Casino collapse to delay building's construction
OSHA is investigating Horseshoe Casino site that was to open in 2013
By John Nolan, Staff Writer
CINCINNATI — Construction of a new casino will be indefinitely delayed following the building’s partial collapse Friday.
More than a dozen construction workers were injured Friday morning, with four remaining hospitalized Friday night, in the collapse at the $400 million casino in downtown Cincinnati, city fire Chief Richard Braun said.
There were no life-threatening
injuries in the Horseshoe Casino accident, which came just weeks after a similar accident at a Cleveland casino with the same developer.
Workers were taken to area hospitals after the 7:45 a.m. collapse at the site.
A male worker was in serious condition is at Bethesda North on Friday night, and the only worker from the collapse at the hospital, said Joe Kelley of at TriHealth System. The system’s Good Samaritan Hospital treated and released two workers.
Ten workers were treated at University Hospital, said spokesman Matt Kramer, with seven released and three that stayed overnight for monitoring of non-life-threatening injuries.
OSHA was called in to begin investigating the incident.
Steve Rosenthal, principal in Rock Gaming LLC, a partner in the casino project said the construction will not resume at the site until Occupational Safety and Health Administration officials and construction managers determine it is safe to do so.
The workers were pouring concrete in a 60-foot by 60-foot section on the third floor, described as a “bay,” when a beam gave way, the fire chief said.
“It went down in a ‘V.’ The workers on top rode it down,” Braun said.
Shouts could be heard on a 911 call right after the collapse as the caller told the dispatcher “we’ve got one guy that’s in desperate position.”
“There’s about 20 guys just fell through the floor pour. You’ve got to get down here as quick as possible. ...They fell about 15, 20 foot. Hurry,” he said.
“We’ve got men under a beam as well. We got to get this beam off of them.”
The collapse caused nearby
roadways to close for a short time.
Jessie Folmar, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati-based Messer Construction Co., said the company was trying to learn what happened.
“Our top priority is to ensure everyone at our jobsites can return home safely to their families at the end of each day,” Messer’s president and chief executive Tom Keckeis said in a statement. “We have stringent safety processes and protocols in place to ensure our jobsites remain safe and our structures secure.”
Messer has a clean safety record with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration since 2006, according to information from the agency’s database. Its last Ohio incident was that year, when it was penalized for four serious violations and paid a penalty of $3,125. One involved a lack of adequate fall protection for workers.
OSHA inspectors, as well as investigators from the state, were looking into the accident. The developers said work won’t resume until the construction team and authorities say it is safe.
Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati is a $400 million development under construction in the northeast corner of the city’s center and was expected to open in spring 2013, an official with the company told an Ohio House panel at a hearing this week.
The casino is being developed by Rock Gaming in partnership with Caesar’s Entertainment. The same team is behind a casino project in downtown Cleveland where a garage partially collapsed Dec. 16. A second-level section of the parking deck gave way while concrete was being poured. No one was injured.
Casino development was touted during a statewide legalization campaign in 2009 for the immediate boost it would give to Ohio’s economy, particularly through the temporary construction jobs needed to build the four new facilities in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo. According to a recent report from the Associated General Contractors of America, construction jobs rose in Ohio this past year — from 163,400 in December 2010 to 168,600 last month. According to a recent report from the Associated General Contractors of America, construction jobs rose in Ohio this past year — from 163,400 in December 2010 to 168,600 last month.
Nationwide, OSHA statistics show there were nearly 196,000 job-related injuries in 2010 in the construction industry, almost four injuries for every 100 fulltime workers. In Ohio, there were 21 fatal injuries in the construction industry in 2010, the agency said
The Cincinnati casino is expected to attract nearly 6 million visitors and create 1,700 jobs, said Lee Dillard, vice president of finance for the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. It will feature three restaurants, about 2,000 slot machines, 85 table games and a 31-table World Series of Poker room.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
“mad at every level”
Grab a seat and watch the unfolding of backroom deals and political corruption crafted on Beacon Hill to subsidize the Kraft/Wynn deal in Foxborough at the expense of Massachusetts taxpayers.
Transportation heads: Gillette rail plan through Walpole 'not a focus'.
By Veronica Hamlett and Dave Eisenstadter
Walpole Times
WALPOLE — The MBTA is still mum on any plans to increase commuter rail service to Foxboro via Medfield and Walpole.
In the midst of a $161 million budget and the possibility of increasing fares and reducing services, Transportation Secretary Richard Davey and MBTA acting general manager Jonathan Davis said at a Wicked Local editorial board meeting last Friday that their focus is on current projects and contracts, even though customers are calling for more.
“The MBTA has a problem that every company in America would want in that customers want more of us but we can’t deliver,” Davey said. “People want more or expanded service.”
The MBTA is working on securing a new contract for its current commuter rail services. Its contract with Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail expires in June. Davis said the MBTA could entertain talks with a private entity willing to expand service.
“Thinking of longer term projects, perhaps we could give the opportunity to whoever the service provider is to invest their own capital and experience,” he said.
The Green Line extension to Tufts University and a South Coast rail line will continue as planned, as both are state obligations as part of the Big Dig, but neither will be paid for by the MBTA, according to Davis.
Worcester-based law firm Mirick O’Connell drafted a proposal for regular rail service from Boston to Foxboro on the Franklin line through Medfield and Walpole. The pilot program would still operate at a deficit of $1.4 million.
Local legislators are trying to prevent said expansion by amending the state budget. The senate passed an amendment last Friday 31-3 prohibiting the MBTA from expanding capital projects that would operate at a fiscal deficit. It also requires the MBTA to do a cost analysis study for any and all rail service expansion and to not proceed if the results come back unprofitable.
“This is an extremely important issue to Walpole and for the Commonwealth as a whole,” Sen. Jim Timilty (D-Walpole) said in a statement. “I share the concerns of an overwhelming number of constituents who have contacted me for months now, urging that we act appropriately on this matter. This is an issue of fiscal prudence, and it has to happen in a timely manner so that we do not add another generation of debt to our public transportation.”
Davis would not comment on the new legislation, which must now earn House approval.
“We’re committed to the green line and to South Coast rail and will not add to the debt burden the MBTA currently carries,” he said.
The MBTA is considering two proposals with different levels of fare increases and service reductions to close its $161 million budget gap. The first scenario would eliminate 60 bus routes and increase fares by an average of 43 percent. The second eliminates more than 200 bus routes, reduces the length of 11 others and would increase fares by an average of 35 percent.
The second plan eliminates the 34E bus from Walpole to Dedham.
Both plans discontinue all ferry routes, suspend all weekend trains and service after 10 p.m. on commuter rails and eliminate weekend service on the Mattapan line and Green Line E branch.
Neither plan is inevitable, but are instead being proposed to gauge what level of fare increases or service reductions customers are willing to endure, Davis said. The most drastic estimates predict a 17 percent reduction in ridership, or 94 million rides annually.
A series of public hearings are being held to gather feedback about the two proposals, including one in Framingham on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Town Hall, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Read more: Transportation heads: Gillette rail plan through Walpole 'not a focus' - Walpole, MA - Wicked Local Walpole http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/news/x1672347278/Transportation-heads-Gillette-rail-plan-through-Walpole-not-a-focus#ixzz1khAtwi7Q
State Sen. Timilty rails against expanded train service in MetroWest
Senator Timilty talks about plans to expand the rail lines.
By Marc Filippino/Correspondent
Wicked Local Walpole
Posted Dec 23, 2011
WALPOLE — State Senator James Timilty is “mad at every level” at plans for a proposed commuter rail that would run through his home town of Walpole, and is looking to do everything in his power to stop it.
Timilty led a small group of reporters on a walk of the rail line near the South Walpole Post Office on Summer Street Tuesday. Along the way, he ripped the MBTA for its history of debt and questioned its ability to responsibly manage the finances of a proposed commuter rail expansion into Foxborough, Walpole, Medfield and throughout the MetroWest region.
Timilty cited a proposed pilot project’s projected $4 million annual operating loss as a sign that the project is doomed to fail.
“If [the MBTA] were a private sector agency, they’d fire everybody,” Timilty said. “30 percent of their operating budget goes to debt, and they’re thinking of spending upwards of $10 million to activate a line? They have some monumental challenges they need to deal with now.
“We were the first subway in America, and in an urban setting, we’re probably the worst,” he said. “Their systems are old and faulty, and if you’ve ever gone through Park Street, it’s a disaster.”
The controversy began in October when the Westborough-based law firm Mirick O’Connell proposed a pilot commuter rail expansion project, dubbed the 495 Rail Study, that focused on enhancing train service to Foxborough. The pilot program called for utilizing existing rail equipment, while seeing whether a long-term plan was feasible.
Walpole residents were immediately up in arms. Walpole is where the Foxborough spur splits off from the Franklin Line, and residents opposed having to bear the brunt of the constant noise from a high-speed train and the construction that would be associated with building a new rail line and station. Town officials even contacted John Mirick to register their complaints.
On Dec. 2, in a strongly worded letter to Jody Ray, director of railroad operations for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Rep. Dan Winslow objected to expanded commuter rail service to Foxborough on the grounds that it was a taxpayer giveaway to billionaire casino gambling interests.
Winslow called for a halt to any further discussions or planning until the impacts on surrounding towns of such a service increase could be assessed, and warned, “Not one thin dime of limited public money should be spent for the private benefit of billionaires in a private transaction.”
Timilty objected not only to the Foxborough pilot project, but to the entire notion of explanded commuter rail service in the MetroWest area.
He sees the plan becoming dangerously long-term and compared commuter rail expansion to the problems that plagued the “Big Dig” project in Boston, but on a smaller scale. The pilot project alone would cost an estimated $84 million, with $6 million more annually to operate it, according to the MBTA’s 2010 Foxborough Commuter Feasibility Study Report.
With projected stops in several Norfolk County towns including Medfield, Timilty said the construction would devastate local property values, repel businesses from the area, and damage the overall quality of life.
“The American dream is have control over your own property, and for the state to take it for the greater good, there needs to be a significant cause for that,” Timilty said, referring to the possibility that Massachusetts would acquire land needed for the expansion through eminent domain.
“I have to see what happens to these communities when you have these trains,” he said. “It’s not what we need and it’s not what we can afford.”
Currently in Walpole, freight trains traverse a one-track, north-south rail twice daily. Timilty sees this single track turning into a double track, which would bring the 40-mile-per-hour commuter rail through Walpole 16 times a day, disrupting residential areas and small businesses.
Brickman Group Landscaping is located on Summer Street in Walpole, no more than 25 yards from the tracks.
Kelly Page, an employee at Brickman, said she understands the usefulness of commuter rail, since all Brickman employees must now commute by car. But she also understands the frustration of Walpole citizens. When she was living at home in Northbridge, she said, nearby train traffic disrupted the household several times a day.
“When you have a property right next to a railroad,” she said, “it’s extremely annoying, especially if you have small kids and you’re trying to get them to go to bed at night. My daughter was only five years old when the railroad was going through Northbridge and that was only a couple of times a day.
“It was loud and it shook the entire neighborhood. We had cracks in the walls and cracks in the ceilings and damage to the house, so I can see why residents would not want it.”
Still others are not as stridently opposed to expanding commuter service as Timilty.
“The MBTA has been discussing this for a number of years,” said Paul Matthew, executive director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership, a public-private collaborative that encourages development in the region. Mirick O’Connell brought the 495 Rail Study to Matthew’s group for feedback and regional input while it was being developed.
Matthew said the casino issue raised by Winslow is a red herring. “I think the discussion started long before the casino proposal and will continue long after the casino proposal,” he said. He also said casinos usually attract a more affluent crowd, which is not dependent on public transportation. [but the low wage workers are dependent on less expensive public transportation at great cost to Massachusetts taxpayers]
Matthew said this public discussion is good for the community, since towns such as Walpole will be affected the most. However, he noted the outlines in the pilot program are not permanent, and that it will take decades before the 495 Rail Study is likely to become a reality.
Timilty put it more bluntly.
“It’s a pie in the sky idea,” he said. “If it was built 50 years down the road, it may not have any impact, but right now? Can we afford it? Is it necessary? On both accounts, I offer the most vehement ‘no’ I can get out.”
Read more: State Sen. Timilty rails against expanded train service in MetroWest - Walpole, MA - Wicked Local Walpole http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/news/x1980198478/State-Sen-Timilty-rails-against-expanded-train-service-in-MetroWest#ixzz1khBza7Mh
Transportation heads: Gillette rail plan through Walpole 'not a focus'.
By Veronica Hamlett and Dave Eisenstadter
Walpole Times
WALPOLE — The MBTA is still mum on any plans to increase commuter rail service to Foxboro via Medfield and Walpole.
In the midst of a $161 million budget and the possibility of increasing fares and reducing services, Transportation Secretary Richard Davey and MBTA acting general manager Jonathan Davis said at a Wicked Local editorial board meeting last Friday that their focus is on current projects and contracts, even though customers are calling for more.
“The MBTA has a problem that every company in America would want in that customers want more of us but we can’t deliver,” Davey said. “People want more or expanded service.”
The MBTA is working on securing a new contract for its current commuter rail services. Its contract with Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail expires in June. Davis said the MBTA could entertain talks with a private entity willing to expand service.
“Thinking of longer term projects, perhaps we could give the opportunity to whoever the service provider is to invest their own capital and experience,” he said.
The Green Line extension to Tufts University and a South Coast rail line will continue as planned, as both are state obligations as part of the Big Dig, but neither will be paid for by the MBTA, according to Davis.
Worcester-based law firm Mirick O’Connell drafted a proposal for regular rail service from Boston to Foxboro on the Franklin line through Medfield and Walpole. The pilot program would still operate at a deficit of $1.4 million.
Local legislators are trying to prevent said expansion by amending the state budget. The senate passed an amendment last Friday 31-3 prohibiting the MBTA from expanding capital projects that would operate at a fiscal deficit. It also requires the MBTA to do a cost analysis study for any and all rail service expansion and to not proceed if the results come back unprofitable.
“This is an extremely important issue to Walpole and for the Commonwealth as a whole,” Sen. Jim Timilty (D-Walpole) said in a statement. “I share the concerns of an overwhelming number of constituents who have contacted me for months now, urging that we act appropriately on this matter. This is an issue of fiscal prudence, and it has to happen in a timely manner so that we do not add another generation of debt to our public transportation.”
Davis would not comment on the new legislation, which must now earn House approval.
“We’re committed to the green line and to South Coast rail and will not add to the debt burden the MBTA currently carries,” he said.
The MBTA is considering two proposals with different levels of fare increases and service reductions to close its $161 million budget gap. The first scenario would eliminate 60 bus routes and increase fares by an average of 43 percent. The second eliminates more than 200 bus routes, reduces the length of 11 others and would increase fares by an average of 35 percent.
The second plan eliminates the 34E bus from Walpole to Dedham.
Both plans discontinue all ferry routes, suspend all weekend trains and service after 10 p.m. on commuter rails and eliminate weekend service on the Mattapan line and Green Line E branch.
Neither plan is inevitable, but are instead being proposed to gauge what level of fare increases or service reductions customers are willing to endure, Davis said. The most drastic estimates predict a 17 percent reduction in ridership, or 94 million rides annually.
A series of public hearings are being held to gather feedback about the two proposals, including one in Framingham on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at Town Hall, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Read more: Transportation heads: Gillette rail plan through Walpole 'not a focus' - Walpole, MA - Wicked Local Walpole http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/news/x1672347278/Transportation-heads-Gillette-rail-plan-through-Walpole-not-a-focus#ixzz1khAtwi7Q
State Sen. Timilty rails against expanded train service in MetroWest
Senator Timilty talks about plans to expand the rail lines.
