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

Where is Mrs. Jones when you need her?

Where is Mrs. Jones when you need her?

We were inspired to go out sloshing through the slush and rain knocking on doors telling people of Deval Patrick and his messages of "Take a chance on hope". Patrick spoke of, our schools, our highways and how "we all have a responsibility to help pay for them." Who understood this to mean casinos? Instead of making the hard decision to share in the pain in hard times, we would be asked to throw the hardest hit, the most desperate under the bus to save those that know better from having a tax increase?

In his inaugural address Deval Patrick proclaimed, "For a very long time now we have been told that government is bad, that it exists only to serve the powerful and well-connected, that its job is not important enough to be done by anyone competent, let alone committed, and that all of us are on our own. Today we join together in common cause to lay that fallacy to rest, and to extend a great movement based on shared responsibility from the corner office to the corner of your block and back again." But here he is ready to sign into law a bill that would the largest transfer of wealth from the least powerful to the well-connected. Other than signing the predatory gambling/happy hour bill, what have you done today to make you feel proud?

The words will fade, and the pain and devastation will be Deval's legacy. There have been numerous reports that bringing in casinos will cause long term job losses and decline in revenue. An article in today's Boston Globe claims that Deval was given such a report done by the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank in 2007. In 10 years, when this goes south, he will not be able to claim he did not understand the risk when signing this bill.

"So if you messed up down the street in fron of Mrs. Jones, she would, as we used to say, go upside your head, as if you were hers. And then she'd call home, so you'd get it twice. Wonderful characters in that neighborhood. People who looked out for each other." - Deval Patrick



Please send a message to the Deval Patrick that Mrs. Jones would not be happy with closed door deals, special interest provisions and HAPPY HOUR. If he signs this bill, it will be clear to all in the future that slot parlors did not bring the promised jobs and revenue, but instead brought misery and cast a shadow on a government that chose to offer up it's citizens for profit to the predators. -Sue Kennedy, Administrative Assistant

ACT NOW
Email, write, fax or phone the Governor
Governor Deval Patrick
State House Room 208
Boston, 02133
Fax your letter to 617-727-9725
Phone his office at 617-725-4995
Go to his website at mass.gov to Email him.

Kathleen Norbut on MA casino proposal

Kathleen Norbut on MA casino proposal


(NECN) – If you like fast tracks, you’ll love watching the latest action on Beacon Hill.

On Tuesday, a House Committee caught everyone by surprise by reporting out a bill that would establish three resort casinos and one slots facility in Massachusetts.

And sometime Friday, just three days later, house leaders expect the bill to be approved for debate after Labor Day.

If all goes according to plan, it will be sent to Governor Deval Patrick for signing in October.

Broadside guest Kathleen Norbut, a spokesperson for United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, hopes to put a stop to the legislative express train.

NY Gov.'s casino comments raise Mass. eyebrows

NY Gov.'s casino comments raise Mass. eyebrows
By Steve LeBlanc

BOSTON (AP) — Legislative leaders in Massachusetts are putting the finishing touches on a sweeping casino bill even as another nearby state could soon be ramping up the competition for gamblers looking for a place to roll the dice.

Tom Larkin, president of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, said casino operators are adept at pitting states against each other in the rush to expand gambling.

"There's a sibling rivalry going on among states, but it's pretty destructive as far as we're concerned," Larkin said. "I think the gambling industry exploits these budgetary problems that the states are having."

Opponents also are skeptical of states putting all their chips on casinos to help them balance their budgets.

"The more people that lose money, the worse off the economy is," Larkin said. "The worst thing you can do is say: 'Look we have an economic problem, let's have more people lose more money."'

Former Massachusetts Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, another gambling critic, said New York only demonstrates how easily states can get hooked on what he called "the culture of dependence and greed" that casinos create.

That inevitably leads to pressure to add more gambling venues, he said.

