Dear Governor Patrick

Stand by your principles. This casino Bill has turned into a Racino Bill and you have adamantly opposed slots at tne racetracks. Don't compromise your stance to appease special interests...Veto the Casino Bill. lts the right thing to do...

carverchick

- with great power comes great responsibility - Ben Parker

- be the change you want to see in the world -

Why is that Damned Cart in Front of the Horse Again?

proverb: Putting the Cart before the Horse

meaning: reversing the accepted order of things; To put things in the wrong order or with the wrong priorities; to put something inconsequential as more important than something more essential.
synonyms: ass-backwards

other meaning: Senator Rosenberg's accepted order of expanded gambling

Well, it seems that Senator Rosenberg is at it yet again....the lastest news in the Casino Chronicals is a press release by USS where Senator Rosenberg clearly does not understand Federal Policy on Indian Gaming or is just ignoring the fact that if there is no Class III Gambling in this State - then there is no threat of Indian Casinos - meaning no rush to push a gambling bill to beat anyone to the punch...

Yet once again, in the spirit of all that is casino related, Senator Rosenberg claims that, if a final bill is passed by the Legislature, it will include a regulatory structure to control Native American tribes seeking permission from the federal government for expanded gambling. So hey, don't worry about it.......

uuummmmm......Senator.....you really can't control that - once you make Class III gambling legal in this state then you open the door for Federally Recognized Tribes to open their own casinos on trust land that is exempt from local, state, and many federal regulations. This Senator, or any of them who support this ridiculous bill and claim they can control Indian gambling expansion in Massachusetts is living in a dream. If any of these Senators want to control that, well....then don't allow expanded gambling in this State. Period. No Class III gambling, no Indian Casinos.

Yeah - its just that simple. So why spend all this needless time trying to write laws to control an industry that cannot be controlled...just say NO!

Jeez...I am so sick of this bull from the Casino Booster Club of Senators Ringleader Rosenberg. And honestly, I'm not sure what scares me more -- the idea that maybe they just don't understand Federal Indian Policy or the idea that they are ignoring it for their own personal (special) interests, or that they just don't care, and certainly don't listen. Really, where the heck were these guys when the Governor tried to use the same scare tactic to get his three casino bill passed?

In the words of a super smart and funny and wonderful friend of mine.....at least our former Attorney General has a pulse...

Legislators keep saying they are working to control a flood of tribal casinos but what they don't acknowledge or, worse, don't realize is that they are the ones poised to open up the floodgates," said Scott Harshbarger, the former Massachusetts Attorney General.

I have to say that I have been quite impressed with former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger and his obvious understanding of the issues - the negative impacts - in regards to expanded gambling in the Commonwealth. That and his totally seeing the idle threat that Indian casinos are if Class III gambling is illegal in this State. So yes, he has it right when he says they are poised to open the floodgates and they won't be able to control it.

Yet Rosenberg keeps saying we have to beat them to the punch...oh, and don't worry because we are going to protect the citizens of this State through regulation...uuuuhhhh.....yeeeaaah......not feeling the warm and fuzzy there Senator. What part of exempt from State regulations are you not understanding?? And not for nothing Senator, we have already been down this road with the Governor.

Oh, and speaking of roads.....we have already been down the Indian Tribal Casino Road too. The idea of using the threat of Tribal casinos to push a careless, irresponsible and rushed expanded gambling bill just astounds me at this point.

Kathleen Conley Norburt, President of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts and author of the blog Truth to Power had this to say....

"Legislative leadership is either confused or are simply justifying their drive to satisfy the backers of the special interest gambling bill," said Norbut. "Politicians legalizing slots are the 'horse' and unregulated tribal casinos are the 'cart.' They are telling us the cart is before the horse and it just doesn't work like that."

Well, all I can say is this Chick isn't betting on their confusion of the issue....but that's me. Until pro expanded gambling Senators stop with the scare tactics that are blatant lies, quit with the promise of creating jobs while ignoring what casinos do to small businesses, stop telling us about all this revenue they can't even say for sure will exist because an independent cost benefit analysis didn't fit in with their election timelime, and actually start acting responsibly in regards to the citizens of this State, I have to go with corruption sprinkled with caring only for those special interest votes come November.

