Speaker DiMasi

Yes, I am slow out of the gate on this one. The Lowell Sun had it yesterday afternoon and Marie had a blog on it soon thereafter (1543 on Friday). Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore F DiMasi is supposed to resign, perhaps as early as Tuesday.

Dick Howe has a roundup of news here, including a Post by Lynne Lupia of Left-in-Lowell, but at Blue Mass Group. The Boston Globe seems slow out of the gate on this one--just like me. It didn't even make the front page of the web site at 1430 today. I wonder how Emily Rooney will treat that this coming Friday?

Back to The Globe, they had this quote from Majority Leader John Rogers (D):

"As rumors abound, the phone is ringing off the hook," said Rogers in an interview. "During these fiscally tumultuous times members of the House want proven leadership to steer us through these times. . . . That's why they've been calling me all day because of my proven track record as the past chairman of House Ways and Means Committee, offering fiscal recovery budgets that led us out of difficult times."

That seems self-assured.

My thought on the reported resignation is that it all seems to be coming very fast. There must be a lot we are not seeing. Perhaps the US Attorney's office in Boston is on the ball with this one and has given him a nudge. We sure don't need something like the Impeachment Proceedings in Illinois to get in the way of government during this time of trying to get the State budget straight (See the Rep Rogers statement quoted above).

However, my caution is that the resignation of the Speaker will not cure what is wrong on Beacon Hill. This is treating a symptom and not dealing with the underlying cause. Those folks up there are too friendly. What is needed is a little competition--and I am not talking about the left wing vs the right wing. Both wings are on the same chicken. We need two chickens. In the long run it will be better for all of us if there is real competition on Beacon Hill.

That said, the hard part is figuring out how to make that happen, and getting people to invest in what has been for years a failing cause. Anyone out there want to pony up a minimum of $20,000 and half a year of their life to run what could well be a losing race?

Regards -- Cliff

PS Cross Posted to the LRCC Blog.