Plainville: Ignoring Impacts

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT NO PLAINVILLE RACINO:

Below is a letter about what life is like in North Stonington, CT and Preston, CT since Foxwoods moved in. Considering that 1,250 slot machines might be the tip of the iceberg at Plainridge, Plainville and the surrounding towns should pay some attention to people who have already been through it:

Dear Holyoke City Councilors:

Below is a summary of two conversations my wife had with First Selectman Nick Mullane of North Stonington, CT, and First Selectman Bob Congdon of Preston, CT. Both towns border Foxwoods, and her conversations with them were very illuminating.

I am hopeful this information will encourage you to speak out publicly against having a casino in Springfield and West Springfield, and draft a resolution opposing both casinos.

Thank you for your time,

Ted Steger

Longmeadow, MA

P.S. I strongly encourage you to watch the video at http://www.nocasinospringfield.com

Casino Impacts

Traffic

-Traffic volume: In North Stonington, CT traffic on side roads through the town have tripled or quadrupled since the casino opened. This has lead to much wear and tear on the roads that must be more frequently repaired and maintained. Big expense to the town.

-In Preston, CT their roads went from accommodating 7,500 cars/day to 25,000 cars/day.

-North Stongington receives $880,000/year in mitigation aid from the state, and First Selectman Mullane says that it's not enough to cover the added expenses that have come to North Stonington since the casino opened. For anyone who perceives this to be "free" money, he added, "I'll give you all of it ($880,000/year) if you'll take Foxwoods."

-DUI: Both North Stonington and Preston have seen an increase in DUI accidents and other accidents since the opening of the casino. Roads in North Stonington are more windy, so there have been fewer fatalities, but in Preston they have seen more fatal accidents. The town of Ledyard, CT which hosts Foxwoods Casino has the highest rate of DUI accidents in the state of CT.

-Police/Fire/Ambulance: In Preston, CT they went from receiving 200 calls to the Fire Dept. per year to more than 1,000 calls per year. It has been very expensive to both communities to add police/fire/ambulance personnel to respond to increased need for services.

Declining Property Values

-Diminished Tax Base: The Town of North Stonington has seen a 10% decline in real estate value across the board. In Preston, CT any homes within .25 miles of traffic flow (not .25 miles from the actual casino, but the flow of traffic) to the casino saw a 25% decrease in home values.

-Mr. Mullane said it's important to consider this: "What's the cost of decreasing all of my town's real estate value by 10%?"

Municipal Resources

-Nick Mullane said, "Capacity demands on municipal functions are scary." He said everything from water pollution control to DPW is profoundly effected. Mr. Mullane said he would be happy to delve into greater detail if you decide to meet with him.

Schools

-Both First Selectmen said that Longmeadow will need increased security at all of our schools as the casino will bring people through our community who may/will pose a security risk.

-Selectmen Congdon and Mullane said that they have seen a shifting of demographics in their respective communities and warn that there is a good possibility that Longmeadow could see a shift in demographics as well, and that we will most likely be spending an increasing percentage of our school budget on ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) programs as "many languages will be spoken in your schools."

Housing

-Both North Stonington and Preston are like Longmeadow in that that they are made up of single-family homes. They note, though, that they have seen an increase in two families living in one home and others in their community putting ten beds (or more) in the basements of their homes and doing something called "hot bedding" which according to Dictionary.com is "having a bed shared by two or more persons in shifts, each sleeping in it at, or for, a designated time and then vacating it for the next occupant."

-Longmeadow needs to be very vigilant about making sure we have zoning laws to protect against this and make sure that these laws are vigorously enforced.

Effects on Retail Establishments

-Selectmen Congdon and Mullane said that they had many shops and restaurants within their communities and within their neighboring communities close within the first few years of the casino's opening. Selectman Mullane said the first thing that will happen to restaurants is that they will lose their waiters and waitresses to the casino restaurants because there will be more people at the casino restaurants which will mean more in tips for them. Next, the restaurant owners will close up and move somewhere else far away from the casino. Restaurants and shops within 30 miles of the casino will be adversely impacted. Over time, the shops and restaurants at the casino will be the only shops and restaurants around. "Merchants ought to be crying," said Mr. Mullane.

Hidden Costs to the Town

-First Selectman Mullane said that there will be many increased accounting costs to Longmeadow as well. He said that towns near the casino undergo much more scrutiny and that anyone in our town who handles money (tax collector, bookkeepers etc.) will have to be watched very closely. He said that they are on their third tax collector because the previous two embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mr. Mullane warns that the general increase in scrutiny and forensic audits that must take place when fraud occurs are quite expensive, and it's just one of the many hidden costs that a community must contend with when a casino is located near their town.

Impact on Quality of Life

-Other areas that have opened casinos (most recently Pennsylvania) have seen increases in theft, public drunkenness, and underage gambling. First Selectman Mullane echoed this, saying that his town has had problems with underage gambling, and studies show that young people are more prone to addiction. With the technological savvy of today's kids, it's very likely that "bored" Longmeadow youth will create fake IDs to get into casinos.

-The increased incidence of theft has led Mr. Mullane to feel that he's always looking over his shoulder. He reported that there have been big increases in time, place, and opportunity crimes and that you can never let your guard down. He said that every time he pumps gas, he's nervous and looking around to make sure he's safe, which is a big change from what his town was like pre-casino.

-Mr. Mullane added that the casinos are always touting the entertainment aspects of their operation, but "this is not entertainment. This is a gambling hall and a bar." And, per the MA gaming legislation, the casinos will be serving free liquor from 8:00am-2:00am everyday. He closed by saying, "Casino operators aren't the most charitable bunch."