Showdown at Beacon Hill Gulch
Leave it to Sal DiMasi's former spokesman to succinctly encapsulate the looming battle over ethics on Beacon Hill.
Patrick's threat is aimed at the Senate version of "reform" which would gut the Ethics Commission and close a fund-raising loophole exploited by the governor. It would do away with a Patrick call to limit gifts to lawmakers, a loophole that enabled Dianne Wilkerson -- right into federal indictments.
Why? Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry declared the Ethics Commission has been "overzealous" in enforcing Chapter 268A, a contention many who don't earn a paycheck on Beacon Hill would consider ludicrous on its face.
The governor has been raising his profile lately -- an appearance at Greater Boston with Emily Rooney, inviting Statehouse reporters into his office for a Friday afternoon availability timed to give lawmakers no time to respond.
And while Patrick demurred, as he did on Greater Boston that it's "not my way or the highway," he is certainly asserting to lawmakers that they at least need to consider his way. And that he is prepared keep his left up while he jabs with his right.
Globe sez @MassGovernor will veto ethics bill if it "guts" ethics comm. May play great w/public but Gov better keep left up with LegislatureYep. A move the public would widely hail as the type of reform they are looking for would generate scorched earth warfare among politicians allegedly elected to do the public's bidding.
Patrick's threat is aimed at the Senate version of "reform" which would gut the Ethics Commission and close a fund-raising loophole exploited by the governor. It would do away with a Patrick call to limit gifts to lawmakers, a loophole that enabled Dianne Wilkerson -- right into federal indictments.
Why? Senate Majority Leader Fred Berry declared the Ethics Commission has been "overzealous" in enforcing Chapter 268A, a contention many who don't earn a paycheck on Beacon Hill would consider ludicrous on its face.
The governor has been raising his profile lately -- an appearance at Greater Boston with Emily Rooney, inviting Statehouse reporters into his office for a Friday afternoon availability timed to give lawmakers no time to respond.
And while Patrick demurred, as he did on Greater Boston that it's "not my way or the highway," he is certainly asserting to lawmakers that they at least need to consider his way. And that he is prepared keep his left up while he jabs with his right.
Labels: Deval Patrick, ethics, Massachusetts Legislature
posted by Outraged Liberal | 8:32 AM
2 Comments:
is it time to bring back your idea of a dithering tax supplemented by a pointing fingers tax?
You may be on to something. But I don't think we have the votes :-)
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