CASINO GAMBLING AND SLOTS ARE FINALLY COMING TO MASSACHUSETTS... AGAIN. THE MEDIA IS ASLEEP AND APPEARS TO NOT TO BE FOCUSING....LEGISLATION IS ON THE MOVE.....WHAT SPECIAL INTEREST CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTOR AND WHAT HIGH PAID LOBBYIST WILL SEE HIS CLIENT SUCCESSFUL?
The issue of slots and casinos have been around for years and usually come to fruition in a bad economy. The issue is who, when, and where.
The media just has to follow the money. Which connected friend, former/present associate lobbyist campaign contributor comrade entity of the House or Senate leadership or Governor will win.
Time to state and follow the realities of who, what, and when will be the victor in this long battle of political and $$$$ influence that will once again see citizens and taxpayers being victims of special interests instead of common good wining.
That is the real news story
BIG DIG. GUILTY, ENABLERS AND HEROES
(Please note: The enclosed is a previously written column that is being reposted due to new deficient revelations, scandals, and coveups at the Dig Dig)
1977, began the history of the so called Massachusetts Ward Commission chaired and named after a former president of Amherst College who led a citizen panel outraged at the public construction contract scandal that occurred with the building of the infamous Boston Government Center. Their report two years later caused the halls of the Massachusetts Statehouse to loudly shake and so called reforms took place in Massachusetts state government including the advent of the office of Inspector General.
Those construction reforms seem to have failed and been forgotten and a reverse in integrity and ethics has once again surfaced in Massachusetts with school construction, highway, consultant, and vendor repeated scandals being revealed almost weekly. And finally the scandals of Boston’s Central Artery almost $20 billion dollar failure no longer is being able to be covered up by both State and Federal Managers and elected legislators from both parties. US Attorneys, Attorney Generals, Inspector Generals and their colleagues all now are acting piecemeal toothless and ineffective despite warnings for decades by whistleblowers, some journalists, citizens, and a minor cadre of courageous officials. The time has come for a new Ward Commission to clean up the current mess.
State and Federal Taxpayers once again must be exasperated and disgusted at the latest Boston’s Central Artery Project-Big Dig tragedy that is pushing the media. When enough is is enough? No more cover-ups are needed. Time for the truth to least not repeat all the mistakes of the past even now when so much state and federal dollars has been wasted, shoddy construction, and a death that should have been avoided. Billions of Dollars have been wasted in Boston.
Outrageous for Massachusetts Senators Kennedy and Kerry who are now calling for better highway tunnel inspections and so called “Value Engineering”! In addition, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick is hinting at doing a cash settlement of $1billion to forgive Bechtel Corporation and potentially others to remove criminal liability! The recent settlement by the Boston US Attorney to settle for $50 million and relieve civil and criminal liability for faulty loads of Big Dig Concrete at this late date of the almost completed 20 year project is another further despicable outrage.
This incompetent damage control cover-up after the fact by those who should have been the watchdogs is a further nadir of disgrace of public trust oversight again fostered on State and National Taxpayers.
Senators Kennedy and Kerry advocating for enhanced tunnel inspections and for “Value Engineering” is a moral and ethical outrage. Value engineering calls for an additional set of engineers and others to be called in evaluating as to quality, cost, and need for major construction projects.
When there were outcries for Big Dig Oversight by those good intentioned citizen and government advocates documented precisely in 1994 and years before by the Massacusetts Inspector general, the Massachusetts House Post Audit and Oversight Committee for Value Engineering and accountability both Senator Kennedy and Kerry were unheard and were part of the enablers that did nothing.
Additionally, I cannot recall at anytime either Kennedy or Kerry leading any charge for accountability or oversight of the project when citizen and government advocates were pleading for assistance for expenditure and construction sanity on the project. Senator Kerry even made the impression that all was well and monies were there joining the Big Dig Bechtel Public relations Specialists to mute outcries for accountability.
