Gambling Addiction costs Beverly, MA hospital

In the article below, it would appear that this Beverly, MA resident has a Gambling Addiction that isn't included or addressed - maybe to prevent an open and honest discussion of the consequences of Gambling Addiction in the Commonwealth?

Knowing the desires of Salem's Mayor Kim Driscoll to follow the Holy Grail of Gambling, at any costs, maybe that explains the paper's leaning.

The most dishonest is the comment by the Attorney General.

Maybe it's time for an Independent Cost Benefit Analysis that considers these costs.

This crime costs taxpayers money in terms of investigation, prosecution, incarceration and monitoring subsequent to Diane Thistle's release.




Woman jailed for stealing $230,000
Ex-hospital employee to serve seven months
By Alan Burke
Staff Writer The Salem News


SALEM — Diane Thistle, 63, of Beverly will spend the next seven months at the women's correctional facility in Framingham for stealing $230,000 from the Beverly Hospital cafeteria, where she worked for more than 14 years.

With Thistle's adult children looking on, Judge John Lu sentenced her yesterday in Salem Superior Court to two years in jail, with all but seven months suspended. She will also be on probation for 10 years.

Thistle's lawyer, Glen Hannington, had asked for home confinement, while the state had requested that she serve the two years in prison.

On release, Thistle must repay all the money, reveal her conviction to any future employer, undergo an evaluation for gambling addiction and get counseling if necessary, according to Harry Pierre, a spokesman for the attorney general's office.

Hannington declined to say if gambling was the reason Thistle stole the money.

Thistle pleaded guilty last month to charges of larceny over $250 and making false entries in corporate books. At that time, Assistant Attorney General Lee Hettinger noted that once her crime was discovered, she cooperated with hospital officials and investigators.

A secretary at the hospital, Thistle was responsible for preparing the daily earnings from the cafeteria, most of which was cash, for deposit. She would take some of the money, then cover up the theft with checks that had been prepared by the hospital to pay Sodexo, the catering company contracted to run the cafeteria.

The thefts came to light when the hospital, which was ending its contract with Sodexo, got bills for unpaid catering services. That triggered an audit, and an investigation in April 2010 led by financial experts Davin Lee and Jessie Dean and members of the Massachusetts State Police.

Thistle's larceny was subsequently uncovered.

Technically, according to the prosecutor, the theft was from Sodexo.

"My client has accepted responsibility," Hannington said. "She is prepared to accept the consequences of her actions, and then hopefully she can move on. She showed remorse."

Sentencing had been delayed while arrangements were made to deal with Thistle's health problems, which were not disclosed, while she is incarcerated.

Asked about his client's emotional state, Hannington sighed and said simply, "It's tough."

"At a time when many institutions are struggling to control their bottom line, it is unacceptable that an employee in a position of trust would take advantage of their authority to steal from their employer," Attorney General Martha Coakley said in a press release.

Link between gambling addiction and drug addiction

Georgia Concerned About Link between Gambling and Drug Addiction

Weeks before a controversial new law on casinos takes effect in Georgia, health workers in the capital, Tbilisi, say they have uncovered a worrying link between gambling and drug addiction.


Tom Esslemont of the BBC visited Tbilisi to report on the situation, writing that in the middle of the afternoon, the capital’s busiest casino, the Ajara, was already packed with gamblers. Managers at the Ajara say they receive 1,100 clients every day.

.
A gambling addict confirms what studies of brain scans indicate comparing gambling to crack cocaine --

.
Esslemont spoke to Gia Shengelia, 55, who told him that gambling is not his only addiction. "Gambling is a much stronger drug than real narcotics," Shengelia said. "I used to take all kinds of hard drugs. You can stop using drugs—like I did—but it is impossible to stop gambling."

.

Across town, therapists at the Anti Violence Network said the gaming trend is fueling the city’s drug problem, and that the new law could make the problem worse. Starting January 1st, license fees for new casinos will be slashed from as high as three million dollars to as little as zero in designated locations.

Drug counselor Manana Solokhashvili said this will be bad news for the clients of her clinic and for the 13 percent of Georgians who are officially unemployed.

"The problem faced by gambling addicts and drug addicts is the same," she said. "The disease is addiction. More than 90 percent of the people who come to our clinic looking for therapy are addicted to both."

She added that the new law will encourage more people to fall on harder times, rather than encourage them to try to find a job. Statistics show there are 270,000 drug users in Georgia, which has a population of 4.3 million.

One of Solokhashvili’s patients, Soso, said gambling perpetuated his drug habit. "If I hadn’t gambled I would have seen things differently. The addiction is the same. Had I stopped gambling I would have stopped using drugs sooner,” he said.

Although there are only three casinos in the city, there are more than 300 amusement arcades. Few of them let Esslemont in, largely because the managers said they don’t want to be portrayed in the media as drug havens and crime spots.

