Troubling Truth

Troubling truth

Louis Ciarlone, the Electrical Workers business manager, accuses Bill Walczak of “sanctimonious hypocrisy” because he works for a company that specializes in gaming construction (“Union boss blasts mayoral hopeful on casino ‘hypocrisy,’ ” Aug. 21). I’ve never met Walczak, but his singular voice against the economic and social hypocrisy of casinos is courageous and rational.

Ciarlone is actually acting against his own union’s long term interests. Trying to get more people to lose more and more money in slot machines is an ugly economic model and fundamentally unjust because about 80 percent of the money lost comes from about 20 percent of the gamblers, mostly workers with low income. I remember when union leaders spoke out forcibly for both jobs and justice.

When is a Massachusetts union leader going to show courage and rationality on casinos and slots?—

Tom Larkin, Bedford

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