Plan for growth: 'It's going to start with education'

When it comes to boosting the Massachusetts economy, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly has a wide menu of plans in mind.

Better public schools and colleges producing more engineers and nurses. Streamlining and consolidating some of the 15 state agencies involved in promoting economic development. Holding down workers' compensation insurance rates. Saving consumers millions by allowing importation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. And possibly welcoming a casino or two, as well.

Reilly, a Democrat running for governor, says in an interview shown today on New England Cable News's ``This Week in Business" program that his mind is far from made up but he would consider allowing casinos or slot machine parlors in the Bay State.

``People in Massachusetts are already gambling and going to casinos and using slot machines. The problem is they're doing it in Rhode Island and Connecticut," Reilly said. ``They're already spending the money. I'm not sure we want to be losing it from Massachusetts."

As a result, Reilly said he is ``open" on the question of whether casinos should be allowed here. ``If we're going to go down that road, there's a right way to do it," Reilly said, which would include convening a task force to consider the complete ``cost-benefit analysis." That includes factoring in the social costs of compulsive gambling and the effects casinos -- which typically offer cheap or free drinks and food to entice gamblers -- have on the surrounding economy.

Reilly is appearing today at 12:30 p.m. with NECN anchor Mike Nikitas , show co-host Paul Guzzi , who is the president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce , and Globe columnist Steve Bailey. His two rivals for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, venture capitalist Christopher F. Gabrieli and businessman and lawyer Deval L. Patrick , appeared on the same show last month.

Reilly, 64, a Springfield native, is a former Middlesex County district attorney who is serving his second term as the state's top law enforcement officer. His private-sector experience includes setting up a Boston law firm in the 1970s with his longtime friend Wayne A. Budd , a former US attorney.

Were he elected governor, Reilly said, the best move he could make to help the economy would be improving public education at all levels. ``It's going to start with education, education, education, and commitment to the public schools," Reilly said.

``We're an innovation economy and an innovation state, and we have to make sure our public schools and colleges are closely aligned with the workplace needs of the state," Reilly said. That includes drawing more state college students into nursing and engineering programs, two areas where Massachusetts needs more skilled workers, he said.

Life sciences and biotechnology companies are another key industry Reilly said he wants to promote. But pressed by Guzzi on how he would square that commitment with his pledge to fight for more Canadian pharmaceutical importation -- something life sciences companies staunchly oppose as a threat to their business and shareholders -- Reilly struck a populist note.

His message to Bay State life sciences companies concerned about Canadian drugs, Reilly said, would be that ``I will work with you, but I'm not going to lose sight of the people in this state who are struggling, the people who are caught in the middle and have no other voice. They have a voice in their attorney general, and they will have a voice in their governor."

``I don't see reimportation" from Canada ``as the final solution, but it forces the issue and will begin to get the federal government to pay attention" to out-of-control costs for prescription drugs, he said.

Since the July 10 Big Dig tunnel ceiling collapse that killed Milena Del Valle of Jamaica Plain, Reilly has faced much criticism that he failed in seven years as attorney general to crack down on shoddy construction and budget overruns by Big Dig contractors.

Despite bringing indictments against a demolition contractor for environmental violations and a concrete company for delivering sub-standard concrete, Reilly admitted his office has made little headway holding accountable the main project management consultant, Bechtel Corp., which has run the Big Dig in a joint venture with the engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff .

``It has been difficult, no doubt about it, because of the long relationship Bechtel has had with Republican administrations over 16 years, which has pretty much insulated Bechtel," Reilly said.

He said his office continues to pursue possible criminal or civil charges against Big Dig firms over design and construction failures and is plowing through 50,000 to 60,000 project documents.

``We're making progress, considerable progress," Reilly said, but added: ``There's no real timetable, other than to get to the bottom of it."

Peter J. Howe can be reached at howe@globe.com.