Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Massachusetts State Senators & Casino Lobbyists Campaign Contributions

Is it time to ask the Members of the Massachusetts State Senate if they’ll vote for the Therese Murray and Deval Patrick plan to ‘carve out’ portions of the Commonwealth for Indian gaming interests in favor of higher tax revenues for the state, fair competition for local businesses and retained local autonomy?

Deval Patrick and Therese Murray have been holding closed door meetings where lobbyists like Bill Delahunt and Smith Rudduck & Hayes can get their client’s special interests codified into Massachusetts casino gaming legislation at the expense of much needed, near-term revenues for the state and jobs for our local communities.

Will they vote for their personal and campaign pocket books or the pocket books of the people of Massachusetts?  Casino lobbyists recently gave $280,000 to members of the Massachusetts State Senate.   Here are our senators ranked by their recent campaign contributions from casino lobbyists. 

Call or e-mail them today!

Senator’s Name
Casino
Lobbyist
Contributions
Phone
(617)
Email Address
(Therese Murray)
$25,772
722-1500
(Steven A. Tolman)
$13,849
722-1280
(Barry R. Finegold)
$12,550
722-1612
(Benjamin B. Downing)
$12,475
722-1625
(Michael O. Moore)
$12,400
722-1485
(Frederick E. Berry)
$12,000
722-1410
(Anthony Petruccelli)
$11,100
722-1634
(Michael J. Rodrigues)
$10,999
722-1114
(Jennifer L. Flanagan)
$10,375
722-1230
(Jack Hart)
$10,299
722-1150
(Karen Spilka)
$9,600
722-1640
(James E. Timilty)
$9,525
722-1222
(Stephen M. Brewer)
$9,150
722-1540
(Richard T. Moore)
$8,805
722-1420
(Katherine Clark)
$8,375
722-1206
(John F. Keenan)
$7,600
722-1494
(Harriette L. Chandler)
$7,549
722-1544
(Stanley C. Rosenberg)
$7,525
722-1532
(Steven A. Baddour)
$7,450
722-1604
(Thomas P. Kennedy)
$7,301
722-1200
(Thomas M. McGee)
$6,524
722-1350
(Michael F. Rush)
$5,925
722-1348
(James T. Welch)
$5,875
722-1660
(Kenneth J. Donnelly)
$5,625
722-1432
(Sal N. DiDomenico)
$5,075
722-1650
(Brian A. Joyce)
$4,774
722-1643
(Michael R. Knapik)
$4,575
722-1415
(Marc R. Pacheco)
$4,540
722-1551
(James B. Eldridge)
$4,372
722-1120
(Gale D. Candaras)
$4,110
722-1291
(Eileen Donoghue)
$3,825
722-1630
(Bruce E. Tarr)
$2,000
722-1600
(Sonia Chang-Diaz)
$1,600
722-1673
(Robert L. Hedlund)
$1,100
722-1646
(Susan C. Fargo)
$1,050
722-1572
(Daniel A. Wolf)
$700
722-1570
(Cynthia Stone Creem)
$650
722-1639
(Patricia D. Jehlen)
$650
722-1578
(Mark C. Montigny)
$600
722-1440
(Richard J. Ross)
$0
722-1555

3 comments:

  1. In 2010, I attended the sham Senate 'debate' on the grossly flawed 'casino' [slot barn] legislation.

    The Senate voting record is here:
    http://uss-mass.org/voting_record_senate.html

    One of the highlights of the folly was listening to Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz who spoke eloquently about her constituents who would suffer the consequences of Predatory Gambling. She was articulate, knowledgeable and her comments were well-researched.

    Senator Fargo, Senator Creem, Senator Brewer, Senator Hedlund, Senator Montigny and Senator Eldridge have also spoken out against the catastrophic costs and impacts of Slot Barns.

    [Senator Tucker's comments were impressive and it's a sad loss that she has left the service of her constituents. Senator Tucker's presence and words were gems, her rhetoric a gift, her research on this issue a treasure. Although I understand her decision, she is missed.]

    Campaign contributions don't always buy votes.

    As you know, my State Senator is Senator Pacheco who consumed too much KoolAid years ago and his position is set in stone.

    Of greater concern to us all are the comments offered by former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger about the failure of Beacon Hill to prepare a regulatory framework and much else. And they don't even know how much the regulatory framework will cost! $5 million? $50 million? They simply don't know.

    If you liked the Big Dig, you'll love 'Casino' Gambling!
    Mr. Harshbarger's report is included here:
    http://uss-mass.org/resources.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. Correct, not all contributions equal votes; however, the volume of contributions by these lobbyists to elected officials that many of them barely know (as evidenced by the significant number of mis-spellings of names on the checks) suggests these folks are trying to buy something. That something is carve outs for special gaming interests - be they the slot machine makers or financial backers behind Indian groups seeking tax-exempt gaming profits.

    ReplyDelete
  3. where are you getting the above $$$ amounts from?

    ReplyDelete