Who the Hell is Mark Cusack?...

Put Another Way: Tragedy May Not be in Resignations...

As you may or may not know, New York Congressman Anthony Weiner has resigned.  His resignation is an ominous sign beyond the destruction of an otherwise promising political career and a recent dust-up in Massachusetts (we cannot really call it a scandal).

Rep. Cusack (Facebook)

Despite the best efforts of moral outrage, State Representative Mark Cusack’s lapse in judgment back in April has not risen, even statewide, to the level of the controversy that has destroyed Cong. Anthony Weiner.  The story, however, slogged its way across the Boston media and appeared in AP stories throughout New England.  Even London’s Daily Mail had the story on its website.

Cusack, a Braintree Democrat, was caught with a female aide to one of his Republican colleagues in the House Chamber early in the morning after the lower house of the General Court finished up its budget.  Accounts differ, but it appears that he and the aide had not been in the chamber very long, were clothed and were not supposed to be there.  However, the catch all for objectionable behavior “inappropriate” leads us to suspect what they intended.

Also among unconfirmed details was that Cusack, likely in the heat of panic, identified himself as a fellow freshman colleague.  Like the Weiner roast, the local organization for Righteous Indignation pounced.  Many of these objections poured from quotes in news stories and from the ever-unreliable comments sections of news sites.  First they attacked him for his inappropriate behavior.  Then they began to zero in on his lie, attempting to draw parallels to Weiner’s claims of innocence early in that sordid affair.

House Chamber (Mass.gov)

However, Rep. Cusack is not Weiner.  The former’s was a lapse in judgment no question.  The details of the story implicate alcohol, but nobody has alleged the near-debasement of the House chamber was not consensual.  Cusack, and ostensibly the aide, are unmarried and young.  Does that excuse using the House rostrum as the world’s worst privacy curtain?  No, but we would be naïve—to be kind—to think that nothing like this has ever happened in other supposedly solemn areas of the State House.  Indeed,  considerably worse debauchery has likely occurred within the US Capitol itself. 

As for the lying?  Well, the connection to Weiner’s transgressions simply do not hold water.  Weiner engaged in a ten day media blitz sticking to this hacking story and lying to his colleagues and friends in public until Andrew Breitbart, whom he should have known would ravenously pursue this nonsense, left him with no other choice.  Cusack’s lie, though crummy and certainly a violation of the politically incorrect axiom “Bros before hoes,” was not an extended exercise in deception.  It was simply a panicked, likely intoxicated kid (those most indignant about this situation, are undoubtedly old enough to consider Cusack, 26, a kid) blurting out something his booze and testosterone addled mind thought might make the situation go away.

The Health of the Bargain...

Beacon Hill (WMassP&I)

Yesterday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives effectively voted to give cities and towns the unilateral right to set deductibles and co-pays for their employees health insurance.  Additionally, communities would no longer required to seek public employee approval to transfer insurance to the state's Group Insurance Commission (GIC).  The 111-42 vote surprised organized labor, while drawing caution from the Senate and Governor Deval Patrick.

The effort to allow communities to join the GIC has been building for years.  It has been consistently road blocked by the public employee unions, largely without explanation.  That the legislature has decided to grant this right over the objection of the unions is not really the news.  While the unions still oppose it, in all likelihood, they knew it was never an important loss to them.

By way of information, Springfield joined the GIC during the Control Board's tenure.  When asked what the deductible/co-pay provision's impact would be on Springfield's budget, the office of Mayor Domenic Sarno had no comment.

What is more striking is the ability to set deductibles and co-pays unilaterally.  Well, technically it is not unilaterally. Under the amendment, which can be read here, municipalities and other government bodies would call the affected public employee reps together and begin negotiating.  However, after 30 days, if no agreement is made the employer's offer wins.  Notably, none of this amendment takes effect unless the governing body like a city council or town meeting "accepts" it as is the language of such local administrative laws.

Speaker DeLeo (WBUR)

Unions are screaming that this is like Wisconsin or Ohio.  House Speaker Robert DeLeo contends that this is a necessary tool to save cities and towns during yet another tough fiscal crisis and that this is exactly the same rights the commonwealth has with its employees.  Frankly, however, neither of them are entirely right.

The unions are right that the ability of municipalities to set their own rates is like what has happened in Ohio.  That state's SB 5, among its many draconian provisions, essentially forces unions to accept the local community's first offer if an impasse ensues.  However, there are some important caveats in the Massachusetts bill.  The unilateralism only appears if the community joins the GIC.  Realistically, only a few communities gain anything by NOT joining, but still.  Additionally, unlike SB 5 in Ohio, virtually all of labor's rights to bargain is intact.

The Year in Springfield 2010...

So comes again another year the wide world of Springfield.  As is tradition, WMassP&I will recount the events and news that made 2010 different from 1876 in Springfield.  As both a city and as one of 351 parts of Massachusetts, Springfield saw its share of ups and downs that may come back to haunt, er, define us in the coming decade.  I guess it really depends.

City Hall (WmassP&I)

The year's most important event may very well have been a continuation of an event we mentioned last year.  The Springfield City Council underwent a paramount shift not only in structure, but in composition as it expanded form nine to thirteen in order to welcome new councilors from the city's eight wards.  Five seats remained at-large.  Four of those seats were retained by councilors under the old setup, with former School Committeeman Thomas Ashe filling out the fifth.  The diverse group of newcomers included time-tested figures like E. Henry Twiggs and past city council candidates John Lysak and Clodo Concepcion.  New faces included the city's youngest councilor in its history, Michael Fenton, Tim Allen, Melvin Edwards, Zaida Luna, and Keith Wright, a Springfield schoolteacher.

