3.27.2009

where have all the flowers gone?

I was just thinking about the love affair Massachusetts voters had with Deval Patrick when he was running for Governor, so I thought I'd check out press from his Inauguration Day. Here's how the Boston Globe led off the article:

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Patrick vows inclusion in inaugural address

Deval Patrick took the oath of office yesterday as the state's 71st governor, and the first African-American, presenting himself as a symbol of optimism and change who will restore faith in government after 16 years of Republican rule.

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And, from Patrick's speech:

"For a very long time now, we have been told that government is bad, that it exists only to serve the powerful and well-connected, that its job is not important enough to be done by anyone competent, let alone committed, and that all of us are on our own," he said. "Today, we join together in common cause to lay that fallacy to rest, and to extend a great movement based on shared responsibility from the corner office to the corner of your block and back again."

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Sigh. I know I won't hit it all, but what have we gotten in the past couple of years? First there was the Cadillac/helicopter/drapes scandal. His wife's $72,000 "personal assistant" who also happened to be a campaign supporter. The BFD is being investigated by the FBI for disability fraud. Sen. Dianne Wilkerson is caught on tape taking a bribe and stuffing it into her bra. Sen. James Marzilli is charged with groping women in Lowell. Patrick appoints Sen. Marian Walsh to a post vacant for 12 years with a salary of $175,000 (oh, she's accepted $120,000 to quell public fury.) Toll takers are caught robbing the Commonwealth in various ways. The Aloisi siblings. Hacks collecting pensions and working second taxpayer-funded lip service jobs. $23,000 raises for County Sheriff in counties where pretty much nothing ever happens (one of which doesn't even have any prisoners.) Discgraced councilman Chuck Turner, also caught taking bribes. That dude from the Somerville - Register of Probate? something like that - who was caught on tape stealing money from the copy machines. The list just goes on and on and on.

Has there been any good progress? I'm sure there has. I just don't know what it is. I'm sure I'll think of something. Maybe the police details thing? But the police are still at every detail I've seen in my hometown. And my property value has plummeted but - ha! - I'm still paying the same real estate taxes on the property!


2 comments:

Nightmote said...

Remember when Massachusetts politics was described as a contact sport? I guess it still is - them pigs can get mighty pushy 'round the trough.

I'll believe in Massachusetts political reform when:

1. The Turnpike Authority is disbanded and the tolls removed.
2. Enough republicans take office that a veto can be sustained.
3. The gerrymandering of districts is eliminated.
4. There's a budget crisis and they cut administrators before they cut sports, art, music, police, fire, and street lighting.

Leigh said...

I agree with all of these; number 1 is a given, and number 4 makes me laugh because I hardly see it ever happening. Of course, I don't see any of them really happening, but cut an administrator's job? Yeah. Right.