By Marc Filippino/Correspondent
Wicked Local Walpole
Posted Dec 23, 2011
WALPOLE — State Senator James Timilty is “mad at every level” at plans for a proposed commuter rail that would run through his home town of Walpole, and is looking to do everything in his power to stop it.
Timilty led a small group of reporters on a walk of the rail line near the South Walpole Post Office on Summer Street Tuesday. Along the way, he ripped the MBTA for its history of debt and questioned its ability to responsibly manage the finances of a proposed commuter rail expansion into Foxborough, Walpole, Medfield and throughout the MetroWest region.
Timilty cited a proposed pilot project’s projected $4 million annual operating loss as a sign that the project is doomed to fail.
“If [the MBTA] were a private sector agency, they’d fire everybody,” Timilty said. “30 percent of their operating budget goes to debt, and they’re thinking of spending upwards of $10 million to activate a line? They have some monumental challenges they need to deal with now.
“We were the first subway in America, and in an urban setting, we’re probably the worst,” he said. “Their systems are old and faulty, and if you’ve ever gone through Park Street, it’s a disaster.”
The controversy began in October when the Westborough-based law firm Mirick O’Connell proposed a pilot commuter rail expansion project, dubbed the 495 Rail Study, that focused on enhancing train service to Foxborough. The pilot program called for utilizing existing rail equipment, while seeing whether a long-term plan was feasible.
Walpole residents were immediately up in arms. Walpole is where the Foxborough spur splits off from the Franklin Line, and residents opposed having to bear the brunt of the constant noise from a high-speed train and the construction that would be associated with building a new rail line and station. Town officials even contacted John Mirick to register their complaints.
On Dec. 2, in a strongly worded letter to Jody Ray, director of railroad operations for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Rep. Dan Winslow objected to expanded commuter rail service to Foxborough on the grounds that it was a taxpayer giveaway to billionaire casino gambling interests.
Winslow called for a halt to any further discussions or planning until the impacts on surrounding towns of such a service increase could be assessed, and warned, “Not one thin dime of limited public money should be spent for the private benefit of billionaires in a private transaction.”
Timilty objected not only to the Foxborough pilot project, but to the entire notion of explanded commuter rail service in the MetroWest area.
He sees the plan becoming dangerously long-term and compared commuter rail expansion to the problems that plagued the “Big Dig” project in Boston, but on a smaller scale. The pilot project alone would cost an estimated $84 million, with $6 million more annually to operate it, according to the MBTA’s 2010 Foxborough Commuter Feasibility Study Report.
With projected stops in several Norfolk County towns including Medfield, Timilty said the construction would devastate local property values, repel businesses from the area, and damage the overall quality of life.
“The American dream is have control over your own property, and for the state to take it for the greater good, there needs to be a significant cause for that,” Timilty said, referring to the possibility that Massachusetts would acquire land needed for the expansion through eminent domain.
“I have to see what happens to these communities when you have these trains,” he said. “It’s not what we need and it’s not what we can afford.”
Currently in Walpole, freight trains traverse a one-track, north-south rail twice daily. Timilty sees this single track turning into a double track, which would bring the 40-mile-per-hour commuter rail through Walpole 16 times a day, disrupting residential areas and small businesses.
Brickman Group Landscaping is located on Summer Street in Walpole, no more than 25 yards from the tracks.
Kelly Page, an employee at Brickman, said she understands the usefulness of commuter rail, since all Brickman employees must now commute by car. But she also understands the frustration of Walpole citizens. When she was living at home in Northbridge, she said, nearby train traffic disrupted the household several times a day.
“When you have a property right next to a railroad,” she said, “it’s extremely annoying, especially if you have small kids and you’re trying to get them to go to bed at night. My daughter was only five years old when the railroad was going through Northbridge and that was only a couple of times a day.
“It was loud and it shook the entire neighborhood. We had cracks in the walls and cracks in the ceilings and damage to the house, so I can see why residents would not want it.”
Still others are not as stridently opposed to expanding commuter service as Timilty.
“The MBTA has been discussing this for a number of years,” said Paul Matthew, executive director of the 495/MetroWest Partnership, a public-private collaborative that encourages development in the region. Mirick O’Connell brought the 495 Rail Study to Matthew’s group for feedback and regional input while it was being developed.
Matthew said the casino issue raised by Winslow is a red herring. “I think the discussion started long before the casino proposal and will continue long after the casino proposal,” he said. He also said casinos usually attract a more affluent crowd, which is not dependent on public transportation. [but the low wage workers are dependent on less expensive public transportation at great cost to Massachusetts taxpayers]
Matthew said this public discussion is good for the community, since towns such as Walpole will be affected the most. However, he noted the outlines in the pilot program are not permanent, and that it will take decades before the 495 Rail Study is likely to become a reality.
Timilty put it more bluntly.
“It’s a pie in the sky idea,” he said. “If it was built 50 years down the road, it may not have any impact, but right now? Can we afford it? Is it necessary? On both accounts, I offer the most vehement ‘no’ I can get out.”
Read more: State Sen. Timilty rails against expanded train service in MetroWest - Walpole, MA - Wicked Local Walpole http://www.wickedlocal.com/walpole/news/x1980198478/State-Sen-Timilty-rails-against-expanded-train-service-in-MetroWest#ixzz1khBza7Mh
How Cozy is Too Cozy?
How Cozy is Too Cozy?
It's no secret that SugarHouse Casino supports Fishtown Action, the neighborhood group that actually wants a casino on North Delaware Avenue. FACT and SugarHouse throw neighborhood picnics and concerts together, SugarHouse has given thousands of dollars to local causes at FACT's request, and the two are working on a community benefits agreement in which SugarHouse would give $1 million or more each year to needs in the community.
And SugarHouse had to be happy that FACT sent out a press release late Monday night, along with a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell, state Rep. Dwight Evans and State Sen. Vince Fumo demanding that they be included on any meeting to move SugarHouse and Foxwoods Casino from their chosen sites on the Delaware River.
"The former Jack Frost Refinery is a blighted, unsightly lot that has been vacant for 20 YEARS," read the letter, with nearly 200 signatories. "Our community wants and needs the jobs and the vendor opportunties that this development will bring to our city and community."
But SugarHouse was NOT excited to see the media contact list of its spokeswoman, Leigh Whitaker, included with the letter and press release. Are SugarHouse and FACT too tight? FACT President Maggie O'Brien said she asked Whitaker for her list because she didn't have a good one of her own. "We're not professionals," she said, taking a poke at several anti-casino activists who actually make a living as professional protesters. "I asked her, give me your contacts, because then maybe someone will get back to us."
While some casino opponents like to paint FACT as a creation of SugarHouse, it was started by residents who have been involved in Fishtown for a long time. "We didn't ever get into this to help SugarHouse, we got into this to help our neighborhood," said O'Brien, who broke from Fishtown Neighbors Association, which she co-founded in 2000, because of the casino issue. O'Brien works for Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the company that owns The Inquirer, and hence, Heard in the Hall.
Whitaker said FACT's use of her list isn't a big deal -- "it is just a list of reporters that cover casino issues -- Doesn’t make sense to ask the Art Alliance for their media list." Posted by Jeff Shields
It's no secret that SugarHouse Casino supports Fishtown Action, the neighborhood group that actually wants a casino on North Delaware Avenue. FACT and SugarHouse throw neighborhood picnics and concerts together, SugarHouse has given thousands of dollars to local causes at FACT's request, and the two are working on a community benefits agreement in which SugarHouse would give $1 million or more each year to needs in the community.
And SugarHouse had to be happy that FACT sent out a press release late Monday night, along with a letter to Gov. Ed Rendell, state Rep. Dwight Evans and State Sen. Vince Fumo demanding that they be included on any meeting to move SugarHouse and Foxwoods Casino from their chosen sites on the Delaware River.
"The former Jack Frost Refinery is a blighted, unsightly lot that has been vacant for 20 YEARS," read the letter, with nearly 200 signatories. "Our community wants and needs the jobs and the vendor opportunties that this development will bring to our city and community."
But SugarHouse was NOT excited to see the media contact list of its spokeswoman, Leigh Whitaker, included with the letter and press release. Are SugarHouse and FACT too tight? FACT President Maggie O'Brien said she asked Whitaker for her list because she didn't have a good one of her own. "We're not professionals," she said, taking a poke at several anti-casino activists who actually make a living as professional protesters. "I asked her, give me your contacts, because then maybe someone will get back to us."
While some casino opponents like to paint FACT as a creation of SugarHouse, it was started by residents who have been involved in Fishtown for a long time. "We didn't ever get into this to help SugarHouse, we got into this to help our neighborhood," said O'Brien, who broke from Fishtown Neighbors Association, which she co-founded in 2000, because of the casino issue. O'Brien works for Philadelphia Newspapers LLC, the company that owns The Inquirer, and hence, Heard in the Hall.
Whitaker said FACT's use of her list isn't a big deal -- "it is just a list of reporters that cover casino issues -- Doesn’t make sense to ask the Art Alliance for their media list." Posted by Jeff Shields
Connecticut Budget Deficit Grows To $144.5 Million
State Budget Deficit Grows To $144.5 Million
By CHRISTOPHER KEATING
The Hartford Courant
In more bad financial news for the state, the legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office now says the state budget deficit has grown to a projected $144.5 million.
The Office of Fiscal Analysis released new numbers Wednesday night that say the state is spending more than expected and collecting less revenue than projected.
Only two months ago, the same office was estimating a surplus of about $100 million in an overall state budget of about $20 billion. But the state is not collecting tax money as quickly as expected, partly because Wall Street bonuses were lower than expected at Christmas. As a result, some major taxpayers in Fairfield County are not paying as much in taxes as originally hoped.
Fairfield County Overall, the state expects to collect $8.38 billion from the state income tax and $3.88 billion from the sales tax – the two biggest revenue generators by far. The tax on corporate profits is expected to generate $707 million in the current fiscal year, while another $444 million would be collected in cigarette taxes.
The income, sales, corporation and cigarette taxes were all increased last year by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Democratic-controlled legislature in an attempt to close the state's budget deficit that started growing deeper with the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank and the huge Wall Street downturn during the recession. The state economy remains sluggish as unemployment remains relatively high and real estate sales are far below the peak days of several years ago.
State officials are struggling to balance the budget through "lapses," which means that agencies are being ordered to spend less money than is allocated in their budgets. In other words, if an agency had a budget of $10 million, it might be ordered to spend only $9.5 million because of the difficult fiscal times and then essentially return $500,000 to the state.
"The budget is heavily reliant on budgeted lapses to achieve balance,'' the nonpartisan fiscal office said in a three-page summary. "Of the $777.9 million budgeted [for lapses], we have been able to identify $651.4 million in lapses. About five months remain in the fiscal year, and the remaining $126.5 million may still be achieved through various savings or budgeting mechanisms.''
The fiscal office noted that its projections were made before Malloy said this week that he was using his unilateral authority to make budget cuts of $78.7 million in order to keep the state in the black for the current fiscal year.
Republicans have complained that Malloy's strategy is flawed because he enacted the largest tax increase in Connecticut history and the state is still facing a deficit. Malloy has pledged that the state will finish the fiscal year on June 30 in the black.
By CHRISTOPHER KEATING
The Hartford Courant
In more bad financial news for the state, the legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office now says the state budget deficit has grown to a projected $144.5 million.
The Office of Fiscal Analysis released new numbers Wednesday night that say the state is spending more than expected and collecting less revenue than projected.
Only two months ago, the same office was estimating a surplus of about $100 million in an overall state budget of about $20 billion. But the state is not collecting tax money as quickly as expected, partly because Wall Street bonuses were lower than expected at Christmas. As a result, some major taxpayers in Fairfield County are not paying as much in taxes as originally hoped.
Fairfield County Overall, the state expects to collect $8.38 billion from the state income tax and $3.88 billion from the sales tax – the two biggest revenue generators by far. The tax on corporate profits is expected to generate $707 million in the current fiscal year, while another $444 million would be collected in cigarette taxes.
The income, sales, corporation and cigarette taxes were all increased last year by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Democratic-controlled legislature in an attempt to close the state's budget deficit that started growing deeper with the collapse of the Lehman Brothers investment bank and the huge Wall Street downturn during the recession. The state economy remains sluggish as unemployment remains relatively high and real estate sales are far below the peak days of several years ago.
State officials are struggling to balance the budget through "lapses," which means that agencies are being ordered to spend less money than is allocated in their budgets. In other words, if an agency had a budget of $10 million, it might be ordered to spend only $9.5 million because of the difficult fiscal times and then essentially return $500,000 to the state.
"The budget is heavily reliant on budgeted lapses to achieve balance,'' the nonpartisan fiscal office said in a three-page summary. "Of the $777.9 million budgeted [for lapses], we have been able to identify $651.4 million in lapses. About five months remain in the fiscal year, and the remaining $126.5 million may still be achieved through various savings or budgeting mechanisms.''
The fiscal office noted that its projections were made before Malloy said this week that he was using his unilateral authority to make budget cuts of $78.7 million in order to keep the state in the black for the current fiscal year.
Republicans have complained that Malloy's strategy is flawed because he enacted the largest tax increase in Connecticut history and the state is still facing a deficit. Malloy has pledged that the state will finish the fiscal year on June 30 in the black.
Bribes, Chinese Mob Ties at Sands
Bribes, Chinese Mob Ties Alleged at Casino of Gingrich Money Man
By BRIAN ROSS, MATTHEW MOSK, CINDY GALLI and RHONDA SCHWARTZ
The casino company run by the principal financial backer of Newt Gingrich's presidential bid, Sheldon Adelson, has been under criminal investigation for the last year by the Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission for alleged bribery of foreign officials, according to corporate documents.
In a separate civil lawsuit, a former executive of the company has alleged that Adelson ordered him to keep quiet about sensitive issues at the Sands casinos on the Chinese island of Macau, including the casinos' alleged "involvement with Chinese organized crime groups, known as Triads, connected to the junket business." The triads -- Chinese organized crime syndicates -- are allegedly involved in organizing high stakes gambling junkets for wealthy Chinese travelers.
In its filings with the SEC, Adelson's company says it became aware of the investigation in February 2011 when it received a subpoena from the SEC requesting "documents relating to its compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act." The company said it "intends to cooperate with the investigation," which it said may have been triggered by the allegations in the lawsuit by Steven C. Jacobs, a former Sands executive who says he helped run the Macau operation. The federal investigation was first reported last year by Las Vegas newspapers and the financial press.
At a gaming forum last year, Adelson said the lawsuit "is not a serious case" and that the federal investigations would find no wrongdoing. "When the smoke clears, I am 1,000 percent positive that there won't be any fire below it."
Adelson and his wife have given at least $10 million to the pro-Gingrich Super PAC "Winning our Future" and ABC News political analyst Amy Walter said the Adelsons' money "has been a major factor in keeping Newt Gingrich's campaign alive." The candidate and the Super PAC are not legally allowed to coordinate their efforts, but the political action committee's goals are unambiguous, as they finance ads supporting Gingrich and attacking his opponents.
ABC News received no response to calls and emails to the Gingrich campaign seeking comment.
Sheldon Adelson Owns 49 Percent of Sands Company
Adelson has become a symbol of the new, no-holds-barred environment for campaign money, with recent Supreme Court rulings opening the door for one wealthy individual to single-handedly bankroll one of the costliest aspects of a political campaign: television advertising. Adelson, who is one of America's richest people, has the means to do so. The billionaire owns 49 percent of the Sands casino company and as chairman, is directly involved in its operations. Its operations in Macau have made the Sands the world's leading gambling operation.