The bottom line is Democratic Governor Michael Dukakis and his Secretary of Transportation Fred Salvucci and then highway commissioner Jane Garvey were the forefathers and birth mother laying the foundation for the Big Dig scheme that brought the “no bid, cost plus and little oversight of “ Bechtel with the many other contractors and consultants. Their legacy was continued and enhanced to an art form by the succeeding Republican Governors of Massachusetts, Weld, Cellucci, Swift, and Romney along with their minions of Peter Nessen, Jim Kerasiotis, James Carlin, and Charlie Baker.
The Massachusetts Legislature at almost every inch of the way has shown a lack of oversight and accountability fostered and responsible by the former long term Chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation Robert Havern and Steven Karol. State Senator Mark Pacheco who heads the Senate Post Audit and Oversight Committee is now making pronunciations on the Big Dig! His so called landmark contract legislation of accountability and oversight called the Pacheco Bill of a decade and a half ago specifically exempts engineering and design from proper fiscal analysis that allowed the Big Dig calamity. Pacheco’s exemption paved the way with impunity for the failures of Bechtel and others to ply their runaway costs.
Boston CBS 4 reporter Jon Keller stated recently on a station’s talk show when asked why all the failures of the original $2.3 Billion contract now reaching $18-$20 Billion project was not reported by the media. Keller the former Boston Globe Editorial writer and columnist stated that both Editorial Boards of the Boston Newspapers (Globe and Boston Herald) were in the “tank”. He even outed a former Globe colleague David Warsh as a long time enabler. There are so many other names of journalists and media types that participated or turned a blind eye.
Next, we had the revolving door of Massachusetts State Attorney Generals L. Scxott Harshbarger and Tom Reilly. Massachusetts also had Democrat and Republican US Attorneys of Wayne Budd, Donald Stern, and Michael Sullivan who served Democratic and Republican Presidents as well as Congresses adding to the record of little or no pleas for oversight. Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone formerly top criminal prosecutor for the state Attorney General who went on to work for the US Attorney has a record of toothless probes on the Big Dig during his tenures.
The Federal Highway Administration and Federal Offices of Inspector General along with the politically appointed non career managers of the Massachusetts State Highway Department and toll road Turnpike Authority required little or no accountability of Federal, State tax dollars, and Toll Fees. Their inactions insured shoddy workmanship and cost escalations despite outcries from construction workers and government engineers. This resulted in diversion of needed State and Federal Tax dollars from other Massachusetts roads and bridges resulting in their serious current disrepair status.
I suggest those seeking the truth on the Big Dig look at the State House Post Audit and Oversight Committee and past reports on the Big Dig under former chairs Cerasoli, Thomas Kennedy, and especially the era of William Nagle and staff director Thomas Hammond to determine the facts against what Kennedy, Kerry and others after decades are trying to do to appear as crusaders. That legislative committee of integrity was the sole sanctuary to bring financial sanity and oversight to the project despite the Big Dig juggernaut of attacks. Their efforts were stopped when Representative James Fagan became chair and the departure of then crusading Staff Director Thomas Hammond.
Additionally, talk to the real heroes of good government that sounded the alarms who were dismissed, demeaned, intimidated, or called “gadflys” by the Big Dig propaganda machine. They include reporters Peter Howe, Tim Sandler,Wendell Woodman, John Coughlin, Charles Sennott,Joe Bergantino Ron Gallobin, Jon Wells, David Kassel, John Vanscoyoc, John Strahinch, and Joe Bergantino to name a few to the list. Also, note people such as legislators, the late Fran Doris, Marie Parente, Bill Constantino, Tom Norton, William Keating, Christy Mihos, Richard Moore, Warren Tolman, and Vincent Mannering. Even Speaker Dimasi when a rank and file legislator and Emmanuel Serra were also dismissed. Special mention should go to the late Jerry Williams, Fred Langone, Chris Ianella, Joe Baresi, Steve Cotton, Joe Dinucci as well as Howie Carr, Larry Overlan, K. Dunn Gifford, Auditor DeNucci, and Scott Amey of the Washington based whistleblower group Project on Government Oversight for all their time and efforts that went unheeded by the late US Senator Kennedy, John Kerry and others.
