[This just in from the Celeste Ribeiro Myers campaign]
(EAST BOSTON September 8, 2014)—On July 8, candidate Celeste Ribeiro Myers took the “People’s Pledge” to run a clean campaign, committing to voters that she would refuse any contributions from lobbyists, political action committees and other special interests. In a letter, she challenged incumbent Carlo Basile to do the same.[1]
The Basile campaign never responded to Myers’ invitation.
Now we may know why: Basile’s latest campaign finance report, the first since the start of the campaign, features a donor list that reads like a who’s who of casino lobbyists, Massport and various airport-based businesses, and numerous other special interest groups. With an astounding 47 percent of contributions coming from outside East Boston, the list of donors includes more than 25 lobbyists representing the casino industry – totaling more than $4,000 in contributions since January – including monetary support from a current Mohegan Sun lobbyist and a maximum contribution allowed by law from the Raynham Race Track, a former applicant for the state’s only slots parlor. (see the full list below)
These donations do not square with the image candidate Carlo Basile ran on in 2007, when he said he’d “be beholden to the people of East Boston, and not to anyone else.”[2]
Basile’s best opportunity to date to keep that campaign promise came on Nov. 5, 2013, when East Boston overwhelmingly rejected a casino proposal for Suffolk Downs. Within a few days, a proposal by Suffolk Downs to push the project a few feet across the town line into Revere was brought before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Basile opposed the new project in a letter to the Commission on Nov. 20 and promised his East Boston constituents that he would defend their “no” votes.
But campaign finance records show that Basile would accept more than $4,000 from more than 25 casino lobbyists over the next several months, including a donation in April from a Mohegan Sun lobbyist. Myers was quick to point out that taking campaign contributions from the casino industry not only disrespects the vote of the residents of East Boston, but clearly shows that Basile is beholden to special interests — not the people.
“It’s an obvious conflict of interest,” Myers said. “How can an elected official protect his neighborhood from outside corporations when he’s taking their money?”
Basile has also paid more than $20,000 in campaign consulting fees to Sage Systems, a Peabody-based consulting firm that represents the casino industry, including Mohegan Sun.
The only certain way to defend East Boston’s “no” vote and prevent a casino from being built at Suffolk Downs is to repeal the existing gambling law, which is on the ballot this November 4. Basile has repeatedly refused to support the repeal efforts. His campaign finance records show why.
Myers said she will reform the office of State Representative. Her robust platform includes plans to give residents more say in how Eastie develops; transportation improvements; job creation and economic development; health; and equality and inclusion for all. Most importantly, she said she will listen to her constituents over and above the special interests who will seek to influence her come January.
“The people of East Boston deserve better and have an important choice to make come this November,” she said.
Check out Celeste’s entire platform at www.celesteforeastboston.com.
Media inquiries: Steve Holt, 617-447-6519
* * * * *
Twitter: @celesteboston
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celesteforEB
Email: campaign@celesteforeastboston.com
[1] "Myers Refuses Donations From Special Interests," East Boston Times-Free Press, July 21, 2014.