He was able to speak to the manager of the Maxi Slot club, who asks to be called Irakli. When asked whether he thinks he has a responsibility towards young people, given the allegations made by the Anti Violence Network, Irakli said, "People come here for entertainment or maybe to win money. It has nothing to do with drugs. In any case, one business leader like me is not responsible for the whole trend. But, gambling is a good income for the state—so that’s probably why the government wants to encourage it."

But as Georgia is liberalizing its gambling laws, others in the region are tightening them. Esslemont writes that Azerbaijan banned gambling in 1998; Armenia has announced that it intends to restrict gaming to three regions; and earlier this year, Russia confined casinos to far-flung parts of the country.

.

Where have we heard the folly that casinos will bring tourists before? The Mayor of the Town of Salem, to the north of Boston, allowed herself to be misled, maybe by staff members who failed to conduct the appropriate due diligence, and wrongly believes casinos will provide Manna from Heaven --

The Georgian government seems to have the economy in mind as it prepares to sign into law the amendments. It says its new legislation will attract foreign gaming companies and much-needed investment to less-visited resorts and towns.

Lasha Tordia, a member of the ruling United National Movement, does not see a downside to the law. "I personally don’t see the link between gambling and drugs," he says. "What we are looking to do is encourage regional development. We want to see more tourists not only come to Tbilisi but to our Black Sea towns too. That is why we have dramatically cut casino start-up costs."

There is no proven link between Georgia’s drugs culture and its residents’ gambling habits. But the new law might sustain addictions by simply offering more places and more towns in which to gamble.

Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll: Follow Like Sheep?

In response to Salem's Mayor Kim Driscoll's orginal misguided cheerleading, To the Voters of Salem was posted to which she reccently responded with an email containing numerous factual errors, such as the overstated licensing fees and fictitious revenue projections.

.

When elected officials repeat verbatim the predators' rhetoric that is, at best, nonsensical, it seems we have elected a flock of sheep.
.

.

.

The following was sent to the Mayor in response to her misinformation --
.

Honorable Mayor Driscoll:

I appreciate your response and your sincerity, allow me to highlight some areas
that merit your reconsideration.

When Middleboro was confronted with a casino, the agreement was rushed through
without consideration of the impacts. No impartial studies were conducted and no
costs were assessed. No population projections were done. School impact costs,
presented by the Superintendent, consisted only of capital projects pending. Since
the public schools are at capacity, an increase in population will mandate new school construction.

Glenn Marshall, currently in federal prison, repeatedly stated that the increase in
vehicular traffic would be 50,000 cars daily. That increase in traffic alone necessitates increased public safety costs.

Questions and opposition were gaveled to silence, while proponents were allowed to
cheer and applaud and disrupt meetings.

To me, the refusal to allow balanced debate signaled that there were things some
want to remain hidden.

That tyranny propelled a number of us to investigate, research, read many tedious
reports and network with others who have endured the devastating impacts of
predatory gambling around the country.

I learned it was just like my friend, Gladys said, in the The Playbook .

To their credit, WMCAT has examined the costs and the Palmer Study Committee
proved that the impacts are beyond the capacity of a small town to absorb. The
cost of those impacts explains WHY gambling must continually expand.

Beyond the casino glitter and flashing lights is nothing but Fool's Gold.

United to Stop Slots in Mass, a non-profit coalition was formed on July 4th to
circulate the truth of predatory gambling. The organization enjoys volunteer
support from a wide range of organizations from all political spectrums,
including the League of Women Voters and the Massachusetts Family Institute.

The site represents a work in progress that is continually being updated, but I invite your review. There is a resource page that includes a large number of reports that are gradually being increased on a regular basis.

Casinos, slot parlors and racinos (race tracks with slots) are designed to keep
you in your seat feeding money into machines.

Slots are designed to addict.

Slots have been termed the "Crack Cocaine" of gambling because of their
addictive quality.

Every gimmick and technique is employed to keep you seated from free alcohol
to piping in oxygen.

Professor Grinols examined sales tax records to prove that travelers move
directly to the slots facility. They don't visit tourist destinations.

Slots by any name absorb discretionary income and prevent the local economic
multiplier necessary for job creation.

Professor Kindt has studied the issue widely and indicated that each slot
machine permanently removes one job from the local economy.

For each $1 in tax revenue, the cost is $3 to the taxpayer. The cost is not solely
for social costs caused by gambling addiction, but also due to enforcement,
investigation, prosecution, auditing, monitoring, incarceration.

Within a 50 mile radius, gambling addiction will at least double, as will crime.

The business model for casinos is 10% of players produce 90% of revenue.
The gimmicks are designed to keep those 10% in their seats while they
"play to extinction" - meaning until they have exhaused their cash, investments,
401Ks, re-mortgaged the house, maxed their credits cards, borrowed, stolen,
embezzled.

Children are abandoned in cars. Families are torn apart.

Because gambling addiction is unique, it has the lowest referral rate and the
highest suicide rate.

If we can reasonably expect a gambling addiction rate of 5%, shouldn't we
ask if we would allow a toy on the market that injured 5% of children? Or a
drug that harmed 5% of users?

This isn't solely a moral issue, but also one of economic costs.

