It was desperation, more than the advertised benefits of casino gambling, that prompted many mayors to get behind Gov. Deval Patrick’s failed effort to bring legalized gaming to Massachusetts. The cost of public-sector wages and benefits are becoming ummanageable, and those in charge of making sure the bills are paid frankly don’t know where to [...]
Posted in Massachusetts politics, Nelson Benton, Uncategorized on Mar 26th, 2008 View Comments
Opinions are decidedly mixed over whether Massachusetts should allow casino gambling. But a new program put forward by the Massachusetts Lottery Commission could turn every pharmacy and convenience store into a gaming outlet. It’s called “Keno-to-go” and would greatly expand the number of locations at which one can buy Keno tickets. These outlets had been [...]
Posted in Nelson Benton, Presidential race on Mar 24th, 2008 View Comments
George W. Bush won’t go down as one of the great American presidents, and he wasn’t exactly a formidable candidate either. So how did he win in 2000 and 2004? Well, he had a little help from the Supreme Court the first time around, but in both elections the Democrats put up candidates | Al [...]
Posted in Ken Johnson, Presidential race on Mar 18th, 2008 View Comments
Barack Obama made his speech on race in America today, his attempt to quell the furor over the viciously anti-American sermons of his pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. It was, as is every Obama speech, well crafted and superbly delivered. He spoke in Philadelphia, the birthplace of the Constitution, on that founding document’s fundamental theme: [...]
Posted in Massachusetts politics, Nelson Benton, Uncategorized on Mar 18th, 2008 View Comments
Those annual St. Patrick’s Day roasts can be dangerous affairs for Bay State politicians who, nevertheless, seem to relish the opportunity they provide to tell bad jokes and sing off key. For years legislative leaders used to poke fun at the taxpayers for allowing them to play fast and loose with their money. But they’ve [...]
Posted in Massachusetts politics, Taylor Armerding on Mar 14th, 2008 View Comments
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick’s surrogates are starting to sound like Capt. Renault in “Casablanca” who was “shocked, shocked to find gambling going on,” in a gambling room of Rick’s Cafe Americain – just as an employee handed him his winnings. The governor’s aides are professing shock and outrage to hear that poor, helpless, rank-and-file state [...]
Posted in Local politics, State issues, Taylor Armerding on Mar 13th, 2008 View Comments
Supposedly, there are systems in place to make sure that when state or local government provides a service, it hires the best contractor to do the job. You know, if they find one who can build roads and bridges that last twice as long as the average for the same price as everybody else, they [...]
For two decades the Federal Reserve worked magic, keeping the U.S. economy at a steady simmer — neither too hot nor too cold. The Fed worked its magic by tinkering with the money supply through techniques advanced by Paul Volcker and perfected by Alan Greenspan, both former Fed chairmen. If the economy was growing too [...]
Posted in Massachusetts politics, Nelson Benton on Mar 11th, 2008 View Comments
A vote on Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to license three resort casinos in Massachusetts could be taken by the House of Representatives early next month. A hearing on the proposal has been scheduled for March 18 at which there will be a full airing of the pros and cons of allowing casinos in the Bay [...]
Posted in Nelson Benton, Presidential race, Uncategorized on Mar 5th, 2008 View Comments
The Barack Obama camp is spinning like mad today trying to put a happy face on Tuesday’s disappointing results. Here’s the e-mail that went out to supporters this morning, courtesy of a reader in Peabody: We may not know the final outcome of today’s voting until morning, but the results so far make one thing [...]
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