Dear City Councilors:
I am asking you to hold an open mind on the
current proposal for a gambling casino in Fall River until the proposal is in
and has been analyzed carefully. I write as an individual, but I am treasurer
of Citizens for the Common Good, a group opposed to casino
gambling.
Several proposals for gambling have taken
place here. Both have failed. The first was a proposal for gambling boats up
and down the Taunton River, about 15 or so years ago. A more serious proposal
was that of the Aquinnah tribe to purchase land in the industrial park for a
bingo hall which promised to lead to a casino as soon as the law changed. This
failed after significant debate because the City Council (wisely in my
judgement) refused to release the land for sale to the tribe, and voters in a
referendum failed to override the city council vote.
We now have a proposal for a $750,000
investment by Foxwoods. Multiple hotels, restaurants and convention centers,
with 3000 to 5,000 jobs. Certainly the proposed benefits are widely touted. But
do we want such a thing? Certainly we need carefully to examine the pros and
cons, not just figure out the best site, send an application to Boston and lobby
with the governor and gambling commission.
Gambling
is a poor deal for Fall River. We must remember continually that the purpose of
the gambling casino is to make a profit, to take money from the citizens of Fall
River and elsewhere, and that a gambling casino produces nothing useful or
saleable. Since it is pretty clearly established that the closer a gambling
casino is to a the more customers from that city, we will be hit the hardest.
And since it is also pretty clearly established that a very large percentage of
any gambling casino's profits come from a small proportion of customers (perhaps
addicts is the right word), we in Fall River are again hit
hard.
There
are other costs. These will come forth.
Most
of all I urge you, elected leaders of our community to study carefully this
matter. You have responsibilities as citizens and city leaders and as
members of the City Council.
Thank
you for your attention reading this.
(The
Rev.) Jim Hornsby
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