The Kerry and Kennedy attempts at revisionism and attempting to act like whistleblowers in seeking Highway Tunnel Inspections and so called “ Value engineering” is short of nothing too late. Both senators at this stage of their careers have the distinction of promoting with no oversight the largest and most costly flawed government construction project ever undertaken in the United States. Their continued repetitive actions of coverup is ensuring Boston’s Big Dig to be the largest international construction monument for waste, fraud, and abuse. Massachusetts new Governor Deval Patrick should not let all the enablers and the Big Dig guilty get Pardons and Freedoms for so called minor “Chump Change” that will allow again State and Federal Taxpayers and the infinity Toll Road Toll Payers to continue and be victimized.
Massachuestts needs a new WARD Commission to get needed reforms and be the model for the federal government to follow.
STANDARD & POORS, MOODY, FITCH AND OTHERS--DO NOT TRUST THE BOND RATING COMAPANIES.....THEY DID NOT WARN US ABOUT WALL STREET BANKERS,AIG, LEHMAN BROTHERS, BEAR STEARNS, FREEDIC MAC, FANNIE MAE, AND BERNIE MADOFF.
This is part of the United States Debt Crisis no one is discussing. There is sleaze which must be stated in the strongest terms and strongest language including unacceptable profanity. The real scoundrels are the so called Bonding agencies Moody, Fitch, and Standard & Poors, and many others who failed previously.
I lost all respect for all Bonding Agencies in 1989 when Massachusetts was dealing with a state budget crisis. State Representative Jack Flood, D-Canton, then chair of the Legislative Joint Committee on Taxation exposed the Bonding Agencies. Flood stated that Massachusetts was doing fine according to the Bonding Agencies while Governor Michael S. Dukakis was a candidate for the Office of President of the United States in 1988. Shortly after he was defeated the same bonding agencies announced the state was in a calamity. Those words and statement by the often times combative Flood laid the ground work for some of us who advocate accountability and oversight to step back and look at the process with mistrust unless duly verified all so called ratings by bonding Companies.
Next,we moved to the last days of the George W. Bush Administration years later circa 2008 and the Bank Bailout that then Senator Barack Obama went along to get along with the Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives. These Bonding Companies did not warn anyone of all the phony numbers being reported in the greedy Financial Industry Campaign Contributors often misleading the Accountants, Auditors, and Government Agency overseers who relied on their so called rating numbers and misleading statements…..And then there was the Crown Jewel Symbol of this greed Bernie Madoff along with team members for all that was wrong AIG, Bear Stearns, and the rest of the Wall Street Greed Merchants.
Now we look at the Presidency and Congress who are all choked up because we have a so called crisis of losing a so called United States Government Bond Rating AAA from these so called Bond Rating Agencies? Please stop fooling and scaring the citizens and taxpayers the elderly, those in need, our veterans, honest businesses, and industries, and the so called foreign creditors. Past and present Republican and Democratic Presidents and Congress, you men and women caused this calamity, FIX IT ONCE AND FOR THE FUTURE.
As for all the illustrious Bonding Companies-DECONTAMINATE YOUR POLICES AND PROCEDURES WITH A GOOD MOUTHWASH BEFORE YOU SPEAK ALONG WITH A SANITIZED PEN WITH PROPER ETHICS WHEN YOU GIVE A RATING…….. THE TIME HAS COME FOR STANDARD AND POOR, MOODY, FITCH, AND THE OTHER RATING AGENCIES TO DEVELOP A NEW STRONG CODE OF ETHICS TO LEAD….. SO THE AMERICAN CITIZEN CAN TRUST YOU AND NOT LOATHE …THE CITIZENS MUST BEGIN TO TRUST YOUR FINDINGS AND YOUR JUDGEMMENTS...THE PEOPLE ON MAIN STREET DESERVE BETTER FOR ONCE AND NOT WALL STREET.
