Maine Gets It!

Community won't benefit
By Susan Dorman
Published Oct 10, 2010

Looking at the wording of Question 1, the vote to allow a casino in Oxford County, I don't see the following in the initiative:

No mandate that jobs are to be given to locals or current Maine residents. Without that, there is no guarantee workers won't be rotated into and out of the community on temporary visas.

No stipulation that gambling losses for Mainers will be tax deductible. The corporation running the casino can benefit only by gambling losses to individuals, so it makes sense to protect both individuals and the state that way. Wording should include that the corporation make up the deficit to the state from such loss deductions.

No stipulation for the casino owners to help individuals in the local area suffering from gambling addiction. The community as a whole would suffer from the associated costs.

What are the benefits for local small businesses with the casino's proposed accompanying hotel and restaurants?

Another idea would be to cater as a tourist destination to bicyclists. Maine is not a bicycle-friendly state, although, with its currently low crime rate, it should be. Small businesses would benefit if secondary roads had paved shoulders; if defunct rail beds were paved bike paths; and if there were easements provided for bicycling on private land. Even locals and their children would get around on bikes safely, saving on gas.

We need Maine to be "Bicycle Land," not "Gambling Land."

Susan Dorman, Bethel