A lot has broken badly for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in the license award process for a Greater Boston casino, but never let it be said that they are not quick studies.
After all, they were able to digest almost four hours of testimony including facts, figures, graphics and complex legal arguments in a matter of minutes. After a quick recess, the presenters at last week’s hearing on whether Boston should be a host community had hardly returned to their seats when one commissioner announced that she had made up her mind. The other three quickly chimed in with their agreement and, presto, the meeting was over.
They turned their backs on the city of Boston and went home. Mayor Marty Walsh was not pleased and said so.
The commission’s chairman, Steve Crosby, had already gone home some hours before, having recused himself from the matter minutes before the meeting started. Steve Crosby is a respected public servant and, to his credit, he said that he felt his participation in the Boston matter had become a distraction in the face of charges of a perceived conflict of interest.
So the body, without its head, pushed forward and made an apparently predetermined decision on a pivotal issue. There was no meaningful public discussion or analysis of the arguments at all.
And now, on the biggest decision on the biggest casino award under their review, they are forced to move ahead without a chairman. They are suddenly a commission of four, without a tiebreaker in the event of a split decision.
Is all this really the best that Massachusetts can do on one of the biggest policy decisions it has had to tackle in recent decades?
It is a process that has been twisted beyond recognition. Its rules have been bent. Its deadlines changed. And there are enough lawsuits flying around that they may have to hire an air-traffic controller. Meanwhile, the unavoidable legal actions over whatever final decision is made haven’t even started yet.
Mayor Marty Walsh has been firm that Boston deserves a vote on these projects. Every indication is that he hasn’t changed his mind one iota about that — a fact that residents of Charlestown and East Boston (where I live) appreciate.
The city of Boston has the next move, and there are several options to consider, including filing a lawsuit over the manner in which their request for host community status was handled, or agreeing to be a surrounding community.
More importantly, Walsh and others might also feel that it would not be a bad idea right now to put this broken process out of its misery. Licenses in other areas such as Springfield could go forward, but a very strong case can be made that the decision on a casino in Greater Boston should be scrapped and started anew. Perhaps on the second try it can be done properly. The same applicants can apply. And perhaps others, too. But it’s time for a clean start. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if Walsh stands up and says so next week.
And Gov. Deval Patrick could very well agree with the mayor. Does the governor really want this troubled Greater Boston casino award played out on his watch?
Gaming commissioners have worked long and hard and they are talented, good and well-meaning people … but this one got away from them big-time. It represents the very definition of chaos.
There’s no shame in hitting the reset button and getting it right.