Senator Rosenberg: Trust?

Just when you might believe that Senator Rosenberg had depleted his reservoir of dumb comments, like the Energizer Bunny, he just keeps on going!

Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D-Northampton) said much of the final process will be up to Patrick - but added he trusts the governor to make the right call.

“There’s no way the governor is going to appoint anybody with mob connections,” Rosenberg said.

If we trust the current Governor, does he have lifetime tenure?


What happened to those false promises that you were going to 'get it right,' Senator? You keep saying you reviewed the regulatory structures around the country. How could you overlook this?

Let's remember it was Senate President "Cha Ching" Murray who appointed Senator Rosenberg as her "Lap Dog" on all things casino and is responsible for this grossly flawed legislation she's trying to cram through.



Gaming experts slam casino bill

A bill that would shut the public out from the decision of who sits on the powerful commission that oversees casinos has come under fire from gaming experts, who warn that the industry is rife with mobster connections and double-dealing hucksters.

“Transparency is essential,” said Bill Thompson, a national gambling expert at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. “It’s an attractive industry for corrupt people, and they’ll try to get an angle through politics or the board.”

The criticism comes as the state Senate inched closer to approving legislation legalizing three resort casinos - and giving Gov. Deval Patrick the upper hand when it comes to appointing those who will oversee Bay State gaming.


The bill under review by senators would allow Patrick to pick a three-member board charged with administering and enforcing gaming laws. The governor also would get to tap three out of five members on a gaming commission with the power to approve casino licenses.

The bill details stringent criminal and financial background checks for the appointees - but stops short of demanding any public vetting process.

“The governor clearly demonstrated through his original legislation that he supports a qualified and independent authority held to the highest ethical standards to oversee any expanded gaming in the commonwealth,” said spokeswoman Kofi Jones.

Patrick’s original casino legislation required board members to file an annual financial statement and banned them from getting jobs with any industry connected to gaming for three years before or after serving on the board. He’d also adhere to the state’s conflict of interest law when selecting candidates as he does for every board, Jones said.

But critics said the boards should open the selection process to the public beyond what’s already on the books.

“The public has to have confidence in these people . . . these are not ordinary boards,” said casino foe and former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger. “This is one of those times when we ought to give extra weight to a public and open selection process for these key decision makers.”

Sen. Stanley Rosenberg (D-Northampton) said much of the final process will be up to Patrick - but added he trusts the governor to make the right call.

“There’s no way the governor is going to appoint anybody with mob connections,” Rosenberg said.

State Treasurer Tim Cahill, who would be able to appoint one commission member if the bill becomes law, said potential appointees should detail their political contributions.

“It needs to be independent of the governor and of any of us. It needs to be as nonpolitical as possible,” Cahill said.