We Are ALL Neighbors!

Although the sentiments were expressed several days ago, they express the admiration we all feel about the great educational effort in Milford, Palmer and East Boston...and elsewhere in communities that educated themselves about the issue.

We are all neighbors! Let's continue to support each other for the betterment of the Commonwealth.

Ali Chenault

MFI (Massachusetts Family Institute)
Dear Friend of the family,

Yesterday, in the latest of a string of defeats for predatory gambling in MA, the citizens of Milford rejected a planned casino in their town. With 57 percent of registered voters participating, the $1 billion Foxwoods-backed gambling resort proposal was trounced 6,361 to 3,480 in a town-wide referendum. This, coupled with the victories in Palmer and East Boston, continues to confirm that the people of our Commonwealth overwhelmingly DO NOT want what the legislature foisted upon us with their deal to allow three massive casinos statewide.
...
This victory could not have come at a better time. TODAY IS THE FINAL DAY FOR COLLECTING SIGNATURES FOR THE STATE WIDE REFERENDUM to eliminate predatory gambling from MA once and for all. Our internal numbers show that we are very close to the requirement of 68,911 certified signatures. Every name counts. If you haven’t delivered your petitions to their respective town halls yet, they MUST be delivered by TODAY in order to be counted. AND PLEASE TRY TO COLLECT 5 MORE ON THE WAY TO YOUR TOWN HALL!

This has truly been a David versus Goliath effort, with the casino companies spending millions of dollars to influence voters. But our broad coalition of dedicated men and women have knocked them back on their heels. If we are successful in getting the repeal question on the ballot for November 2014 with this petition drive, we will be able to hand over the issue to the good people of this Commonwealth. So far the record shows they will make the right decision.

For our families,

Repeal the Casino Deal!

Group pushing for repeal of 2011 expanded gambling law

By Gerry Tuoti

Taunton Gazette Staff Reporter

Posted Aug 07, 2013

While the Massachusetts Gaming Commission continues conducting reviews in preparation of licensing casinos and a slot parlor, a group of casino opponents has taken steps to repeal the state’s 2011 expanded gambling law.

“Most citizens believe state government should not be partnering with powerful gambling interests to promote casino gambling in our communities,” Repeal the Casino Deal chairman John Ribeiro of Winthrop said in a statement. “Government’s promotion of casinos represents the wrong direction for Massachusetts. It’s a bad deal for citizens.”

The group filed a petition Wednesday with the attorney general to put a question on the 2014 state ballot to block casino gambling. The question would essentially gut the 2011 law, making the types of gambling relied on by casinos to lure customers and make money illegal in Massachusetts.

“I think the calculations have changed and they’ve actually tipped in our favor because when you look around the state and the number of people who will be impacted, you now have more people aware of the problems associated with casino gambling,” Ribeiro told the State House News Service.

East Taunton casino opponent Michelle Littlefield said repeal the Casino Deal had approached the Taunton casino opposition group Preserve Taunton’s Future. The Taunton group, she said, hasn’t signed on but could in the future.

“Because our battle is very, very different, we haven’t gotten as involved in Repeal the Deal,” Littlefield said. “Our battle, being against a tribal casino, is at the federal level, so that’s where we’ve been focused. We haven’t had much of an opportunity to get involved and haven’t had time to do the research.”

The Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is seeking to build a casino in East Taunton through a federal channel outside of the state commercial casino licensing process.

The 2011 state expanded gambling law allows up to three commercial casinos and one slot parlor in Massachusetts. Raynham Park is among the entities bidding for the slot license.

Ribeiro and casino opponents have tried to block casinos from opening in Massachusetts in the past, pursuing a referendum initiative in 2011 that would have allowed voters to repeal the expanded gaming law during the 2012 elections. Attorney General Martha Coakley ruled that question ineligible for the ballot because appropriations are not subject to the citizen petition process, and the gaming law included monetary appropriations. This year, opponents are pursuing a different track.

“The last time we knew it was a long shot because of the poison pills the Legislature put into the bill,” Ribeiro said. “This time we don’t face any such hurdles.”

Littlefield said local casino opposition groups across the state often collaborate on initiatives and share resources. She didn’t rule out lending her support to the ballot petition in the future.

