Just one day, I'm going to be surprised when an elected official indicates he/she has done their homework.
The Massachusetts Gam[bl]ing Commission is seeking input to adopt a 2-step approval process.
The first step in that process would be to consider financial and background information.
How much experience does Picknelly have? Bus Company, Gambling....Oh! Yeah! I get the connection! Who will run this Urban Slot Barn? There are a host of other questions that can be asked along similar lines - you get the point. The politicians don't.
These are the same deadheads who refused to conduct an Independent Cost Analysis because they 'know it all' from having their undeserved over-sized egos stroked by Gambling Lobbyists.
Facts and information were silenced with campaign contributions.
For information about urban slot barns, look at Niagara or Atlantic City [there are 186 articles in the category, at the bottom of the page, click "Older Posts"]
Of Atlantic City -
By comparison, Toronto has more than 2.5 million citizens and saw just 45 murders in 2011.
Atlantic City officials are quick to point out close to 30 million people visit the resort town annually.
But a recent study found Atlantic City had a higher rate of violent crimes per capita than any other casino city in the U.S.
In 2010 there close to 900 violent crimes — murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults — in Atlantic City.
That’s a violent crime rate of 20.7 crimes per 1,000 people.
Another study concluded Atlantic City’s violent crime rate in 2009 was 388.9% higher than the national average.
Recently, 2 Canadian Tourists were stabbed to death in Atlantic City.
From the parking garage of the Taj Mahal where the casino refused to protect patrons, there were 2 fatal carjackings.
Has a single Bobble Headed politician who supported this legislation examined the rates of increased crime, poverty, foreclosures, personal bankruptcies, homelessness, divorces or increased SUICIDES? The Gambling Industry's DIRTY LITTLE SECRET!
Life is so much easier when you don't have to THINK!
Downtown Springfield casino could revitalize city with jobs, tourism, observers say
Friday, June 22, 2012
The Republican building at 1860 Main St., in downtown Springfield is being eyed by developers as the possible site of a casino.A casino could attract people to Springfield who otherwise would not visit the city, they said. While crime would be an issue and bankruptcies and divorce rates might increase, a casino could also improve the city if designed carefully with enough parking and traffic improvements, said the Rev. Richard McGowan, an adjunct associate professor at Boston College and author of books on gambling.
McGowan said the industry is moving to locate more casinos in downtowns such as a casino that opened in May in Cleveland and one planned to open next year in Cincinnati. Detroit and New Orleans also have downtown casinos.
"That seems to be the trend," he said.
Richard McGowanThe MGM Grand Detroit bills itself as "the first-ever Las Vegas-style destination to open in a major metropolitan core."
The dynamics of licensing a casino in Western Massachusetts may have changed on Wednesday when The Republican reported that Peter A. Picknelly, chairman and CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines, is proposing a casino for the North End of Springfield. The publisher of The Republican confirmed that two companies associated with Picknelly -- aiming to build a casino -- submitted an offer for an option to buy The Republican's Main Street building and property, as well as the newspaper's eight vacant acres on the Connecticut River.
George Arwady, Publisher and CEO of The Republican, said by e-mail on Thursday that there is no timeframe for the newspaper to respond to the offer by the companies associated with Peter Picknelly.
"We still are considering how to respond," Arwady said in the e-mail.
George Arwady"Employees of The Republican are surprised and intrigued, but they clearly understand that there is nothing in this for them to worry about," he added.
The option offer includes proposals for funds for The Republican to re-locate its offices and build a new production facility.
Peter Picknelly's brother, Paul C. Picknelly, president of Monarch Enterprises in Springfield and a hotel owner and operator, has met with several city councilors in Springfield to discuss a proposal to develop a casino in the South End of the city.
A downtown casino for Springfield might pick up more traction if one or both of the brothers announces that he has teamed up with a casino operator.
Kevin E. Kennedy, chief development officer for the city of Springfield, has said it's logical that MGM and Hard Rock International would look at Springfield for a possible casino resort. Hard Rock planned a casino for Holyoke but after being rebuffed by the mayor, said it would consider other locations in the region. MGM said it is "100 percent" committed to bringing a world-class casino to Western Massachusetts.
Heriberto FloresOpinion on a urban casino for Springfield is sharply divided, judging by comments on Masslive.com attached to the story that ran Wednesday. Many people are skeptical that it would be approved.
"If a casino is going to be built in Springfield, the newspaper and Peter Pan Bus properties are a terrific location for it. Highly visible from I-91 and I-291, in a commercial area that won't have a negative impact on neighborhoods. This would be a major tourist draw for a city that has few, and it would help boost businesses in the downtown area," said a post by spfldr99.
"To put a casino smack dab in the middle of the inner city is NOT a good move. Do we want to be another Atlantic City where the perimeter of the casino is a real populated poor area? Does Picknelly think the current problems in the North End are going to be solved with a big fancy casino?" added a post by realyst.
Cheryl Coakley-RiveraThe state's casino law authorizes up to three casino resorts including one for anywhere in Western Massachusetts.
The five-member Massachusetts Gaming Commission was created to license and regulate casinos.
Heriberto Flores, president of the New England Farm Workers Council in Springfield, which he said owns seven buildings in the area of Main, Hampden and Fort streets in downtown Springfield, said he is considering proposals for a downtown casino. Flores said he wants to make sure that any proposal makes sense to the council and is in the best interests of residents.
Flores said he would like to put the agency's downtown contiguous buildings into the casino mix.
Flores said it's a good sign when a company wants to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Springfield.
"It's another industry," he said. "It will create jobs."
Supporters are generally optimistic about a casino in the commercial heart of Springfield, saying it could boost tourism, provide thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in taxes.
If a casino is going to be in Springfield, there's no question "the strongest location" is the downtown, said Rep. Sean F. Curran, a Springfield Democrat whose district includes the site for a casino off Page Boulevard. "If you put $500 million into downtown Springfield, it could go a long way to bring more vibrancy to the area,' said Curran.
But Rep. Angelo J. Puppolo, a Springfield Democrat,said an inner-city casino would be more vulnerable to problems such as crime. Puppolo said he doubts that people would feel comfortable going to a casino in downtown Springfield.
"I'd certainly be very, very cautious about putting a casino in a downtown urban setting," said Puppolo, who is supporting the Mohegan Sun's plans for a casino on 150 acres on a hill off Exit 8 of the Massachusetts Turnpike because he said it would be more a destination resort.
Puppolo said the city of Springfield could work out an agreement with Palmer and the Mohegan Sun to assure that the city benefits with jobs and economic development from a casino in Palmer.
Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, a Springfield Democrat whose district includes the North and South ends of Springfield, said she is going to reserve her opinion on a downtown casino. She said she has seen no concrete plans.
Coakley-Rivera said the residential areas in the north and south ends have some of the highest rates of poverty in the state.
"It's exciting that people are looking into purchasing land and developing land in Springfield," she said. "It's all about making Springfield a better place to live, a more viable place to live and putting people who live there to work."
City Councilor Kateri B. Walsh said she believed a referendum for a casino would be approved in Springfield.
She said she likes the idea of a downtown casino depending on how it is done.
http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/06/a_downtown_casino_in_springfie.html
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