Lie Of the Year?
We have our first nominee, and it’ll be hard to beat.
Ginger Gibson, in today’s News-Journal, reported on how Delaware Park maxed out on political contributions to well over half the members of the Delaware General Assembly. Many of those contributions came right around the time that the existing racinos “beat back proposals to increase the number of casinos and allow sports betting at new locations.”
Which brings me to the first legitimate contender for Lie of the Year.
But first, in the interest of fairness, I want each and every one of you to set aside your skepticism and/or cynicism for just a moment. Please consider with an open mind the possibility, no matter how remote, that the following statement about the contributions just might be true.
From William Fasy, COO of Delaware Park, and noted altruist, especially when it comes to legislators:
“We donate to campaigns because we understand the difficult jobs legislators face and believe it is the right thing to do,” Fasy said. “We don’t expect anything in return.”
Bill Fasy recognizes the extraordinary pressures that legislators face in padding their second, third, or fourth pensions. He realizes that it’s tough to maintain that second home in Fenwick, create the facade that one still lives in the District that elected them, and even travel back to the home district on rare occasion, on a mere two pensions and a legislator’s salary.
One wonders whether Fasy and his casino cohorts donate $600 to each degenerate gambling addict who loses all at their racinos. One wonders just how many of those degenerates the racinos turn away (or towards Gamblers’ Anonymous) while they still have one last nickel in their pockets. Actually, one doesn’t wonder at all.
“The difficult jobs that legislators face”?? What Fasy really means is the difficult job of making the ‘right’ decisions for the racino industry. Which may or may not have anything in common with the public’s interest. After all, isn’t it more difficult for challengers to raise money? Where is DelPark’s charitable instinct to help them?
As Gibson’s article pointed out, in addition to contributions from Delaware Park, several legislators also got contributions from the Delaware Standardbred Owners Association, and from the notorious Byrd and Davis lobbying shops, who number the tracks among their clients. And that doesn’t even include personal contributions from high-ranking racino officials. All merely to help those overworked public officials with their difficult jobs.
Almost as big a lie as Fasy’s is the by-now standard response from legislators. Dick Cathcart said it, but it might as well have been spoken by all legislative recipients in unison:
I get a check from them every year,” House Minority Leader Richard Cathcart, R-Middletown, said of the Delaware Park contribution. “I don’t think there is any connection with the vote.” Cathcart brokered the deal that got sports betting enacted and, with support of the casinos, legalized table games. He has opposed proposals to authorize new casinos.
Yep, to paraphrase Don Tollefson, Cathcart just gets the annual check because he’s a gooo-ooo-d guy. And an elected official with lots of clout.
Ladies and gentlemen: Your Delaware General Assembly. And the lying liars who enable them.
Tags: Campaign Finance, General Assembly, Racinos
Guess who is a big sponsor of Celia Cohen’s Grapevine?
Btw great blogging and kudos to Gibson for getting that knee slapped from Fasy in print.
Dear El-Som: It’s the News Journal, not the News-Journal. Please snap out of the ’80s.
I never really have gotten over the Reagan Years.
BTW, didja know that Michael Jackson took “Bubbles the Chimp” with him to meet the Mayor of Osaka? That was also in the ’80’s, I believe.
I … did not know that. But thank you for enhancing my education.
“Bubbles the Chimp” was Jackson’s nicjname for George H W Bush.
this seems like the kind of guy that would be all in for health care for everyone and higher tax rates for the rich. He almost sounds like a socialist that wants to spread the wealth around.
I wonder if he plans on giving all his money to other hard working folks around the state that have no influence on his business?
What a fella. I envy…no I’m flat out jealous of his charity
El Som – you got this all wrong. It’s all a simple coincidence. Really. Just ask Charlie Copland.
Where does McBride live? You brought it up.
Has anyone ever noticed that getting something in return for the donations is always the furthest thing from their minds.
I’m very dishearten that El Som has chosen to continue with the falsehoods contained in the News Journal story without really checking out the facts. Does he want Honorable Mention for spreading the “Lie of the Year”?
Here are the facts: I only own one home – the same one I’ve lived in for 22 yrs, located on the same street I’ve lived for over 30 yrs. Secondly, I only receive one pension – the one I earned for serving our state and nation as a member of the military for over 36 years.
If El Som took the time to look at my voting record, he would have found that I have not voted favorably on any gambling legislation, including poker for firehouses or bingo for churches. My position on gambling is well known by almost everyone in Legislative Hall including the members of my caucus. So why did Delaware Park make a contribution to my campaign? I don’t know – maybe they really think I’m a good guy! In fact, I didn’t realize they did contribute until I looked it up after the story appeared in the News Journal. Because to me there is no link between campaign contributions I receive and what I do as a legislator. It never enters my mind – I probably couldn’t tell you six names of people who contributed to my campaign. I find that the most difficult thing being a legistors is asking people for money. I’m embarrassed to ask family and friends year after year. I wish we had public funding – but we don’t! Of course, we could just let the rich be the only ones to represent us and run our government. Don’t we have too much of that now!!!
Again, this year I made a contribution to the Compulsive Gamblers organization – did you El Som?
Be careful went painting with that broad bush El Som – you might just slop some of the garbage your spreading all over yourself!
Did El Som mention Earl Jaques?
“I didn’t realize they did contribute until I looked it up after the story appeared in the News Journal.”
So you don’t check your own campaign contributions???
I call BS.
El Som did not mention Earl Jaques, but he did paint with a broad brush as charged. However if the shoe does not fit, then perhaps Rep. Jaques should not put it on.
No, nowhere in that article. My only recent mention of Rep. Jaques was in praising him for casting the only vote against putting a lobbyist on the Hospital Infection Control Board. I took the time to positively single him out for being the only person to go against the Delaware Way. Rep. Jaques would do well to not read selectively, and to not take broad statements about a body as a whole personally.
Maybe Jaques IS one of the good guys. Time will tell.
Doesn’t in any way alter my point that, in general, this institutionalized corruption defines the Delaware Way.
“Did El Som mention Earl Jaques?”
Or make note of how many houses he owns? WTF?
I’m confused by Rep. Jacques comment – did he take money from Delaware Park? If he did, and voted against them, then good for him, but don’t try to tell me that political contributions have absolutely no consequence. I’m not that naive.
You want to know why everyone is rolling their eyes in complete non-surprise upon hearing that Delaware Park maxed out contributions to legislators? It’s because legislators just dismissed their own report that Delaware could have more casinos for reasons that weren’t clear at all.
Rep. Jaques is one of the good guys–so far. He has been an absolute pleasure and aid in helping w/ school district/development issues and legislation. Very engaged and responsive to the difficult and entwined problems of district growth and educational issues. He has truly distinguished himself as a public servant in short order for us “down here”, and it is appreciated. I truly believe him if he says he doesn’t know who gives at times. Remember, there are groups who just cut checks to all candidates as to not be asked, and to not offend. I would imagine racing money in this state is big enough to be able to do that. If I remember MBNA did the same thing a few years back. Your treasurer enters and tallies those things, so you may not see it–until a later review if ever.