Gambling it all away

Gambling it all away

If you think that legalizing casinos in Massachusetts will create the "good" jobs that proponents claim they will, you need to read the report that Spectrum Gaming Group prepared for Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell a few years ago. It showed that 49.4% of Mohegan Sun employees were paid less than $23,504 per year (with just 13.3% earning over $36,700 per year). The numbers at Foxwoods were similar: 44.1% of Foxwoods employees earned less than $26,185 (with just 16.2% earning over $28,930 per year).

Oddly, the company that was hired to prepare the report on gambling for Massachusetts (Spectrum Gaming Group) is the SAME company that prepared the above information for Connecticut. They either just "forgot" to include the above wage information when preparing the report supporting legalized gambling in Massachusetts -- or they weren't asked to include it. They "forgot" to include other negatives, too.

Before the taxpayers of Massachusetts get stuck with the bill for failed casinos (see proposals in Nevada and New Jersey), we deserve to know the facts -- pro and con -- that can only be found in an independent, non-partisan study -- not one prepared by a company whose purpose (and profits) depend solely upon the existence of legalized gambling.

I've spoken to several of our legislators and I was shocked to learn that NOT ONE OF THEM had spent ANY time reading the studies (like the enlightening study from New Hampshire which was conducted by independent researchers -- and not by industry insiders). That study concluded that pro-gambling reports prepared by firms with a vested interest in legalized gambling significantly underestimate the real costs to cities, towns and taxpayers -- and it spells out why.

The citizens of Massachusetts deserve better. This permanent change to the laws of Massachusetts should not be made as a knee-jerk reaction to current economic conditions or for political gain (or profit). And it certainly shouldn't stick Massachusetts citizens and taxpayers with the tab while casino operators and supporters make out like bandits.

As leaders of the people of Massachusetts, our elected representatives have the responsibility to do what is right. Before putting every current and future citizen of the Commonwealth on the line for the unanticipated effects of this major change, they should thoroughly conduct and review research and demand truthful responses to unanswered questions. That's just the reasonable, and prudent, thing to do.

The decision on casinos will have an effect on State of Massachusetts and her citizens for all-time.

Will we be able to say, years down the road -- and in a future context, that our decision was the right one?