- It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself - Thomas Jefferson

- be the change you want to see in the world -

From the "Are you Kidding Me?" Department

STATE CAPITOL BRIEFS – AFTERNOON EDITION – THURSDAY, JULY 22, 2010
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

HOUSE DEAN SAYS GAMBLING IMPASSE ‘A GOOD REASON’ FOR VOTERS TO TOSS DEMS
House Dean David Flynn, a lifelong Democrat who first joined the Legislature in 1965 and ran the state for Jimmy Carter’s 1980 presidential campaign, said Thursday the failure to reach agreement on an expanded gambling bill – and, specifically, resistance from Gov. Deval Patrick and the Senate to racetrack slot machines – entitled voters to turn on the state’s ruling party. “I think it’s a good reason for the general public to turn on Democrats,” Flynn told the News Service. “I can see why the general public, the populace, would rebel.” Conference committee talks on expanded gambling legislation are continuing.

Wow...David Flynn using his own form of scare tactics to push through a casino/slot parlor bill -- pass this bill or everyone will vote Republican - EGADS!!! This chick tends to think that he should have said...pass this bill or the special interest groups will threaten not to vote for you....EGADS AGAIN!!

Gosh Senator Flynn, we all know you love casinos and despise anyone who doesn't, but have you forgotten that the Massachusetts Democratic Party adopted a resolution to "oppose the legalization of slot machines and any similar efforts to promote addictive and predatory gambling as a means of raising revenues" at a June 6, 2009 Democratic Party Convention held in Springfield, or just think we did? Well, it seems you must have because everyone knows us anti's have memories of elelphants. Well, perhaps you can refresh your memory here. My friend Gladyz did a fabulous job of summing up that effort. A Brilliant job, in fact. So for the love of all that is actually good in this world, please stop with the melodrama....and perhaps focus on the important issues like real economic development, affordable healthcare and emergency prepardness....you know, the things that actually could improve our quality of life in Massachusetts....

GAMBLING OPPONENTS SAY DISAGREEMENT HAS ‘SIDELINED’ OTHER ISSUES
Gambling opponents have latched onto the news that negotiations on casino and slots bills have hit a snag, urging lawmakers to drop their efforts and focus on other “more significant” proposals. “It’s well-past time for the Speaker and Senate President to stop this greed-driven secret soap opera and focus on producing other bills which will have a positive impact on our Commonwealth,” said Kathleen Conley Norbut, president of United to Stop Slots Massachusetts, in a statement. “We all know other, meaningful priorities are being held up and are in danger of failing because of this greed- and power-driven casino ego contest.” In the statement, Norbut and former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger light into lawmakers for failing to have completed work on a health care bill, an economic development measure, criminal record access changes, and disaster preparedness. The group even argues that an impending Supreme Judicial Court appointment – made necessary by the Wednesday announcement that Chief Justice Margaret Marshall is retiring later this year – is taking a backseat to gambling. Gov. Deval Patrick, who is in Iraq Thursday to visit Massachusetts troops, has sole responsibility for nominating a new justice.

Call me a crazy chick, but sidelining important bills to play "rock, paper, scissors" over slots at the tracks and resort casinos is absolutely ridiculous...


- It is greed to do all the talking but not to want to listen at all. - Democritus

- Politics, it seems to me, for years, or all too long, has been concerned with right or left instead of right or wrong. ~Richard Armour


- Be the change you want to see in the world -

This About Sums it Up

This video link was left as a comment on one of my blogs....too good not to share. Enjoy!

June 30 and July 1, 2010, Senators Joan Menard, of Fall River, and Mark Montigny, of New Bedford, debated Senator Menard's amendment (#31) to the casino gaming bill in Massachusetts. The amendment would strip the casino use language from a bill passed in 2002, paving the way for the 300 acres in Fall RIver to be developed as a casino. Some of the dialogue is taken from the transcript of that debate.






