Votus Interruptus
Margie Ware's latest blog post and the related AP story in the Boston Globe drop the sledgehammer news that Dan Bosley--and his 20 years tenure in the State Legislature--are staying right where they are. The post of economic development advisor, if it is in fact being filled, is not being filled by Berkshire County's senior legislative delegate to the State House.
The Globe/AP story quotes a statement from Governor Patrick: "After further discussion with Rep. Dan Bosley, he and I have agreed that the most effective role he can play in fostering economic growth and advancing our agenda for business development in Massachusetts is in the Legislature." It also curiously enough decided to mention Dan's opposition to and Deval's promotion of slot machines within the Commonwealth, without ever really coming out and saying this was the base reason behind the split-up.
This is good news, in a way. The 1st Berkshire district keeps a proven senior legislator and committee chairman in the State House, and we aren't going to have to go through what was looking to be a divisive intradistrict election cycle.
On the other hand, on the surface this looked like a great move for Dan--getting a nice raise and moving away from the alternate year election kerfuffles and General Court politics while putting his experience to use in a statewide, high-profile executive position with a hotline to Deval's desk. It can't be that this decision was taken lightly by either party, and maybe someday we will know the whole story.
It's a bit disappointing for those of us who like a bit of action in our local political scenery. All I know is that I came back from a soul-ripping visit to my dentist in Dalton to an email from Margie cancelling an upcoming campaign meeting, and reading her blog post confirming the news and saying that she's not coming to Drinking Liberally tonight (7pm at EGL, still formerly Gideon's Nightery, on Eagle St. in North Adams).
It's probably for the best as far as the legislative interests of the district is concerned, but my heart goes out to Marge, Gailanne Cariddi, Dick Alcombright, Joe Solomon, Ed MacDonald, and anybody else who had to go through the gut and wallet wrenching decisions to run or not run for the open seat. It couldn't have been easy.
At least we have the City Council race to gear up for this summer, eh?
UPDATE: Well, maybe we didn't have to wait that long for answers to some of these questions, and they come from an intriguing source indeed. Mayor John Barrett III was quoted in a late followup piece on boston.com: "The original offer was not the same as the final offer, and it would not have given him the opportunity to impact economic development policy. It was better for him to remain in the Legislature. As he said to me, he didn’t need the job just to fatten his pension."
In fact, the whole thing sounds just as called in a comment by winmurcran around 7:00 this evening, who could have run with this story pretty much as written three and a half hours before the Globe ran it. Not sure if he'd have gotten the JBIII quote, though. Dude, if you don't send me an email telling me where you get some of the background stuff you've come up with over the last few months, I'm going to edit your comments to say "in bed" after each sentence like a fortune cookie, like "sounds to me like bosley made the right choice to avoid being a staffer without much executive authority in bed. he'll be more helpful to the berkshires and the governor from the house in bed."
posted by Ross @ 5:52 PM
12 comments
12 Comments:
ross,
i think you're right on the initial impressions about the potential post, but if you put your ear to the street, i think you'll hear that the position changed substantially from what it was first billed as.
patrick is now going to chair the development cabinet. sort of silly because he probably won't go to lots of meetings. this position would have really made boz the economic development czar. also, secretaries would not have to go through the advisor to the governor.
sounds to me like bosley made the right choice to avoid being a staffer without much executive authority. he'll be more helpful to the berkshires and the governor from the house.
For what it's worth I found out about this at 7:25 tonight at the Council meeting-- Gail seemed very agitated when I went into the Council chamber-- now I know why--- and Dick?? I asked him if he had made up his mind-- and he said 'Haven't you heard??"---at least it saves the City the cost of two elections-- as well as the other towns in the district----I have no handle on the reasons for the reversal of Boz' decision---maybe he's going to move up the food chain in the House leadership---it's possible that the other cabinet people balked about having an intermediary between them and the governor--could also be the gambling issue---also facing a substantial deficit- it would have added another level of bureaucracy- with salary and STAFF-----well at least at the MCLA Legislative breakfast this year-- Danny will be there to regale us with his humor----chbpod
Dan's dream was to have been a member of the 24th Regiment of Foot at Rorke's Drift in 1879-- with a short chamber Boxer-Henry 45 caliber-- a bayonet and some guts behind it----failing that-- he'll just have to be our State Rep for as long as he wants it--I'm happy with his decision-- rather have seniority than the normal turf battles that come within a new administration-----he serves us better in the House---chbpod
ross,
i do have good sources. and like any good sources, they are uber-anonymous.
i sort of like the ring of having "in bed" after everything. however, i will consider the email option.
You mean, "however, I will consider the email option, in bed".
Yeah, this could get ugly. In bed.
Does this mean that winmurcran has "embedded" sources??? chbpod
i am winthrop murray crane. my sources have been emdedded practically since the beginning of time.
beds and beds of money.
winthrop murray crane----if a descendant of the original winthrop murray crane of Dalton, MA---there is a lot of money under the mattress- in bed-----chbpod
Question for Winthrop Murray Crane----do you have any roman numerals after your name? if so what is the number??---chbpod
Don't worry, win.
Your secret's safe with us, the largest collection of blowhards and blabbermouths in Massachusetts west of Middlesex County. Never let it be said that the North Berkshire blogosphere isn't the single most discreet bunch of yentas in the Commonwealth.
Let's leave the man's Roman numeral out of this. I wasn't asking for his life story, just who he talks to for such high-quality rumor mongering. If the answer is "everybody", well, then that doesn't exactly narrow it down but certainly would seem to explain it...
well Ross- you were the one that seemed to want some "credentials" as to his sources--maybe he PM'd you----- but the minute Crane became part of the equation-- and a reference to money-- and Winthrop Murray Crane-----I just had to ask----the Crane family for generations has been particularly well-connected politically )not to mention -rich)----so I figured if he were from that family---his sources would probably be impeccable---that's why I asked-----as a card carrying liberal you probably believe that anyone who has more than two sticks to rub together must be a "robber baron"-- given that the Cranes of Dalton and the Plunkitts of Adams were very well connected- especially in the late 19th and early 20th century-- Crane hosted Teddy Roosevelt in Dalton and Plunkitt hosted McKinley in Adams-----I admot I was sleuthing a bit---but the possible historical connection was more than I could ignore----what I got off Switchboard. com was a Winthrop Crane in Falmouth MA and a Winthrop M. Crane in Glendale CA------sooo that's why I made my inquiries---just trying to verify a connection-- chbpod
Ross did you check out today's Globe- there's anticle about Nuciforo seeking an appointment from Patrick as Insurance Commish-must be something in the water--chbpod
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