"It is time for all of our elected officials to do their homework, to update outdated cost-benefit analyses and have a full, transparent debate about the pros and cons of welcoming this industry to Massachusetts," Harshbarger said.

An Associated Press review of records filed with the secretary of state's office has also found no letup in the flood of dollars aimed at pressuring lawmakers to approve a casino deal.

Gambling interests spent more than $1.3 million in the first six months of the year lobbying Beacon Hill lawmakers.

The $1.35 million came from casino development firms, manufacturers of slot machines and federally recognized Indian tribes. Gambling interests spent more than $3 million in all of 2010 on lobbying.

Right Here, Right Now

c=

Right Here, Right Now with Mara Dolan Guest: Kathleen Conley Norbut from Mara Dolan on Vimeo.

For further information:

United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts

How addictions interact

How addictions interact
By Tom Larkin / As you were saying...

“It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem.” — G.K. Chesterton

Gambling and drinking alcohol interact and reinforce one another.

For most people, gambling and drinking are not self-defeating. However, about 80 percent of alcohol is consumed by about 20 percent of the drinkers and about 80 percent of money lost comes from about 20 percent of the gamblers. Disproportionately they are returning veterans, the less educated, minorities, the formerly incarcerated and mostly working people with moderate to low incomes.

Nevada has the highest per-capita alcohol consumption rate. Lottery revenues in Massachusetts would decrease significantly if Keno machines were removed from drinking establishments. Lottery and casino managers understand full well that increased drinking leads to increased gambling profits.

Proponents of expanding gambling in Massachusetts attempt to minimize the gambling and drinking connection. They use outdated projections suggesting gambling addiction is insignificant, unique and manageable compared to alcohol problems. That is not true. According to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, about one of three active gamblers has some level of mild, moderate to severe problem and the prevalence of this behavior will increase as availability increases:

■ Mild (at risk gamblers) — about 18 percent of active gamblers
■ Moderate (problem gamblers) — about 9 percent of active gamblers
■ Severe (pathological gamblers) — about 4 percent of active gamblers
Irrational instant gratification thinking drives all addictions. Alcohol disinhibits. It is considered a gateway to gambling and other related self-defeating behaviors and feelings, including smoking, drug abuse, domestic violence, child neglect, suicide, increased debt, criminal behaviors and the intensity, duration and frequency of many emotional problems.

More than 50 percent of people with gambling problems are estimated to have alcohol and other drug problems. About one-third of people with drinking problems are estimated to have gambling problems. Alcohol and/or drug use are involved in about 80 percent of arrests and incarcerations. About 30 percent to 40 percent of the incarcerated are estimated to have gambling problems. Repeated criminal activity is “a gamble.” It can be defined as a persistent, hard to change pattern of risky behaviors. About two out of three of the formerly incarcerated are rearrested within three years, according to a 15-state, 2002 U.S. Justice Department study. For those who stay sober, recidivism rates drop to about one out of three. Therefore, recidivism is clearly related directly to relapse.

Self-referrals for gambling problems are much lower (3 percent) when compared to people who self refer for alcohol (15 percent) and drugs (25 percent). It is reasonable to assume self-defeating gambling behaviors are underreported. The commission study found the number of pathological gamblers double within a 50-mile radius of new casinos.

Many elected officials fail to understand how addictions are acquired, interact and reinforce each other. Therefore, they can’t see the problem.

Tom Larkin is a psychologist and president of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts.

Right Here, Right Now

Right Here, Right Now with Mara Dolan Guest: Kathleen Conley Norbut

The David-and-Goliath Story

For casino opponents, an unlikely ace in the hole
Small-town activist presses fight against industry


“If there’s a David-and-Goliath story, this is it,’’ said Kathleen Conley Norbut of Monson, an anticasino activist.





(Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff)
By Michael Levenson


Her desk is her kitchen table. She cajoles legislators on the phone while folding laundry. At night, she works in her pajamas.

