Thrown To The Dogs, Er, The Voters

You may remember that eight years ago, voters in the Commonwealth narrowly defeated an initiative to ban dog racing here. Some folks who like dogs tried to place a similar initiative on the ballot in 2006. In response, some folks who like dogs, but especially when they're chasing a mechanical lure and running really fast, sued and got that initiative stricken from the ballot.

The people who like dogs as a general matter tried to get another initiative on the ballot this year. In response, the people who like dogs that chase mechanical lures sued again to keep the initiative off the ballot. Today in Carney v. Attorney General, SJC No. 10158, the SJC ruled for the people who like dogs as a general matter.

So we get to vote on dog racing this fall. Suggestion: let's just flip a coin and then have the people on each side of the issue donate the money they would have spent on consultants, mail, and advertising to nonprofits that help low-income kids in Revere (or Lynn or Chelsea or Everett, for that matter).