinos in Massachusetts included bigoted cargo yesterday, and could pick up some more this week.
Read more at the MIRA Coalition blog.