Kathleen Conley Norbut, a fast-talking 49-year-old mother, former selectwoman, and mental health counselor from Monson, has become the improbable public face of the opposition to expanded gambling, as founder of the group United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts.

From that perch, she is trying to stop a multibillion-dollar casino industry eager to break into Massachusetts, an army of well-paid lobbyists pushing the cause, and a growing number of lawmakers who believe gambling will bring much-needed jobs and economic development.

“If there’s a David-and-Goliath story, this is it, because that industry is predatory,’’ Norbut said in an interview. “They’ve got deep, deep pockets behind them. I’m small peanuts. I care about small businesses. I care about my communities.’’

Norbut is confident, though she knows what she is up against.

In the weeks ahead, as House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo readies his bill to license two casinos and slot machines at the state’s four racetracks, Norbut — who already spends 30 hours a week fighting casinos — plans to step up her campaign, with a focus on pushing for a new independent review of the costs and benefits of expanded gambling. DeLeo, Senate President Therese Murray, and Governor Deval Patrick all support casinos, though Murray and Patrick say they oppose slots.

“I’m not nervous or worried,’’ Norbut said. “I actually feel like the little people are being heard a little more, and I’m very excited about that.’’

She has made her presence felt. Since forming United to Stop Slots on the Fourth of July last year, Norbut has successfully pushed the state Democratic Party to adopt a resolution opposing slot machines, helped persuade the governor to endorse her call for a new economic analysis of gambling, and organized an anticasino rally at Faneuil Hall with former governor Michael S. Dukakis.

“She certainly has made an impact,’’ said state Representative Daniel E. Bosley, a North Adams Democrat and a leading casino opponent in the Legislature. “It’s hard to find people on both sides who aren’t reactionary. They have a moral objection to slots, or they’re very libertarian. She really has done her homework, and is really energetic.’’

In some ways, Norbut, who has not been active in prior fights over gambling, is an unlikely figure in the casino debate. She has no personal story of a family member addicted to gambling, nor moral qualms about gambling. She first got involved in the issue in 2007, she said, when the operators of Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut proposed building a casino in Palmer, which borders Monson, the town 30 minutes east of Springfield, where she has lived for 23 years and was serving on the Board of Selectmen. Norbut said she was concerned the casino would ruin the town’s rural character, drive up crime and addiction, and strain local services.


“I didn’t choose the cause,’’ Norbut said. “I really feel like this cause chose me to be the champion. I wasn’t looking for a hobby. I’m married. I have a 13-year-old. I have elderly parents. I have a career. It started by caring about the community.’’


As she began researching the issue, she became convinced that a casino was bad not only for Monson, but for the state because, she believes, casinos cannibalize other businesses and burden taxpayers with additional social and economic costs.

“It’s long-term economic drain,’’ Norbut said.

Supporters of expanded gaming counter that the state is missing out on thousands of jobs and millions of dollars as gamblers flock to out-of-state casinos.

The last time casinos were debated, in 2007, the group Casinofacts.org, led by residents concerned about a proposed casino in Middleborough, helped organize the opposition. Bosley, state Senator Susan C. Tucker, and then-House speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi helped galvanize opponents in the State House.

This year, prospects for a Middleborough casino have faded, Bosley and Tucker are preparing to leave the Legislature, and DiMasi, a powerful casino foe, has been replaced by DeLeo, a longtime supporter of expanded gambling whose district includes two struggling racetracks.

The changes have thrust Norbut into a newly prominent role in the ranks of the opposition, helping lead a nonpartisan, nonprofit group that includes partners such as the Massachusetts Family Institute, a socially conservative group.

In December, she and other members of the organization met with the governor for an hour. Afterward, Patrick sent a letter to DeLeo and Murray encouraging them to meet with United to Stop Slots and supporting Norbut’s call for a new economic analysis of gambling, which the state last conducted when the governor proposed licensing three casinos in 2007.

“She is a really thoughtful, energetic, smart organizer with a great head and a great heart,’’ said Patrick, who first met Norbut when she volunteered on his 2006 campaign.

