Gov. Patrick got into the swing of the recession yesterday, signing a law that costs nothing and will (maybe) make us feel better about not taking the Caribbean vacations we can’t afford. The law establishes a commission to designate "1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts" – spots we and out-of-state tourists might not realize we are missing. Rep. Eric Turkington (D-Falmouth), chairman of the Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development and the bill’s sponsor, says the commission will “let people in Massachusetts and everywhere in the world know what treasures we have."
So 1,000 places will get a designation that Turkington hopes will “enhance their visibility and their self-esteem.” (He names the Higgins Armory in Worcester as a personal pick, but says the committee will cast a wide net.) Meanwhile, a lot of places not yet in existence are jostling over what is, arguably, a much bigger, and more concrete prize: a piece of Obama’s proposed economic stimulus plan. The Globe today reported that Patrick plans to funnel a huge chunk of the stimulus into private development. So, to consider the two initiatives side-by-side: public entities like museums get an amorphous designation (which may or may not include an actual plaque); Massachusetts residents may or may not get a self-esteem boost from knowing a nearby 17th-century building is officially “great”; and private developers get a significant investment of public funds. Of course, the developers may get money and bragging rights: Turkington says the commission hasn’t decided whether to designate all 1,000 places at the get-go, or save a few hundred slots for great places-yet-to-be-built.