DevalWatch: Will Casino Plan Survive Committee Stage?

After six months of political posturing and economic predictions, it appears that King Sal, Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi, will continue to reign over a Commonwealth free from casino wealth.

The Globe and the Herald report that Governor Deval Patrick's plan to bring three casinos to the Bay State would almost certainly be defeated in a House vote, if it even survives the Economic Development Committee today.

King Sal turned the casino debate into a tug-of-war between himself and the Governor, a decision that served no one but DiMasi. While casino revenue is hardly a cure-all for the fiscal crisis that is challenging states nationwide, the proposal deserved a free, extended and open hearing before legislators. A death in committee would both prove the King's power and be a fitting symbol of his anti-democratic stance towards governing.

The Herald's icon of understated punditry, Howie Carr, noted: "Even Saddam Hussein got a chance to appeal to the Supreme Court. Deval will receive no such courtesy."

Though DiMasi has already guaranteed its defeat, the proposal deserves a House vote. We need to know which reps to ask first for alternative revenue sources as our budget crisis continues.