Hwang, church, civic leaders warn about casino expansion
Published: Friday, May 01, 2015
Leaders from the worlds of business, religion, and social services joined state Sen. Tony Hwang (R-28) at a press conference Thursday to oppose legislation that would set the stage for three new casinos in Connecticut.
The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes, owners of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, want to open the first of the three “convenience casinos” along Interstate-91 north of Hartford to intercept Connecticut residents who may be tempted to drive to the new MGM casino being built in Springfield, Mass.
They are eyeing opening the other two along I-95 and I-84 in Fairfield County as a defense against New York’s casinos, with Bridgeport and Danbury mentioned as likely prospects for host municipalities. The Hartford-area casino would have up to 2,000 slot machines and as many as 75 table games.
The civic leaders warned that the new casinos would hurt the state’s economy and quality of life by taking money out of their host communities rather than bringing money in, while at the same time spreading gambling addiction and creating debt, bankruptcies, broken families, and crime.
Press conference participants included:
• State Sen. Tony Hwang
• Former Rep. Robert Steele
• Joanie Masot, recovering gambling addict and advocate with Advocacy Unlimited, Inc.
• Rev. Cass Shaw, president & CEO, The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc. (CCGB)
• Rev. Sara Smith, vice-chair of the Board of Directors of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc. and Reverend of United Congregational Church of Bridgeport
• Rev. Hopeton Scott, CCGB Board member and pastor of First Baptist Church, Bridgeport
• Doug Varga, partner at Lucas, Bagnell, Varga, LLC, and member of the Board of Directors of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc.
• Charles B. Tisdale, executive director of Action for Bridgeport Community Development, Inc.
Hwang, who introduced each speaker, called state sponsorship of gambling “a conflict of interest for state governments that are established to promote the general welfare, not prey on their citizens by encouraging them to gamble.”
Former U.S. Rep. Robert Steele for Connecticut cited research showing that gambling addiction more than doubles within 10 miles of a casino and said casinos represent a regressive tax that hits low-wage earners, minorities and the elderly the hardest, thereby contributing to economic inequality in our society.
The Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes, owners of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, want to open the first of the three “convenience casinos” along Interstate-91 north of Hartford to intercept Connecticut residents who may be tempted to drive to the new MGM casino being built in Springfield, Mass.
They are eyeing opening the other two along I-95 and I-84 in Fairfield County as a defense against New York’s casinos, with Bridgeport and Danbury mentioned as likely prospects for host municipalities. The Hartford-area casino would have up to 2,000 slot machines and as many as 75 table games.
The civic leaders warned that the new casinos would hurt the state’s economy and quality of life by taking money out of their host communities rather than bringing money in, while at the same time spreading gambling addiction and creating debt, bankruptcies, broken families, and crime.
Press conference participants included:
• State Sen. Tony Hwang
• Former Rep. Robert Steele
• Joanie Masot, recovering gambling addict and advocate with Advocacy Unlimited, Inc.
• Rev. Cass Shaw, president & CEO, The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc. (CCGB)
• Rev. Sara Smith, vice-chair of the Board of Directors of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc. and Reverend of United Congregational Church of Bridgeport
• Rev. Hopeton Scott, CCGB Board member and pastor of First Baptist Church, Bridgeport
• Doug Varga, partner at Lucas, Bagnell, Varga, LLC, and member of the Board of Directors of The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, Inc.
• Charles B. Tisdale, executive director of Action for Bridgeport Community Development, Inc.
Hwang, who introduced each speaker, called state sponsorship of gambling “a conflict of interest for state governments that are established to promote the general welfare, not prey on their citizens by encouraging them to gamble.”
Former U.S. Rep. Robert Steele for Connecticut cited research showing that gambling addiction more than doubles within 10 miles of a casino and said casinos represent a regressive tax that hits low-wage earners, minorities and the elderly the hardest, thereby contributing to economic inequality in our society.
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