- be the change you want to see in the world -

And the Stupids Have It - But the Fat Lady is Silent

What a disheartening day Thursday was for the Commonwealth…and only three days before the celebration of our Country - it’s life, liberty and freedom…independence and sovereignty….a Country that is supposed to be governed by the people, for the people. Not so in Massachusetts it seems. This chick had a really hard time celebrating the Fourth of July this year after experiencing so called “due process” in our State Government. I didn’t blog my experience at the casino gambling “public hearing” in June because I was so freaking pissed off over it I felt it better to just let it be. Well, forget that….especially after the freak show of undue process demonstrated in our Senate over the past several weeks. Might I be so humble as to suggest to our Senators that the next time you hold a “public hearing” on an issue, let the freaking PUBLIC speak.

Ahhh yes….the “public hearing” or what I have come to call, the “not public, only Tribe, Union, Casino Developer, Special Interest hearing“…oh, with a few anti-gambling professionals mixed in to make it look like a fair and due process - yeeeahhh -

Many of us casino gambling opponents sat for hours and hours listening to special interest groups, unions, casino developers and so called “casino workers” blather on about how super duper special and wonderful casinos were….we had to listen to Senator Pacheco's endless diatribes about the best way to have slots at the racetracks and gambling casinos….hey Gladys - BTW…I thought my head was going to explode that day listening to Senator Pacheco ask casino developers how to best write a gambling bill for our State…ya know…to make their job of building them easier. It almost did explode when the Aquinna had the nerve to sit in front of our Senate and blatently LIE about LIT and their “right” to build a tribal casino on Martha’s Vinyard under IGRA....if they didn’t get a license for Fall River, that is. Un-freakin-believable….Then to finally get to speak and be told…no warned…not to go over the allotted 3 minutes…jeesh…."public hearing", my ass. Shame on the Senate for even calling it that.

That public hearing was nothing but a pro-casino gambling resort par-tay where gambling opponents were obviously not welcome. Even Senator Tucker, in all her knowledge and wisdom as to why casino gambling is not going to help our State, was blatantly ignored…Thank You Senator Tucker for trying…your testimony was right on and it is obvious you did spend the time to learn about the industry….thank you for trying…it means more to us “nanny’s” than you could ever know. You are a true leader, one who at least gets the facts before deciding on something that will change the lives of all Massachusetts citizens forever.

Oh - Then to hear the ramblings of Senator Rosenberg who obviously has no knowledge of Indian Gaming or casino gambling in general, make stupid and crass statements to push his obviously personal agenda….

“This is a real issue, and we’re trying to find a solution,’’ Rosenberg said. “All I can say is, first things first: Get the bill signed into law and set up a regulatory agency. It will be 18 to 19 months before licenses get issued, and during that period of time we need to find a resolution to this.’’

You can read the article and bask in the stupidity and irresponsibility of dear Senator Rosenberg here.

Absolutely amazing how irresponsible most of the members of this Senate have acted on this issue. How about actually figuring out all those pesky details that will help protect the State from further expansion in the gambling area BEFORE you vote on and approve a Gambling Bill. That seems like the smart path, but nooooooo….who needs to look over the abyss and make an assessment when you can just leap and deal with what you jump into once you get there - heck, you got a good 18 to 19 months of free fall to think about it before you hit the prverbial fan. Oh…and Senator Rosenberg, with all due respect, Sir....as a concerned and well informed citizen, I would like to know...what exactly is your Plan B if you can’t figure it out? Please feel free to send your response to carverchick@gmail.com or post your Plan B here in the comments sections....I am sure my readers would also like to know.

My God….how in the world anyone, especially our YES Senators were able to celebrate the Fourth of July with a clear conscience after this fiasco is beyond me…failure of our Government to actually…uummmm….govern...is a betrayal to every single citizen in this State. Special Interests win….Massachusetts Citizens….big fat LOSERS…well at least those Yessies are keeping up with the premise of casino gambling…the house always wins.

So here is the tally of the vote taken on Thursday in the Senate to have 3 casino gambling resorts in the Commonwealth….The final vote was 25-15 in favor.

