Governor faults DiMasi in casino debate

Governor Deval Patrick said yesterday that House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi did not allow the "honest and open debate" he promised he would give the governor's proposal to build casinos in Massachusetts.

In an e-mail sent yesterday to his supporters, some of whom were disappointed with the political capital the governor used to pursue casinos, Patrick said the state missed a chance to discuss the Commonwealth's shaky economy and figure out ways to generate new revenue.

"Without a full debate, ideas go unheard, compromises cannot be reached, and solutions disappear," Patrick wrote.

The e-mail also attempted to put the focus on other issues.

"The ideas we've put forth in the life sciences, clean energy, the proposal to close corporate loopholes . . . are good government solutions - examples of what we can do when we work together," he wrote, according to a posting on the liberal blog Blue Mass Group.

"But our best solutions on how to grow the economy, provide good jobs at good wages, and provide property tax relief for communities and residents are needed today."

Patrick estimated that his plan to legalize casino gambling would have brought 20,000 permanent jobs and at least $400 million in annual revenue, which would have been divided between transportation projects and property tax relief.

But DiMasi, who has insisted there was an open debate and who allowed the issue to reach the House floor, remained opposed to the plan. Last week, the speaker helped engineer a massive legislative defeat of what had been one of the governor's signature proposals for economic development.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.