Most Corrupt Legislative Process in America on Display in Massachusetts

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance (MassFiscal) made the following statement today in response to Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, Minority Leaders Brad Jones and Bruce Tarr’s handling of the end of the legislative session.

Under the leadership of former Speaker Robert DeLeo, Speaker Ron Mariano, and Senate President Karen Spilka, the Massachusetts legislature has sunk to an all-time low. They gave themselves automatic pay raises during one of the greatest social and economic crises in a generation. They handed over the Speaker’s gavel without holding an openly contested election and failed to resurrect term limits to the overly powerful position. They extended the legislative session until after the election, a delay of 159 days, and saved almost all controversial votes to be taken until after the voters already went to the polls. In an attempt to ram through controversial legislation, they disregarded all of their own good government rules and met late into the night, depriving the public of any chance of watching or understanding what was being voted on.

“Don’t let them fool you into thinking they are martyrs, doing the peoples’ work long into the night because they care so much. They are simply lazy and devious politicians who can’t get their act together,” stated Paul Diego Craney, spokesman of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

“For those of us who care about good government and transparency, it is safe to say Senate President Spilka and Speaker Mariano run the most corrupt legislative process in America, while the leadership of the minority party chooses to look away,” concluded Craney.