As casino gambling slowly becomes more of a, uh, sure bet in Massachusetts, all of you wannabe high rollers may want to keep track of the hypocrisy meter at the Statehouse. In our recent survey, only four legislators from the region – Reps. Barry Finegold, D-Andover; Barbara L’Italien, D-Andover; and Anthony Verga, D-Gloucester; plus Sen. Sue Tucker, D-Andover, are outright opposed to casinos. Of the rest of the 15 who responded, six are in favor and five say they are undecided. But, when the question turns to whether they would support a casino in their own district, the chorus of “Noes” is overwhelming, with only Sen. Fred Berry, D-Peabody, welcoming the bright lights and the lousy odds of a “gaming” palace. His district includes Beverly, Salem, Peabody, Danvers and Topsfield, for those of you keeping track. Hey, maybe they could sell the fairgrounds. There’s plenty of parking …
Also, fyi, legislators who apparently didn’t like the odds of responding to the survey questions included Reps. Michael Costello, D-Newburyport; William Lantigua, D-Lawrence, Harriett Stanley, D-West Newbury; David Torrisi, D-North Andover; and Sens. Thomas McGee, D-Lynn; and Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.