A "yes" vote was in favor of licensing the casinos; a "no" vote was opposed to casinos.

Steven A. Baddour, D-Methuen - Y
Frederick E. Berry, D-Peabody - Y
Stephen J. Buoniconti, D-West Springfield - Y
Gale D. Candaras, D-Wilbraham - Y
Harriette L. Chandler, D-Worcester - Y
Sal N. DiDomenico, D-Everett - Y
Kenneth J. Donnelly, D-Arlinton - Y
Jennifer L. Flanagan, D-Leominster - Y
John A. Hart, D-Boston - Y
Brian A. Joyce, D-Milton - Y
Thomas P. Kennedy, D-Brockton - Y
Michael R. Knapik, R-Westfield - Y
Thomas M. McGee, D-Lynn - Y
Joan M. Menard, D-Fall River - Y
Michael O. Moore, D-Millbury - Y
Richard T. Moore, D-Uxbridge - Y
Michael W. Morrissey, D-Quincy - Y
Therese Murray, D-Plymouth - Y
Marc R. Pacheco, D-Taunton - Y
Steven C. Panagiotakos, D-Lowell - Y
Anthony Petruccelli, D-Boston - Y
Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst - Y
Karen E. Spilka, D-Ashland - Y
James E. Timilty, D-Walpole - Y
Steven A. Tolman, D-Boston - Y


And here are the underdogs...the heros in all this …the ones who actually have the forethought to say no to a rushed bill…one based on fear of not beating them to the punch. Thank you for voting no…this bill should never had been voted on this session to begin with.

Susan C. Tucker, D-Andover - N
Mark C. Montigny, D-New Bedford - N
Richard R. Tisei, R-Wakefield - N
Bruce E. Tarr, R-Gloucester - N
Richard J. Ross, R-Wrentham - N
Marian Walsh, D-West Roxbury - N
Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre - N
Robert L. Hedlund, R-Weymouth - N
Patricia D. Jehlen, D-Somerville - N
Robert D. O'Leary, D-Barnstable - N
Susan C. Fargo, D-Lincoln - N
Benjamin B. Downing, D-Pittsfied - N
James B. Eldridge, D-Acton - N
Cynthia Stone Creem, D-Newton - N
Sonia Chang-Diaz, D-Boston - N

As a good friend of mine said recently in an email…..Sad day for Massachusetts. If they'd only been as smart, as diligent and as ruthless for the truth and the wonderful colleagues I've met in the last 3 years, I can promise you, it would be a different day.

Attached to this email was what Senator Tucker had to say…..

Sen. Tucker said, Well, corks are popping all over Massachusetts in those lobbying offices tonight. The games will begin, and I will try very hard in this debate not to be personal. I appreciate the kind words from the lady from Newton. I want your vote more than your words. Martin Luther King said laws which uplift the human spirit are just. Laws that deprave the human spirit are unjust. I stand before you tonight in hopes and understanding that not everyone in this chamber understands this industry and this product as much as I understand this. I got into this issue years ago because it felt like a rip-off to me. I began to see where the money goes, where it comes from, who gets the money. The way the casino industry comes in state after state after state – they have a playbook. Tonight the Massachusetts Legislature joins others that have played right into that. I feel particularly sad for the senators that feel they’re somehow protected by the provisions in this bill. This will spin out of control. Once we give this OK, it’s all about the licenses, the best proposals. Who defines that? And the corruption that has gone on in state after state after state regarding the best proposals – it’s all about the profit. Once you vote for this, you’re out of the picture. It’s about earnings before interest taxes and depreciation. It’s not about the best proposal. It’s about who is going to make the most money, where. You think you’re protected because you’re not within 40 miles of a casino. I don’t even have to wait for the deals the change. You all, and I’ve said this before, have it in your head that we’re going to have one of these fancy resorts with golf courses and hotels and shopping. If it’s not going to be a resort, why put up $500 million? It’s not enough for a resort. The good senator from Amherst said we’ll have the strongest bill in the country. Promises are broken, deals change. There is no proper way to do this because if you do it the proper way, it’s the only industry I’ve heard of that if you do it the proper way, you won’t get the dough. If you don’t get the revenue, what are you doing this for? No one in all the hearing, no one in the industry, no one in this chamber ever stood up and said you’re wrong, senator. No one ever told me I was wrong. So apparently I’m right, because I am right, because I understand the product and the industry. There are a lot of happy lobbyists and a lot of happy clients tonight. I never thought they’d go down this road. That’s what they’re saying. It’s a very sorry excuse that we have to do this because of the Indian Gaming Rights Act. Only five land-in-trusts have been allowed by the bureau in the last 20 years. We have so much time to deal with that. We don’t know the impact. This is a roll call that’s going to stay with the members for a long, long time. When these proposals become a reality, your constituents and groups will come out of the woodwork. They will educate themselves about this product. I have to say to Kathleen Norbut – she’s got a group of warriors behind her who have learned about this. And when college presidents calling saying my students all go to the casinos, and when your constituents come to you and say ‘you have to help me, my husband gambled away all our money’ – I can guarantee you that will happen. It’s happened in every other state. I wish it were about jobs. For my friends in labor, it’s sad. Their members are going to get burned by this. I thank you for your attention. I want to say to the staff members and so many senators, I think all of us have had the opportunity at some point to work on an issue and get to know the hardworking, dedicated staffers. I’ve been particularly heartened by many of the good senators’ staff. Let the games begin.

