Reply #6: Sure

[louis c]

He is a Governor's Councilor. he has had to make decisions at that level involving Judiciary appointments, magistrates, and other confirmations.

he held a position in the racing commission and was instrumental in reopening Suffolk downs in 1992, saving the very jobs Jehlen is now trying to take away.

By the way, that's my job and those of my friends.

Jehlen has not just voted against the racing industry, she is the chief antagonist in the matter.

In 2002, Grey2K launched a bid to abolish dog racing in Massachusetts, the AFL-CIO spent hundreds of thousand of dollars to defeat that measure (question 3). Pat Jehlen supported that measure publicly. At the end of that year, unanimous consent was needed in the legislature to extend the racing bill. Thousands of union jobs were at stake. Two Reps threatened to object. One was Susan Pope (R-Wellesley) the other was, you guessed it, our friend Pat Jehlen. it wasn't until a fierce lobbying effort by the big shots at the AFL-CIO used their muscle that Pat withdrew her objection. The owners had to lean on Pope to make her back down, but the entire industry hung in the balance, and with it our jobs. She may have backed down, but we all knew where her heart was, and it wasn't with us.

In April of 2003, a vote for slots at racetracks took place. This measure would save the jobs at the tracks, and raise much needed revenue for the cities and town in Massachusetts. Pat voted against us again, twice.

So you can understand this issue in a more national light, in most states the opposition is from the far right. In Florida, Jeb Bush and the Christian Coalition opposed this measure. The unions supported it. In Florida the unions won.

http://www.comedyzine.com/tirade401.html

In Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, the Democratic Governor championed the cause of slots at racetracks, with the help of unions, it once again prevailed. This revenue can revitalize an important unionized industry and raise revenue to lessen the property tax burden.

http://www.Post-Gazette.com/pg/05102/486851.stm

Strangely enough, in Massachusetts, our opposition is from the most liberal. Jerad Barrios, Pat Jehlen, Susan Tucker, Mike Festa, Mark Falzone, and David Linsky all hold the same position as Jeb Bush and oppose that of the AFL-CIO.

Go figure.