David Nunes - The Casino Man!

The first casualty of addiction, like that of war, is the truth. One traveling salesman, among many, tells the tale of what we can expect over the coming weeks as special interests try to push bad gaming legislation through the Massachusetts State House.

At first it seemed that David Nunes, the self-styled multi-millionaire operating from a post office box in Aspen Co., was simply another carpet bagging developer who came strolling through the state some 12 years ago with his Harold Hill “Music Man” scam of promises to make millions of dollars for any and all who bought his shtick. Of course to anyone wary of swampland real estate salesmen it was clear he wasn’t selling facts. His blustering zeal with which he made his claims suggest he was even lying to himself.

That was then, this is now.

Today’s read in the Boston Globe confirms what many in the Commonwealth have long suspected: David H. Nunes a full-blown addict in search of casino gold incapable of telling the truth not only to himself, but most important to the taxpayers of Massachusetts.

“If this is a straight-up competition about which location will produce the highest returns for the Commonwealth, there is no doubt in my mind that our site will deliver’’.

Well David Nunes’ mind is a fantastical place to which he should sell time shares to other Don Quixote windmill tippers. Follow him at your own risk. Nunes is emblematic of the special interests seeking to manipulate the legislative process for personal gains that do nothing for the Commonwealth’s financial interests, job growth or local community support. They’ll say anything to excite their audience – in this case our state legislature – into a frenzy to act without full deliberation or thought.

This is Nunes today floating his “boon for the economy” trial balloon responding to the smoke filled backroom agreement the legislature reached with no public input yesterday on a proposal to bring casino gambling to the state.

If Massachusetts got a dime for every time David Nunes, Cedric Cromwell or the other casino king wannabees, who bent the truth for their own selfish purposes, nobody would be talking about casinos or gambling. Nunes’ gaffes alone would balance the budget. Nunes may not have the billions (or millions) to back up his bluster like the Asian gaming syndicate hiding behind the Wampanoag, but he certainly sells a good story.

The fact is there is nothing straight up about any of the competition Nunes or the Mashpee Wampanoag and Genting cabal wants, because they want no competition at all.

As has been reported here, Nunes claims he is prepared to spend millions to game the system with non–competitive bids and special preferences. The slot industry and Indian gaming groups already have spent their millions – which have paid off in round one with the Governor and Therese Murray’s special-interest laden bill being pushed down the throats of our elected representatives as a done deal.

And if that doesn’t work, well we can count on Nunes to keep threatening to delay, derail and otherwise obfuscate this process until somebody (probably Genting) pays him to go away. Who can forget his brazen threats from earlier this month about launching his statewide initiative? About 50 cards short of a full deck, it’s a one of a kind, openly rigged process that bars competition and ensures he cleans up on his way out of town. “If I’m going to spend the money for the initiative, I’m not going to do it so somebody else can win.”

Spoken like a true addict who has never met the truth. The lobbyists got money in the Governor’s bill to help protect racehorses, perhaps they should put in a few bucks for addiction recovery services as well.

But it gets worse.

Do a little digging and you’ll find more proof of a deluded addict who will do anything to earn a buck?

An acquaintance claims Nunes’ business skills consist of talking his way into high-powered firms only to be fired a short time later. Easy money.

Then there is there is the old “bait and switch” approach – or more appropriately in Nunes’ case “bait and tackle”.

Among the many companies Nunes owns there is Ajax Gaming Ventures. It sounds an awful lot like the Trump owned business of the same name, with one key difference:

David Nunes’ Ajax Ventures shares its street address with a bait and tackle store….and/or it used too. Ajax Ventures. A powerhouse -- run out of a Post Office Box? Kinda like Cedric Cromwell’s “powerhouse” and “crush the competition” position of being in default on his home mortgage before his cash savior Genting bailed him out.

So who can believe David Nunes when he talks about what’s good for the Commonwealth. Cedric Cromwell claiming his 12,000 year ancestral right to open a casino? How is it our state legislature is being held hostage to the self-interests’ of snake oil salesmen like these? Well, to steal a phrase from H.L. Mencken, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of Massachusetts politicians.”