She can also be polarizing. In a private briefing with lawmakers last week, Norbut hotly debated state Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein, a Revere Democrat and ardent supporter of slot machines whose district includes Wonderland Greyhound Park.

“We’ve clashed heads, and the impression I get from her is that she’s not very fond of me,’’ Reinstein said. “I obviously disagree with a large percentage of what she says, and I feel like their side is using absolute fear tactics when it comes to this issue, and that’s not fair.’’

Norbut said it is the pro-casino crowd that has used fear to push its agenda.

“I’ve had retired police officers tell me to watch my back; I’ve had verbal threats from a top AFL-CIO official,’’ Norbut said. “Maybe it was a warning. He said, ‘If you ever run for office again, we’ll remember.’ ’’

“It’s not easy,’’ Norbut added. “I’m not a thick-skinned person.’’

Norbut, the third of six children of a Marine who fought in Iwo Jima, is tough, however. She and her husband, a carpenter, lived in a tent for six months while they cleared trees and built their home from scratch.

This fight, she says, will also require a lot of heavy lifting, but she has no intention of giving up.

“I have no issue with anyone who wants to get on a bus or a plane and go and do their thing,’’ she said, referring to gamblers traveling to casinos. “But it becomes my business when it impacts my property tax, my community, and the society that my child is going to live in.’’

Join us! At United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts. Add your name to the mailing list, sign the Petition for an Independent Cost Benefit Analysis and consider making a donation.

Independent Cost Benefit Analysis

Below, is a link to our new on-line USS-Mass Petition calling for an independent cost-benefit analysis, which includes an analysis of the costs and benefits for the State as a whole, and for the host communities and their neighbors.

Major policy changes in the Commonwealth must be fact-driven, transparent and informed by public participation.


Please take a few minutes to sign the petition below and join a growing list of organizations and responsible leaders, such as the Mass Chiefs of Police Association, the League of Women Voters, Governor Deval Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley, former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger and others who support the kind of analysis that our elected officials need before they can make a prudent decision.

Join us!

Regards,

Jessie

Click to sign the Petition.

To:

His Excellency Deval L. Patrick, Governor
The Honorable Speaker Robert DeLeo
The Honorable Senate President Therese Murray
Members of the General Court


From:

Citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts


Re:

Independent Cost-Benefit Analysis of Expanded Gambling Proposals





WE, the undersigned citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts , a state that has a long and proud history of advocating for social justice, working for policies that promote public health and consumer protection; do hereby request that the Governor and the Legislature execute proper due diligence by authorizing a comprehensive independent analysis of the costs and benefits of legalizing slots and casinos before any legislation is approved.



To join our mailing list, click below and enter your information in the lower right hand corner:

United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts



Your generous contributions are gratefully accepted. Whether or not your circumstances allow you to make a contribution at this time, we would appreciate your forwarding this email to your friends and contacts for their consideration.

The Case for the Commonwealth Against Slots & Casinos

The Case for the Commonwealth Against Slots & Casinos

Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7pm-8:30PM

Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts



WHAT: “The Case for the Commonwealth Against Slots & Casinos” is a forum at Faneuil Hall in Boston, with noted civic and political leaders, to discuss the proposals to legalize state-sponsored predatory gambling, slot machines and casinos in Massachusetts.



WHO: Sponsored by the USS Mass Coalition, the panel will include:

Governor and Mrs. Michael Dukakis
Former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger
Kathleen Conley Norbut, President of USS Mass
Jim Rubens, Granite State Coalition Against Expanded Gambling
Honorable State Senator Susan Tucker



Alan Khazei, co-founder of City Year, as the Master of Ceremonies.

The Rev. Dr. Peter D. Weaver, Bishop of the United Methodist Church- New England Conference, will offer the Invocation.