This is part of the United States Debt Crisis no one is discussing. There is sleaze which must be stated in the strongest terms and strongest language including unacceptable profanity. The real scoundrels are the so called Bonding agencies Moody, Fitch, and Standard & Poors, and many others who failed previously.
I lost all respect for all Bonding Agencies in 1989 when Massachusetts was dealing with a state budget crisis. State Representative Jack Flood, D-Canton, then chair of the Legislative Joint Committee on Taxation exposed the Bonding Agencies. Flood stated that Massachusetts was doing fine according to the Bonding Agencies while Governor Michael S. Dukakis was a candidate for the Office of President of the United States in 1988. Shortly after he was defeated the same bonding agencies announced the state was in a calamity. Those words and statement by the often times combative Flood laid the ground work for some of us who advocate accountability and oversight to step back and look at the process with mistrust unless duly verified all so called ratings by bonding Companies.
Next,we moved to the last days of the George W. Bush Administration years later circa 2008 and the Bank Bailout that then Senator Barack Obama went along to get along with the Republican and Democratic Senators and Representatives. These Bonding Companies did not warn anyone of all the phony numbers being reported in the greedy Financial Industry Campaign Contributors often misleading the Accountants, Auditors, and Government Agency overseers who relied on their so called rating numbers and misleading statements…..And then there was the Crown Jewel Symbol of this greed Bernie Madoff along with team members for all that was wrong AIG, Bear Stearns, and the rest of the Wall Street Greed Merchants.
Now we look at the Presidency and Congress who are all choked up because we have a so called crisis of losing a so called United States Government Bond Rating AAA from these so called Bond Rating Agencies? Please stop fooling and scaring the citizens and taxpayers the elderly, those in need, our veterans, honest businesses, and industries, and the so called foreign creditors. Past and present Republican and Democratic Presidents and Congress, you men and women caused this calamity, FIX IT ONCE AND FOR THE FUTURE.
As for all the illustrious Bonding Companies-DECONTAMINATE YOUR POLICES AND PROCEDURES WITH A GOOD MOUTHWASH BEFORE YOU SPEAK ALONG WITH A SANITIZED PEN WITH PROPER ETHICS WHEN YOU GIVE A RATING…….. THE TIME HAS COME FOR STANDARD AND POOR, MOODY, FITCH, AND THE OTHER RATING AGENCIES TO DEVELOP A NEW STRONG CODE OF ETHICS TO LEAD….. SO THE AMERICAN CITIZEN CAN TRUST YOU AND NOT LOATHE …THE CITIZENS MUST BEGIN TO TRUST YOUR FINDINGS AND YOUR JUDGEMMENTS...THE PEOPLE ON MAIN STREET DESERVE BETTER FOR ONCE AND NOT WALL STREET.
BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL PAGE ALLOWS FORMER US ATTORNEY DONALD K. STERN NOW IN PRIVATE FOR RENT PRACTICE A GUEST EDITORIAL ABOUT James "Whitey" Bulger WHO HE FAILED TO PROSECUTE DURING HIS TENURE....
Disgusting for the Boston Globe to allow the former US Attorney Donald K. Stern to do a commercial advertisement masqueraded as a guest editorial called lessons from Whitey(James "Whitey" Bulger former fugitive for 16 years he could not prosecute during his long tenure on its editorial page. Stern is now a for rent lawyer whoever wants to pay for his billable minutes.
Stern was a do nothing, saw nothing, and did nothing during his tenure with his hired political appointee underlings. We can start with the BIG DIG, Whitey, Banks, Wall Street Boston. Insurance Companies, and Harry Markopolos(Bernie Madoff)....
