Would it be hyperbolic to say that the Olympic debate was underwhelming?
Hyperbole was the word of the evening at the Olympic debate. And, yes, it would be slightly hyperbolic to completely dismiss the debate, because the muddled, chaotic verbal joust had to create an impression for the average viewer trying to figure out what was being said and why he or she should care. The reaction would reasonably be, "Wow, this is confusing." Unfortunately, the debaters didn't spend enough time on the big picture, with a very unhelpful first question on insurance and the intrigue of Bid 1.0's redacted sections. Two minutes in, and they already were in the weeds. It never really recovered from there.
Dan Doctoroff, debate partner with Steve Pagliuca and the man who spearheaded the failed New York City bid, emerged as a fascinating Olympics character, at once smooth and condescending, projecting utter confidence. The academic, Andrew Zimbalist, often struggled to get a word in edgewise, and seemed to be either writing notes or making calculations or both. But No Boston Olympics' Chris Dempsey hit most of the major anti-Olympics themes. I would call it a draw, not a good thing for Boston 2024, which needs to change many hearts and minds to improve its standings in the polls.
As a spectacle, it was good entertainment and fun to follow on Twitter. The Globe's Dan Shaughnessyhas this take, http://bit.ly/1LzE7Bi concluding: "Putting Doctoroff on this panel was just the latest in a long line of blunders by the hapless folks from Boston 2024."
CommonWealth's Bruce Mohl provides five clean takeaways from the debate, but like many, didn't think the event lived up to its potential. "[The debaters] tossed numbers around indiscriminately, they got sidetracked on seemingly inconsequential issues, and they ended up all too often talking over each other so no one could be heard." http://bit.ly/1fruZka
The GOP's Central Mass. stronghold
Worcester County has become the state's strongest Republican enclave, Frank Phillips writes in the Globe, a base from which the GOP hopes to build an even stronger presence. Republicans now hold 10 House seats from the region, up from five in 1990, and the region helped boost Gov. Charlie Baker's candidacy when he tapped Shrewsbury's Karyn Polito as his Lt. Gov. Republicans are now backing an Independent but "tea-party leaning" candidate for mayor of Worcester, Michael T. Gaffney. "That is where the farm team is the strongest,'' state Republican Party Chair Kristen Hughes tells Phillips. "We think it can be our launching pad for candidates for statewide office." http://bit.ly/1DAWRIG
Public records: Should the governor's office be exempt?
CommonWealth contributor Colman M. Herman explores the efforts to reform the public records access, and has a theory why Gov. Baker has been so far been mute on the issue: the status quo, which keeps his office exempt from public records requests, is just fine. But some attorneys believe a fresh challenge in the courts might overturn the governor's exemption. http://bit.ly/1SER6QU
Paying attention to rural Mass.
It's not everyday that we link to the Daily Yonder, a national site that focuses on rural news and issues. But the Yonder focused in on the creation of a new Rural Policy Advisory Commission in Massachusetts, whose goal is to help improve economic and social conditions in the Commonwealth's rural areas. Matt Barron, a political strategist from Western Mass., is interviewed by Yonder and delves into the issues that keep Massachusetts' other economy struggling to catch up. http://bit.ly/1Jh91wu
New Bedford plays the blame game
On Thursday, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission formally accepted the withdrawal of KG Urban's bid for a waterfront casino in New Bedford and it didn't take long for fingers to start pointing in the disheartened city, the Standard-Times reports. Mayoral candidate Maria Giesta, a former chief of staff for retired U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, said the biggest slice of blame pie should land on the plate of Mayor Jon Mitchell. "Given Mayor Mitchell's tepid and long-standing weak position regarding the casino deal, no one can be surprised," Giesta said. "It's staggering to me how a mayor can create so many obstacles to a company willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in our city." Mitchell -- who has not said if he's running for a third term -- called the charges absurd and said he followed the letter of the law, working to negotiate a host city agreement with the would-be developer, one that would have brought $12.5 million to the city's coffers annually. http://bit.ly/1MMl9o7
Meanwhile, members of the MGC indicated they would continue to move forward on evaluating a proposal from Mass Gaming & Entertainment to build a casino on the site of the Brockton Fairgrounds, the only proposal still standing for the Southeastern region. The Commission has long said it wanted competition for each region's resort casino license, but the Globe's Sean Murphy reports there was little interest among members for resetting the process and reopening it to new bids. "I don't see any reason to change course now in our schedule to evaluate the Brockton proposal," Commissioner James McHugh told the Globe.
Senate lifts solar cap
The Massachusetts Senate has voted to lift the cap on net metering credits, a move that advocates say is needed to spur even more growth in solar power adoption, MassLive's Shira Schoenberg reports. The senate voted to lift the cap to 1,600 megawatts of power statewide, about twice the capacity of all the projects now in operation, and eliminate utility-specific caps. Senate President Stan Rosenberg said a higher cap was needed quickly to allow projects in the pipeline to come to market. "We did this today in order to get the ball rolling, so we can try to get these projects back online," he said. Utilities have expressed concern about lifting the cap until an agreement can be reached on compensating them for system maintenance revenue they lose when customers adopt solar energy. http://bit.ly/1gS1xoJ
Fentanyl could become a Class B drug
State Rep. Paul Tucker is trying to make trafficking fentanyl illegal. The bill would add the painkiller to the list of Class B substances. Tucker has filed this bill with state Rep. Timothy Whelan. "Fentanyl has been linked to many of the fatal overdose deaths that have taken place in Massachusetts, but our laws have failed to keep up with this growing trend," Whelan said according to Salem News. "As a result, police cannot charge individuals with narcotic trafficking even if they are in possession of large quantities of fentanyl."
Lawmakers want to make sure towns don't ban selling cigarettes
Some lawmakers are trying to make it impossible for town and cities to ban selling cigarettes. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Paul K. Frost and Rep. Kimberly Ferguson. This bill is coming after Westminster tried to ban the sale of tobacco products in town. Frost believes this could be a "slippery slope" that would to lead to other restrictions for different products. "This is coming from when the Westminster Board of Health had proposed a ban on tobacco products last year," Lauren Mullins, a spokeswoman for Frost, said to the Lowell Sun. "(Westminster's) public forum on it was hosted for people to air out their concerns and that got a little out of hand."
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How to reach me and MASSterList
Nothing makes me happier than comments, tips, suggestions. Also, opinion articles also will be considered. Please don't hesitate to weigh in on what we're missing and where we should look. Reach me atgdonnelly@massterlist.com or on Twitter @geodonnelly.
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