WHEN: Thursday, December 10, 2009, 7:00- 8:30pm



WHERE: Faneuil Hall, 1 Faneuil Hall Square, Boston, MA.

Blue line to Aquarium/Faneuil Hall, Green Line to Government Center, or Orange line to State Street.



CONTACT: Kathleen Conley Norbut, (413) 267-3869 or ussmass@gmail.com to arrange interviews with panelists, or details on visuals, taping and recording the event.



USS Mass – United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts is the up-growth of concerned citizens, taxpayers, activists and statewide organizations across the political spectrum opposed to predatory gambling in the Commonwealth. We are a non-profit, non-partisan organization that has been working diligently to organize and educate citizens and Legislators on the facts about the economic and social costs of legalizing predatory gambling in the Commonwealth. No state that has legalized predatory slot machines has solved their fiscal problems.








President: Kathleen Conley Norbut Vice-President: Bob Massie

Treasurer: Sue Kennedy

Directors: Les Bernal, Tom Larkin, Kelly Marcimo, Jessie Powell, Mary Tufts

Governor Listens to Gambling Opponents

EXPANDED GAMBLING OPPONENTS MAKE PITCH TO PATRICK

By Kyle Cheney
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, DEC. 7, 2009.....Opponents of expanded gambling in Massachusetts, after a sit-down Monday with the state’s chief executive, described an engaged Gov. Deval Patrick ready with a raft of questions about the potential pitfalls of bringing slots or casinos to Massachusetts.

Patrick, who last year championed a failed proposal to bring casino gambling to Massachusetts, quizzed the opponents during a 75-minute meeting –15 minutes longer than scheduled in order to accommodate the governor’s questions, according to attendees.

Kathleen Norbut, president of United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, said those who attended the meeting urged the governor to get behind a new cost-benefit analysis of expanded gambling in Massachusetts.

“What I sense is, as time has passed and more data has emerged, that disputed the revenues of his proposal and as the economy has significantly changed, he’s had an opportunity to take a look at this and his administration, from a different altitude,” Norbut told the News Service. “I think there was a very important exchange about the need for a fresh cost-benefit analysis, that the economics have changed since his original proposal for casinos.”

A Patrick spokesman described the gathering as “a good meeting.”

“The Governor appreciated the feedback from the attendees and will be following up with legislative leadership promptly,” said the spokesman, Alex Goldstein. A leadership meeting between the governor, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, scheduled for 4 p.m., was canceled due to a scheduling conflict for the Senate president, according to the governor’s office.

In September, House Speaker Robert DeLeo said Massachusetts should authorize resort casinos in addition to slot machines at racetracks, laying out a vision of expanded gaming that could launch a proliferation of venues around the state. Murray has called casinos in Massachusetts “inevitable” but Patrick’s support for casinos has softened somewhat and the governor in recent months has made a point of emphasizing that any expanded gambling foray must take into account the human toll on gamblers.

Last month, Patrick described any agreement among state leaders about the future of gambling in Massachusetts as “general,” adding that “by no means is there agreement on exactly what contours it ought to take.” Speaking on WTKK-FM Nov. 4, Patrick said, “I don't want anybody in the Legislature to be thinking about expanded gaming as a quote fix unquote for the fiscal challenges facing the commonwealth. It's not. It's not. It's another job-creating opportunity, which has to be done right and because there are real human costs. That has to be faced. There are real human costs. We have to be very, very clear and careful about the regulatory framework that that business comes into.” Asked by host Jim Braude whether there would eventually be Bay State casinos, Patrick said, “That remains to be seen.”

Opponents of expanded gambling say casinos and slot parlors derive the bulk of their earnings from addicted gamblers, driving many into bankruptcy and steering their dollars away from other areas of the economy. They also cite higher crime rates and ramifications for friends and families of gambling addicts. Backers of casinos cite potential for the creation of thousands of good-paying jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues, at a time when state spending has consistently outpaced tax collections.

