Somerville reps on casino plans:No Dice!

By George P. Hassett

Governor Deval Patrick’s proposal to build three casinos in different regions of the state could saturate the area with gambling, cut into existing lottery revenues and irreparably damage the state’s historic charm, according to two Somerville legislators who oppose the measure. 

State Representatives Carl M. Sciortino, D-Somerville, and Denise Provost, D-Somerville, both said they are skeptical of Patrick’s promise that casinos in the state will generate 20,000 new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenues annually.   

Sciortino said legalizing gaming may create new jobs within the casinos but could also shut down the surrounding businesses because of traffic congestion. Provost said new gambling options will likely cut into lottery spending, which goes directly to cities and towns. And filling Massachusetts with casinos will harm its reputation as a tourist attraction for visitors seeking cultural and historic landmarks, she said.

“If we start building casinos everywhere we may be taking away from New England’s traditional image and charm. Folks may start going to Vermont or Maine to get the real thing if they can’t get it here. It will not be all pure winnings. We have to look at the losses as well as the gains,” she said.
Patrick has said his authorization of three resort casinos is an important part of a strategy to strengthen the state’s economy and create new jobs. “Done the right way, destination resort casinos can play a useful part, along with other initiatives in life sciences, renewable energy and education reform, in providing our Commonwealth with sustainable, long-term economic growth,” he said in a statement.

Patrick announced Monday he would recommend the state sell three licenses for hotel casinos. He suggested the casinos be licensed in three regions: Southeastern Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts, and an area that includes Boston and points north. His announcement came after months of studying the issue privately.

A fourth casino could eventually end up in the state if the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian tribe fails to outbid other competitors for its plans for a resort-style casino in Middleborough. If the tribe does not receive a license, it could still go through a federal approval process for its casino, Provost said.

Sciortino said he believes New England will reach a saturation point with three new casinos in Massachusetts and the two existing ones in Connecticut. “People will not be coming from out of state for these casinos. The money generated will be coming out of Massachusetts residents pockets,” he said.

The state Legislature will have to approve Patrick’s plan if it is to move forward. In a statement released Monday, Patrick said the money casinos are expected to generate is vital to repairing the state’s roads and bridges and providing cities and towns with property tax relief. However, Provost said last year the House refused to support slot machines in racetracks, a sign the Legislature may not welcome three new casinos in the state.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone called the allure of new money from legalized gaming “fool’s gold” this week. He said he would rather see the legislature pass Patrick’s municipal partnership act which would increase state aid to cities and towns through a variety of measures, including closing corporate tax loopholes.

“When I initially endorsed Governor Patrick I envisioned the new industries he would build for the state to be in the life sciences and bio-tech fields, not three casinos,” he said.    

Comments

[Roll the dice for local aid!]

This governor is a nightmare and has been so since day one! It's too bad more people couldn't see through his 'folksy charm', one liners and sound bites - 'Yes we can' gamble away our childrens' futures! Thanks Denise for pointing out what noone else has yet said....that the Wampanoag casino would be the 4th in the state and not one of the 3 as Patrick has inferred. Casinos are not drugstores you don't need one on every corner. Oh and by the way, by Western Mass, the governor is proposing Springfield. How about the Berkshires where he spends his summers? One look at Atlantic City tells you that all of the supposed benefits are pie in the sky, and don't come to fruition? Who exactly has Patrick sold out to to even propose such a plan? And by the way, we already pay excise tax and gas tax and tolls to pay for upkeep of the roads, where is that money going? It's time that Democrats started looking at making some much needed cuts, instead of always looking for these bizarre schemes to continue to fund their waste!

[Somerville Taxes]

I know this blog does not like links to other websites. But this website is a government website that will inform any Somerville resident that wants to know about Taxes in Somerville.

http://www.mass.gov/Ador/docs/dls/mdmstuf/aag/aag274.doc

If it is deleted, then I think a lot of people will remain clueless.

[Sal's Pals]

Well well well, it seems like our state delagation of representatives has figured it out after tripping over each other to back Deval Patrick. The person they need to Really be friends with is Sal DeMasi, the house speaker. Sal is lukewarm at best to this whole casino thing, which is going to be a major boondoggle for the state if it happens. Denise knows which side her bread is buttered on. If she was to take sides with the governor and go against the speaker, she would be consigned to the same broom closet office under the stairs in the cellar that her predecessor was. Same goes for Scortino and Toomey. I hear CLT or some organization is trying to get the question on the ballot again to eliminate the state income tax. It almost passed last time. This most recent spate of raising pikes tolls and bridge tolls and gas taxes will probably get people to vote the thing in this time. Then there will be a Real crisis and they'll have to cut spending.

[Hasnt Ben Sober]

Somerville Reps need to do a "Reality Check" and open their minds to the fact that people are always going to gamble and now the opportunity to unite as elected officials and totally support the " Coupe deVal" proposal and watch all that Mass Gamble money fill the commonwealth's coffers and let the infastructure upgrades (roads and bridges) begin also earmark a large number to property tax relief which is long over due....and so on ans on and on

[jehlen misses votes! Read yesterdays boston herald]

I wish the Somerville News would do some research into yesterday's Boston Herald article that mentioned our local State Senator "Patricia Jehlen" as missing the most amount of VOTES as a State Senator. If the Senators from the South Shore, North Shore, and the Western part of the state can attend meeting to vote, WHY CAN'T JEHLEN! What a waste of a vote! This should be a serious issue to research.

[Jehlen=nice+useless Which gets you Nowhere!]

I am suprised that nobody has mentiond the article thus far! Lets face the facts; Pat Jehlen is a nice lady, but outright USELESS!

[What?]

I agree with the 'outright useless' part, but not the first part!!

[voting for jehlen was a mistake]

Voting for pat was a mistake! There's no excuse for missing that many Senate votes. I am suprised this hasn't hit the local papers. I voted for pat, but never again!