In light of the news in JimC’s post below that House Ways and Means Chair Brian Dempsey is stepping down, I’m re-upping this post from a week ago to note the following:
- ML Strategies is a lobbying powerhouse on Beacon Hill. Its biggest client in 2016, to the tune of $276,579.23, was Wynn Resorts.
- The budget provision that could give casinos (including Wynn’s Everett casino) a big competitive advantage was included as part of the House Ways and Means budget. The Senate did not include such a provision.
- Today, House Ways and Means Chairman Brian Dempsey resigned from the House to become the chief operating officer at ML Strategies.
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While we’re understandably fixated today on the craven capitulation of our president over in Hamburg, let us pause to recognize a nadir of submission reached right here in Massachusetts — in the annual budget just released this morning.
Casino magnate Steve Wynn, the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee and a friend and supporter of his fellow tycoon Donald Trump, has been busy lately twisting the arm of Senator Dean Heller of Nevada, one of the few Republican opponents of the Senate health care plan, to retract his opposition and get with the program. That health care plan, of course, would cost Massachusetts a billion dollars a year starting in 2020 (the year after Wynn’s Everett casino is scheduled to open). By 2025, By 2025, the plan would have ruined our health care system and possibly our economy: a quarter-million of our poorest residents would have lost their health care coverage and annual costs would have nearly doubled.
Our state’s response? To amend our gambling law so that casinos could continue selling alcohol after the 2 a.m. closing time for bars and restaurants. A spokesperson for the House of Representatives, where the amendment originated, explained that we need to “ensure competitiveness,” a rationale that will come as a surprise to the hospitality industry establishments that will be trying to make do without the advantage of extended hours (or a slots barn).
Anyway, a nice kiss for Steve Wynn that leaves the rest of us wondering — whatever happened to this piece of advice from our current POTUS? “Get even with people. If they screw you, screw them back 10 times as hard. I really believe it.”
When Democrats fail to stand for values and back casinos, because “the money HAS to come from somewhere”….this is where the trail leads. Martha Coakley and Charlie Baker were falling over each other trying to see who supported casinos more…….and here we are.
Please stop lying about me.
You ripped my “money HAS to come from somewhere” completely out of context. I was talking about political campaigns. It is rude, infuriating, and completely dishonest to continue doing this.
I have advocated loudly and frequently against casino gambling, the lottery, and all forms of state-sponsored gambling here and elsewhere.
Tom, be honest with yourself. In your comment that the money has to come from somewhere, you were defending the neoliberal practice of pushing for social reforms (gay rights, reproductive rights, and so on) and accepting laissez-faire economic policy. The Clintons were the poster kids for this.
I know what I meant when I wrote it. You turned it on its ear then and you lie about it now. I get that you apparently relish your BMG role as Limbaugh-Democrat. Apparently that includes lying about the rest of us.
I have advocated dramatic steps to clawback wealth from the top 1% since I joined this community more than decade ago (well before you). I have laid out political, mathematical, and economic arguments for why this necessary and for how we can accomplish it.
You are simply lying about it.
You defended Hillary’s close ties to Wall Street. End of story.
I opposed your call for Democratic candidates to unilaterally disarm by refusing to accept donations.
You continue to lie about me and my commentary.
This thread is about flagrant corruption in Massachusetts politics, driven by craven pandering to gambling interests. It has NOTHING to do with anything involving campaign funding of more than a year ago.
You are lying about me. That’s the rest of the story you so eagerly want to end.
The revolving door spins even faster.
Sounds like we have another “teaching moment” about legal corruption in Massachusetts.
I thought we had anti-revolving door legislation in MA, or does that just apply to actual lobbying rather than something like COO?
Lol @that
Care to explain?
They always quit and already have the lobbying jobs lined up, and quit mid term to make it easier for their aides, family members or buddies to run in a low turnout special. Bradley, Baddour who’s also at ML, Walz who took on the MAPPL role mid term and recently lobbied for DFER, even Sciortino with the AIDS lobbying group. Or the departing Middlesex & Suffolk incumbent during that special. All jobs offered well before their terms expired and starting pretty shortly after they were out.
OK, but that’s exactly what I thought was already illegal. If I’m wrong, fine, then I would say we SHOULD have laws preventing the arrangements you describe.
The party of Mammon looks like the only party – and the disgust with behavior and choices like Demsey’s will only increase the percentage of unenrolled voters. Unenrolling is a sign of disgust with both so-called major parties. Understandable.