Look at his non existent record of no accomplishments on corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse.
Disgusting for the Boston Globe to allow the former US Attorney Donald K. Stern to do a commercial advertisement masqueraded as a guest editorial called lessons from Whitey(James "Whitey" Bulger former fugitive for 16 years he could not prosecute during his long tenure on its editorial page. Stern is now a for rent lawyer whoever wants to pay for his billable minutes.
Stern was a do nothing, saw nothing, and did nothing during his tenure with his hired political appointee underlings. We can start with the BIG DIG, Whitey, Banks, Wall Street Boston. Insurance Companies, and Harry Markopolos(Bernie Madoff)....
Look at his non existent record of no accomplishments on corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse.
Hopefully, Elizabeth Warren is for real. However, the doubt that we should look at is why did she not stand stronger against the Special Interests other than talk, allowed her positions to be dismissed, and even was dissed by the Obama administration who stood so far behind her we did not know she was there.
My other concern about her, she never assisted those involved in accountability and oversight in Massachusetts of Business, Labor, and Government. Does she have the stamina to campaign and stand up for the citizens after being elected or go along to get along in the Democratic Party?
Those who once looked up to Eliot Spitzer and Richard Blumenthal the former Connecticut Attorney General and n so called Citizen Advocates can ill afford another DUD.
MASSACHUSETTS GAS TAX FRAUD IS BACK---Lieutenant Governor Murray of Massachusetts wants to increase the state gas tax to allegedly fix the crumbling roads and bridges.....game is on to fool the taxpayers again.....the last gas tax increase did not do what was promised and now the Governor and his staff want more.....NO at $4.00 a gallon already for gas...FOOLISH AND UN CREDITABLE.
I am most disappointed in any support of a Gas Tax Increase without stating the facts and history of how previous ones were spent. At least look at the issue in total and present all the facts and history of where the gas tax increases went before demanding any gas tax or allowing any toll increases.
The former chair of the House Transportation Committee Representative Steven J. Karol stated in a contentious debate on the House Floor in May 1990 that no Turnpike funds would be used to pay for the Big Dig. This took place to approve legislation many were involved that already passed the Senate which would have provided oversight and accountability of the Big Dig project. The Special Interests defeated the measure.
When the last gas tax increase was approved in 1991, we were told that was adequate to fix the deteriorating roads and bridges that upon review did not. Look at was done and not fixed. Look at Federal Funds pouring into Massachusetts that could have been used to repair Massachusetts Interstate and Primary Roads and Bridges and were not.
The recent sad revelation revealed that Parsons Brinkerhoff part of the Big Dig engineering, design, and private oversight of the construction team that ran the Big Dig project from the original $2.3 billion to $23 Billion+ that is now to be awarded the lead design manager for the $370 million Massport project. Government leaders should be asked the if this is right for the inefficiency, waste, mismanagement, fraud, and abuse of the Big Dig. under their watch? This is a moral and financial outrage. The Big Dig is the world’s largest construction project and is a monument for private sector greed and ravage of taxpayers by state and national government. Gas Taxes, Turnpike and Tunnel Tolls expansions should be taken off the table and not even be considered upfront.
Gas Taxes, Turnpike and Tunnel Tolls expansions should be taken off the table and not even be considered.
The time has come for Massachusetts to establish a new WARD Type Commission such as established during the Boston Government Scandal that forced the legislature to implement many government contracting reforms that seem to have eroded in recent years.
Government and the media should inform the Citizens and Taxpayers where previous gas tax increases that were previously promised to fix and repair all the dysfunctional roads and bridges. The guilty and enablers who got Massachusetts into this mess must be exposed and held accountable first. The failure to prosecute in criminal and Civil Courts the truly guilty for mthe Big Dig mess is deplorable and an insult to all Massachusetts citizens and ther pocketbook.