But the company operates where corruption is described as "a major and growing problem," according to a 2011 report from the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
"The growth of gambling in Macau, fueled by money from mainland Chinese gamblers and the growth of U.S.-owned casinos, has been accompanied by widespread corruption, organized crime and money laundering," the commission found.
The Venetian-Macao, a casino owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, was also the subject of a reported "sex-trade crackdown" that occurred in 2010 on the same day Adelson arrived on the island for meetings with government leaders in Macau, according to published accounts in 2010. Chinese press reported that authorities found more than 100 prostitutes inside the casino.
Jacobs alleges in his lawsuit that Adelson demanded that Jacobs refrain from telling the corporate board of Sands China about issues including "junkets and triads." He also alleges that Adelson wanted to investigate high-ranking Macau officials to provide him "leverage" to thwart any initiatives that would hurt the company.
"The triads are making a ton of money off the gambling industry," said Ko-lin Chin, a Rutgers University criminal justice professor who is one of the leading experts on Chinese organized crime. "They are still there, they are still very active."
Sands corporate spokesman Ron Reese told ABC News he did not wish to comment, instead pointing to earlier statements that Adelson has made about the case.
Adelson said at the gaming forum last year the lawsuit "is pure threatening, blackmailing and extortion" and said the case created a "foundation of lies" upon which the subsequent investigations have been based. He told the Wall Street Journal in October "we have a substantial list of reasons why Steve Jacobs was fired for cause and interestingly he has not refuted a single one of them. Instead, he has attempted to explain his termination by using outright lies and fabrications which seem to have their origins in delusion."
Last year, a judge rejected a motion by Las Vegas Sands to dismiss the case.
By BRIAN ROSS, MATTHEW MOSK, CINDY GALLI and RHONDA SCHWARTZ
The casino company run by the principal financial backer of Newt Gingrich's presidential bid, Sheldon Adelson, has been under criminal investigation for the last year by the Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission for alleged bribery of foreign officials, according to corporate documents.
In a separate civil lawsuit, a former executive of the company has alleged that Adelson ordered him to keep quiet about sensitive issues at the Sands casinos on the Chinese island of Macau, including the casinos' alleged "involvement with Chinese organized crime groups, known as Triads, connected to the junket business." The triads -- Chinese organized crime syndicates -- are allegedly involved in organizing high stakes gambling junkets for wealthy Chinese travelers.
In its filings with the SEC, Adelson's company says it became aware of the investigation in February 2011 when it received a subpoena from the SEC requesting "documents relating to its compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act." The company said it "intends to cooperate with the investigation," which it said may have been triggered by the allegations in the lawsuit by Steven C. Jacobs, a former Sands executive who says he helped run the Macau operation. The federal investigation was first reported last year by Las Vegas newspapers and the financial press.
At a gaming forum last year, Adelson said the lawsuit "is not a serious case" and that the federal investigations would find no wrongdoing. "When the smoke clears, I am 1,000 percent positive that there won't be any fire below it."
Adelson and his wife have given at least $10 million to the pro-Gingrich Super PAC "Winning our Future" and ABC News political analyst Amy Walter said the Adelsons' money "has been a major factor in keeping Newt Gingrich's campaign alive." The candidate and the Super PAC are not legally allowed to coordinate their efforts, but the political action committee's goals are unambiguous, as they finance ads supporting Gingrich and attacking his opponents.
ABC News received no response to calls and emails to the Gingrich campaign seeking comment.
Sheldon Adelson Owns 49 Percent of Sands Company
Adelson has become a symbol of the new, no-holds-barred environment for campaign money, with recent Supreme Court rulings opening the door for one wealthy individual to single-handedly bankroll one of the costliest aspects of a political campaign: television advertising. Adelson, who is one of America's richest people, has the means to do so. The billionaire owns 49 percent of the Sands casino company and as chairman, is directly involved in its operations. Its operations in Macau have made the Sands the world's leading gambling operation.
But the company operates where corruption is described as "a major and growing problem," according to a 2011 report from the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China.
"The growth of gambling in Macau, fueled by money from mainland Chinese gamblers and the growth of U.S.-owned casinos, has been accompanied by widespread corruption, organized crime and money laundering," the commission found.
The Venetian-Macao, a casino owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, was also the subject of a reported "sex-trade crackdown" that occurred in 2010 on the same day Adelson arrived on the island for meetings with government leaders in Macau, according to published accounts in 2010. Chinese press reported that authorities found more than 100 prostitutes inside the casino.
Jacobs alleges in his lawsuit that Adelson demanded that Jacobs refrain from telling the corporate board of Sands China about issues including "junkets and triads." He also alleges that Adelson wanted to investigate high-ranking Macau officials to provide him "leverage" to thwart any initiatives that would hurt the company.
"The triads are making a ton of money off the gambling industry," said Ko-lin Chin, a Rutgers University criminal justice professor who is one of the leading experts on Chinese organized crime. "They are still there, they are still very active."
Sands corporate spokesman Ron Reese told ABC News he did not wish to comment, instead pointing to earlier statements that Adelson has made about the case.
Adelson said at the gaming forum last year the lawsuit "is pure threatening, blackmailing and extortion" and said the case created a "foundation of lies" upon which the subsequent investigations have been based. He told the Wall Street Journal in October "we have a substantial list of reasons why Steve Jacobs was fired for cause and interestingly he has not refuted a single one of them. Instead, he has attempted to explain his termination by using outright lies and fabrications which seem to have their origins in delusion."
Last year, a judge rejected a motion by Las Vegas Sands to dismiss the case.
Gingrich’s Extremist Anti-Palestinian Stance
Gingrich’s Extremist Anti-Palestinian Stance Follows Millions from Casino Magnate Sheldon Adelson
Many analysts say Newt Gingrich’s recent rise in the Republican contest would have been impossible without the backing of one man: multi-billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Adelson and his wife have donated $10 million to the pro-Gingrich super PAC, Winning Our Future, which has run a series of ads attacking Gingrich’s opponent Mitt Romney. Gingrich has openly admitted Adelson’s support came down to a single issue: Israel. Gingrich has adopted the most extremist anti-Palestinian stance of the Republican presidential field, calling the Palestinians themselves an "invented" people. We speak with Gal Beckerman of the Jewish Daily Forward and Linda Sarsour of the Arab American Association of New York. [includes rush transcript]
Guests:
Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York and the advocacy and civic engagement coordinator for the National Network for Arab American Communities.
Gal Beckerman, opinion editor at the Jewish Daily Forward and author of the book, When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry.
JUAN GONZALEZ: We turn now to the issue of money and politics. Over the past two weeks, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary and has surged in the national polls. Many analysts say Gingrich’s rise would not have been possible without the backing of one man: multi-billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. With a net worth of over $20 billion, he is the world’s 16th richest person, according to Forbes.
Ahead of the South Carolina primary, Adelson donated $5 million to the pro-Gingrich super PAC, Winning Our Future, which ran a series of ads attacking Gingrich’s opponent Mitt Romney. On Monday, it was revealed his wife, Miriam Adelson, gave another $5 million to the pro-Gingrich super PAC. Under the nation’s campaign finance laws, the Adelsons could give the super PAC an unlimited amount of money in the coming months.
In a recent interview with Ted Koppel on NBC, Newt Gingrich was asked about why the Adelsons would give so much money. Gingrich admitted it came down to a single issue: Israel.
TED KOPPEL: But what do these multi-millionaires expect?
NEWT GINGRICH: They want—they want—they want—
TED KOPPEL: When you give someone five million bucks—
NEWT GINGRICH: They want their candidate to win.
TED KOPPEL: But there has to be a "so what" at the end of that. So, if you win, what does Adelson get out of it?
NEWT GINGRICH: Well, he knows I’m very pro-Israel. And that’s the central value of his life. I mean, he is very worried that Israel is going to not survive.
AMY GOODMAN: Sheldon Adelson is the owner of Israel’s largest daily newspaper, a financial supporter of Birthright Israel, and a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Adelson has also supported the Clarion Fund, which produced The Third Jihad film, which we just discussed.
The Washington Post reports Adelson and Gingrich met when Gingrich was House speaker and Adelson was lobbying to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Gingrich raised this very issue at last night’s debate when he was questioned about his past claims that the Palestinians are an "invented" people.
NEWT GINGRICH: It was technically an invention in the late 1970s, and it was clearly—it was clearly so. Prior to that, they were Arabs. Many of them were either Syrian, Lebanese or Egyptian or Jordanian.
There are a couple of simple things here. There were 11 rockets fired into Israel in November. Now imagine, in Duval County, that 11 rockets hit from your neighbor. How many of you would be for a peace process? And how many of you would say, "You know? That looks like an act of war." You have leadership, unequivocally—and Governor Romney is exactly right—the leadership of Hamas says, "Not a single Jew will remain." Well, you’re not having a peace negotiation then. This is war by another form.
My goal for the Palestinian people would be to live in peace, to live in prosperity, to have the dignity of a state, to have freedom. And they can achieve it any morning they are prepared to say, "Israel has a right to exist. We give up the right to return. And we recognize that we’re going to live side by side. Now let’s work together to create mutual prosperity." And you could, in five years, dramatically improve the quality of life of every Palestinian.
But the political leadership would never tolerate that. And that’s why we are in a continuous state of war, where Obama undermines the Israelis. On the first day that I am president, if I do become president, I will sign an executive order directing the State Department to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
AMY GOODMAN: To talk more about Newt Gingrich and Sheldon Adelson, we’re joined by Gal Beckerman, who is the opinion editor at the Jewish newspaper, The Forward. He recently wrote an article called "What Sheldon’s Money Buys: Adelson Millions Ensure Gingrich Steers to Far Right on Israel." Still with us, Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York.
Gal, explain what it is, this Adelson-Gingrich relationship, why he supports him.
GAL BECKERMAN: Well, he supports—the relationship is really symbiotic, in a way. It developed, as you said, in the mid-'90s over issues of union busting. Adelson wanted some help; Gingrich was able to offer it. And it developed as time went on. It seems to have helped kind of in Gingrich's evolution in terms of his pro-Israel stance. Wayne Barrett recently reported in The Daily Beast that, you know, if you look at what Gingrich was saying about Palestinians and Israel in 2005, even, as recently as 2005, it was kind of a different line. He was talking about investing in their ancestral lands. He was really speaking a much different language. This is now changed. You won’t hear Gingrich saying anything like that anymore. And it’s not—you know, one can’t draw a direct causal link, you know, find the telephone call in which Adelson said, you know, "I want you to say this." But it’s not hard to imagine that if your political life depends on a man who has very extreme-right views when it comes to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, that you’re going to hear that same language come out of that candidate’s mouth.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And Adelson has a determined opposition even to a two-state solution in the Middle East, doesn’t he?
GAL BECKERMAN: He does. I mean, in my column, I quote him from last year speaking to The Jewish Week, saying, "I believe" — and I’m paraphrasing here, but "that a two-state solution is a stepping stone to the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people." So, you know, this is even more further to the right than the current Israeli government is, which is engaged now, whether, you know, successfully or not, in talks in Jordan with the Palestinians. You have a prime minister who, you know, whether he wants a two-state solution to eventually happen, he’s speaking the language of a two-state solution. He’s talking about the need for a Palestinian state. So, you know, Adelson really, in the spectrum of political belief in Israel, really falls, you know, to the right even of the current government.
AMY GOODMAN: AIPAC, where does Sheldon Adelson stand on his views on the American Israeli Political Action Committee?
GAL BECKERMAN: Right, well, here’s another example where you—
AMY GOODMAN: Public Affairs Committee.
GAL BECKERMAN: Right. Here’s another example where you can see that Adelson really kind of is on that right side of the spectrum, because he broke with AIPAC in 2007 over a congressional initiative that AIPAC was backing, and that the Israelis actually were backing, as well, to provide more economic aid to the Palestinians. He didn’t feel that this was a good idea.
AMY GOODMAN: Adelson and super PACs?
GAL BECKERMAN: I mean, the one thing that should be said is that, you know, we can talk about Adelson’s influence, you know, all we want, but there’s nothing illegal about it. I mean, the real problem here is this vehicle that he’s been allowed, through super PACs, to be able to have this kind of outsized influence, which really wasn’t the case before the Citizens United case two years ago.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And Linda Sarsour, as we’re talking here about the influence of Sheldon Adelson—we were just discussing how he helped fund the group that produced the jihad film—your reaction?
LINDA SANSOUR: I’m also—I happen to be Palestinian, too. And listening to a couple of debates ago and having my children sit in front of the TV and playing on their laptop and hearing, you know, our potential presidentials talk about the "invented" people and hearing Palestine, and stopping and saying, "What does he mean by we’re invented people?" and having to explain that to, you know, a 12-year-old and 11-year-old, it’s just so disappointing in this country that money is what buys power in this country and buys influence.
And we actually agree. One-state solution, one-state solution over here. One-state solution, for me, is the only way to go. And that’s an equal state for all, for justice for all. So, we can agree on that area, as well. But really, the views that Newt Gingrich is spouting in these debates, he’s making George Bush look like a walk in the park. I mean, it’s getting—I mean, we’re not—we’re supposed to be progressing in the peace process. We’re supposed to be moving forward. And what we are doing, and the GOP is doing, is moving back. So if the American people have any sense, we cannot let this guy go forward.
AMY GOODMAN: Linda, I wanted to get your response to this issue of the "invented" people. You heard it last night at the debate. Last month, Gingrich defended his claim the Palestinians are an invented people. The former speaker of the House made the comment during an interview with the Jewish Channel.
NEWT GINGRICH: Jewish people have the right to have a state, and I believe that the commitments that were made at the time—remember, there were—there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. And I think that we’ve had an invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs, and who were historically part of the Arab community. And they had a chance to go many places. And for a variety of political reasons, we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and I think it’s tragic.
AMY GOODMAN: That was presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Linda Sarsour?
LINDA SANSOUR: I mean, he must have been politically asleep for the first 50 years of his life. And he talks about us being invented in the '70s? Like, what is he talking about? I mean, it's just—I mean, for me, when I watch this, it’s just that—it’s like a comedy. It’s like Saturday Night Live. It’s like, where have you been all this time? And for the Palestinian people, we’ve been—I mean, we’ve been talking about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at least for the past 60 years. So, for me, honestly, I just laugh, and I think that, unfortunately, the way that our political system is set up is you talk about issues that are going to get you elected depending on who gives you money. So you talk about immigration because you want Latino votes. You talk about Israel because you want Jewish votes. I mean, it’s all, for me, a scam. And for me, I don’t know about anybody else, but it doesn’t—it doesn’t do anything for me.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And Gal, I’d like to ask you about the impact of the Adelson money on the general tenor of the foreign policy debate among the Republican candidates. It almost seems that he has single-handedly been able to shift the entire debate more to the right on a variety of issues.
GAL BECKERMAN: Right. Well, I mean, and this is what I think is the much bigger concern, is that, you know, if you have Gingrich saying the things that he believes Adelson wants him to say, nobody wants to be outflanked to the right, and so everyone is going to kind of move in that direction. And you get kind of this dynamic where it’s kind of like toughness for toughness’s sake, you know, on a range of issues, any time that talk turns to foreign policy, whether it’s Cuba or, you know, when you talk about Afghanistan. Romney was asked twice what he would do with the Taliban, whether he would negotiate with the Taliban, and he said, "No, we’re going to beat them," which, as far as I’m concerned, is what we’ve been trying to do for the last 10 years without much effect. So, you know, he—there is—and then Iran, of course, is the ultimate example, where everyone is trying to just kind of have this kind of belligerent language that doesn’t really kind of offer any alternative solutions, that doesn’t kind of look at all the full implications of some of the things that they’re saying. It’s just kind of, you know, let’s talk as tough as possible. And it pushes people into a corner.