The dozen attendees of the meeting included former Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Bob Massie; Sen. Susan Tucker (D-Andover); Rebekah Gewirtz, director of government relations at the National Association of Social Workers; Massachusetts Family Institute director of public policy Evelyn Reilly; Massachusetts Council of Churches associate director Laura Everett; National Organization to Stop Predatory Gambling executive director Les Bernal; League of Women Voters executive director Kelly Marcimo; Somerville Democrat Fred Berman; political consultant Tom Cosgrove; Middleborough resident Jessie Powell, United to Stop Slots Massachusetts webmaster and Bridgewater resident Mary Tufts; and Palmer Citizens Impact Study Committee member Stephen Sears. Secretary of Health and Human Services JudyAnn Bigby, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Greg Bialecki attended as well.

Norbut said Patrick grilled attendees about “dynamics that have happened on the local level,” including what she described as efforts by some local public officials to force gaming upon their constituents.

United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts is also sponsoring a Thursday forum featuring former Gov. Michael Dukakis, former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger, Sen. Susan Tucker and Democratic U.S. Senate contender Alan Khazei to outline their opposition to expanded gambling. The event is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Faneuil Hall.

A jacketless Patrick invited the attendees into the 2 p.m. meeting, which was requested by the gaming opponents. Norbut said the meeting followed similar appointments with Bigby, Bialecki, Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and First Assistant Attorney General David Friedman.

Norbut said opponents of expanded gambling believe the governor has “modified his stance” on gaming since his proposal failed last year.

“I think he’s certainly taking a different position and learned that both the data and proposal that he put forth was flawed, and that was in the old economy,” she said. “It’s clear to even casual observers that he’s certainly modified his stance.”

Last week, Bialecki said the administration plans to let the Legislature drive the gambling debate, noting that they voted down Patrick’s proposal last session.

Rep. Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill), who co-chairs the Legislature’s economic development committee, which has jurisdiction over gambling proposals, did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Testimony

If you haven't taken the time to review this page and the testimony included, it's worth the time for the wide ranging issues that were raised --

The following are links to written and/or oral testimony
representative of that given in opposition, out of concern,
and in favor of an independent/impartial cost benefit
analysis of expanded gambling as submitted to
the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Economic
Development and Emerging Technologies, October 29,
2009

League of Women Voters of Massachusetts

BOSTON-The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts has joined forces with the anti-casino coalition United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts.

The non-profit coalition, comprised of citizens, taxpayers, activists and statewide organizations across the political spectrum, works to educate and inform citizens and Legislators of the negative economic and social effects of casino gambling.

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts has opposed allowing casino gambling in the state since 1982, and actively lobbied against casino legislation last year.

Louise Haldeman, the casino gambling specialist for the League's Program and Action Committee, is the League's representative to the United to Stop Slots board of directors.

"While casinos would bring in some revenue and some jobs, costs associated with those jobs, the impact on local communities and businesses, and the impact on families will far outweigh the benefit," said Haldeman.

The League of Women Voters opposes the legalization of casino gambling, believing the demands for social and municipal services, police protection and the establishment of a state regulating body outweigh any benefits from increased employment, tourism and tax revenue.

"The League's fiscal positions reinforce that an economic crisis cannot be cured by legalizing casino gambling nor can sustainable revenue be created with the introduction of this industry into the Commonwealth," said Zaxaro Bennett, president of the state League.

Since 1983 the League has presented testimony to oppose the legalization of casino gambling and has worked with organizations that share this goal. LWVMA will continue to work to defeat any bills that would provide for the legalization of casino gambling in Massachusetts.

Iraq Veteran Claims Gambling Addiction

Lawyers say bank robber traumatized from Iraq duty

Tergesen became withdrawn and moody when he returned from Iraq and spent all of his time gambling on the Internet, his attorneys said.

``The defendant appears to claim that due to this post traumatic stress disorder he has become addicted to gambling and this somehow caused him to commit a bank robbery,' prosecutors said in court documents.