To do any increases to the taxpayer without insuring again independent proper government oversight and accountability that is truly independent and staffed to stand up to bad construction practices and the many special interests of contractors, bankers, bonding companies, insurers, consultants, out of touch labor bosses, and campaign contributions that will take Massachusetts citizens for a ride again is wrong and will lead to a further disaster to Taxpayers.
I respect the position of Lieutenant Governor but not the increase the gas tax positiion of the current Lieutenant Governor Murray. ..
Raising the Gas Tax with $4.00 a gallon gasoline is not a good state policy.
I am most disappointed in any support of a Gas Tax Increase without stating the facts and history of how previous ones were spent. At least look at the issue in total and present all the facts and history of where the gas tax increases went before demanding any gas tax or allowing any toll increases.
The former chair of the House Transportation Committee Representative Steven J. Karol stated in a contentious debate on the House Floor in May 1990 that no Turnpike funds would be used to pay for the Big Dig. This took place to approve legislation many were involved that already passed the Senate which would have provided oversight and accountability of the Big Dig project. The Special Interests defeated the measure.
When the last gas tax increase was approved in 1991, we were told that was adequate to fix the deteriorating roads and bridges that upon review did not. Look at was done and not fixed. Look at Federal Funds pouring into Massachusetts that could have been used to repair Massachusetts Interstate and Primary Roads and Bridges and were not.
The recent sad revelation revealed that Parsons Brinkerhoff part of the Big Dig engineering, design, and private oversight of the construction team that ran the Big Dig project from the original $2.3 billion to $23 Billion+ that is now to be awarded the lead design manager for the $370 million Massport project. Government leaders should be asked the if this is right for the inefficiency, waste, mismanagement, fraud, and abuse of the Big Dig. under their watch? This is a moral and financial outrage. The Big Dig is the world’s largest construction project and is a monument for private sector greed and ravage of taxpayers by state and national government. Gas Taxes, Turnpike and Tunnel Tolls expansions should be taken off the table and not even be considered upfront.
Gas Taxes, Turnpike and Tunnel Tolls expansions should be taken off the table and not even be considered.
The time has come for Massachusetts to establish a new WARD Type Commission such as established during the Boston Government Scandal that forced the legislature to implement many government contracting reforms that seem to have eroded in recent years.
Government and the media should inform the Citizens and Taxpayers where previous gas tax increases that were previously promised to fix and repair all the dysfunctional roads and bridges. The guilty and enablers who got Massachusetts into this mess must be exposed and held accountable first. The failure to prosecute in criminal and Civil Courts the truly guilty for mthe Big Dig mess is deplorable and an insult to all Massachusetts citizens and ther pocketbook.
To do any increases to the taxpayer without insuring again independent proper government oversight and accountability that is truly independent and staffed to stand up to bad construction practices and the many special interests of contractors, bankers, bonding companies, insurers, consultants, out of touch labor bosses, and campaign contributions that will take Massachusetts citizens for a ride again is wrong and will lead to a further disaster to Taxpayers.
I respect the position of Lieutenant Governor but not the increase the gas tax positiion of the current Lieutenant Governor Murray. ..
Raising the Gas Tax with $4.00 a gallon gasoline is not a good state policy.
Massachusetts State Senate Terese Murray indeed maybe born again and is trying to show sincerity in the War for Government Accountability .....We hope so and time will tell.....We applaud her new efforts if carried out as she appears to taking strong reform positions.....
Senate President Murray called last week to advance Performance Based Budgeting that could do away with maintenance budgeting that will lead to 0 based budgeting. This would start budgeting from the bottom up instead top down leading to focus on needs or accomplishments instead of the current failed system of just looking at what the budget was last year and add to it.
Needs, successes, and failures of Agency Expenditures could be properly evaluated to insure missions are completed and transparency to the legislature and taxpayers is assured. Inefficiencies, waste, and mismanagement of tax dollars could be readily identified and targeted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)