AMY GOODMAN: Go very quickly, the newspaper in Atlanta, where the editor was just forced out.
GAL BECKERMAN: Right, right.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you explain what happened?
GAL BECKERMAN: This was an editor of a very small—about 2,500, I think, was their circulation—newspaper, one of two or three Jewish newspapers in Atlanta, who wrote this incredibly, extraordinarily inflammatory column that said that one of the things on the table, in terms of dealing with Iran, should be a possible assassination of President Obama. And this was kind of roundly condemned by everybody. The guy eventually came out himself, you know, in this kind of half-an-hour tearful confession a few days ago, saying he doesn’t know what he was thinking. And, you know, I think it’s possible to see this as just the production of one crank, you know, who’s—you know, but underneath—underneath it is a real kind of, I think, irrational fear that you see among some people in the Jewish community that Obama and his policies towards Iran is somehow harming Israel.
AMY GOODMAN: Thirty seconds, how did Adelson get his fortune?
GAL BECKERMAN: He is a casino magnate, built a lot of casinos in Vegas and, in the last 15 years, has grown even richer through building the same types of resorts and casinos in China.
AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you both for being with us. And that editor, the publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, named Andrew Adler, said Israel should consider assassinating President Obama, quote, "take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel." We’re going to end it there. Gal Beckerman, thanks so much for being with us, opinion editor at The Forward, author of When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry. And Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York, also with the National Network for Arab American Communities. She was just named a "Champion of Change," honored at the White House, a Palestinian-American activist. Thanks much for both for joining us.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we look at immigration and the primaries. Stay with us.
Many analysts say Newt Gingrich’s recent rise in the Republican contest would have been impossible without the backing of one man: multi-billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Adelson and his wife have donated $10 million to the pro-Gingrich super PAC, Winning Our Future, which has run a series of ads attacking Gingrich’s opponent Mitt Romney. Gingrich has openly admitted Adelson’s support came down to a single issue: Israel. Gingrich has adopted the most extremist anti-Palestinian stance of the Republican presidential field, calling the Palestinians themselves an "invented" people. We speak with Gal Beckerman of the Jewish Daily Forward and Linda Sarsour of the Arab American Association of New York. [includes rush transcript]
Guests:
Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York and the advocacy and civic engagement coordinator for the National Network for Arab American Communities.
Gal Beckerman, opinion editor at the Jewish Daily Forward and author of the book, When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry.
JUAN GONZALEZ: We turn now to the issue of money and politics. Over the past two weeks, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary and has surged in the national polls. Many analysts say Gingrich’s rise would not have been possible without the backing of one man: multi-billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. With a net worth of over $20 billion, he is the world’s 16th richest person, according to Forbes.
Ahead of the South Carolina primary, Adelson donated $5 million to the pro-Gingrich super PAC, Winning Our Future, which ran a series of ads attacking Gingrich’s opponent Mitt Romney. On Monday, it was revealed his wife, Miriam Adelson, gave another $5 million to the pro-Gingrich super PAC. Under the nation’s campaign finance laws, the Adelsons could give the super PAC an unlimited amount of money in the coming months.
In a recent interview with Ted Koppel on NBC, Newt Gingrich was asked about why the Adelsons would give so much money. Gingrich admitted it came down to a single issue: Israel.
TED KOPPEL: But what do these multi-millionaires expect?
NEWT GINGRICH: They want—they want—they want—
TED KOPPEL: When you give someone five million bucks—
NEWT GINGRICH: They want their candidate to win.
TED KOPPEL: But there has to be a "so what" at the end of that. So, if you win, what does Adelson get out of it?
NEWT GINGRICH: Well, he knows I’m very pro-Israel. And that’s the central value of his life. I mean, he is very worried that Israel is going to not survive.
AMY GOODMAN: Sheldon Adelson is the owner of Israel’s largest daily newspaper, a financial supporter of Birthright Israel, and a close friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Adelson has also supported the Clarion Fund, which produced The Third Jihad film, which we just discussed.
The Washington Post reports Adelson and Gingrich met when Gingrich was House speaker and Adelson was lobbying to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Gingrich raised this very issue at last night’s debate when he was questioned about his past claims that the Palestinians are an "invented" people.
NEWT GINGRICH: It was technically an invention in the late 1970s, and it was clearly—it was clearly so. Prior to that, they were Arabs. Many of them were either Syrian, Lebanese or Egyptian or Jordanian.
There are a couple of simple things here. There were 11 rockets fired into Israel in November. Now imagine, in Duval County, that 11 rockets hit from your neighbor. How many of you would be for a peace process? And how many of you would say, "You know? That looks like an act of war." You have leadership, unequivocally—and Governor Romney is exactly right—the leadership of Hamas says, "Not a single Jew will remain." Well, you’re not having a peace negotiation then. This is war by another form.
My goal for the Palestinian people would be to live in peace, to live in prosperity, to have the dignity of a state, to have freedom. And they can achieve it any morning they are prepared to say, "Israel has a right to exist. We give up the right to return. And we recognize that we’re going to live side by side. Now let’s work together to create mutual prosperity." And you could, in five years, dramatically improve the quality of life of every Palestinian.
But the political leadership would never tolerate that. And that’s why we are in a continuous state of war, where Obama undermines the Israelis. On the first day that I am president, if I do become president, I will sign an executive order directing the State Department to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
AMY GOODMAN: To talk more about Newt Gingrich and Sheldon Adelson, we’re joined by Gal Beckerman, who is the opinion editor at the Jewish newspaper, The Forward. He recently wrote an article called "What Sheldon’s Money Buys: Adelson Millions Ensure Gingrich Steers to Far Right on Israel." Still with us, Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York.
Gal, explain what it is, this Adelson-Gingrich relationship, why he supports him.
GAL BECKERMAN: Well, he supports—the relationship is really symbiotic, in a way. It developed, as you said, in the mid-'90s over issues of union busting. Adelson wanted some help; Gingrich was able to offer it. And it developed as time went on. It seems to have helped kind of in Gingrich's evolution in terms of his pro-Israel stance. Wayne Barrett recently reported in The Daily Beast that, you know, if you look at what Gingrich was saying about Palestinians and Israel in 2005, even, as recently as 2005, it was kind of a different line. He was talking about investing in their ancestral lands. He was really speaking a much different language. This is now changed. You won’t hear Gingrich saying anything like that anymore. And it’s not—you know, one can’t draw a direct causal link, you know, find the telephone call in which Adelson said, you know, "I want you to say this." But it’s not hard to imagine that if your political life depends on a man who has very extreme-right views when it comes to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, that you’re going to hear that same language come out of that candidate’s mouth.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And Adelson has a determined opposition even to a two-state solution in the Middle East, doesn’t he?
GAL BECKERMAN: He does. I mean, in my column, I quote him from last year speaking to The Jewish Week, saying, "I believe" — and I’m paraphrasing here, but "that a two-state solution is a stepping stone to the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people." So, you know, this is even more further to the right than the current Israeli government is, which is engaged now, whether, you know, successfully or not, in talks in Jordan with the Palestinians. You have a prime minister who, you know, whether he wants a two-state solution to eventually happen, he’s speaking the language of a two-state solution. He’s talking about the need for a Palestinian state. So, you know, Adelson really, in the spectrum of political belief in Israel, really falls, you know, to the right even of the current government.
AMY GOODMAN: AIPAC, where does Sheldon Adelson stand on his views on the American Israeli Political Action Committee?
GAL BECKERMAN: Right, well, here’s another example where you—
AMY GOODMAN: Public Affairs Committee.
GAL BECKERMAN: Right. Here’s another example where you can see that Adelson really kind of is on that right side of the spectrum, because he broke with AIPAC in 2007 over a congressional initiative that AIPAC was backing, and that the Israelis actually were backing, as well, to provide more economic aid to the Palestinians. He didn’t feel that this was a good idea.
AMY GOODMAN: Adelson and super PACs?
GAL BECKERMAN: I mean, the one thing that should be said is that, you know, we can talk about Adelson’s influence, you know, all we want, but there’s nothing illegal about it. I mean, the real problem here is this vehicle that he’s been allowed, through super PACs, to be able to have this kind of outsized influence, which really wasn’t the case before the Citizens United case two years ago.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And Linda Sarsour, as we’re talking here about the influence of Sheldon Adelson—we were just discussing how he helped fund the group that produced the jihad film—your reaction?
LINDA SANSOUR: I’m also—I happen to be Palestinian, too. And listening to a couple of debates ago and having my children sit in front of the TV and playing on their laptop and hearing, you know, our potential presidentials talk about the "invented" people and hearing Palestine, and stopping and saying, "What does he mean by we’re invented people?" and having to explain that to, you know, a 12-year-old and 11-year-old, it’s just so disappointing in this country that money is what buys power in this country and buys influence.
And we actually agree. One-state solution, one-state solution over here. One-state solution, for me, is the only way to go. And that’s an equal state for all, for justice for all. So, we can agree on that area, as well. But really, the views that Newt Gingrich is spouting in these debates, he’s making George Bush look like a walk in the park. I mean, it’s getting—I mean, we’re not—we’re supposed to be progressing in the peace process. We’re supposed to be moving forward. And what we are doing, and the GOP is doing, is moving back. So if the American people have any sense, we cannot let this guy go forward.
AMY GOODMAN: Linda, I wanted to get your response to this issue of the "invented" people. You heard it last night at the debate. Last month, Gingrich defended his claim the Palestinians are an invented people. The former speaker of the House made the comment during an interview with the Jewish Channel.
NEWT GINGRICH: Jewish people have the right to have a state, and I believe that the commitments that were made at the time—remember, there were—there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. And I think that we’ve had an invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs, and who were historically part of the Arab community. And they had a chance to go many places. And for a variety of political reasons, we have sustained this war against Israel now since the 1940s, and I think it’s tragic.
AMY GOODMAN: That was presidential candidate Newt Gingrich. Linda Sarsour?
LINDA SANSOUR: I mean, he must have been politically asleep for the first 50 years of his life. And he talks about us being invented in the '70s? Like, what is he talking about? I mean, it's just—I mean, for me, when I watch this, it’s just that—it’s like a comedy. It’s like Saturday Night Live. It’s like, where have you been all this time? And for the Palestinian people, we’ve been—I mean, we’ve been talking about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at least for the past 60 years. So, for me, honestly, I just laugh, and I think that, unfortunately, the way that our political system is set up is you talk about issues that are going to get you elected depending on who gives you money. So you talk about immigration because you want Latino votes. You talk about Israel because you want Jewish votes. I mean, it’s all, for me, a scam. And for me, I don’t know about anybody else, but it doesn’t—it doesn’t do anything for me.
JUAN GONZALEZ: And Gal, I’d like to ask you about the impact of the Adelson money on the general tenor of the foreign policy debate among the Republican candidates. It almost seems that he has single-handedly been able to shift the entire debate more to the right on a variety of issues.
GAL BECKERMAN: Right. Well, I mean, and this is what I think is the much bigger concern, is that, you know, if you have Gingrich saying the things that he believes Adelson wants him to say, nobody wants to be outflanked to the right, and so everyone is going to kind of move in that direction. And you get kind of this dynamic where it’s kind of like toughness for toughness’s sake, you know, on a range of issues, any time that talk turns to foreign policy, whether it’s Cuba or, you know, when you talk about Afghanistan. Romney was asked twice what he would do with the Taliban, whether he would negotiate with the Taliban, and he said, "No, we’re going to beat them," which, as far as I’m concerned, is what we’ve been trying to do for the last 10 years without much effect. So, you know, he—there is—and then Iran, of course, is the ultimate example, where everyone is trying to just kind of have this kind of belligerent language that doesn’t really kind of offer any alternative solutions, that doesn’t kind of look at all the full implications of some of the things that they’re saying. It’s just kind of, you know, let’s talk as tough as possible. And it pushes people into a corner.
AMY GOODMAN: Go very quickly, the newspaper in Atlanta, where the editor was just forced out.
GAL BECKERMAN: Right, right.
AMY GOODMAN: Can you explain what happened?
GAL BECKERMAN: This was an editor of a very small—about 2,500, I think, was their circulation—newspaper, one of two or three Jewish newspapers in Atlanta, who wrote this incredibly, extraordinarily inflammatory column that said that one of the things on the table, in terms of dealing with Iran, should be a possible assassination of President Obama. And this was kind of roundly condemned by everybody. The guy eventually came out himself, you know, in this kind of half-an-hour tearful confession a few days ago, saying he doesn’t know what he was thinking. And, you know, I think it’s possible to see this as just the production of one crank, you know, who’s—you know, but underneath—underneath it is a real kind of, I think, irrational fear that you see among some people in the Jewish community that Obama and his policies towards Iran is somehow harming Israel.
AMY GOODMAN: Thirty seconds, how did Adelson get his fortune?
GAL BECKERMAN: He is a casino magnate, built a lot of casinos in Vegas and, in the last 15 years, has grown even richer through building the same types of resorts and casinos in China.
AMY GOODMAN: We want to thank you both for being with us. And that editor, the publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, named Andrew Adler, said Israel should consider assassinating President Obama, quote, "take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel." We’re going to end it there. Gal Beckerman, thanks so much for being with us, opinion editor at The Forward, author of When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry. And Linda Sarsour, director of the Arab American Association of New York, also with the National Network for Arab American Communities. She was just named a "Champion of Change," honored at the White House, a Palestinian-American activist. Thanks much for both for joining us.
This is Democracy Now! When we come back, we look at immigration and the primaries. Stay with us.
There they go again on gambling
This comment should shock you:
The study found that 15 percent of Marylanders gamble weekly and spend an average of $549 per month. That amounts to a whopping $6,588 per year!
Allan J. Lichtman: There they go again on gambling
Politicians are so predictable. They almost make it too easy for columnists to skewer them in the pages of The Gazette. On no issue are Maryland politicians more predictable or more vulnerable than on legalized gambling.
During the many years that I have been writing about this issue in Maryland I made several predictions.
First, slot machine parlors would be slow to develop and would not bring in the big bucks that the politicians promised (nearly $700 million yearly). Second, the gambling industry and their flaks among Maryland’s politicians would not stop with legalized slots, but would continue to grind down the opposition until they gained full casino gambling in Maryland.
Sadly, these predictions have come to pass. The implementation of slot machine gambling in Maryland has barely gotten off the ground and has so far brought in only a trickle of revenue. In fact, the state is so far spending more than it brings in.
According to Megan Poinski on MarylandReporter.com, the state already has spent $99 million to purchase 1,825 slot machines for facilities at Perryville and Ocean Downs. It has now apparently given up on buying machines. Instead, the state will lease machines for a new and larger facility at Arundel Mills, with a cost to the taxpayers of some $168 million — for devices that we won’t even own.
Ironically, the failure of slot machine gambling to live up to expectations has led advocates to call not for a reconsideration, but for an escalation in Maryland to full gaming casinos. As always, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. is leading the charge.
Not surprisingly, gambling interests are also asking for a bigger share of the take, and Miller is all too eager to oblige them. According to John Wagner in The Washington Post, Miller is preparing legislation that would increase the share of proceeds that casino operators are allowed to keep and would authorize the addition of Las Vegas-style table games, such as blackjack and roulette. Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said operators might be able to keep all proceeds from those new offerings.
Unfortunately, not just Mike Miller but otherwise admirable leaders in our state have fallen victim to the siren song of easy money from legalized gambling. Converts include Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III. Baker was elected on a platform of ending the corruption of the discredited Jack Johnson administration. Does he really want to bring the corrupting influence of casinos to his county?
