It's nothing personal, just hardball politics — that's how several Boston city councilors viewed Mayor Martin J. Walsh's decision to call out state gaming czar Stephen Crosby this week, pressuring him to step down from deliberations over who gets the eastern Massachusetts casino license.
"I'm not aware of any bad blood between Walsh and Crosby, but having worked with (the city law department), they always felt the Gaming Commission has not been fair to the city of Boston," said Councilor Sal LaMattina of East Boston. "I've told the commissioner himself that I'm frustrated with how the commission has treated Boston, and not allowing us to be a host community."
City Councilor Michael Flaherty said he was not aware of any prior dust-ups between the mayor, a former state rep, and Crosby when both men served on Beacon Hill. Crosby was secretary of administration and finance under governors Paul Cellucci and Jane M. Swift.
"Marty, as the CEO of the city, has a responsibility to fight for the best deal for Boston, particularly for the impacted communities of East Boston or Charlestown, and the City Council supports his efforts," Flaherty said.
Boston is demanding host community status to proposed casinos on its borders in Revere and Everett, and has rebuffed offers from the commission to hold a hearing to decide the matter. Walsh has called for votes in East Boston and Charlestown on the Mohegan Sun-Suffolk Downs and Wynn Resorts projects because of the impacts Boston would face despite the gaming parlors not being within city limits.
In a letter to the commission Thursday calling on Crosby to remove himself from the greater Boston casino vote, a city lawyer accused the chairman of making "prejudicial" statements critical of the city for asserting its host status. It also cited a lawsuit against Crosby by Caesars Entertainment that claims he favored the Wynn casino proposal that would be built on property in Everett owned in part by Crosby's former business partner.
"I think emotions are running high, probably higher than is warranted. The chairman is a good man. The mayor is a good man. And we want a good solution," Gov. Deval Patrick said yesterday. "I wish there was, frankly, kind of a cooling-off period, and there are days when I wish that they would start over."
Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Gaming Commission, said Crosby has no plans of recusing himself. "At this point, the chairman will be continuing with his participation," she told the Herald, declining to discuss the matter further.
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