[2] “Hubster Interview: Carlo Basile,” Hubster Blog, Sept. 12, 2007. http://thehubsterblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/hubster-interview-carlo-basile.html
------------------------------------
Since January, Carlo Basile has raked in more than $4,000 from known casino lobbyists[1]:
George Atanasov, ML Strategies (represents Wynn Massachusetts LLC.) - $100
John Bartley - $200
William Cass – The Suffolk Group - $200
Julie Cox, ML Strategies - $100
Mark Delaney, Delaney & Associates - $100
William Delaney, Delaney & Associates - $100
Roger Donoghue, Donoghue, Barrett & Singal (represents the American Gaming Association) - $200
Paul Donovan, Kearney, Donovan & McGee - $200
Martin Fisher, Serlin Haley - $200
Charles Flaherty, Capitol Consulting - $200 (currently lobbies for Mohegan Sun)
Maureen Glynn, Murphy Donoghue - $200
Dennis Kearney, Kearney, Donovan & McGee - $100
Richard Lynds, fmr. attorney representing Suffolk Downs - $250
William Malloy, The Malloy Group - $125
John and Diane McGlynn, McGlynn and McGlynn - $300
Kevin Mulvey, Dewey Square Group (PR for Friends of Suffolk Downs) - $100
Martin Nastasia, Brown Rudnick - $200
Nixon Peabody Attorneys at Law - $200
Paul Pezzella, Dewey Square Group - $100
Joseph Ricca, Dewey Square Group - $150
Charlene Rideout, Kearney, Donovan & McGee - $100
Robert Rodophele, Ferriter, Scobbo and Rodophele - $125
Paul Scapicchio, Sage Systems - $200
Patricia White, Robert F. White Associates - $300
Robert White, Robert F. White Associates - $200
W. Paul White, Robert F. White Associates - $100
[1] 2014 Pre-Primary Report for Carlo Basile (1/1/14-8/22/14), Massachusetts Office of Campaign Finance, http://www.efs.cpf.state.ma.us/DisplayReport.aspx?reportId=203888
Showing posts with label Politics 2014. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics 2014. Show all posts
Monday, September 8, 2014
Monday, July 28, 2014
Stand For Democracy and Don Berwick for Governor Campaigns Agree to Work Collaboratively in the Fight Against Casinos
Source Sunha Kim, (310) 710-3348, spk454@mail.harvard.edu
Leaders
from both Stand For Democracy and Don Berwick for Governor campaigns
met last week to discuss the repeal of the 2011 Expanded Gaming Act.
Both organizations have agreed to work collaboratively towards repealing
the commonwealth’s casino law and promoting Berwick’s stance as the
only candidate opposed to casinos and supporting the repeal. “We have
taken a close look at all of the gubernatorial candidates and their
stance on casinos in Massachusetts. Don Berwick’s position against
casinos is the only one in line with that of Stand For Democracy”, said
Pedro Morales, one of the founders of Stand For Democracy.
Stand
For Democracy is an organization that emanates from the successful 2013
anti-casino campaign in East Boston. “Don was inspired by the ability
of grassroots activists to take on powerful corporate interests in the
East Boston casino referendum. It is exciting to collaborate with some
of the leaders of that movement, and we look forward to working together
to promote Don’s position on this crucial issue around the state,” said
David Marsh of the Berwick campaign. A schedule of joint events will be
released shortly.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Politics 2014: State Representative Candidate Celeste Ribeiro Myers Challenges Opponent to Refuse Special Interest Donations
(EAST BOSTON, MA, July 8, 2014)—Celeste Ribeiro Myers, candidate for Suffolk County’s State Representative seat in the First District, today committed to refusing campaign donations from special interest organizations and political action committees and challenged her opponent to do the same. In a letter to Rep. Carlo Basile, Myers also asked the incumbent to join her in refusing donations fron groups and organizations with a special interest in legislation before the House of Representatives.
“By joining together in this ‘people’s pledge,’” she wrote, “we will send a message to voters over the coming months that we are beholden to only them, rather than any outside special interest groups.”
Lobbyists and special interest organizations have given millions to candidates across the Commonwealth in an effort to influence their legislative priorities. Myers notes in her letter to Basile that East Boston has seen numerous groups attempt to impose their will on the neighborhood over the years and specifically cited the almost $3 million spent by Suffolk Downs and Caesars Entertainment leading up to their unsuccessful casino referendum in November. And with a question on the ballot that could repeal the 2011 casino law, millions more are sure to pour into East Boston and throughout the state in the coming months from casino companies and their lobbyists.
“I know you’ll agree that East Boston is a special place, a place where residents are invested in our community and know what is best for ourselves,” she wrote. “As we saw at the polls last November, voters here are savvy and do not fall for the messages from outside groups attempting to impose their will on us. They are disgusted with special interest money, its influence and how it undermines the democratic process because they have seen it in this community, across the state and across the nation.”
