Arrogance Prevails on Beacon Hill

Three previous Massachusetts House Speakers left office in disgrace and under indictment and the image of Dianne Wilkerson stuffing cash into her bra en route to a CT casino will forever be etched in the public's mind.

There are many intelligent, devoted and talented officials on Beacon Hill being painted with the broad brush of suspicion based solely on conduct such as this --

...Kathi-Anne Reinstein, a Revere Democrat who organized the SECRET CLOSED DOOR briefing, told the News Service the session was closed TO THE PUBLIC so state reps would "feel comfortable to ask any questions without having any type of criticism'' and surely at the request of gambling interests who can make undisputed wild promises that are unsubstantiated and never be held accountable.
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An insulated Speaker fails to hear or listen to voter discontent and the results of a recent election that seated a Republican in Senator Kennedy's seat are ignored.

This just about sums it up pretty well --

The practice of having its most important debates behind closed doors, and the arrogance that practice reflects, has everything to do with the Legislature’s lack of credibility with the public. It may be unfair, even inaccurate, to assume corruption thrives behind locked doors in the Statehouse, but DeLeo and his colleagues only feed that notion with their actions.


Secrecy at work on Beacon Hill


Example 1: The nation’s automakers have reasons to guard the secrets of the electronics of their newest cars. They say they don’t want overseas manufacturers to be able to copy their parts. Independent auto shops say it’s to force customers to spend more in the dealers’ repair shops. It is a dispute that found its way to Beacon Hill in the form of a “right to repair” bill that cleared a House committee last week.

But while company secrets are at the heart of the debate, there’s no secret about the issues or the interests involved. So why did the Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee choose to hold its deliberations behind closed doors?

Example 2: The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month throwing out laws that limit the spending of corporations and unions on political campaigns made front page headlines across the country. The ruling’s pros and cons, its implications for future campaigns and potential responses at the state and federal level have been discussed for weeks.

They were discussed again last week on Beacon Hill. Speaker Robert DeLeo invited House members to be briefed by the official in charge of the state Office of Political and Campaign Finance. There’s nothing secret about the Supreme Court’s ruling, nor are the laws governing the OPCF secret. There are no party strategies involved, since DeLeo invited Republicans as well as Democrats to the “joint caucus.”

So why did DeLeo close the caucus to the public and the press? What is he trying to hide?

The most likely answer is that keeping serious discussions secret is the default setting on Beacon Hill. When in doubt, lock everyone out.

The practice of having its most important debates behind closed doors, and the arrogance that practice reflects, has everything to do with the Legislature’s lack of credibility with the public. It may be unfair, even inaccurate, to assume corruption thrives behind locked doors in the Statehouse, but DeLeo and his colleagues only feed that notion with their actions.

An independent cost benefit analysis is needed before legislation is legislation is proposed on expanded gambling.

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