Not long afterward, Massachusetts rocked the national political landscape by electing State Senator Scott Brown to the United States Senate.  While national Republicans spun a fairy tale that the President Obama's allegedly left-wing policies were to blame, determined tea partiers aside, the result was due to a dismal campaign by Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Beacon Hill was not without its share of attention.  Budget troubles meant more cuts, particularly for cities and towns meant a reduction in school and unrestricted aid.  The entire situation was laid against the backdrop of an election for governor, which even early in the year was thought to be a bruiser for Democrats.  Charles Baker was coming at Gov. Deval Patrick from the right, Tim Cahill, former Democrat, was coming from the further right, while Jill Stein attempted to slip in from the left.  

Mohegan Sun (wikipedia)

Casinos, too, became an issue that would crest at the end of the session.  Massachusetts Speaker Robert DeLeo rammed through casino legislation that would have essentially given dying racetracks the right to open slot parlors in an attempt to make it like it never was when Deleo's father worked at the tracks.  Locally Mohegan Sun, who forays into non-Connecticut states has not been without controversy, got behind building a casino right off the Mass Pike in Palmer.

Longtime Hampden County District Attorney William Bennett announced his intention to retire this year. 

Pro Tempore Today...On Probation Tomorrow...

Fallout from the release of a damning report on the administration of the commonwealth's Probation Department has finally landed on the head of State Representative Thomas Petrolati.  The Ludlow Democrat, whose district includes Indian Orchard in Springfield was the Speaker Pro Temp of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.  He has held that position, which serves little, if any purpose, since the last Speaker, Salvatore DiMasi clawed his way into the speakership.  Speaker Robert DeLeo announced Petrolati will step down from the post when the legislature convenes in January.

Rep. Petrolati (mass.gov)

The Probation Scandal, about which you can read more at Boston Globe, in short consisted of rampant favoritism, corruption, mismanagement, and possible pay-for-play personnel decisions.  Petrolati was called the king of Western Mass Patronage, implicated as being among the more flagrant probation jobs-for-donations participants.

When the scandal broke, the Supreme Judicial Court appointed Boston attorney Paul Ware to investigate the corruption.  During his probe, he subpoenaed Petrolati who attempted to behind some legislative privilege as a reason why he need not testify.  The SJC told him otherwise, but reportedly, Petrolati made heavy use of his Fifth Amendment Protection against self-incrimination.

Gov. Deval Patrick (WMassP&I)

Petrolati may actually be remembered best as the sole dissenting voice of any consequence against placing the State Backup Data center at the site of Springfield former Technical High School.  For reasons never completely understood, Petrolati wanted the center put at the STCC's Technology Park, despite the complex lacking the adequate security that could be easily built into the Tech building during its gutting and renovation.  The considerable sway of Petrolati's constructed office gave him the power to change the bill that funded the data center to suit his needs, possibly out power-playing Cong. Richard Neal.  In the end, wishing to avert an inter-party war over a non-issue, the Legislature decided to leave that final decision of the data center's location to Gov. Deval Patrick.  Patrick, to the surprise of few, picked Tech over Technology Park.

This controversy and Petrolati's odd continuance in the pointless House office even after Robert DeLeo became speaker might have inspired somebody, anybody, to oppose Petrolati in his race to continue as representative.  Not so.  Even in a Republican year (or the impression of one in Massachusetts), nobody Democrat or Republican, opposed Petrolati.  If for no other reason, the GOP should be ashamed because, again in their logic, the town of Ludlow went Scott Brown in January.

Even in the dysfunction and complicity of Democrats in the Springfield area and Massachusetts as a whole, Petrolati has come to stand out.  His Pro Temp appointment raised eyebrows and his involvement in the data center raised objections--from virtually everybody.  Like many politicians he has remained glued to his seat in large part because of his intimate connection to the people of Ludlow (we are largely of the opinion Petrolati has done squat for I.O.).

Speaker DeLeo (mass.gov)

In dismissing Petrolati, WFCR reported that Speaker Robert DeLeo implied that Petrolati's refusal to answer Paul Ware's questions was part of the reason the Ludlow representative was leaving the leadership.  Although couched as a mutual agreement as reported by the Globe, the writing on the wall as it is, DeLeo's account is very likely very generous in how things actually played out for Petrolati.

While the yawning scandal may very well capture more members of the legislature, the reports have only highlighted a few so far.  Inspector General Gregory Sullivan has begun an investigation and Attorney General Martha Coakley and US Attorney Carmen Diaz may yet open investigations, which may turn up more evidence and official corruption.  However, none locally or even statewide have been implicated quite so damningly as Petrolati.  It may be premature to call his political career over, but do not be surprised if the voters in Ludlow and Springfield find themselves springing for an election ahead of schedule.

If anybody will miss Petrolati, it may only be those diehards in Ldulow, who, for whatever reason, continued to support him even as his shine had long since dimmed.  It is hard to say what Petrolati's fate is or for that matter what good he has done for his district.  However, if the allegations are true regarding his involvement in the Probation office and were there some malfeasance in his data center position, it seems likely if not certain the representative had his hand in many other less than honest endeavors.