Of course, there is no free lunch on revenue. A 2011 study by researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Schaefer Center for Public Policy found that compulsive gambling is already a problem in Maryland. The study found that 15 percent of Marylanders gamble weekly and spend an average of $549 per month. That amounts to a whopping $6,588 per year!
Such expenditures are fine for people who can afford them and gamble in their private lives. But studies also show that most regular gamblers are people of limited means and that state legalized gambling amounts to a regressive tax on people who can ill afford to pay.
Legalized gambling also can mean more than a leaner wallet. The UMBC and Schaefer Center study concluded that “research findings are generally consistent with the view that increased availability leads to more gambling and problem gambling.” The researchers found that some 3.4 percent of Marylanders are currently problem or pathological gamblers and that such gambling “results in a long list of individual and social dysfunctions.”
In Pennsylvania, which recently adopted casinos, calls to the state’s problem gambling help line jumped by 26 percent in the first quarter of last year, according to the Pennsylvania Council on Compulsive Gambling.
There are some courageous politicians who have resisted the fool’s gold of legalized gambling. Comptroller Peter Franchot cast the lone dissenting vote on the Board of Public Works on spending taxpayer dollars to lease slot machines.
Franchot said he was “appalled that our citizens are forced to pay for these machines that will further enrich gambling companies" and that he remained “disgusted by the fact that we as a state are holding on to this notion that slots are a solution to our fiscal situation.” More of our leaders need to be equally appalled and disgusted.
Allan J. Lichtman is a professor of history at American University and a national political analyst.
The study found that 15 percent of Marylanders gamble weekly and spend an average of $549 per month. That amounts to a whopping $6,588 per year!
Allan J. Lichtman: There they go again on gambling
Politicians are so predictable. They almost make it too easy for columnists to skewer them in the pages of The Gazette. On no issue are Maryland politicians more predictable or more vulnerable than on legalized gambling.
During the many years that I have been writing about this issue in Maryland I made several predictions.
First, slot machine parlors would be slow to develop and would not bring in the big bucks that the politicians promised (nearly $700 million yearly). Second, the gambling industry and their flaks among Maryland’s politicians would not stop with legalized slots, but would continue to grind down the opposition until they gained full casino gambling in Maryland.
Sadly, these predictions have come to pass. The implementation of slot machine gambling in Maryland has barely gotten off the ground and has so far brought in only a trickle of revenue. In fact, the state is so far spending more than it brings in.
According to Megan Poinski on MarylandReporter.com, the state already has spent $99 million to purchase 1,825 slot machines for facilities at Perryville and Ocean Downs. It has now apparently given up on buying machines. Instead, the state will lease machines for a new and larger facility at Arundel Mills, with a cost to the taxpayers of some $168 million — for devices that we won’t even own.
Ironically, the failure of slot machine gambling to live up to expectations has led advocates to call not for a reconsideration, but for an escalation in Maryland to full gaming casinos. As always, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. is leading the charge.
Not surprisingly, gambling interests are also asking for a bigger share of the take, and Miller is all too eager to oblige them. According to John Wagner in The Washington Post, Miller is preparing legislation that would increase the share of proceeds that casino operators are allowed to keep and would authorize the addition of Las Vegas-style table games, such as blackjack and roulette. Miller (D-Dist. 27) of Chesapeake Beach said operators might be able to keep all proceeds from those new offerings.
Unfortunately, not just Mike Miller but otherwise admirable leaders in our state have fallen victim to the siren song of easy money from legalized gambling. Converts include Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III. Baker was elected on a platform of ending the corruption of the discredited Jack Johnson administration. Does he really want to bring the corrupting influence of casinos to his county?
Of course, there is no free lunch on revenue. A 2011 study by researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and the Schaefer Center for Public Policy found that compulsive gambling is already a problem in Maryland. The study found that 15 percent of Marylanders gamble weekly and spend an average of $549 per month. That amounts to a whopping $6,588 per year!
Such expenditures are fine for people who can afford them and gamble in their private lives. But studies also show that most regular gamblers are people of limited means and that state legalized gambling amounts to a regressive tax on people who can ill afford to pay.
Legalized gambling also can mean more than a leaner wallet. The UMBC and Schaefer Center study concluded that “research findings are generally consistent with the view that increased availability leads to more gambling and problem gambling.” The researchers found that some 3.4 percent of Marylanders are currently problem or pathological gamblers and that such gambling “results in a long list of individual and social dysfunctions.”
In Pennsylvania, which recently adopted casinos, calls to the state’s problem gambling help line jumped by 26 percent in the first quarter of last year, according to the Pennsylvania Council on Compulsive Gambling.
There are some courageous politicians who have resisted the fool’s gold of legalized gambling. Comptroller Peter Franchot cast the lone dissenting vote on the Board of Public Works on spending taxpayer dollars to lease slot machines.
Franchot said he was “appalled that our citizens are forced to pay for these machines that will further enrich gambling companies" and that he remained “disgusted by the fact that we as a state are holding on to this notion that slots are a solution to our fiscal situation.” More of our leaders need to be equally appalled and disgusted.
Allan J. Lichtman is a professor of history at American University and a national political analyst.
Party Crasher?
In the most bizarre comment, Bobby Blair seems to have ignored that this was a public meeting that provided some misinformation that Mr. Ribiero attempted to correct.
Where in the Open Meeting Law is there a restriction on attendance solely by residents?
Sometimes, when you get mired in the glories of dollar bills being tossed around to satisfy every need and special interest, you overlook the facts.
One out-of-the-area casino opponent did seem to crash the party. John Ribeiro said he traveled all the way from Winthrop. Ribeiro is heading up a group to repeal the legislature's casino act. Ribeiro cited stats from Connecticut that showed local aid to host communties [sic] had not risen since the casinos arrived there.
Instead of encouraging local residents to organize, educate and collect their facts, elected officials placated the crowd in attendance with "Wait! We'll tell you when you can speak."
Instead of forming Resident Study Committees to calculate the costs and impacts, false assurances were offered that the Gambling Investors would provide the funds somewhere down the line and that they would have a voice.
The frustration of local residents was clearly expressed in conversations after the meeting.
CasiNo Forum
by Bobby Blair 1/26/12
Most of those who attended Thursday night's "not a gripe session" concerning proposed casinos in Massachusetts were from Holliston. Others attending by a show of hands were from Hopkinton and Ashland, a few each from Medway and Millis. Only several in the audience were from Milford one of the three prosposed sites in the eastern district. There will be three districts, the other two in our district being Foxboro and Suffolk Downs in Boston.
Organized by Holliston Board of Selectmen Jay Marsden (above right) State Senator Karen Spilka (left) told those attending "I don't know any other area in the state where a collabrative such as this is taking place this early in the process. Spilka thanked Marsden for organizing the forum. Spilka went on to outline the process which will take place from the state level on down. As the Chairwoman of the Senate Economic Development Committee, Spilka was at each step of the process before it was voted on by the legislature. Spilka voted against casinos but insured that surrounding communities for proposed casinos have a say in the process. Spilka outlined the process that Chapter 194 (an act establishing expanded gaming in the commonwealth) will now take.
Spilka noted that the process is still young, and while Governor Patrick has announced Stephen Crosby to head up the Gaming Commission, four others must be appointed by March 21st. Best practices for expanded gaming were taken from 38 other states who allow gaming. Timewise it could be 12-18 months before the Gaming Commission gets going, 18-24 months before the Commission receives bids from developers and yet another 1-24 months before the first casino is built. The minimum bid to build a casino is 500 million and 125 million for the only-slots parlor. There would be a one time license fee for casinos of 85 million and 25 million for a slots parlor.
While the state will realize a portion of the yearly revenues generated from casinos, those monies have already been designated to such purposes as local aid, community colleges, community mitigation and tourism. Rep. Carolyn Dykema spoke about regional and local mitigation boards and the safeguards and protection in Chapter 194 along with the impact on local facilities. Dykema, like her counterpart Spilka, voted against casinos.
In what was the only humorous moment of the night, David Bastille who lives on the Milford line near Washington Street told the audience that he had written a few notes but then realized one was a rant and the other a rave. He said the people of Milford are the elephants in the room while the residents of Holliston represent the rhinoceroses. "I now wished I had more friends who live in Milford." Bastille is an opponent of a casino in Milford and is the creator of the little "CasiNo" signs scattered about Holliston.
The audience was addressed by Rep. Tom Sannicandro and Ashland Selectman Jon Fetherston who is also a member of the MetroWest Regional Collabrative.
While not speaking during the forum, I asked Hopkinton Selectman Brian Herr (above left) what the feeling about the proposed casino was in his town. "The residents are very concerned and if I had to score it, I'd say 70% are against the casino and 30% in favor.
One out-of-the-area casino opponent did seem to crash the party. John Ribeiro said he traveled all the way from Winthrop. Ribeiro is heading up a group to repeal the legislature's casino act. Ribeiro cited stats from Connecticut that showed local aid to host communties had not risen since the casinos arrived there.
Residents will be notified as local legislators and municipal boards discuss and follow the process according to Selectman Jay Marsden.
Where in the Open Meeting Law is there a restriction on attendance solely by residents?
Sometimes, when you get mired in the glories of dollar bills being tossed around to satisfy every need and special interest, you overlook the facts.
One out-of-the-area casino opponent did seem to crash the party. John Ribeiro said he traveled all the way from Winthrop. Ribeiro is heading up a group to repeal the legislature's casino act. Ribeiro cited stats from Connecticut that showed local aid to host communties [sic] had not risen since the casinos arrived there.
Instead of encouraging local residents to organize, educate and collect their facts, elected officials placated the crowd in attendance with "Wait! We'll tell you when you can speak."
Instead of forming Resident Study Committees to calculate the costs and impacts, false assurances were offered that the Gambling Investors would provide the funds somewhere down the line and that they would have a voice.
The frustration of local residents was clearly expressed in conversations after the meeting.
CasiNo Forum
by Bobby Blair 1/26/12
Most of those who attended Thursday night's "not a gripe session" concerning proposed casinos in Massachusetts were from Holliston. Others attending by a show of hands were from Hopkinton and Ashland, a few each from Medway and Millis. Only several in the audience were from Milford one of the three prosposed sites in the eastern district. There will be three districts, the other two in our district being Foxboro and Suffolk Downs in Boston.
Organized by Holliston Board of Selectmen Jay Marsden (above right) State Senator Karen Spilka (left) told those attending "I don't know any other area in the state where a collabrative such as this is taking place this early in the process. Spilka thanked Marsden for organizing the forum. Spilka went on to outline the process which will take place from the state level on down. As the Chairwoman of the Senate Economic Development Committee, Spilka was at each step of the process before it was voted on by the legislature. Spilka voted against casinos but insured that surrounding communities for proposed casinos have a say in the process. Spilka outlined the process that Chapter 194 (an act establishing expanded gaming in the commonwealth) will now take.
Spilka noted that the process is still young, and while Governor Patrick has announced Stephen Crosby to head up the Gaming Commission, four others must be appointed by March 21st. Best practices for expanded gaming were taken from 38 other states who allow gaming. Timewise it could be 12-18 months before the Gaming Commission gets going, 18-24 months before the Commission receives bids from developers and yet another 1-24 months before the first casino is built. The minimum bid to build a casino is 500 million and 125 million for the only-slots parlor. There would be a one time license fee for casinos of 85 million and 25 million for a slots parlor.
While the state will realize a portion of the yearly revenues generated from casinos, those monies have already been designated to such purposes as local aid, community colleges, community mitigation and tourism. Rep. Carolyn Dykema spoke about regional and local mitigation boards and the safeguards and protection in Chapter 194 along with the impact on local facilities. Dykema, like her counterpart Spilka, voted against casinos.
In what was the only humorous moment of the night, David Bastille who lives on the Milford line near Washington Street told the audience that he had written a few notes but then realized one was a rant and the other a rave. He said the people of Milford are the elephants in the room while the residents of Holliston represent the rhinoceroses. "I now wished I had more friends who live in Milford." Bastille is an opponent of a casino in Milford and is the creator of the little "CasiNo" signs scattered about Holliston.
The audience was addressed by Rep. Tom Sannicandro and Ashland Selectman Jon Fetherston who is also a member of the MetroWest Regional Collabrative.
While not speaking during the forum, I asked Hopkinton Selectman Brian Herr (above left) what the feeling about the proposed casino was in his town. "The residents are very concerned and if I had to score it, I'd say 70% are against the casino and 30% in favor.
One out-of-the-area casino opponent did seem to crash the party. John Ribeiro said he traveled all the way from Winthrop. Ribeiro is heading up a group to repeal the legislature's casino act. Ribeiro cited stats from Connecticut that showed local aid to host communties had not risen since the casinos arrived there.
Residents will be notified as local legislators and municipal boards discuss and follow the process according to Selectman Jay Marsden.
Southern Baptist leader queasy over Newt's casino haul
Southern Baptist leader queasy over Newt's casino haul
By Jeremy Redmon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A top official with the Southern Baptist Convention said it's troubling that a casino magnate's $10 million is funding much of the effort to make Newt Gingrich president.
Gingrich should distance himself from casino gambling, said Richard Land, president of the Nashville-based Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the nation's second largest religious denomination. The SBC has more than 16 million members, according to denomination websites, more than 1.3 million of them in Georgia.
A spokesman for Gingrich said the former Georgia congressman doesn't gamble and would leave the issue for the states to decide if elected president.
Several other Christian conservatives said that while they don’t support gambling, they don’t fault Gingrich, because he doesn’t control the pro-Gingrich Super PAC that received the contributions.
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Nevada-based Las Vegas Sands Corp. –- which owns the Venetian and Palazzo casino resorts –- and his wife, Miriam, each contributed $5 million to the Winning Our Future Super PAC this month, according to news reports.
“When you are so prohibitively in debt to one particular lobbying group, that is a great concern,” Land said. “And it will be a great concern to many Southern Baptists because we believe gambling is a scourge. It is the fastest growing addiction in the country. And we certainly don’t want a president who is going to promote it.”
The Adelsons declined to comment through a spokesman.
Matt Towery, an Atlanta-area political pollster and former Gingrich aide, said Gingrich’s campaign would be in trouble if it were not for the Adelsons' financial backing. Gingrich's chief rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has a much bigger campaign war chest, and a Super PAC supporting Romney has been savaging Gingrich with critical television ads in recent weeks.
Rick Tyler, a former Gingrich aide and now a senior adviser to Winning Our Future, declined to comment on the Adelsons' donations. But he did confirm that the PAC was able to buy $6 million in campaign advertisements in Florida this week, including a TV ad that links Romney to President Obama on the federal healthcare overhaul.
Christian conservatives were not united on the question of the Adelsons' support for Gingrich. Jody Hice, an Atlanta-area Baptist minister and former Republican congressional candidate who is not aligned with any presidential candidate, said that although he doesn’t support casino gambling, the donations are “not necessarily a sign of Newt's support of them [the Adelsons] or their business.”
“To be distracted by varying views regarding casinos and gambling is to miss the point, in this circumstance,” Hice, a conservative radio talk show host, wrote in an email. “The money in question is not even going to a candidate but to a PAC.”
Jerry Luquire, president of the Georgia Christian Coalition, didn’t criticize Gingrich but said the former House speaker should explain his position on gambling. “He should answer the question regardless of the source of his funding, just because it is a matter of interest,” said Luquire, whose coalition opposes the expansion of gambling in Georgia.
Forbes magazine lists Adelson as the eighth richest person in the United States with a net worth of $21.5 billion. His company operates convention centers, casinos and resorts in Las Vegas, eastern Pennsylvania, Macao and Singapore. Nearly 90 percent of its operating profit comes from Asia, Forbes reported.
