Republicans Scalping Sox Tickets?

When elected leaders make extra time to hear the concerns of well-heeled campaign contributors, Bostonist doesn't bat an eye. After all, politics is not a field from which we expect, um, ethical behavior. But when the amount of cash donated corresponds to the number of Red Sox tickets given to the donor, civic duty requires that we cry foul. Today's Globe reports that the Republican Governors Association will give four roof deck tickets for next Monday's Sox-Indians game to anyone who coughs up $50,000. Of course, donors also get photo-ops with various Republican Governors, including our own (he's the vice-chairman of the Rep. Govs. Assoc.), and get to attend the fun-filled New England Governors Forum (which, in addition to the Republican Governors of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, features the Governors of two lesser-known New England states, Arkansas and Missouri). So maybe it's not scalping - maybe donors are contributing $49,820 and $180 is face value for four tickets. (Or maybe the Red Sox are donating the tickets as an inducement to encourage private giving, the way local businesses do with public radio, although we doubt it). But The Globe also informs us that "those offering smaller donations - from $5,000 to $25,000 - get either two or three tickets to Fenway's right-field roof, depending on the amount" [Bostonist's emphasis]. This quid pro quo is starting to sound more like the sort of activity prohibited by Mass. General Laws chapter 140, section 185A.

Back in 1924 (just twelve years after Gov. Romney's dad came to the U.S. from Mexico), the Mass. legislature decreed that it should be illegal for any person to "be in the business of reselling any ticket . . . to any theatrical exhibition, public show, or public amusement" without a special license, and that even with such a license, tickets could not be sold for more than two dollars over face value, except to recoup service charges. The courts have been pretty strict about this: In 1929, for example, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that even a person who was scalping for the first time in his life could be considered "in the business of reselling tickets." And that case involved a price that was a mere 200% mark-up ($15 for a "wrestling bout" at the Garden), not the 27,778% that the Republican Governors are charging. (Also, while we're on the topic of scalping, could someone who knows Italian please explain to Bostonist what the hell is going on at www.scalpingschool.com?)

In all seriousness, Bostonist doubts whether this particular arrangement would qualify as a violation of the law. Nevertheless, we can't help but sound the alarm when good Sox tickets are wasted while starving fans in India (or Southie, or Medford, or wherever) are forced to watch games on television. We'd love to tell the Governor how we feel about the matter, but we're short by about $49,998.25. We'll be setting up a Paypal account for donations soon, and perhaps with your help, we can go to next Monday's game and talk to Mitt about rectifying the situation.

Photo: The view that will cost Republican donors thousands of dollars.