Professor Goodman estimated that each gambling addict costs $10,000 per year.
He estimated the public safety costs at about $13,000 each.


Although AG Coakley "cautions caution," her 2 predecessors have spoken out
against expanded gambling, as has former State Treasurer Joe Malone,
former Governor Dukakis, and former candidate for Lt. Governor, Bob Massie.

The dollar figures you used were withdrawn immediately after they were
publicly pronounced and challenged as 'grossly overstated.'

The gambling proponents who testified at both Senator Spilka's June 2009 forum
and the October 29th "Gambling Hearing" ALL indicated that licensing fees are
determined by potential revenue.

The Billion Dollar Mammouth in Palmer is gradually shrinking in size, so that
current proposals are for a $500 million facility.

Since Mohegun Sun will be downgraded in financial markets, just as Foxwoods
was, capital markets will be unavailable.

The Middleboro Mega Monster has dwindled to a Bingo Parlor.

Tribal casinos have defaulted. Casinos have gone bankrupt, re-structured,
defaulted or been foreclosed.

Senator Pacheco included a $25 million licensing fee in his previous budget
proposal.

A BSU study over + 20 years proved that low wage jobs were created and
local wages declined. Actual job creation was 1%.

In Steve Norton and Centaur and Another Bankruptcy, I wrote --

Mr. Norton promises "...few positions would require even a high school diploma."
In other words, you are guaranteed low wage, low skill, dead end jobs.
.
We need jobs we can be proud of, where there's an opportunity for advancement,
promotion, jobs with a future that provide hope.
.
Even Bernie Madoff gave people jobs, better paying than a casino job, with his phony prosperity scheme.....casino capitalism is the same rouse.

Rep. Tom Conroy reported that realistic gambling revenues equal lottery losses.
As you know, lottery revenues are returned to cities and towns at a rate of 25 cents
on the dollar. The slot revenue math is pennies on the dollar.

Rep. Conroy, in a recent presentation in Sudbury, explained that the State of
New Jersey employs 1500 state employees dedicated solely to casinos.
Their costs including pensions, benefits, training, office space, state owned
vehicles, gas and maintenance?

Only well funded lobbyists can reduce predatory gambling to soundbytes when
the opponents' arguments have filled volumes.


I would also call to your attention the Resolution passed at the Democratic
Convention --

Whereas the Democratic Party has a long and proud tradition of advocating for social justice, working for policies that promote the public health, and fighting to protect citizens from exploitive and predatory business practices;
And whereas modern slot machines use neuroscience-informed technology to mesmerize and entrap gamblers and to keep them playing until they have exhausted their resources ("playing to extinction");

And whereas medical research has documented the highly addictive nature of the brain's chemical reactions to slot machine stimulation;

And whereas licensing and promoting such addictive, predatory gambling technology for the purpose of raising State revenues goes against the aforementioned values and principles for which the Democratic Party has long stood, and is at odds with the ideals that underlie our Party's honorable and consistent struggle to end the deceptive and predatory lending, marketing, and pricing practices that have pushed so many families to the brink;

And whereas legalizing slot machines would erode participation in the Lottery and siphon away from local small businesses the discretionary spending on goods and services that they depend on;

And whereas the development of slot machine parlors would neither create significant new jobs, nor increase tourism in Massachusetts;

And whereas evidence from other states indicates that the long-term costs of gambling addiction -- increased substance abuse, increased crime, increased family discord and dysfunction -- outweigh the short term benefits of licenses and gambling revenues;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Massachusetts Democratic Party, as a matter of both principle and policy, opposes the legalization of slot machines and any similar efforts to promote addictive and predatory gambling as a means of raising public revenues.



From what I see, the only people who get rich from casinos are investors.

I respectfully request that you reconsider your support for predatory gambling
and join with me to call for an impartial cost benefit analysis, just as New
Hampshire has recently done.

Respectfully,


Jessie Powell
Middleboro, MA



'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.' Margaret Mead
Middleboro Remembers

To the Voters of Salem

Wow!

You folks sure elected a woman with a great sense of humor to request my attendance and support for Predatory Gambling at the October 29th Gambling Hearing!

.

The invitation provided a letter to sign that contains some bizarre logic --

.

Declining Lottery revenues, town budget deficits, important state projects that need funding, crumbling infrastructure, and rising unemployment rates.

.


.

Casinos, racinos and slot parlors around the country have filed for bankruptcy. Lottery revenues are declining because disposable income is declining and because unemployment is increasing, and OMG! Money will fall like manna from heaven to fill that pot o' gold!

.

Straight from The Playbook, NEVER EVER call it a Slot Parlor!

.

Please take note: Last year, they called it a Destination Resort Casino -- this is their new marketing phraseology that they paid a lot of money to conjure up (as a result of those lengthy polls) --

.
Massachusetts needs resort-style entertainment complexes to remain competitive with our neighboring states and provide another revenue source for our cities and towns.
.

Isn't that choice? They thought you'd like it!
.

No one will notice that several of those states they want to compete with have higher taxes and higher unemployment rates.