Community outreach next step as casino plans unravel
As the Suffolk Downs Resort continues its push for a new $1 billion casino in association with Caesar’s Entertainment, casino opponents are pushing for more community education.
“In order to stop a casino license from being granted to Suffolk Downs, all residents in host communities need to do is vote ‘no’ in the referendum vote,” said Celeste Myers, co-chair of the community group No Eastie Casino.
The two cities must sign a community impact agreement in order for the casino to receive a license from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission will release the application for all potential gaming sites in mid-October, said Elaine Driscoll, a media contact for the commission, in an email.
But the proposed casino, which would straddle the town lines of Revere and East Boston, has faced strong opposition from both communities.
“When you increase the population coming into a region by 20,000 to 40,000 visitors per day, you will see a rise in all segments of that population that includes a seedy element,” Myers said. “Real data shows that not only does crime of that variety increase in host and surrounding communities, but also incidences of embezzlement skyrocket.”
The proposed Suffolk Downs casino to be situated on the municipal line between East Boston and Revere has split the community. PHOTO COURTESY OF SUFFOLK DOWNS
Myers said additional social impacts of a Suffolk Downs casino would be severely elevated incidences of depression, addiction, spousal abuse, divorce and suicide.
The casino would generate $200 million in tax revenue each year, and would also add more than 4,000 jobs for locals, according to a Suffolk Downs Press release.
Anyone who knows the Gambling Industry, knows who ridiculous these figures are.
If the Gambling Industry were FORCED to pay this amount and COMMITTED to hire these phony numbers, you'd see how fast they became realistic.
“This is an opportunity to create a fiscal and economic boost for generations to come, recapturing Massachusetts discretionary spending that, for 20 years, has generated billions of dollars in tax revenues and thousands of jobs in Connecticut and Rhode Island,” said
Richard Fields, principal owner of Suffolk Downs, in a press release.
Richard Fields lives in WYOMING! He has no roots or concerns about the community destruction Predatory Gambling will bring to Boston. Richard Fields generously contributed to the 'charities' of Senator Petrucelli and Mayor Menino to buy their support and escape public disclosure.
Fields said the casino is built upon “collaboration and partnership,” including with residents and community groups.
The Suffolk Downs proposal has “a commitment to create a venue that complements East Boston, Revere and surrounding communities,” he said.
But for casino opponents, the next step is community outreach and education, Myers said in a separate email interview.
Because local officials supported the bill without conducting an independent cost benefit analysis or communicating to residents about the process, the group “set out to schedule a series of information sessions to provide an overview of the bill, application process and very real impacts,” she said.
Other anti-casino groups that No Eastie Casino works with include No Revere Casino, Neighbors of Suffolk Downs and United to Stop Slots of Massachusetts, Myers said.
The casino has also faced some backlash from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, who has opposed the plan to build the casino in phases.
Driscoll said the commission has not drafted all the specific criteria for a casino development in the state.
“Generally, the Commission will determine an applicant’s suitability based on finances and integrity,” she said. “The Commission will seek applications that most effectively address issues of job creation, community mitigation, workforce development, diversity and tourism, among others.”
It would appear that Ms. Driscoll merged the two-step process. The first portion of the process determines the financial solvency of the applicant and the integrity. The second step will determine the suitability of the proposal.
Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo has launched a community outreach campaign to hear the concerns of the community.
“We must ensure that every member of the community has a voice in the process and for that reason we will be out there in the neighborhoods soliciting input,” Rizzo said in a press release.
However, both Menino and Rizzo have shown general support for the economic benefits that the Suffolk Downs casino could bring. [Studies have indicated that for every $1 in taxes, casino COST $3. How is that an economic benefit?]
Folks, Is there any community that is better off 5 years after a casino has opened?
Look at the slums, poverty and crime in Atlantic City.
How long will we allow public officials to ignore the evidence?
“The pro-casino movement, aside from the Suffolk Downs management team and our local and state officials, seems largely an ‘astro-turf’ organization,” Myers said.
The Friends of Suffolk Downs, which is featured on the resort’s website, includes testimonials from community members that support the casino as well as extensive information on potential job opportunities.
“Should we earn a license, The Resort at Suffolk Downs will seek a diverse pool of candidates and offer full job training for 4,000 new jobs,” according to the Friends of Suffolk Downs website. The website promises an average annual salary of $40,000 as well as good benefits and opportunities for career advancement. FACTS BELOW!
“[Supporters are] comprised primarily of track employees and others that have or hope for track and casino jobs or financial opportunities,” Myers said.
Suffolk Downs formally declared its intent to apply for a gaming license in August by filing all required forms and submitting the non-refundable application fee of $400,000 to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
http://dailyfreepress.com/2012/09/06/community-outreach-next-step-as-casino-plans-unravel/
LOW WAGE JOBS
Can we NOT play games and accept that the 'average salary' will be $42K?
These are somewhat outdated because they predate the financial implosion of both Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, but look at the breakdown:
Found here:
http://uss-mass.org/
SPECTRUM REPORT FOR DOSR: Low wage jobs
From: CT: Spectrum Gaming Report #11 Low Wage Jobs
A study prepared for the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce in 2007 arrived at conclusions similar to ours. The study estimated that the two casinos were
responsible for a total of 29,040 jobs in 2007, about 10 percent less than our figure.
Mohegan Sun employment by sector
Mohegan Sun executives provided us with a breakdown of average annual salaries by employee sector for 2007.
•52 senior management, $298,696
108 directors, $104,502.
535 managers $55,877
741 supervisors, $42,745
3,444 dealers and floor persons, $36,700
593 games support, $26,124
1,245 non-games floor support, $17,951
2,114 non-gambling support, $22,189
1,978 general support, $23,504
(note: this totals 10,810 jobs; 9374 (87%) of which pay at
or below $36,700;
5930 (55%) of which pay at or below $26,124)
– page
123 Spectrum Gaming Group (SGG) “Gambling in Connecticut” 2009
Foxwoods employment by sector
The data provided to us by casino management showed average
annual salaries for the following employee sectors at Foxwoods:
14 senior management, $262,893
66 directors, $114,327
247 managers $70,391
1,510 supervisors, $45,966
3,207 dealers and floor persons, $20,536
946 games support, $26,185
830 non-games floor support, $19,816
4,198 non-gambling support, $28,930
283 general support, $36,464
(note: this totals 11,301 jobs; 9181 (81%) of which pay at or below $28,930; 4037 (36%) of which pay at or below $20,536)
– page 124
Spectrum Gaming Group (SGG) “Gambling in Connecticut” 2009
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I don't want to overwhelm folks with too many statistics that are widely available, but the 'average' pay in Atlantic City is $10 an hour.
A federal reserve report determined that it was necessary to work 2 or 3 jobs to rise out of poverty.
These are LOW WAGE JOBS! You need more toilet cleaners, housekeepers than managers. I'm not demeaning the low wage jobs that are needed in the hospitality industry, but let's not pretend!
I began Middleboro Remembers with the intent to provide a resource for everyone to look up categories that were seeking.
You'll find a lengthy list on the right side, as well as opposition groups about the nation.
My blog categories are widely used on a daily basis for this reason.
For LOW WAGE JOBS there are ~ 137 articles. At the bottom, click "Older Posts" to see additional articles.
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This is the truth about casino wages --
The union estimates the casino grosses more than $182 million annually, but pays workers little more than minimum wage, with food servers and janitors making $8 an hour.
The union said it wants to bring their employees up to scale with Cache Creek Casino and Golden Gate Fields, or closer to $12.50 an hour.
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