Myers, a lifelong East Boston resident, officially kicked off her campaign for State Representative on June 26 at an energetic event with more than 150 supporters on-hand. Former state Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi introduced Myers at the event, lauding her political courage and urging East Boston residents to send her to the State House. Myers is known for leading the ballot question campaign group No Eastie Casino, which successfully defeated a proposal to site a casino at Suffolk Downs in East Boston on Nov. 5, 2013. (her opponent, Basile, opposed an area casino as a candidate in 2007 but vigorously supported casino plans in the run-up to the vote)
Myers’ robust platform includes plans to give residents more say in how Eastie develops; transportation improvements; job creation and economic development; health; and equality and inclusion for all. Check out her entire platform at www.celesteforeastboston.com.
Media Contact: Steve Holt, 978-494-6109
“By joining together in this ‘people’s pledge,’” she wrote, “we will send a message to voters over the coming months that we are beholden to only them, rather than any outside special interest groups.”
Lobbyists and special interest organizations have given millions to candidates across the Commonwealth in an effort to influence their legislative priorities. Myers notes in her letter to Basile that East Boston has seen numerous groups attempt to impose their will on the neighborhood over the years and specifically cited the almost $3 million spent by Suffolk Downs and Caesars Entertainment leading up to their unsuccessful casino referendum in November. And with a question on the ballot that could repeal the 2011 casino law, millions more are sure to pour into East Boston and throughout the state in the coming months from casino companies and their lobbyists.
“I know you’ll agree that East Boston is a special place, a place where residents are invested in our community and know what is best for ourselves,” she wrote. “As we saw at the polls last November, voters here are savvy and do not fall for the messages from outside groups attempting to impose their will on us. They are disgusted with special interest money, its influence and how it undermines the democratic process because they have seen it in this community, across the state and across the nation.”
Myers, a lifelong East Boston resident, officially kicked off her campaign for State Representative on June 26 at an energetic event with more than 150 supporters on-hand. Former state Secretary of Transportation James Aloisi introduced Myers at the event, lauding her political courage and urging East Boston residents to send her to the State House. Myers is known for leading the ballot question campaign group No Eastie Casino, which successfully defeated a proposal to site a casino at Suffolk Downs in East Boston on Nov. 5, 2013. (her opponent, Basile, opposed an area casino as a candidate in 2007 but vigorously supported casino plans in the run-up to the vote)
Myers’ robust platform includes plans to give residents more say in how Eastie develops; transportation improvements; job creation and economic development; health; and equality and inclusion for all. Check out her entire platform at www.celesteforeastboston.com.
Media Contact: Steve Holt, 978-494-6109
Source: Myers Campaign 7/8/2014
Monday, June 23, 2014
Myers to Launch Campaign for State Rep on Thursday 6/26; Pledges to ‘Put Community First’
(EAST BOSTON June 23, 2014) - Committing to work tirelessly at the State House so that every East Boston resident has the opportunity to work, live, raise a family and be successful, Celeste Ribeiro Myers this week officially launches her campaign for State Representative in Suffolk County’s First District. Myers, a lifelong East Boston resident and former co-chair of No Eastie Casino, a group she founded, says she believes the neighborhood’s best days are ahead of it.
“I love this community, and I am running to make sure it remains a place for young families to settle, a gateway for newcomers to this country, and a thriving district for entrepreneurs that is the envy of other Boston neighborhoods,” she says. “Too often, big business – be it an airport, an oil company, a luxury developer or, yes, a casino – have tried to dictate the direction this neighborhood is going. I believe the people know best how East Boston is to grow and prosper.”
Promising to run an energetic campaign in which she shares with voters her ideas for healthy neighborhood development, more efficient transportation, and an economically thriving, environmentally responsible East Boston, Myers will lay out her more comprehensive platform at a campaign kickoff event Thursday, June 26, from 6-8 p.m., at the Zumix Firehouse, 260 Sumner Street in East Boston.
