Wilkerson

^^ With apologies to Mae West, "Good dogs go to Heaven, bad dogs go everywhere."
 
Not to take anything away from Wilkerson's culpability, but this should also raise the spectre of just what a mess the liquor licensing system is, and how it encourages such graft. Too bad no one is using this opportunity to reform it.
 
Chris said:
...what a mess the liquor licensing system is...Too bad no one is using this opportunity to reform it.
Click to expand...

This is the fifth pitch of the ballgame.

Once people finish calling each other names, that'll probably happen. Change is good, right?
 
I agree. Control over liquor licenses should be entirely up to towns and cities, with the state legislature playing no role. If Arlington wants to have 10 and Somerville wants to have 100, why is that the state's business?
 
I seem to recall that there was a liquor license flap 2 years ago at the State House. At the same time that Boston was looking for an increase in its license quota, the enabling legislation was allegedly held hostage by State Representative X (or is it Y) of Quincy. Apparently Rep. X was a member of one of the Boston Harbor yacht clubs situated on public land. These clubs had been paying little or no rent on their ground leases. There was an effort to address this rent swindle, which quickly disappeared in return (allegedly) for passage of the quota legislation. Thus, Rep. X and his cronies enjoy their defacto publically subsidized private yacht clubs. Allegedly, of course.
 
Chris said:
Not to take anything away from Wilkerson's culpability, but this should also raise the spectre of just what a mess the liquor licensing system is, and how it encourages such graft. Too bad no one is using this opportunity to reform it.
Click to expand...

Ask and you shall receive.
 
I feel a little better because at a fund-raising event last night I got a chance to ask Maureen Feeney "Who do you have to bribe to get a drink around here?"

What a stick in the mud. Everyone else thought it was funny.

I support gay marriage, gun control laws, decriminalizing marijuana, abortion, and all kinds of other libertarian and leftist agendas. But I think the biggest problem that this state has in one-party rule. We so badly need a strong opposition party - some form of resurrected, small government Bill Weld-style Republican Party. There are other states that are ideologically right or left, and yet have a strong opposition party.

When you look at the history of power consolidation on Beacon Hill, it becomes apparent that one party has legislated power into their hands. Year after year, the pass rules that make it harder and harder to unseat an incumbent. It's not a legislature, it's a club - with private membership - and membership benefits.

In Massachusetts, to run for office as a Republican you have to be absolutely filthy rich. It's a must. Because you are going to have to self-finance.

Do you want to be the bar owner with a "(Republican) for Mayor" sign in your window? What would Boss Menino and his licensing boards do your business? It's sad, it's sick and it's blatantly anti-American. But I would be scared if I owned a small business in this city and I supported an opponent of Wilkerson or Menino, or anybody else. I would literally fear for my business. The ones who don't fear for their businesses are the ones who are naive.

A local bar in my neighborhood just received unanimous neighborhood support for an entertainment license renewal. Unanimous. However, the owner has run afoul of Menino in the past, and had the audacity to have Mike Flaherty's support. So guess what? The licensing board denied him the request. Disgusting. Horrible. Anti-american. Boston.

We so badly need a Republican party in this state to be organized and have the money and wherewithall to fight these abuses. It's easy to blame the Republican national party for being out-of-touch, but the reality is that it's a fool's errand to even try to be a Republican in this state. It's not worth the millions of your own money you'd have to spend to be heard.

But let's not forget that Bill Weld was our most popular Governor. Ever! And he was a Republican. So it's possible, but the roadblocks the state democratic party has erected are enormous.

An elected official should have to fight for their political life at every election, instead, in Massachusetts, they take re-election for granted.

The Wilkerson mess will hopefully help unravel a little of the city's tightly-wound power grip, but I highly doubt it.

What a Friday rant! I must be hungover. Who do you need to bribe to get some coffee around here?
 
I represented a fraternity before the Boston Licensing Board one time. One of the under age brothers allegedly dropped a beer keg off the roof on to a cop. Missed, thank heavens.

I knew I was in trouble when everyone in the room started laughing when I outlined our defense in my opening statement. Implausible as it was, I got them off. The bad part was that afterward, in good conscience, I couldn't go to the keg party the brothers threw in my honor because the average age of the attendees was about 18.

Joe Mulligan, mentioned in Stat's link, was a real character. Big on detailed inspections and quality checks of the city's licensed establishments and their products. No glass left unturned. The first page or so of "A Civil Action" is set in the Littlest Bar, with Mulligan anchoring a bar stool. One day over there in mid-pint, I told Joe I liked his tie. He promptly undid it and gave it to me. Paid for the drinks too.
 
Chuck Turner was arrested this morning. Boston.com has the story and the affidavit. No new news in it really, but it makes you wonder who else might be going down.
 
Even our corrupt politicians are underachieving next to cities like Chicago.

"Oh, took a few grand in bribes, how quaint."

I suppose that's a good thing, but still....
 
Stop whining, at least you have a government in Boston. It often seems here that if there isn't someone from A-B or Edward Jones in your subdivision, you might as well give up hope of paved roads or street lights.

But yes, I have to say it would be nice to have a republican opposition. But not that nice.
 
Who is Edward Jones, and what does Allston-Brighton have to do with this discussion?
 
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