[Little Bill]

In the old day's, I don't think it has changed. You made a "on top contribution" to the local pols Bag Man, say $250 bucks. If you wanted something you went on the pad or paper for say $500+ the $250.

But and this is very important you needed a second person to verify the $500 under. Moakley, according to unnamed friends, kept a note book.

[maryz]

I didn’t know that! At least I didn’t know the specifics. I did, of course, assume that paying off the politicians was just a cost of doing business in MA. (Which is why I just yawned over Big Dig contractors “donating” to the pols — if they hadn’t, they wouldn’t have been Big Dig contractors!)

I always thought Moakley was relatively honest, though, at least for a MA pol. I thought I read in the papers when he died that his estate consisted largely of his house — one of those nice big ones along the beach, to be sure — and nice at least until he redecorated (or whatever he’d call it), making it into a world-class eyesore!