Sen. Berry demonstrates political candor, versatility

BOSTON – Asked what pulls him toward Massachusetts politics, an arena he has enjoyed for nearly three decades, state Sen. Fred Berry, D-Peabody, squinted with laughter as though contemplating some personal joke. “It’s a fascinating game,” he said, leaning back in a padded chair at the conference table in his spacious State House office.Berry, a lifelong Peabody resident and the Senate majority leader since 2003, suffers from cerebral palsy, but he quickly made clear that while his speech may be slurred and his fingers cramped, his thought process remains lucid as ever.”I’m my own legacy. This is the best I have felt since 1999. It has not infected my mind or my enthusiasm. So there’s no reason I can’t run,” he said, noting this is his 14th term of office in a political career that has spanned 28 years. “So I’m running again. I am, I am.”In a wide-ranging interview Thursday, Berry talked candidly about the state of Bay State politics, his opinions on gaming, taxation, the Quinn Bill, the insurance industry and what it takes to run a successful re-election campaign.”These days, the public is hard on incumbents,” he said, explaining that incumbents must not attack their opponents but simply stay to the issues.”But I have expertise and wisdom. I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain.”Afflicted with cerebral palsy since birth, Berry has been a strong proponent of those with disabilities, a throwback to his days as a mental health counselor.When the discussion turned to gambling, Berry said he does not support the contention – espoused by Gov. Deval Patrick – that gaming should be confined to resorts or destinations sited strategically to promote jobs and economic development in certain areas of the state.Unlike Berry, the governor has opposed so-called slots parlors, small gaming operations where residents can go to make wagers. According to Patrick, such establishments often leave the poor poorer and more dependent on the state.With his trademark candor, Berry said a gaming resort is merely a place where people spend their money and then go home, perhaps to lives of drinking, trouble and domestic abuse. Acknowledging that wagering can become an addictive behavior, the senator said the activity in itself cannot cause those social ills. He also called attention to the financially successful casinos in Connecticut and Rhode Island, suggesting Massachusetts could benefit likewise.Referring to the governor’s view that gaming will ruin the character of the state, he said, “It’s a hollow argument. You can go down to Lynn and get on bus for two bucks and go to Foxwoods.”Berry said Massachusetts “lost its virginity” in 1972 when it voted for a state Lottery and continued in that direction when KENO was introduced. The senator quoted former minority leader John Parker who sat on the State House floor in 1972 and declared, “We have finally found a way to tax the poor.”That just isn’t the case because the state’s poorer communities are the biggest beneficiaries of gambling revenues that are paid out in the form of local aid, Berry said.Besides, he said, “You can lose all your money playing poker on your computer.”u On the economy: “It’s not going to get any better for the next five years.”u On the workforce: “We have 9 percent unemployment. That cuts down on income tax revenue.”u On taxation: “I don’t see any new taxes on the horizon.”u On his upcoming legislative agenda: Ensure the Salem State College library gets built; correct drainage problems and revive commerce in Peabody Square; support improvements at the Essex Agricultural Institute; and assist with the acquisition of land from the Dominion energy company in Salem for use as a public ferry and cruise ship port.u On the Quinn Bill: It helped police get educated but may have opened the door to similar programs like educational incentive pay for other municipal employees.In Lynn, city employees with a master’s degree or higher receive a 25-percent increase in salary.The state’s budget crunch