While Adelson is associated with casino gambling, a separate issue seems to have cemented him to Gingrich: Israel.
"Sheldon Adelson is very deeply concerned about the survival of Israel and believes that the Iranians represent a mortal threat to Israel and the United States, Gingrich told reporters in Florida this week. "He is deeply motivated ... by the question of having a commander in chief strong enough and making sure the Iranians don't get nuclear weapons."
When a reporter asked Gingrich if he had promised Adelson anything, Gingrich responded: "I promised him that I would seek to defend the United States and United States allies."
Adelson told The Washington Post this month he was introduced to Gingrich in 1995 in the course of lobbying for a bill to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Gingrich said in December that he would issue an executive order to move the embassy to Jerusalem on Day One of his administration.
That same month, Adelson agreed with controversial comments Gingrich made about Palestinians on the Jewish Channel. Gingrich told the cable network: “Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. We have invented the Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and are historically part of the Arab people, and they had the chance to go many places.”
In a published statement, Adelson said: “My motivation for helping Newt is simple and should not be mistaken for anything other than the fact that my wife, Miriam, and I hold our friendship with him very dear and are doing what we can as private citizens to support his candidacy."
Towery, who served as a debate coach and campaign chairman for Gingrich, also dismissed concerns that the contributions would prompt Gingrich to support casino gambling. “Newt is not that way," he said. "Newt generally bites the hand that feeds him. ... This guy can give him all the money he wants, but Gingrich won’t do him any favors.”
Staff writer Daniel Malloy contributed to this article.
By Jeremy Redmon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A top official with the Southern Baptist Convention said it's troubling that a casino magnate's $10 million is funding much of the effort to make Newt Gingrich president.
Gingrich should distance himself from casino gambling, said Richard Land, president of the Nashville-based Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the public policy arm of the nation's second largest religious denomination. The SBC has more than 16 million members, according to denomination websites, more than 1.3 million of them in Georgia.
A spokesman for Gingrich said the former Georgia congressman doesn't gamble and would leave the issue for the states to decide if elected president.
Several other Christian conservatives said that while they don’t support gambling, they don’t fault Gingrich, because he doesn’t control the pro-Gingrich Super PAC that received the contributions.
Sheldon Adelson, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Nevada-based Las Vegas Sands Corp. –- which owns the Venetian and Palazzo casino resorts –- and his wife, Miriam, each contributed $5 million to the Winning Our Future Super PAC this month, according to news reports.
“When you are so prohibitively in debt to one particular lobbying group, that is a great concern,” Land said. “And it will be a great concern to many Southern Baptists because we believe gambling is a scourge. It is the fastest growing addiction in the country. And we certainly don’t want a president who is going to promote it.”
The Adelsons declined to comment through a spokesman.
Matt Towery, an Atlanta-area political pollster and former Gingrich aide, said Gingrich’s campaign would be in trouble if it were not for the Adelsons' financial backing. Gingrich's chief rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, has a much bigger campaign war chest, and a Super PAC supporting Romney has been savaging Gingrich with critical television ads in recent weeks.
Rick Tyler, a former Gingrich aide and now a senior adviser to Winning Our Future, declined to comment on the Adelsons' donations. But he did confirm that the PAC was able to buy $6 million in campaign advertisements in Florida this week, including a TV ad that links Romney to President Obama on the federal healthcare overhaul.
Christian conservatives were not united on the question of the Adelsons' support for Gingrich. Jody Hice, an Atlanta-area Baptist minister and former Republican congressional candidate who is not aligned with any presidential candidate, said that although he doesn’t support casino gambling, the donations are “not necessarily a sign of Newt's support of them [the Adelsons] or their business.”
“To be distracted by varying views regarding casinos and gambling is to miss the point, in this circumstance,” Hice, a conservative radio talk show host, wrote in an email. “The money in question is not even going to a candidate but to a PAC.”
Jerry Luquire, president of the Georgia Christian Coalition, didn’t criticize Gingrich but said the former House speaker should explain his position on gambling. “He should answer the question regardless of the source of his funding, just because it is a matter of interest,” said Luquire, whose coalition opposes the expansion of gambling in Georgia.
Forbes magazine lists Adelson as the eighth richest person in the United States with a net worth of $21.5 billion. His company operates convention centers, casinos and resorts in Las Vegas, eastern Pennsylvania, Macao and Singapore. Nearly 90 percent of its operating profit comes from Asia, Forbes reported.
While Adelson is associated with casino gambling, a separate issue seems to have cemented him to Gingrich: Israel.
"Sheldon Adelson is very deeply concerned about the survival of Israel and believes that the Iranians represent a mortal threat to Israel and the United States, Gingrich told reporters in Florida this week. "He is deeply motivated ... by the question of having a commander in chief strong enough and making sure the Iranians don't get nuclear weapons."
When a reporter asked Gingrich if he had promised Adelson anything, Gingrich responded: "I promised him that I would seek to defend the United States and United States allies."
Adelson told The Washington Post this month he was introduced to Gingrich in 1995 in the course of lobbying for a bill to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Gingrich said in December that he would issue an executive order to move the embassy to Jerusalem on Day One of his administration.
That same month, Adelson agreed with controversial comments Gingrich made about Palestinians on the Jewish Channel. Gingrich told the cable network: “Remember, there was no Palestine as a state. It was part of the Ottoman Empire. We have invented the Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs and are historically part of the Arab people, and they had the chance to go many places.”
In a published statement, Adelson said: “My motivation for helping Newt is simple and should not be mistaken for anything other than the fact that my wife, Miriam, and I hold our friendship with him very dear and are doing what we can as private citizens to support his candidacy."
Towery, who served as a debate coach and campaign chairman for Gingrich, also dismissed concerns that the contributions would prompt Gingrich to support casino gambling. “Newt is not that way," he said. "Newt generally bites the hand that feeds him. ... This guy can give him all the money he wants, but Gingrich won’t do him any favors.”
Staff writer Daniel Malloy contributed to this article.
Hypocrisy Survives on Beacon Hill
Enticing ads of "Something for Nothing" riches fill the airways, blanket billboards, while hypocrisy reigns on Beacon Hill.
Governor "Slot Barns" Patrick took office with his own hidden agenda to promote Predatory Gambling, consequences be damned, yet is blinded by the hidden consequences of his Folly.
When he lives in an Ivory Tower, carefully isolated from the population, how could we expect otherwise?
Could casino gambling take over hole left by alcohol ads on MBTA?
Sharman Sacchetti
BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - Alcohol ads may be banned from MBTA trains and buses, at a cost of $1.5 million, but ads for casino gambling are still a sure bet for Massachusetts.
"I don't think it's hypocritical at all," Governor Deval [Slot Barns] Patrick tells FOX 25's Sharman Sacchetti.
Governor Patrick supports the move to ban alcohol ads from the MBTA, even though it comes at a time when the state is looking to you for more money to help the debt ridden agency.
Several public meetings on fare hikes are being held across the state. The governor says banning alcohol ads is all about public health.
FOX 25 asked Governor Patrick what the difference was between alcohol ads and ads for casino gambling.
"Well the one difference is we've struck a balance as you know with expanded gambling with a tremendous amount of investment on how we protect the public from some of the harm that comes with expanded gaming,” says the governor. [Have we, Governor?]
Representative Marty Walsh is sponsoring the bill that bans alcohol ads from any state owned property, including ads on privately owned billboards on state land overlooking the highways.
He says alcohol ads on the “T” and elsewhere can promote underage drinking.
Sharman Sacchetti asked Representative Walsh if there was a difference between alcohol ads and casino gambling ads.
"That's a good question. In some cases, absolutely not, it's the same thing."
When asked if there are any plans to ban casino advertising, Representative Walsh said not yet.
"We'll wait until we get them and then we can ban them," says Walsh.
However, when asked if he’s concerned about finding new advertisers in a tight economy, Representative Walsh’s answer was far more telling.
"Oh sure there's plenty of advertising,” he says, “I live in Dorchester and you have plenty of advertisements for Mohegan sun and Twin Rivers. I'm only assuming there's going to be more advertisements for those places as time moves on."
Meanwhile, the MBTA has said it will work hard to find advertisers, but Representative Walsh says he doesn’t think the agency will have a hard time.
Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/could-casino-gambling-takeover-hole-left-by-alcohol-ads-on-mbta-20120126#ixzz1kfDZzlV5
Governor "Slot Barns" Patrick took office with his own hidden agenda to promote Predatory Gambling, consequences be damned, yet is blinded by the hidden consequences of his Folly.
When he lives in an Ivory Tower, carefully isolated from the population, how could we expect otherwise?
Could casino gambling take over hole left by alcohol ads on MBTA?
Sharman Sacchetti
BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) - Alcohol ads may be banned from MBTA trains and buses, at a cost of $1.5 million, but ads for casino gambling are still a sure bet for Massachusetts.
"I don't think it's hypocritical at all," Governor Deval [Slot Barns] Patrick tells FOX 25's Sharman Sacchetti.
Governor Patrick supports the move to ban alcohol ads from the MBTA, even though it comes at a time when the state is looking to you for more money to help the debt ridden agency.
Several public meetings on fare hikes are being held across the state. The governor says banning alcohol ads is all about public health.
FOX 25 asked Governor Patrick what the difference was between alcohol ads and ads for casino gambling.
"Well the one difference is we've struck a balance as you know with expanded gambling with a tremendous amount of investment on how we protect the public from some of the harm that comes with expanded gaming,” says the governor. [Have we, Governor?]
Representative Marty Walsh is sponsoring the bill that bans alcohol ads from any state owned property, including ads on privately owned billboards on state land overlooking the highways.
He says alcohol ads on the “T” and elsewhere can promote underage drinking.
Sharman Sacchetti asked Representative Walsh if there was a difference between alcohol ads and casino gambling ads.
"That's a good question. In some cases, absolutely not, it's the same thing."
When asked if there are any plans to ban casino advertising, Representative Walsh said not yet.
"We'll wait until we get them and then we can ban them," says Walsh.
However, when asked if he’s concerned about finding new advertisers in a tight economy, Representative Walsh’s answer was far more telling.
"Oh sure there's plenty of advertising,” he says, “I live in Dorchester and you have plenty of advertisements for Mohegan sun and Twin Rivers. I'm only assuming there's going to be more advertisements for those places as time moves on."
Meanwhile, the MBTA has said it will work hard to find advertisers, but Representative Walsh says he doesn’t think the agency will have a hard time.
Read more: http://www.myfoxboston.com/dpp/news/local/could-casino-gambling-takeover-hole-left-by-alcohol-ads-on-mbta-20120126#ixzz1kfDZzlV5
5-Year-Old Alone In Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel
Cops: Mom Left 5-Year-Old Alone In Mohegan Sun Casino Hotel While She Went To Gamble
Prosecutors: Wu Xiao Xu Felt That There Was Nothing Wrong With What She Did
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A New York City mother took a gamble and lost, big time.
She was behind bars Thursday and charged with leaving her 5-year-old son alone in a Mohegan Sun hotel room, reports CBS 2’s Kathryn Brown.
Police say Wu Xiao Xu took her gambling to the extreme — when she bet she could leave her son alone in their hotel room and get away with it.
Her luck ran out when the little boy woke up from a nap to find himself all alone on the 30th floor and picked up the telephone and called 9-1-1.
Operators talked to the confused little boy and tried to reassure him.
Operator: “Is there anybody there with you?”
Boy: “No.”
Operator: “Are you okay?”
Boy: “Yeah, I’m watching TV.”
But once the operator figured out what was going on — you can hear the anger in her voice as she’d talking to people in the background.
“There’s a kid alone up there. The kid sounds little,” the operator said.
Police say Xu had left the hotel room to gamble, and left her cell phone number on the nightstand — with instructions not to open the door for anyone.
But the little boy told 9-1-1 operators he couldn’t read the note.
Operator: “Does she usually leave you in the room by yourself?”
Boy: “Yeah.”
Xu was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a minor. According to prosecutors, she told them she “felt that there was nothing wrong with what she had done.”
But other parents were outraged.
“She brought it on herself. There are plenty of places at the casino if you want to gamble. You bring your kids there and they’ll watch ‘em,” Carolyn Woodsen said.
“It’s sad. It’s sad that kids have to be put through stuff like that,” Chris Rossi added.
Federal Immigration officials said Xu is in the country illegally. For now, she is behind bars and her son is in protective custody.
Police said there is an outstanding warrant for Xu’s arrest in North Carolina for possession of counterfeit handbags and shoes.
Prosecutors: Wu Xiao Xu Felt That There Was Nothing Wrong With What She Did
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — A New York City mother took a gamble and lost, big time.
She was behind bars Thursday and charged with leaving her 5-year-old son alone in a Mohegan Sun hotel room, reports CBS 2’s Kathryn Brown.
Police say Wu Xiao Xu took her gambling to the extreme — when she bet she could leave her son alone in their hotel room and get away with it.
Her luck ran out when the little boy woke up from a nap to find himself all alone on the 30th floor and picked up the telephone and called 9-1-1.
Operators talked to the confused little boy and tried to reassure him.
Operator: “Is there anybody there with you?”
Boy: “No.”
Operator: “Are you okay?”
Boy: “Yeah, I’m watching TV.”
But once the operator figured out what was going on — you can hear the anger in her voice as she’d talking to people in the background.
“There’s a kid alone up there. The kid sounds little,” the operator said.
Police say Xu had left the hotel room to gamble, and left her cell phone number on the nightstand — with instructions not to open the door for anyone.
But the little boy told 9-1-1 operators he couldn’t read the note.
Operator: “Does she usually leave you in the room by yourself?”
Boy: “Yeah.”
Xu was arrested and charged with risk of injury to a minor. According to prosecutors, she told them she “felt that there was nothing wrong with what she had done.”
But other parents were outraged.
“She brought it on herself. There are plenty of places at the casino if you want to gamble. You bring your kids there and they’ll watch ‘em,” Carolyn Woodsen said.
“It’s sad. It’s sad that kids have to be put through stuff like that,” Chris Rossi added.
Federal Immigration officials said Xu is in the country illegally. For now, she is behind bars and her son is in protective custody.
Police said there is an outstanding warrant for Xu’s arrest in North Carolina for possession of counterfeit handbags and shoes.
Sioux Falls Casino Robbed
Sioux Falls Casino Robbed by Intoxicated and Stoned Rambo
Written by: Derek Sebastian
Casino crimes happen all the time [and are generally not reported]. Usually the stakes are high. Not this time as the stories of South Dakota ....
Casinos like to hire some good security staff to take care of the property and visitors as large sums are at stake. Nevertheless, recently one Sioux Falls, South Dakota based casino was robbed of $400 by Rambo-looking but barely conscious cowboy.
According to casino gambling news, Kory S, 35, had entered Sioux Falls casino without any weapons, while barely standing on his feet after consuming large quantities of alcohol and smoking some joints.
The South Dakota spaced-out cowboy walked to the cashier, and barely speaking, demanded cash. The terrified clerk immediately handed the real casino money, but the bad news is that it was a petty $400. Then, it is rumored, Mr. S gained strength and quickly sped away for new supplies of booze and weed.
Caught and Punished For Casino Crime
Luckily for the public safety, the police proved to be less pusillanimous than casino security guards. The man was arrested the next day, but already blew most of the money on alcohol, drugs and, allegedly, on a cheap $10 crack hooker.
Since the man didn’t have a previous record of violent crimes, and was unarmed during the casino robbery, he may be able to get out of prison within two years.
Written by: Derek Sebastian
Casino crimes happen all the time [and are generally not reported]. Usually the stakes are high. Not this time as the stories of South Dakota ....