Yes, let the games begin. I would like to give a special Thank You to Senator Susan Tucker for fighting so hard to preserve our State and protect it from the corruption that is the only inevitability in Casino gambling….I’d also like to the thank the good people of USSMA for fighting so diligently, for trying to educate an uninformed public and ignorant Government. I know your sacrifices, and I personally appreciate every single one of them. You are all the true heros in this fight.

We can all personally thank Senator Rosenberg and all the YES cronies for single handedly making it a real possibility to have Tribal Casinos here in Massachusetts….the non-threat of Tribal casinos has now come close to becoming a real and distinct possibility…Senator Rosenberg, you have managed to make your fear a real and potential reality and for what? To beat them to the punch?…With all due respect, you probably should have looked before you leapt, Senator.

With all due respect Sir, you are an ignoramous and an idiot. You have no right to sit in the seat you do...in my opinion, of course....Did you ever stop to think that we already had them beat...or is what happened in Middleboro, in the Supreme Court and all over the country not hold any weight for you? Did you even stop to think that you were being lied to...mislead and totally played by casino interests and the Tribes? Class III gambling was, and still is for now, illegal in this State. The Tribes couldn't have built anything but a bingo hall, which no investor in their right minds would touch because there is no big fat profits off of bingo...go ask Rhode Island...oh yeah, you don't do actual research, only push your agenda of beating a fantasy to the punch. Senator, leading by fear is cowardly, and you Sir, are a coward in this chick's eyes....with all due respect.

Luckily for the citizens of this State, there are actually well informed people and groups who know federal Indian policy and who might, just might be able to keep this State from having Tribal casinos…
Oh, and I hope that if these three gambling casino resorts do get built in Massachusetts, the Senate puts them in a Town whose Representative voted “YES”….that would only be fair now wouldn’t it. In fact Senator Rosenberg, I believe that Amherst would make a lovely host town for a Casino….much better than Palmer…oh, or perhaps Wilbraham, Senator Candaras….I grew up in Hampden and went to Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham...an absolutely lovely area for a casino...and you seem to think the casino bill is a super idea, so why not? Or hey, what about Peabody or better yet Milton….then the Governor can go play the slots conveniently in his own back yard….yeah, Milton would be perfect for a casino.

But enough with my sarcasm...
we haven’t given up the fight and we won't give it up - ever, at least not where Tribal casinos are concerned - so thanks Yessie Senators for making our fight that much more difficult - we will do what you should have done to begin with - your job - protecting this State and the citizens who call it home.

.….as the saying goes…it ain’t over til the fat lady sings.....




- Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? Courage! You can say that again! - the cowardly lion

- be the change you want to see in the world -