United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts offers a separate section of Returning Veterans who deserve our special appreciation --

AFTER-EFFECTS: RETURNING VETERANS

What Are They Hiding?

When I read the release below, circulated by CCA, I was reminded of the conduct of retired Middleboro Town Manager, Jack Healey, the tyrannical Marsha Brunelle, recognized far and wide for stifling debate and squashing the democratic process, and the arrogance of the Middleboro Board of Selectmen on being challenged for not including discussion about accepting "cheap gifts" in their meeting minutes.
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Cheap Seat Revisited After The Election

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For the past few months, CCA has stood by and watched as the Town Council, which CCA fully endorsed, goes from one that promised an open and transparent government to one that is looking more like former town councils who held volunteers and commissions in contempt and used backroom meetings as a way to block the public from government.
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We have grave concerns about the motives of Town Council member Forrester Safford. It is clear he is in charge of the Town Council-- not President Marge Frank. This week, while the other town council members looked on, we witnessed firsthand a public dressing down of the Planning Commission orchestrated by Safford. His complaint: the Planning Commission is too concerned about the environment and the interest of the town as a whole. Well, CCA says what’s wrong with that? Is Safford looking for a Planning Commission to be only for the interest of his fellow builders? Isn’t that unethical? Shouldn't he recuse himself from some of these issues? Aren't there conflicts of interest here?
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We were heartened to see town council member Richard Hosp leave the meeting early, presumably because he did not want to see any more pain inflicted on the Planning Commission. Unfortunately, the disrespectful tone from Safford caused a dedicated Planning Commission member to resign—Vic Dvorak. His resignation letter said, “After meeting with the Town Council on Tuesday night it became clear to me that politics are much more important than planning in Charlestown.” Isn’t that a shame that a dedicated public servant, embarrassed by Safford who represents special interests, feels compelled to resign?
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In the past, you have depended on CCA to bring you the truth about what we observe at Town Hall. We intend to do so
as we lead up to the November 2010 elections. Safford has already tried to tamper with zoning ordinances, only to be pushed back because CCA was watching. In the coming days, we will be vigilant to educate the public on the ways that Safford is putting special interests ahead of YOUR interests. Stay tuned.
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Meanwhile, we wait to see who Marge Frank, Charlene Dunn, Gregg Avedesian and Richard Hosp propose to fill the Planning Commission vacancy. As for Safford, we surmise he will want a developer, a blatant case of self-interest. CCA will be watching all five to see what they do.
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Charlestown Citizens Alliance
PO Box 81, Charlestown, RI 02813
Website: http://charlestowncitizens.org
News: http://charlestowncitizens.org/stories.html
Community Bulletin Board: http://charlestowncitizens.org/cbb.html
Video: http://charlestowncitizens.org/video.html
Opinion: http://charlestowncitizens.org/letters.html

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When the discussion isn't open, public and transparent and fails to allow presentation of all sides of a debate, it should raise alarms.

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If a proposal can't withstand public scrutiny, along with the presentation of information such as is available here on United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, and here, it should raise questions about what's being concealed.

Monday Morning Quarterbacks

Watch this video -- Monday Morning Quarterbacks

FOX25, myfoxboston - Monday Morning Quarterbacks Scott Harshbarger and Joe Malone recently joined the FOX25 Morning News from our Beacon Hill studio to talk about the latest political news.

Of predatory gambling as fiscal policy --
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"bad economic development"

"...the next Big Dig..."


"...Stimulus package for owners of casinos, race tracks that can't survive, the owners will make money... the lobbyists will absolutely have a stimulus...."

"Not good long term economic development."


Check out the abundance of information on the great new site -- United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts

Just A Few More ....

Of all the labels that apply to Jackie Borovetz — wife, mother, grandmother, professional — gambling addict might be the last to come to mind.

But the life of this deputy at the Muskogee County Court Clerk's office, a daughter of a Baptist deacon, began crumbling several years ago as Native American casinos began proliferating across Oklahoma.