Casinos like to hire some good security staff to take care of the property and visitors as large sums are at stake. Nevertheless, recently one Sioux Falls, South Dakota based casino was robbed of $400 by Rambo-looking but barely conscious cowboy.
According to casino gambling news, Kory S, 35, had entered Sioux Falls casino without any weapons, while barely standing on his feet after consuming large quantities of alcohol and smoking some joints.
The South Dakota spaced-out cowboy walked to the cashier, and barely speaking, demanded cash. The terrified clerk immediately handed the real casino money, but the bad news is that it was a petty $400. Then, it is rumored, Mr. S gained strength and quickly sped away for new supplies of booze and weed.
Caught and Punished For Casino Crime
Luckily for the public safety, the police proved to be less pusillanimous than casino security guards. The man was arrested the next day, but already blew most of the money on alcohol, drugs and, allegedly, on a cheap $10 crack hooker.
Since the man didn’t have a previous record of violent crimes, and was unarmed during the casino robbery, he may be able to get out of prison within two years.
Repeal the Casino Deal
John Ribeiro, president of Repeal the Casino Deal in Winthrop, said he is leading an effort to overturn the casino law, but Marsden steered conversation toward local concerns.
Residents urged to stay alert in casino debate
State Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Holliston, speaks during a public forum to discuss casino gambling bill at Robert Adams Middle School in Holliston last night.
By Laura Krantz/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
HOLLISTON — With casinos a grim reality in the state, one lawmaker last night urged hundreds of worried residents to keep on top of the ongoing saga so the region has a say in developments.
“We need to be able to act quickly, and we need to be able to act in concert,” state Rep. Carolyn Dykema told a packed auditorium at the middle school.
The Holliston Democrat and two other legislators hosted the forum to explain how area communities can protect themselves if a casino lands in their backyards.
Many in the audience wanted to talk about how they don’t want casinos, but organizers steered the discussion toward how towns can cope with them.
“We’d like to talk more about mitigation and less about just say no,” Holliston selectmen Chairman Jay Marsden said.
In November, the Legislature authorized casinos for three regions in the state and one slot parlor. A developer has plans to build a casino in Milford.
Dykema, who voted against the casino bill, said casinos are the number one issue for her constituents.
She explained that Milford and MetroWest are in the same region as Foxborough and Suffolk Downs, also potential casino sites.
“It’s not even clear at this point whether they will apply and seek to move forward,” Dykema said about a casino in Milford.
State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, who also voted against the bill, explained what control the five-member gambling commission has over casino locations.
The commission, she said, can require developers to show how they will support local businesses and require them to pay a community’s legal fees during the process.
There also has to be a signed agreement and vote from the host community to allow a casino, she said. Local casino committees can receive state money to pay for casino-related expenses.
“The city or town has the right to request money to get that mitigation,” she said.
Spilka also talked about the revenue cities and towns would get from a casino.
“We really want to make sure that a lot of the funds from casinos and the slots go to local aid,” she said, adding that the money would also support education, transportation and tourism.
The state estimates that, once the casinos are running, they will bring in about $300 million in one-time licensing fees plus ongoing revenue.
State Rep. Tom Sannicandro, D-Ashland, who voted for the bill, spoke briefly about casino revenue before inviting audience questions.
John Ribeiro, president of Repeal the Casino Deal in Winthrop, said he is leading an effort to overturn the casino law, but Marsden steered conversation toward local concerns.
Barry Schneider of Holliston asked if, once the cost of a casino to a community is determined, it can later be re-evaluated.
“What happens 10 years or 15 years down the road?” he asked.
Spilka said there is state money reserved for ongoing mitigation.
“I’m very concerned that Milford is going to be seen as the path of least resistance,” said Gregg Smalley of Holliston, who worried that opposition from area residents hasn’t been heard as loud as that from Foxborough or Suffolk County residents.
Others said they are worried their property values will plummet with a casino nearby.
Read more: Residents urged to stay alert in casino debate - Holliston, MA - Holliston TAB http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x842386854/Residents-urged-to-stay-alert-in-casino-debate#ixzz1kezaC34w
Residents urged to stay alert in casino debate
State Rep. Carolyn Dykema, D-Holliston, speaks during a public forum to discuss casino gambling bill at Robert Adams Middle School in Holliston last night.
By Laura Krantz/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
HOLLISTON — With casinos a grim reality in the state, one lawmaker last night urged hundreds of worried residents to keep on top of the ongoing saga so the region has a say in developments.
“We need to be able to act quickly, and we need to be able to act in concert,” state Rep. Carolyn Dykema told a packed auditorium at the middle school.
The Holliston Democrat and two other legislators hosted the forum to explain how area communities can protect themselves if a casino lands in their backyards.
Many in the audience wanted to talk about how they don’t want casinos, but organizers steered the discussion toward how towns can cope with them.
“We’d like to talk more about mitigation and less about just say no,” Holliston selectmen Chairman Jay Marsden said.
In November, the Legislature authorized casinos for three regions in the state and one slot parlor. A developer has plans to build a casino in Milford.
Dykema, who voted against the casino bill, said casinos are the number one issue for her constituents.
She explained that Milford and MetroWest are in the same region as Foxborough and Suffolk Downs, also potential casino sites.
“It’s not even clear at this point whether they will apply and seek to move forward,” Dykema said about a casino in Milford.
State Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, who also voted against the bill, explained what control the five-member gambling commission has over casino locations.
The commission, she said, can require developers to show how they will support local businesses and require them to pay a community’s legal fees during the process.
There also has to be a signed agreement and vote from the host community to allow a casino, she said. Local casino committees can receive state money to pay for casino-related expenses.
“The city or town has the right to request money to get that mitigation,” she said.
Spilka also talked about the revenue cities and towns would get from a casino.
“We really want to make sure that a lot of the funds from casinos and the slots go to local aid,” she said, adding that the money would also support education, transportation and tourism.
The state estimates that, once the casinos are running, they will bring in about $300 million in one-time licensing fees plus ongoing revenue.
State Rep. Tom Sannicandro, D-Ashland, who voted for the bill, spoke briefly about casino revenue before inviting audience questions.
John Ribeiro, president of Repeal the Casino Deal in Winthrop, said he is leading an effort to overturn the casino law, but Marsden steered conversation toward local concerns.
Barry Schneider of Holliston asked if, once the cost of a casino to a community is determined, it can later be re-evaluated.
“What happens 10 years or 15 years down the road?” he asked.
Spilka said there is state money reserved for ongoing mitigation.
“I’m very concerned that Milford is going to be seen as the path of least resistance,” said Gregg Smalley of Holliston, who worried that opposition from area residents hasn’t been heard as loud as that from Foxborough or Suffolk County residents.
Others said they are worried their property values will plummet with a casino nearby.
Read more: Residents urged to stay alert in casino debate - Holliston, MA - Holliston TAB http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x842386854/Residents-urged-to-stay-alert-in-casino-debate#ixzz1kezaC34w
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Bethlehem police conduct first prostitution bust at Sands casino hotel
Bethlehem police conduct first prostitution bust at Sands casino hotel
Joseph Janis, 50, of Whitehall (left), and Danielle Moser (right), 24, of Toledo, Ohio, were among those arrested in this weekend's first-ever prostitution raid involving the Sands casino in Bethlehem. Three women told police Janis was their pimp, according to court records. Moser was charged with prostitution
By Pamela Lehman and Riley Yates, Of The Morning Call
In a first-ever prostitution raid involving the Sands casino, Bethlehem police conducted an undercover sting over the weekend, charging five women with prostitution and a Whitehall Township man with acting as their pimp.
The 2 1/2-hour operation came after casino hotel officials complained to police about prostitutes catering to their guests. Two of the accused were sent to prison, including the suspected pimp, who has faced prior prostitution charges in Allentown and Bushkill Township.
Though casino critics fretted about prostitution before the gambling hall opened in 2009, police said the bust was an isolated event in what has been a "relatively quiet and safe environment" at the Sands and its neighboring hotel. [This is a common problem associated with Slot Barns. Notice how the issue is downplayed by proponents.]
"With these arrests, we intend to keep it that way," said Bethlehem police Lt. Mark DiLuzio.
Before the Sands opened, hundreds of Bethlehem residents packed town hall meetings to voice fears that gambling would bring a spike in prostitution, drugs and crime. But DiLuzio said most crime at the casino and its hotel has been petty, consisting largely of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, fights in the parking lot and vehicle break-ins.
Although state police gaming enforcement troopers assisted city police with Saturday's investigation, troopers have not charged any casino patrons with prostitution or related offenses, said Sgt. Robert Caprari, commander of the state police office at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.
A search of Pennsylvania Uniform Crime reporting figures turns up no prostitution arrests at area casinos by state police, whose gaming officers are responsible for crime that occurs inside casinos.
In the Bethlehem bust, police said Joseph John Janis, 50, of 3036 Rosewood Place, Whitehall, was arrested Saturday while circling the Sands casino and hotel in his car, according to court records. He was charged with three felony counts of promoting prostitution and sent to Northampton County Prison under $25,000 bail.
Police said three women at the hotel — all of whom admitted they were prostitutes — told investigators that Janis was their pimp, court records state. The women said Janis set up their encounters, drove them to the location and took a cut of the money they received for performing sex acts, the records state.
Police also charged the following with summary prostitution and related charges: Mary Bartholomew, 50, of 421 N. 16th St., Allentown; Kim Hutchinson, 40, of Phillipsburg; and Kim Rexroad, 34, and Stacy Hoffman, 47, both of Reading.
Danielle Moser, 24, of Toledo, Ohio, is also charged with prostitution. She was sent to Northampton County Prison under $10,000 bail after offering an undercover officer sex for $300, according to court records.
According to court records:
A woman who was not charged was detained at the hotel for suspected prostitution. She told police that Janis, her "pimp," would set up her appointments, drive her to the hotel and take a cut of the cash she received in exchange for sexual favors.
Janis ran a business called "At Your Pleasure" that included an ad offering suspected prostitution services and his cellphone number.
An undercover officer called Janis early Saturday and made arrangements to meet with a prostitute. Hoffman and Rexroad met with the officer and offered sex acts for cash.
Police saw Janis driving around the parking lot of the casino and hotel and the women identified him as their pimp. Inside Janis' car, police found suspected "prostitution paraphernalia," paperwork relating to massage parlors, two cellphones and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Janis has been charged with promoting prostitution twice before.
The first time was in 1995, when he and two women were accused of running a prostitution ring out of massage parlor in Allentown. He was eventually accepted into a first-offenders program that allowed him to avoid a criminal conviction, according to court records.
The next was 12 years later, in Bushkill Township, and he eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of procuring a prostitute and received 60 days of house arrest, 16 months of supervision and 40 hours of community service.
Janis was charged in the second case after a police sting in October 2007 at the Red Carpet Inn in Bushkill , where an undercover officer met a prostitute he had found through a phone number for "Dream Girls," according to court records.
After the prostitute, Jami Tomiselli, was arrested, she agreed to lead police to her pimp. Janis was taken into custody carrying marked bills after he met her in a parking lot and took some of the money she had received, police said.
At the time of his arrest, Bushkill police found a machine used for credit card transactions inside Janis' car. While he was in custody, his cellphone was constantly ringing, police said.
But when Janis pleaded guilty in September 2008, defense attorney Philip Lauer denied his client ran a prostitution business, saying that "would be dramatically overstating what occurred," according to court transcripts.
"On the other hand, Mr. Janis does not deny that through some connections he had, he was able to on occasion procure someone, if that is what someone wanted," Lauer said.
Assistant District Attorney John Obrecht said at the time that given Janis' 1995 case, it was clear prostitution "is an area that he doesn't necessarily stray too far from."
Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden was taken aback by the price the prostitute charged, of which "at least half" went to Janis, according to Obrecht.
"In Wind Gap, $250?" McFadden asked.
"I have no knowledge of these things, your honor," Obrecht said, before adding: "That is the full-service price, however."
Lauer said there was a long period between Janis' two cases in which he stayed away from prostitution. But Lauer said "hard times" caused his client to fall back on his "prior experience."
Joseph Janis, 50, of Whitehall (left), and Danielle Moser (right), 24, of Toledo, Ohio, were among those arrested in this weekend's first-ever prostitution raid involving the Sands casino in Bethlehem. Three women told police Janis was their pimp, according to court records. Moser was charged with prostitution
By Pamela Lehman and Riley Yates, Of The Morning Call
In a first-ever prostitution raid involving the Sands casino, Bethlehem police conducted an undercover sting over the weekend, charging five women with prostitution and a Whitehall Township man with acting as their pimp.
The 2 1/2-hour operation came after casino hotel officials complained to police about prostitutes catering to their guests. Two of the accused were sent to prison, including the suspected pimp, who has faced prior prostitution charges in Allentown and Bushkill Township.
Though casino critics fretted about prostitution before the gambling hall opened in 2009, police said the bust was an isolated event in what has been a "relatively quiet and safe environment" at the Sands and its neighboring hotel. [This is a common problem associated with Slot Barns. Notice how the issue is downplayed by proponents.]
"With these arrests, we intend to keep it that way," said Bethlehem police Lt. Mark DiLuzio.
Before the Sands opened, hundreds of Bethlehem residents packed town hall meetings to voice fears that gambling would bring a spike in prostitution, drugs and crime. But DiLuzio said most crime at the casino and its hotel has been petty, consisting largely of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct, fights in the parking lot and vehicle break-ins.
Although state police gaming enforcement troopers assisted city police with Saturday's investigation, troopers have not charged any casino patrons with prostitution or related offenses, said Sgt. Robert Caprari, commander of the state police office at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.
A search of Pennsylvania Uniform Crime reporting figures turns up no prostitution arrests at area casinos by state police, whose gaming officers are responsible for crime that occurs inside casinos.
In the Bethlehem bust, police said Joseph John Janis, 50, of 3036 Rosewood Place, Whitehall, was arrested Saturday while circling the Sands casino and hotel in his car, according to court records. He was charged with three felony counts of promoting prostitution and sent to Northampton County Prison under $25,000 bail.
Police said three women at the hotel — all of whom admitted they were prostitutes — told investigators that Janis was their pimp, court records state. The women said Janis set up their encounters, drove them to the location and took a cut of the money they received for performing sex acts, the records state.
Police also charged the following with summary prostitution and related charges: Mary Bartholomew, 50, of 421 N. 16th St., Allentown; Kim Hutchinson, 40, of Phillipsburg; and Kim Rexroad, 34, and Stacy Hoffman, 47, both of Reading.
Danielle Moser, 24, of Toledo, Ohio, is also charged with prostitution. She was sent to Northampton County Prison under $10,000 bail after offering an undercover officer sex for $300, according to court records.
According to court records:
A woman who was not charged was detained at the hotel for suspected prostitution. She told police that Janis, her "pimp," would set up her appointments, drive her to the hotel and take a cut of the cash she received in exchange for sexual favors.
Janis ran a business called "At Your Pleasure" that included an ad offering suspected prostitution services and his cellphone number.
An undercover officer called Janis early Saturday and made arrangements to meet with a prostitute. Hoffman and Rexroad met with the officer and offered sex acts for cash.
Police saw Janis driving around the parking lot of the casino and hotel and the women identified him as their pimp. Inside Janis' car, police found suspected "prostitution paraphernalia," paperwork relating to massage parlors, two cellphones and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Janis has been charged with promoting prostitution twice before.
The first time was in 1995, when he and two women were accused of running a prostitution ring out of massage parlor in Allentown. He was eventually accepted into a first-offenders program that allowed him to avoid a criminal conviction, according to court records.
