REP. KEIKO ORRALL SEEKS ANSWERS TO EXPLAIN COSTLY LOTTERY MOVE
BOSTON ??? Rep Keiko Orrall, a candidate for State Treasurer, ??has formally requested the Lottery Commission provide the analysis used to rationalize the expensive relocation of its headquarters to Boston and split its executive suites from other Lottery operations located in Braintree for over 20 years.
To date, only two things are clear about the move: State Treasurer Deb Goldberg???s public explanation falls apart under scrutiny and the taxpayers will end up paying significantly more.
???The current Treasurer wants us to look the other way while she orchestrates the expensive move of the Lottery???s executive offices that will end up costing taxpayers millions more. ??
The Lottery should be run with total transparency, but so far, all the public has seen from the Lottery Commission is closed-door meetings.
You can bet I would protect every nickel of Lottery revenue and guard against waste so that we can return the maximum amount of profits in the form of aid to our cities and towns,??? said Orrall, the first Asian-American candidate for statewide office in Massachusetts and a four-term state representative from Lakeville.
At a meeting of the Lottery Commission yesterday, Orrall pressed for the release of a cost analysis, to which one commissioner, in defense of Goldberg, stated, ???the public process of issuing the request for proposals was done after a very significant analytical process was engaged in.???
Because no cost analysis was released at or after the meeting, the Orrall campaign filed a public records request to receive the alleged documentation.
To date, the public only knows the Lottery is increasing the amount it spends on leases. According to the March 27th Boston Globe, ???Lottery Executive Director, Michael Sweeney admits the move will be costly. ??????The cost is significantly higher than the old lease.??????
The reasoning behind the move has not been satisfactorily explained. The Patriot Ledger reported on March 27th, ???Goldberg said the average age of Lottery employees is ???quite high??? and the commute to Braintree has been an impediment to recruiting younger staff.??? However, figures obtained by the Orrall campaign from the Lottery show an average of 166 applications were submitted per job opening that was externally posted for the Braintree office over a 15 month period.
???Apparently, the current Treasurer is defending this expensive move by saying the Lottery wants younger workers in place of older ones. Putting aside her offensive comment for the moment, we know the Lottery has no problem attracting job applicants, and we know the move will significantly increase costs. What we don???t know is why she is pushing for this,??? said Orrall.