USS Mass has called on Beacon Hill to set aside the flawed casino legislation, focus instead on important business that effects the daily lives of residents and appoint an Independent Commission to study the issue of the costs of expanded gambling.
Beacon Hill continues to cater to vested interests.
From SHNS:
Advocates for other issues have grown frustrated, and many observers, both on and off Beacon Hill, have criticized what seems like a singular focus for the state's lawmakers.
"If you're on Beacon Hill and you have issues pending ... certainly you're paying attention to what's happening with the gambling bill because that's having an impact on a whole lot of other activity," said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, which is pushing both a change in the health care law and a sales tax holiday for mid-August.
John Rosenthal, president and founder of Stop Handgun Violence, which is championing a measure to restrict gun purchases, called the focus on the casino bill "a shame."
"It seems like this gun violence prevention legislation is taking a back seat to, frankly, a casino bill which could lead to more crime and gun violence," he said. "It's ironic."
And advocates for changing the criminal records law, who have won support from the House and Senate, are suddenly concerned that victory may be slipping from their hands. Tomorrow, they plan a rally on the State House steps in an effort to call attention to their cause.
"We want to make sure that the Legislature is reminded that this is an issue that is impacting people on a daily basis," said Aaron Tanaka, executive director of the Boston Workers Alliance, who is part of a larger coalition that favors a change in the criminal records law. "It would just be a shame for the Legislature to let politics get in the way."
Murray, meanwhile, told the Cape Cod Times over the weekend that she believed slot machines "suck all the economic environment from within 20 miles, and you really don't get any jobs from it."
Advocates for other issues have grown frustrated, and many observers, both on and off Beacon Hill, have criticized what seems like a singular focus for the state's lawmakers.
"If you're on Beacon Hill and you have issues pending ... certainly you're paying attention to what's happening with the gambling bill because that's having an impact on a whole lot of other activity," said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, which is pushing both a change in the health care law and a sales tax holiday for mid-August.
John Rosenthal, president and founder of Stop Handgun Violence, which is championing a measure to restrict gun purchases, called the focus on the casino bill "a shame."
"It seems like this gun violence prevention legislation is taking a back seat to, frankly, a casino bill which could lead to more crime and gun violence," he said. "It's ironic."
And advocates for changing the criminal records law, who have won support from the House and Senate, are suddenly concerned that victory may be slipping from their hands. Tomorrow, they plan a rally on the State House steps in an effort to call attention to their cause.
"We want to make sure that the Legislature is reminded that this is an issue that is impacting people on a daily basis," said Aaron Tanaka, executive director of the Boston Workers Alliance, who is part of a larger coalition that favors a change in the criminal records law. "It would just be a shame for the Legislature to let politics get in the way."
Murray, meanwhile, told the Cape Cod Times over the weekend that she believed slot machines "suck all the economic environment from within 20 miles, and you really don't get any jobs from it."
DeLeo denied that the casino debate is holding up other issues, saying, "Each individual piece of legislation is separate form the other."
Still, when Murray was asked today about a sales tax holiday proposal, she conceded that "I haven't thought about it today."
Republicans, who were not invited to the casino talks today, say it is important for the public to see the Beacon Hill impasse, which they blamed on Democrats.
"I think it's good that people are actually getting to see the dysfunctionality of this building," said Senator Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican.
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1 comment:
I am so sick and tired of feeling like the little kid in "The Emperor's New Clothes." Patrick, Murray and DeLeo are naked!
I'll be so glad when Massachusetts finally gives up this stupid idea of casinos. Let CT have the broken homes, the high costs of infrastructure, social services. Let them lead the race to the bottom! Good luck to them and any other state that choses casinos.
It is high time our leaders stopped with this horse... and truly started fixing our economy. i just got back from California.. Casinos aren't doing a darned thing for them. I sat next to a fellow on the train who got laid off from a casino. They're hurtin' too.
It's time for this country to grow up and stop chasing rainbows. There is no way around just plain working and saving and fighting like hell to get our government to stop free trade and get our jobs back here! There is no easy way out! We have to take our country back from the corporate greed heads. If that means a revolution, then that's what we need. We don't need these selfish thieving corporate criminals to con and rob us of our last nickels with their dirty slot machines. Haven't we had enough of being raped and pillaged?
Countries in S. America like Venezuala and Bolivia are taking back their governments from the multinational bandits. It is time we did too!
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