"I started gambling when they first brought them into Muskogee," she said in a telephone interview from FMC Carswell, a prison in Fort Worth, Texas, where she is serving time for taking nearly $600,000 from the clerk's office. "What happened the first time I ever took money from the court, I had gambled my whole paycheck and I had no money.

"I had no clue how much money I'd taken. I was as shocked as anyone else."

Borovetz is one of a number of state, local and business officials who have been accused of stealing money to pay gambling debts. Experts have reported seeing an increase in the number of residents who are struggling with the problem.

_Roger Q. Melson, former director of audits for the Commissioners of the Land Office, was named in a 174-count indictment in June that accused him of taking more than $1.16 million in royalty payments to the office. His attorney has said Melson has a gambling problem.
_Danny Rennels, the former executive secretary for a private association that regulates high school sports in Oklahoma, was charged Monday with embezzling $457,500 from the organization. Prosecutors said Rennels indicated he gambled the money away.

_Former State Rep. Mike Mass was sentenced last May to two years in prison for his role in a kickback scheme prosecutors said was fueled by his gambling addiction.

Read the rest ....

The more I read of these stories, the more I wonder if we would promote a drug or a child's toy if it injured 5% of the users.

USS Mass = United to Stop Slots in Massacchusetts

Check out the new Wow! web site --

United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts

Growing Casino Opposition

The Republican reports on growing casino opposition --

PALMER - Quaboag Valley Against Casinos is ramping up its anti-casino agenda by launching a letter-writing campaign to state legislators and joining United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, a statewide organization.

EmmaLadd Shepherd, co-president of Quaboag Valley Against Casinos, said the group is working on letters that will ask for a cost-benefit analysis of proposed plans for casinos and slot parlors in Massachusetts.

The letters also will emphasize the group's opposition to slot machines, which she said lead to predatory gambling.

"The casinos want people who keep playing and playing and playing. It preys on them," Shepherd said Friday.

Shepherd said the letters will be finalized at the group's next meeting on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. at Schoolhouse Commons on Route 20.

Co-president Robert E. Price said the focus of the group is communicating to legislators about its opposition to casinos, especially one in Palmer, where Mohegan Sun wants to build a resort casino across from the turnpike exit on Thorndike Street (Route 32).

"We've encouraged people to write, e-mail and phone legislators," Price said.

Price said he hopes the process again stops with the state House of Representatives. The House last year shot down Gov. Deval L. Patrick's bill to license three casinos in the state.

"Our job will be made so much easier if it simply stops at the House level," Price said.

As for joining United to Stop Slots, Price said his group welcomes aboard anybody who is opposed to slots. Shepherd said United to Stop Slots is comprised of social and religious organizations.

Shall we follow RI off the same cliff?

Carcieri orders 12 'shutdown days', municipal aid cuts

WOW! Weren't slots supposed to save Rhode Island?

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- R.I. state government will shut down for a total of 12 days between now and next June to help close a massive budget hole, Governor Carcieri announced Monday afternoon. The governor also unveiled plans to withhold the final $32.5 million in quarterly reimbursements to cities and towns as compensation for reducing local car-tax levies.


State As Stakeholder ?


How then, Grogan asks, does a company like Twin Rivers go bankrupt?

Why, because it's largest stakeholder, THE STATE, did not help solve it's problems.

And it's all the State's fault. It's a bad Stakeholder.

Maybe Grogan's right.
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But, just maybe, those who have spoken out about the true costs of gambling that go beyond the heavy burden of addiction to Predatory Gambling, and include the cost of Regulating, Enforcing, Prosecuting, and so much more are the ones who are right. Maybe that's why every state with expanded gambling is in worse shape than Massachusetts.

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Maybe Massachusetts' leaders were wise not to jump hastily onto that bandwagon that has destroyed lives and budgets.

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Time for a Blue Ribbon Commission?