Plainville gets in bed with a CROOK, a common Con Man whose been raiding the till for years.......
after endorsing and supporting an ILLEGAL RAFFLE and much else.
Instead of protecting the future interests of the Town, making an informed decision, they propose
HOPE?
While surrendering the FUTURE! Residents have an opportunity to watch BAD government up close.
Plainville to go through with slots referendum, even with Plainridge disqualified
Posted: Monday, August 12, 2013 9:45 pm
Selectmen decided Monday to go ahead with a referendum election to approve slot machine gambling at Plainridge Racecourse, even though the state Gaming Commission has disqualified the track's owners.
Town Administrator Joseph Fernandes recommended the town hold the Sept. 10 election on the hope that a new company will buy Plainridge from the current owners and apply for the slot machine license.
After Plainridge owners were disqualified because of financial mismanagement, they said they were open to selling the harness track off Route 1 and Interstate 495.
Selectmen went along with Fernandes' suggestion, although they admitted Plainridge is a longshot for a gambling license.
"It's a remote chance at this point," Selectman Rob Rose said.
However, he said more than $4 million annually in taxes and fees to the town will be lost if the racetrack cannot get a slot machine license. [Where did he get that calculation?]
"As long as there is a sliver of a hope, and there is $4 million riding on this, we can't kill it," he said.
"I think it's just as well we keep to the schedule, rather than slam the door shut," Selectwoman Andrea Soucy said.
Selectmen Chairman Robert Fennessy agreed the town should proceed with the election "even though it may be a moot point."
Both Soucy and Fennessy said they wanted to give residents the chance to weigh in on the issue through the election.
The election would be to determine whether voters approve of a host community agreement that spells out the benefits the town would receive in exchange for allowing 1,250 slot machines at the track.
Fernandes said the agreement, signed by selectmen last month, is transferable to new owners.
The decision to proceed with the election dumbfounded opponents of gambling.
Mary-Ann Greanier, a leader of the opposition, said Plainridge has lied to the town repeatedly throughout the process, but selectmen keep willingly going along with their hopes for gambling.
She said town officials believed former Plainridge President Gary Piontkowski had the best interests of the town and the track at heart until the gaming commission discovered he had been taking money from the track for years.
When Piontkowski was bought out in April over the discovery, other Plainridge officials falsely told the town he was retiring due to health problems, rather than financial issues, she said.
She said she has no confidence in the integrity of the host community agreement and cannot believe the town would vote on it before the gaming commission could vet the new owners.
No one even knows if there will be new owners, or if they would be allowed to apply for a license at Plainridge.
The four other firms competing for the slots license said they have found sites for their facilities already and are not interested in Plainridge.
The deadline has past for filing an application fee for new firms, so it is unclear how a new owner could take over the Plainridge bid.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/plainville/plainville-to-go-through-with-slots-referendum-even-with-plainridge/article_1533129f-7f20-539d-89cf-147aeed867d0.html?_dc=461806898238.1374
UPDATE about September 10th Plainville Referendum:
According to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, there doesn't even have to be an applicant in place for the September 10th referendum vote to happen. If there is no applicant in place, and Plainville voters say 'yes' to slots at Plainridge, an applicant can buy Plainridge after the vote, assume the existing Host Community Agreement, and be considered for a slots license as long as they get their application to the MGC by October 4th. In that case, Plainville might well get stuck with an applicant we don't know anything about, except that they have enough money to buy Plainridge.
No Plainville Racino will hold an educational forum on slots gambling before the vote. We will also be conducting other Get Out The No Vote activities like leafletting, sign holding, "visibilities" around town, etc. We'll also have a presence at the polls on Septmeber 10th. Please respond to this email or send an email to <info@noplainvilleracino.com> to find out how you can help.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment