To Fall River City Councilors:

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 $750,000,000 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