Senator Pacheco was a prime Casino Cheerleader, having consumed too much Casino KoolAid to view the process with well-deserved skepticism and insist on corrections in the legislation.
It wasn't until communities that ignored this legislation suddenly awakened and realized they got screwed that this has become an issue. Sleeping on the job!
This is a no-win for Senator Pacheco and it's time to replace him for his failures in office. Surely the Gambling Industry will reward him with a no-show job for his dedication. [Wonder what will happen to that job when voters REPEAL THE CASINO DEAL, just as they eliminated greyhound racing?]
Sen. Marc Pacheco writes to Gov. Patrick on casino, abutter mitigation
Taunton —
State Sen. Marc Pacheco, a supporter of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s proposal to build a casino in East Taunton, has sent a letter to Gov. Deval Patrick urging him to guarantee mitigation for abutting communities as the state and tribe work to negotiate a gambling compact.
“As the tribal gaming legislation is silent on specific community or abutter mitigation, I would hope the tribal-state gaming compact will resolve these issues,” the Taunton Democrat wrote in a June 13 letter to Patrick. “At a minimum, the contiguous communities to a host community should be afforded the same mitigation options as direct abutters to the commercially proposed casinos.”
How far does HOPE go, Senator????
A Patrick administration spokesman indicated that the concerns of neighboring communities will be taken into account.
“We share the Senator’s concern for Taunton and the surrounding communities,” Jason Lefferts, a spokesman for the state’s Office of Housing and Economic Development, said in an email to the Taunton Daily Gazette. “Improving the quality of life in host communities and surrounding areas, while generating new economic development opportunities, are priorities in both the Expanded Gaming Act and in ongoing tribal compact negotiations. We are committed to finalizing an agreement with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe that is consistent with those priorities and benefits the entire region.”
Mashpee Wampanoag Chairman Cedric Cromwell said the tribe anticipates working with other communities in the region.
“We’re excited about the progress we are making on our destination resort casino in Taunton, which will provide jobs and a positive economic impact not only to Taunton and our Tribe, but the Southeastern Massachusetts region as a whole,” he said in a statement. “Once the compact is complete, we look forward to working with all the communities of the region, and to bringing the jobs and revenue that will benefit all of us to fruition as soon as possible.”
Pacheco is also calling for the governor to ensure that Taunton can reopen its intergovernmental agreement with the tribe to negotiate mitigation for unforeseen issues that could arise.
“Those are all issues that can be addressed in a compact, and I was urging the governor to please address them,” Pacheco said when asked about the letter.
In a nonbinding referendum last Saturday, a majority of Taunton voters backed the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s proposal to build a tribal casino on 146 acres in Liberty and Union Industrial Park in East Taunton.
While the referendum passed in the citywide vote, most voters in East Taunton voted against it. Many have expressed concerns over a casino’s potential impact on traffic, especially in light of East Taunton Elementary School’s close proximity to the proposed casino site.
“As the tribal gaming legislation is silent on specific community or abutter mitigation, I would hope the tribal-state gaming compact will resolve these issues,” the Taunton Democrat wrote in a June 13 letter to Patrick. “At a minimum, the contiguous communities to a host community should be afforded the same mitigation options as direct abutters to the commercially proposed casinos.”
How far does HOPE go, Senator????
A Patrick administration spokesman indicated that the concerns of neighboring communities will be taken into account.
“We share the Senator’s concern for Taunton and the surrounding communities,” Jason Lefferts, a spokesman for the state’s Office of Housing and Economic Development, said in an email to the Taunton Daily Gazette. “Improving the quality of life in host communities and surrounding areas, while generating new economic development opportunities, are priorities in both the Expanded Gaming Act and in ongoing tribal compact negotiations. We are committed to finalizing an agreement with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe that is consistent with those priorities and benefits the entire region.”
Mashpee Wampanoag Chairman Cedric Cromwell said the tribe anticipates working with other communities in the region.
“We’re excited about the progress we are making on our destination resort casino in Taunton, which will provide jobs and a positive economic impact not only to Taunton and our Tribe, but the Southeastern Massachusetts region as a whole,” he said in a statement. “Once the compact is complete, we look forward to working with all the communities of the region, and to bringing the jobs and revenue that will benefit all of us to fruition as soon as possible.”
Pacheco is also calling for the governor to ensure that Taunton can reopen its intergovernmental agreement with the tribe to negotiate mitigation for unforeseen issues that could arise.
“Those are all issues that can be addressed in a compact, and I was urging the governor to please address them,” Pacheco said when asked about the letter.
In a nonbinding referendum last Saturday, a majority of Taunton voters backed the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s proposal to build a tribal casino on 146 acres in Liberty and Union Industrial Park in East Taunton.
While the referendum passed in the citywide vote, most voters in East Taunton voted against it. Many have expressed concerns over a casino’s potential impact on traffic, especially in light of East Taunton Elementary School’s close proximity to the proposed casino site.
In the letter to the governor, Pacheco calls for Patrick to insist on having direct highway access to the proposed casino site in order to keep traffic from spiking on Stevens Street and other local roads.
The state senator also criticized the tight deadlines contained in the section of the Massachusetts gambling law pertaining to American Indian casinos.
“In addition, I believe the window of opportunity available to the City of Taunton in developing their intergovernmental agreement was so limited it may not have allowed as thorough a review of possible impacts as all parties may have preferred,” Pacheco wrote in the letter.
No kidding! That's the legislation you voted for, Senator!
“In an effort to ensure the host community has the ability to revisit this most important issue, the compact should include mitigation options providing for the ability to renegotiate for other unforeseen, unanticipated developments that may arise which could impact the City; as well as for any changes to the proposed casino plan, now or in the future,” he continued.
Contact Gerry Tuoti at gtuoti@tauntongazette.com.
Read more: http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/x1205891619/Sen-Marc-Pacheco-writes-to-Gov-Patrick-on-casino-abutter-mitigation#ixzz1xzQgCmck
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjME1GPTKKZDpdrra0pJbCdrGuqmXgj_5qo153yG3GvYWyqdSH_J79ajEsZJty5qdwuDo4snVqFMrCvOYaA_oE3Ww7i2viIDLuFCJvN_vWRJT89uwd3rYAbXMDYf9cTuex0NNvM_cV7mU2g/s400/Stop_Taunton_Casino_sign.jpg
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment