Back to Connecticut, Dirty Gamblers

The House, as expected, but the stake through Gov. Deval Patrick's casino plans yesterday, dismissing it easily, 108-46.

While Patrick's plan was flawed in many ways -- three casinos seem too many, and the in-town Boston idea was just a bad, bad idea -- the idea of casinos in Massachusetts just make too much sense. But instead of moving forward with plans here, hundred of millions of dollars will continue to go over the boarder into the Connecticut. But that's not important now, because industries that can generate nine figures for the state are all over the place.

Enough of the sour grapes. Interestingly, local House guy Steve DiNatale manned up and voted for casinos, probably earning him some measure of scorn out of the Speaker's Office. And he wasn't alone locally. Flanagan, Rice, Evangelidis, Naughton, and a bunch of others from Central Mass bucked the speaker and voted for a casino. 10 in all from Central and North Central Mass. The only region with more was the South Shore, where they understand this was chance to make the state some money, and not just have the Mashpee Wampanoags keep it all (OK, maybe some more sour grapes, whatever).

To read more about this little phenomenon, and to check out a Google map that show's where all the pro-casino votes came from, head on over too... the Fitchburg Pride website. As if you had to guess.