“I wish them well,” she said. “I think casinos coming into any community are disruptive and have a lot of negative impacts that need to be looked at. People need to have the opportunity to speak. ... The bottom line for me is whether you support a casino or don’t support a casino, the people should have a voice.

The petition filed Wednesday was signed by Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, former state Sen. Susan Tucker, Massachusetts Family Institute President Kris Mineau, Kathleen Conley Norbut, the president of United to Stop Slots, and others.

http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/x1676645468/Group-pushing-for-repeal-of-2011-expanded-gambling-law?zc_p=1

REPEAL THE CASINO DEAL! MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT

A citizen committee has formed and will petition the Attorney General to review and approve language for a question asking voters to support Repealing the Casino Law on the November 2014 ballot.

If you have not already done so, kindly sign-up on the website http://www.repealthecasinodeal.org/the-details/ for us to be able to easily contact you and encourage your networks, friends and family to do the same.

Lastly, financial support is needed for this campaign. Please give what you can, if you can, when you can. Thank you.

For Release 1200hrs, August 7, 2013 www.repealthecasinodeal.org

Contact: John F. Ribeiro Chairperson Repeal the Casino Deal Winthrop, MA 02152 Phone: 617-981-4177 johnfribeiro@gmail.com

Repeal the Casino Deal

MediaRelease

Citizens File Petition to Repeal Casino DealStatewide

(BOSTON, MA) A diverse coalition of public health, municipal, family and religious leaders along with concerned citizens from all walks of life submitted an Initiative Petition today to repeal the law allowing state government to partner with powerful gambling interests with the purpose of promoting casino gambling to its citizens.

Repeal the Casino Deal (www.repealthecasinodeal.org) filed the requisite paperwork with the office of the Attorney General starting the process to place a repeal question before voters on the November 2014 ballot. The casino bill, passed in 2011 allowing for three casinos and one slot machine parlor, was fueled by commercial casino interests in one of the most expensive lobbying campaigns in state history and aggressively pushed through by the state’s political establishment.

The signatures of ten certified voters were submitted with the petition to the Attorney General for approval of the proposed ballot language. If approved, the Secretary of State will prepare and print the signature petitions and then casino repeal supporters will need to collect 68,911 certified signatures of registered voters across the state throughout the fall.

Among the initial ten signers are: Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director of the nationally-recognized Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law; Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone former state Senator Sue Tucker of Andover; Kris Mineau, President of the Massachusetts Family Institute; and Steven Abdow of The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts.

"Most citizens believe state government should not be partnering with powerful gambling interests to promote casino gambling in our communities," said John Ribeiro of Winthrop, chairman of Repeal the Casino Deal. "Government’s promotion of casinos represents the wrong direction for Massachusetts. It’s a bad deal for citizens."

"I believe that we owe it to ourselves to revisit licensing corporations that rake in billions of dollars promoting addiction to casino gambling. Like the tobacco companies that get rich by selling a product that causes preventable disease, for which we all pay, the casino gambling industry’s business model is based on causing and exploiting gambling addiction," said Mark Gottlieb, Executive Director of The Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University School of Law who has spent the past twenty years taking on cigarette, junk food and other industries that profit by making others sick.

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone who is regarded as a leader in government and economic sustainability showed his support by signing onto the ballot petition stating, "Casinos are not an economic development strategy. They have a detrimental impact on quality of life. They drain the tax base, requiring more and more local expenditures and services to counter their impact – expenditures and services from municipalities that cannot vote on proposed casinos in neighboring cities and towns. Putting the question of casinos to the Massachusetts electorate is the right thing to do."

The Massachusetts Family Institute continued its challenge to state government in support of the people of the Commonwealth with President, Kris Mineau’s remarks endorsing the ballot petition initiative, "Our state government should not be promoting expanded gambling any more than they should be promoting alcohol, tobacco or recreational drugs. Expanded gambling is not the answer to our state’s financial problems – the costs to our families, communities and culture are too great."

Ribeiro urged called on citizens to get involved and learn more about, Repeal the Casino Deal by going to the website and signing-up at www.repealthecasinodeal.org 
 

 

www.repealthecasinodeal.org