A politician behaving badly.

This is certainly not a new phenomenon here or anywhere, but it still needs pointing out whenever and wherever. I’ll leave it to others to comment on the exploits of public figures from other areas, but I can’t help it when it happens in my town.

State Senator Anthony Galluccio’s latest traffic dust-up is a case in point. This is the fourth incident of this nature that has come to light so far. According to news reports, his record of alcohol related traffic incidents goes back at least twenty five years. This is a long time, more than sufficient to grow up and adopt a responsible way to live your life. I don’t mind if a person has a few. Unless their judgment gets washed away and they become a danger to innocent bystanders. That is a problem. There are plenty of ways to deal with this. The taxi, the MBTA, sensible shoes, designated drivers, staying home, staying sober if you are going to drive. It aint rocket science.

According to the Boston Globe, a Cambridge police spokesman did not know if alcohol was involved in this incident because Senator Galluccio was interviewed the next day. After he was informed by telephone that his license number had been reported by the victims. If he wasn’t under the influence, and still fled the scene, then how can anyone think that he has the capacity to make a responsible decision ever? If he was drunk, then he made a very shrewd choice. Flee the scene of the crime and let time and his metabolism destroy the evidence. If he was really smart, he would have had a drink after the fact, with witnesses to testify that any booze was consumed after the crash. To calm the nerves of course.

There are a ton of questions that the citizens of Cambridge and his district deserve the answers to. If the Cambridge police had his plate number, why weren’t they waiting for him at home? Was he watching the Patriots game and drinking before the crash as circumstances and several people have suggested? Where was he, who was he with, and what are their statements? Who are the victims and what are their statements? When did the police contact Senator Galluccio? What is his statement? Why was he contacted by telephone instead of being picked up, and who made that decision? I call on the Cambridge Police Department release this information.

Repeated, and escalating bad behavior over decades that has lead to injury of innocents is clear evidence of dangerous irresponsibility. Something has to change. We don’t want a Bill Janklow type incident here.

Photo courtesy of The Alewife. Under Creative Commons license.