Patrick's party

IN HIS CAMPAIGN for governor, Deval Patrick promised to increase participation by all Massachusetts residents in the civic life of the state. It is a misstep, however, to allow major corporations and political interest groups to contribute up to $50,000 each to pay for his inaugural festivities. Whether fairly or not, accepting such largesse sends a message that contributors will be first in line to get the new governor's attention as he deals with issues that involve their interests.

Patrick is right to want to expand the inaugural activities to venues away from Boston. Citizens all over Massachusetts deserve to feel connected to his administration. But the genius of Patrick's candidacy was that he was able to tap into the activism of 28,000 people and adequately finance his campaign even under the stringent laws of the state, which limit individual donations to a maximum of $500 a year. The same practice ought to apply to the inaugural celebrations.

Patrick's team is able to get around the campaign finance law by setting up a separate committee to handle the inaugural events, just as Governor Romney did four years ago. Corporations are free to contribute directly, which they cannot do in regular political campaigns. A separate committee has the advantage of being able to generate large amounts of money quickly, but it is naive to think companies are contributing large sums of money solely out of altruism.

Patrick has indirectly acknowledged the political import of these donations by ruling out any from Big Dig contractors, and tobacco, firearms, and gambling interests. But what about all the other enterprises whose workings are affected by state government?

A tentative schedule for the inaugural was released last week, and showed events on the North Shore and in Worcester, Pittsfield, Springfield, Cape Cod, and Fall River-New Bedford, along with a special celebration for young people. An inaugural gala will be held in Boston as well, and there's talk of an event at the Museum of Fine Arts. The regional events are fine, but Patrick ought to go easy on the pomp in Boston. A little frugality will reduce the need for $50,000 donations.

Patrick's promise as a candidate, and a large measure of his success, was the belief that he would bring a culture change to Beacon Hill. "We built up the grassroots to govern in a whole new way," he said in his victory speech, "to make change real, and lasting, and meaningful." A $1.5 million inaugural is symbolic, to be sure, but it is not in the spirit of the values Patrick espoused as a candidate.

Patrick stressed his independence from special interests during his historic campaign for governor. He should not let them elbow their way in as electioneering gives way to governing.