Myers is known for leading the ballot question campaign group No Eastie Casino, which last year successfully defeated a proposal to site a casino at Suffolk Downs in East Boston. (Her opponent, incumbent Carlo Basile, opposed an area casino as a candidate in 2007 but vigorously supported casino plans in the run-up to the vote.) As Suffolk Downs continued to push a so-called “Revere-only” casino in the days and months following the November vote, Myers regularly appeared before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission as a representative of the more than 4,000 residents who voted “no” and continues to push toward repealing the law.
But long before the casino issue reared its head, Myers was active in the East Boston community. Her father, a former probation officer in Eastie, used to take her to protests against Logan Airport expansion and to volunteer with children at area family shelters. Celeste’s first pivotal opportunity to impact an issue came at the age of 9 when she wrote and delivered remarks to the Boston Public School Committee during a hearing in an effort to save her grade school, the Curtis Guild, from being closed as a result of budget cuts. More evident than her activist streak is her ardent desire to build community – usually in a hands-on capacity. Celeste played an instrumental role in producing community -galvanizing events including the Sacred Heart Festival, the Columbus Day Parade, Eastie Pride Day, the East Boston Community Thanksgiving Dinner, and has served as a team captain for the annual Relay for Life.
“For me, service is key,” she says. “The casino fight showed me how committed my neighbors are to protecting the neighborhood they love. So many of them tell me they’ve felt underrepresented at the state level; I’m ready and willing to step up and serve them, with the people and future of East Boston ever on my mind.”
Source: Myers campaign
“I love this community, and I am running to make sure it remains a place for young families to settle, a gateway for newcomers to this country, and a thriving district for entrepreneurs that is the envy of other Boston neighborhoods,” she says. “Too often, big business – be it an airport, an oil company, a luxury developer or, yes, a casino – have tried to dictate the direction this neighborhood is going. I believe the people know best how East Boston is to grow and prosper.”
Promising to run an energetic campaign in which she shares with voters her ideas for healthy neighborhood development, more efficient transportation, and an economically thriving, environmentally responsible East Boston, Myers will lay out her more comprehensive platform at a campaign kickoff event Thursday, June 26, from 6-8 p.m., at the Zumix Firehouse, 260 Sumner Street in East Boston.
Myers is known for leading the ballot question campaign group No Eastie Casino, which last year successfully defeated a proposal to site a casino at Suffolk Downs in East Boston. (Her opponent, incumbent Carlo Basile, opposed an area casino as a candidate in 2007 but vigorously supported casino plans in the run-up to the vote.) As Suffolk Downs continued to push a so-called “Revere-only” casino in the days and months following the November vote, Myers regularly appeared before the Massachusetts Gaming Commission as a representative of the more than 4,000 residents who voted “no” and continues to push toward repealing the law.
But long before the casino issue reared its head, Myers was active in the East Boston community. Her father, a former probation officer in Eastie, used to take her to protests against Logan Airport expansion and to volunteer with children at area family shelters. Celeste’s first pivotal opportunity to impact an issue came at the age of 9 when she wrote and delivered remarks to the Boston Public School Committee during a hearing in an effort to save her grade school, the Curtis Guild, from being closed as a result of budget cuts. More evident than her activist streak is her ardent desire to build community – usually in a hands-on capacity. Celeste played an instrumental role in producing community -galvanizing events including the Sacred Heart Festival, the Columbus Day Parade, Eastie Pride Day, the East Boston Community Thanksgiving Dinner, and has served as a team captain for the annual Relay for Life.
“For me, service is key,” she says. “The casino fight showed me how committed my neighbors are to protecting the neighborhood they love. So many of them tell me they’ve felt underrepresented at the state level; I’m ready and willing to step up and serve them, with the people and future of East Boston ever on my mind.”
Source: Myers campaign
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)