Why are we reading about this in the Wall Street Journal
Posted: March 5, 2012 Filed under: news, newspapers | Tags: boston globe, boston herald, deval patrick, Massachusetts, wall street journal, worcester telegram, wsj Comments Off
In Massachusetts Takes Aim at Red Tape, the WSJ tells us about Gov. Deval Patrick’s plan to simplify the ways in which businesses do business. Under the cleanup project, announced to state workers on Friday, the state will eliminate 150 admittedly silly regulations that get in the way. Review of another 800 regulations is continuing. For example, if the owner of a hair salon wants to transfer ownership to an employee , the salon would have to close while the transfer paperwork was being processed. It’s a good story about the state and the governor.
There is no story about this project in the Worcester Telegram, Boston Globe, or Boston Herald. But, Saturday’s Telegram had two (1,2)stories about Cee Lo Green set up shop in Las Vegas.
About the political friends of Tim Murray and Deval Patrick
Posted: February 12, 2012 Filed under: politics | Tags: deval patrick, Massachusetts, politics, tim murray, worcester 1 Comment »It’s pretty rare for the Globe editorial team to deliver such a devastating takedown of a Democrat. In Lt. Gov. Tim Murray’s patronage politics show deeper problem in Mass., the Globe not only slams Murray, but also reminds us that Gov. Deval Patrick’s continued support of Murray is bad for government in general.
Tim Murray earned this long before his early morning car crash. His aspirations to make it outside of Worcester brought him to people who, legally or ethically, should never be near a political campaign.
The Globe editorial concludes:
Tim Murray has shown, through his relationship with McLaughlin, that he lacks the judgment and character to make these decisions. And Patrick, who controls all the levers of the executive branch, still sees fit to keep Murray as his personal liaison to municipal government.
Long-time students of Massachusetts politics and government shouldn’t be surprised by any of this. All the same, we had hoped that we were better than this.
When good people let us down
Posted: December 2, 2011 Filed under: politics | Tags: barney frank, hubris, intelligence, Massachusetts, politics Comments OffOn this evening’s PBS News Hour, Jim Lehrer asked David Brooks and Mark Shields for their comments about Barney Frank’s decision not to seek re-election. Both praised Frank’s formidable intellectual and verbal skills as well as highlighting his ability to get stuff done in Congress.
About Frank’s impatience with stupid questions there is little disagreement. That’s fine and often funny. Brooks went on, however, to characterize Frank as a bully.
You know, you go to Capitol Hill, and we see — just on the show today — there are these scrums, where these reporters surround the politicians. And most of them are like us, who are sort of middle-aged guys, and we can take it. But there’s always a bunch of young people who are just learning the trade. And they’re nervous.
And I just saw Barney Frank as cruel to them on a couple of occasions, needlessly cruel. And I’m sure he did a lot of good things, but that needless cruelty always put me off. And that’s the lingering memory I have.
I have no direct experience with Barney’s behavior. Sandra and I saw him in downtown Boston one time years ago. My impressions of him are based on what I’ve read, heard, and seen in the media. Reflecting on those stories and the reports from people who have met and worked with him, Brooks’s comments are credible.
There are always times when it’s necessary to speak truth to power. There are always times to afflict the comfortable. Mike Benedetti and I spent a good bit of time talking about those themes last night. #Occupy has carried hard messages but has done so with self-deprecating humor.
Barney used to do that, too. A campaign ad in the 70s clearly showed that he understood that his sartorial abilities rarely reached a passing grade.
When campaigning, Barney could be funny and smart, but also charming. That happened when he needed something – a vote or a favorable press piece.
In his non-reelection announcement, he said, “I don’t have to pretend to be nice to people I don’t like.” His political insights were sharp enough to know that he couldn’t be successful if he was his natural self. By dialing it back, he could champion the liberal causes and get a lot of good stuff done.
His true perspective, though, seems to be that, for whatever reasons and for whatever purposes, he knew that he was smarter than the rest of us and that he didn’t respect us for that.
Damn.
Say it ain’t so, Barney.