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(The view from ... wherever Ernie sits. - promoted by David)
The blame game will start and the easy accusations of incompetence by our governor and legislature will be thrown around like Snookie throws F-Bombs. (Ya like that? A Jersey Shore reference. Man, I am so fresh)
The fact is this piece of legislation that will be voted on tomorrow should the be the subject of some piondexter's doctorate dissertation at the JFK School. For it to get anywhere all the interests, which by the way have staked out their positions for the past 30 years(except Plainridge )had to be satisfied or there would not be enough votes to get it approved. The solons from the western part of the state wanted a casino, so did the southeastern/Bristol County boys. George Carney has a boatload of votes from members whose districts need/had jobs from/at the nearby track. Same too for East Boston/ Winthrop/ Revere/ and by the luck of the roulette wheel the Speaker of the House is from Winthrop.
So everyone is satisfied here. Charley Sarkis and Joe O'Donnell et al. will bid for a license as a joint venture and Carney and Plainridge will either join up or go head to head in bidding for that second license. Most likely join forces and they've probably already shaken hands. Without all these things happening a bill would not get the full support of the more finicky Senate.
But hey, the people wanted casinos and after their elected representatives talked about it the only way an agreement could be reached is if everyone got everything they wanted. Therefore they gave everyone what they wanted. The alternative was to let the bill die in conference committee or spit out a bill that would not pass.
When I say spit out a bill I mean they hucked a real looey at us. And they know it. "We tried our best," they will say. And they did. It will get vetoed by the Governor. Nothing wrong with that. Many of the reps and senators that will vote for it tomorrow are quite happy Deval is vetoing it. It's a bad bill.
Casinos/slots are like morphine and oxycontins when you start licensing them. Good in small and controlled doses but if you over do it you are fucked and fucked good. Unfortunately for the casino advocates this bill fills up the gambling syringe with too much of the good stuff forcing Dr. Deval to remember his Hippocratic Oath and do the right thing. Don't let them scare you Governor, this veto will help you on November 2. The education thing is what may do you in.
The next session will start before we know it. And not too long after I suspect a new Senate Prez and soon after a new Speaker will take the gavels and cause the roulette wheel to get a couple of more spins. Whose chips will be where when it stops spinning the next time? This time it almost stopped on the one number everyone was playing. But c'mon, that never happens.
