Dorchester
deserves better
Oh, what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive!
— Sir Walter Scott
A common practice in the world of politics is to vet a candidate for
high office to determine whether there are any embarrassing problems
lurking in the background. Attorney General Tom Reilly did not do
that before announcing state Representative Marie St. Fleur as his
choice for lieutenant governor. He relied on her affirmation that
there were no problems.
St. Fleur deceived him. She must have known from the experience of
state Senator Dianne Wilkerson that a failure to pay federal income
taxes can be politically hazardous. St. Fleur’s personal finances
are a mess. According to reports, she was fined $750 in 2003 by the
State Office of Campaign and Political Finance for trying to sell
her car to her campaign committee. She has an unpaid federal tax bill
of more than $12,000. She owes $40,000 on a delinquent student loan.
She is also delinquent on excise taxes to the city for her car.
Reilly is not the only one that St. Fleur betrayed. She also betrayed
many of her constituents who would never support the strategy of their
state representative being used to weaken the candidacy of Deval Patrick.
One can only surmise about the bizarre political plan that concluded
St. Fleur was a better choice for lieutenant governor than Chris Gabrieli,
a smart, energetic and wealthy advocate for social change. He also
has the experience of having campaigned statewide as Shannon O’Brien’s
running mate in 2002.
Reilly is not without blame in this fiasco. He had all but promised
Gabrieli that he would be his running mate. Just before the announcement
was to be made, Reilly unceremoniously dropped Gabrieli and turned
to St. Fleur. Reilly demonstrated in this move that he is as indecisive
as his critics have said. This is certainly not a desirable quality
for the governor of Massachusetts.
While the Reilly campaign is wallowing in confusion, Deval Patrick
is looking more gubernatorial. He has been endorsed by five trade
unions. Campaign donations for January topped $325,000, bringing the
number of contributors to over 8,000.
As for Marie St. Fleur, perhaps it is time for her to seek another
line of work. As she herself acknowledged, “I knew that when
I stepped out like this that it might be the end of my career.”
Time
to move on
Final approval has been granted for construction of
the Biosafety Lab in the South End. Government grants of $128 million
will assure that Boston will become a major center of bio-medical
research. Scientists will be able to conduct research to find vaccines
effective against Ebola, anthrax, plague and other deadly pathogens.
Opponents of the lab were unable to persuade officials that its
location on Albany Street creates an unacceptable health hazard.
Now that these arguments have been rejected by the National Institutes
of Health, it is time for local politicians to plan how the community
can benefit from the project. The Biosafety Lab will create 1300
construction jobs. Since the lab will not open until the summer
of 2008, there are two years for community residents to prepare
for the 600 permanent positions.
Further opposition will indeed be quixotic. Residents of Boston’s
black community do not want to see their elected representatives
appear to be foolish supporters of a losing cause. There are too
many important public issues which require their full attention.
Blacks in Boston need victories, not humiliating defeats.
|
Melvin B. Miller
Editor & Publisher
Bay State Banner |