The next was 12 years later, in Bushkill Township, and he eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of procuring a prostitute and received 60 days of house arrest, 16 months of supervision and 40 hours of community service.
Janis was charged in the second case after a police sting in October 2007 at the Red Carpet Inn in Bushkill , where an undercover officer met a prostitute he had found through a phone number for "Dream Girls," according to court records.
After the prostitute, Jami Tomiselli, was arrested, she agreed to lead police to her pimp. Janis was taken into custody carrying marked bills after he met her in a parking lot and took some of the money she had received, police said.
At the time of his arrest, Bushkill police found a machine used for credit card transactions inside Janis' car. While he was in custody, his cellphone was constantly ringing, police said.
But when Janis pleaded guilty in September 2008, defense attorney Philip Lauer denied his client ran a prostitution business, saying that "would be dramatically overstating what occurred," according to court transcripts.
"On the other hand, Mr. Janis does not deny that through some connections he had, he was able to on occasion procure someone, if that is what someone wanted," Lauer said.
Assistant District Attorney John Obrecht said at the time that given Janis' 1995 case, it was clear prostitution "is an area that he doesn't necessarily stray too far from."
Judge F.P. Kimberly McFadden was taken aback by the price the prostitute charged, of which "at least half" went to Janis, according to Obrecht.
"In Wind Gap, $250?" McFadden asked.
"I have no knowledge of these things, your honor," Obrecht said, before adding: "That is the full-service price, however."
Lauer said there was a long period between Janis' two cases in which he stayed away from prostitution. But Lauer said "hard times" caused his client to fall back on his "prior experience."
Alabama: Judge won't dismiss counts against McGregor
Judge refuses to toss out 2 bribery counts against Alabama casino owner Milton McGregor
PHILLIP RAWLS Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal judge refused Wednesday to throw out two bribery charges against casino owner Milton McGregor just days before his retrial starts in Alabama's gambling corruption case.
McGregor's attorneys contended the two charges should be tossed because prosecutors recently informed them that they failed to turn over some information from two state officials related to the charges. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled Wednesday that the charges stand because prosecutors had long ago provided similar information to McGregor's lawyers through records of grand jury testimony.
The two charges accuse McGregor of bribing a co-defendant, former legislative employee Ray Crosby. Crosby wrote gambling legislation for the Legislature. FBI wiretaps recorded him talking to McGregor about changes McGregor wanted in a bill to keep open electronic bingo casinos like his VictoryLand in Shorter.
McGregor contended the two charges should be tossed because prosecutors recently notified McGregor's attorneys that they failed to turn over some information from two state officials related to the charges.
Earlier this month, prosecutors notified McGregor's attorneys that they had failed to notify them about federal investigators' interviews with two of Crosby's supervisors. One of supervisors told them that he believed a legislator had authorized Crosby to talk to McGregor about the gambling legislation.
Prosecutors successfully argued that two officials provided similar information to the grand jury, and the records of their testimony were provided to McGregor's lawyers before the first trial in the gambling corruption case.
The trial ended in August with two acquittals, no convictions and the jury unable to resolve all charges against seven defendants, including McGregor and Crosby. The retrial of the case starts Monday.
McGregor's casino 15 miles east of Montgomery was once the largest in the state with more than 6,000 electronic bingo machines, but it closed in 2010 during the gambling investigation. The machines were also the financial linchpin for McGregor's adjoining dog track, which suspended live races.
Judge won't dismiss counts against McGregor
Read the full text of the ruling here
By: Lance Griffin Dothan Eagle
A federal judge declined to dismiss two bribery counts in the gambling corruption case against casino owner Milton McGregor and legislative analyst Ray Crosby, determining the prosecution did not withhold important information from the defense.
McGregor is accused of bribing Crosby. Prosecutors claim McGregor paid Crosby $3,000 per month over a period of several months in exchange for favors Crosby gave McGregor while working on pro-gambling legislation in the Alabama Legislature.
Attorneys for McGregor claimed the casino owner did not do anything improper while working with Crosby on the bill, claiming that Senate majority leader Roger Bedford had authorized McGregor to deal with Crosby.
The McGregor defense sought to have the counts dismissed after receiving what it believed to be new information that had not previously been disclosed by the prosecution. Criminal law requires the prosecution to disclose all potentially exculpatory evidence to the defense prior to trial.
Less than three weeks ago, prosecutors e-mailed the McGregor defense notes from two interviews it conducted prior to the first trial with Legislative Reference Service Director Jerry Bassett and a reference service employee. Crosby worked as an analyst at the Legislative Reference Service.
Both indicated they believed McGregor’s conversations with Crosby were authorized.
Government prosecutors claimed, however, that the same or similar information had been made available to the defense through grand jury testimony and interviews Crosby had with the FBI. Further, the government argued that even if Bedford had given authorization for McGregor to speak with Crosby about the bill, the $3,000 monthly payments provided evidence of a bribe.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson agreed with the government’s argument.
“Through the combination of Crosby’s (FBI interview report) and Bassett’s grand jury testimony, the defendants were on notice about this evidence. The defendants were free to interview Bassett to confirm whether Crosby’s (FBI interview report) was credible,” Thompson’s ruling stated.
The public corruption retrial begins Monday. McGregor, Crosby, former Country Crossing spokesperson Jay Walker, former senators Larry Means and Jim Preuitt, lobbyist Tom Coker and Sen. Harri Anne Smith still face various public corruption charges.
Also Wednesday, Thompson granted a government motion allowing two FBI case agents to be present at the prosecution table during the trial. Documents indicate the government seeks to have agents Nathan Langmack and Keith Baker at the table. Thompson said the complexity of the trial and volume of information connected to the case provide reason for two investigators to be allowed at the prosecution table. During the first trial, only one investigator, John McEachern, was seated at the prosecution table.
According to Thompson’s ruling, the government has indicated it does not plan to call Baker or McEachern to testify.
PHILLIP RAWLS Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A federal judge refused Wednesday to throw out two bribery charges against casino owner Milton McGregor just days before his retrial starts in Alabama's gambling corruption case.
McGregor's attorneys contended the two charges should be tossed because prosecutors recently informed them that they failed to turn over some information from two state officials related to the charges. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson ruled Wednesday that the charges stand because prosecutors had long ago provided similar information to McGregor's lawyers through records of grand jury testimony.
The two charges accuse McGregor of bribing a co-defendant, former legislative employee Ray Crosby. Crosby wrote gambling legislation for the Legislature. FBI wiretaps recorded him talking to McGregor about changes McGregor wanted in a bill to keep open electronic bingo casinos like his VictoryLand in Shorter.
McGregor contended the two charges should be tossed because prosecutors recently notified McGregor's attorneys that they failed to turn over some information from two state officials related to the charges.
Earlier this month, prosecutors notified McGregor's attorneys that they had failed to notify them about federal investigators' interviews with two of Crosby's supervisors. One of supervisors told them that he believed a legislator had authorized Crosby to talk to McGregor about the gambling legislation.
Prosecutors successfully argued that two officials provided similar information to the grand jury, and the records of their testimony were provided to McGregor's lawyers before the first trial in the gambling corruption case.
The trial ended in August with two acquittals, no convictions and the jury unable to resolve all charges against seven defendants, including McGregor and Crosby. The retrial of the case starts Monday.
McGregor's casino 15 miles east of Montgomery was once the largest in the state with more than 6,000 electronic bingo machines, but it closed in 2010 during the gambling investigation. The machines were also the financial linchpin for McGregor's adjoining dog track, which suspended live races.
Judge won't dismiss counts against McGregor
Read the full text of the ruling here
By: Lance Griffin Dothan Eagle
A federal judge declined to dismiss two bribery counts in the gambling corruption case against casino owner Milton McGregor and legislative analyst Ray Crosby, determining the prosecution did not withhold important information from the defense.
McGregor is accused of bribing Crosby. Prosecutors claim McGregor paid Crosby $3,000 per month over a period of several months in exchange for favors Crosby gave McGregor while working on pro-gambling legislation in the Alabama Legislature.
Attorneys for McGregor claimed the casino owner did not do anything improper while working with Crosby on the bill, claiming that Senate majority leader Roger Bedford had authorized McGregor to deal with Crosby.
The McGregor defense sought to have the counts dismissed after receiving what it believed to be new information that had not previously been disclosed by the prosecution. Criminal law requires the prosecution to disclose all potentially exculpatory evidence to the defense prior to trial.
Less than three weeks ago, prosecutors e-mailed the McGregor defense notes from two interviews it conducted prior to the first trial with Legislative Reference Service Director Jerry Bassett and a reference service employee. Crosby worked as an analyst at the Legislative Reference Service.
Both indicated they believed McGregor’s conversations with Crosby were authorized.
Government prosecutors claimed, however, that the same or similar information had been made available to the defense through grand jury testimony and interviews Crosby had with the FBI. Further, the government argued that even if Bedford had given authorization for McGregor to speak with Crosby about the bill, the $3,000 monthly payments provided evidence of a bribe.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson agreed with the government’s argument.
“Through the combination of Crosby’s (FBI interview report) and Bassett’s grand jury testimony, the defendants were on notice about this evidence. The defendants were free to interview Bassett to confirm whether Crosby’s (FBI interview report) was credible,” Thompson’s ruling stated.
The public corruption retrial begins Monday. McGregor, Crosby, former Country Crossing spokesperson Jay Walker, former senators Larry Means and Jim Preuitt, lobbyist Tom Coker and Sen. Harri Anne Smith still face various public corruption charges.
Also Wednesday, Thompson granted a government motion allowing two FBI case agents to be present at the prosecution table during the trial. Documents indicate the government seeks to have agents Nathan Langmack and Keith Baker at the table. Thompson said the complexity of the trial and volume of information connected to the case provide reason for two investigators to be allowed at the prosecution table. During the first trial, only one investigator, John McEachern, was seated at the prosecution table.
According to Thompson’s ruling, the government has indicated it does not plan to call Baker or McEachern to testify.
Harness racing club fraudster pleads guilty
Harness racing club fraudster pleads guilty
THE former Geelong Harness Racing Club committee member who stole more than $30,000 from the club to fund his gambling addiction has walked from court on a suspended jail sentence.
Trent Scott also used the club's credit card to purchase flights and holiday accommodation for friends, a court was told.
Scott, 33, who now resides in NSW, pleaded guilty in Bairnsdale Magistrates' Court yesterday to 23 counts of theft and deception totalling $30,226.56.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Leigh Groves said Scott became a committee member of Geelong Harness Racing Club and was given access to club funds in June 2010.
"This included access to club credit cards," Sen-Constable Groves said.
"He also ran a business on the track selling harness racing supplies."
The prosecutor said the offences took place between June and October 2010.
He said that on one occasion Scott gambled away $7000 of a club cheque for $12,000, which was supposed to be used to purchase items for the harness racing supplies business.
Sen-Constable Groves said on another occasion Scott used the club's credit card to purchase an $835 plasma television, which he promptly sold to obtain gambling funds.
"He received $2000 on behalf of the club for a claiming race, but lost that gambling," the prosecutor said.
"He then presented a cheque for $6000 for a horse in a claiming race but the cheque was dishonoured due to lack of funds."
Sen-Constable Groves said Scott also stole a float from the supplies business and lost that on gambling.
"Other incidents include the theft of a cash cheque for $185, which he altered to read $785," the prosecutor said.
"He also stole syndicate fees totalling $2758."
The prosecutor said the club called in a forensic accounting firm when a number of discrepancies came to light.
Sen-Constable Groves said Scott had since repaid $10,000 of the stolen money to the club.
Magistrate Lou Hill convicted Scott on all counts and sentenced him to five months' jail, suspended for two years. Scott was also ordered to pay remaining restitution of $20,226.56.
THE former Geelong Harness Racing Club committee member who stole more than $30,000 from the club to fund his gambling addiction has walked from court on a suspended jail sentence.
Trent Scott also used the club's credit card to purchase flights and holiday accommodation for friends, a court was told.
Scott, 33, who now resides in NSW, pleaded guilty in Bairnsdale Magistrates' Court yesterday to 23 counts of theft and deception totalling $30,226.56.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Leigh Groves said Scott became a committee member of Geelong Harness Racing Club and was given access to club funds in June 2010.
"This included access to club credit cards," Sen-Constable Groves said.
"He also ran a business on the track selling harness racing supplies."
The prosecutor said the offences took place between June and October 2010.
He said that on one occasion Scott gambled away $7000 of a club cheque for $12,000, which was supposed to be used to purchase items for the harness racing supplies business.
Sen-Constable Groves said on another occasion Scott used the club's credit card to purchase an $835 plasma television, which he promptly sold to obtain gambling funds.
"He received $2000 on behalf of the club for a claiming race, but lost that gambling," the prosecutor said.
"He then presented a cheque for $6000 for a horse in a claiming race but the cheque was dishonoured due to lack of funds."
Sen-Constable Groves said Scott also stole a float from the supplies business and lost that on gambling.
"Other incidents include the theft of a cash cheque for $185, which he altered to read $785," the prosecutor said.
"He also stole syndicate fees totalling $2758."
The prosecutor said the club called in a forensic accounting firm when a number of discrepancies came to light.
Sen-Constable Groves said Scott had since repaid $10,000 of the stolen money to the club.
Magistrate Lou Hill convicted Scott on all counts and sentenced him to five months' jail, suspended for two years. Scott was also ordered to pay remaining restitution of $20,226.56.
Gambling, it’s the Australian way
Gambling, it’s the Australian way
BY JUSTIN LAW
Problem gambling in clubs and pubs along with the increasing exposure to gaming through Internet betting begs the question; why not outlaw gambling altogether?
When that question was put to Eden-Monaro member Dr Mike Kelly, his response was, “Mate, this is Australia! I don’t think you could ever get rid of gambling.”
However, there is increasing awareness of the impact that gambling addiction is having on families particularly in low socio-economic areas such as Eden, and the radical Andrew Wilkie strategy of mandatory pre-commitment was seen as a big step forward in addressing it.
But the financial impact of introducing the technology on clubs in rural areas and the subsequent loss of revenue would have been devastating.
Many clubs along the Sapphire Coast that rely so heavily on gaming revenue would have been forced to close altogether.
General manager of the Eden Fishermen’s Recreation Club, Peter Cook, said gaming represented 60 per cent of the revenue generated at the club.
“We’d like to be able to reduce that figure,” he said. “We’re looking at diversification as well in how we can better address the needs of the future without being so reliant on gaming revenue.”
However, he said it’s a big challenge, particularly in small communities. City clubs have branched into restaurant, accommodation and even nursing home ventures, but Mr Cook said these areas are already over-subscribed in Eden.
“We’d be competing against our own town and that makes it more difficult,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean we’re not addressing it. We’ve done a risk analysis and a strategic plan lately where all these things have been identified and we’re looking at how we would still be here in the community in the next 50 years.”
In the meantime there’s the work on trying to minimise problem gambling and Mr Cook said they’ve had some success there.
“In my eight years here we’ve entered into probably 30 self-exclusions - whether they’re three-month exclusions or six-month exclusions or whether they sign up again, most of those people who have signed up don’t come to the club for gambling anymore,” he said.
“So it has been a tool that has assisted the club to help them and assist with them personally as well.”
However, he said that there was more that could be done, although it would require a change of legislation to make work one idea he believes could.
“One of the best things that could happen on this issue is to have a third party approach us,” he said.
“At the moment in NSW if, say, a gentleman comes and says, ‘Oh, my girlfriend has a problem with gambling’, I can’t discuss that matter with him because of privacy rules, but if that legislation changes and we are able to listen to third parties then we’d be able to approach the people and talk to them about their potential problem.”
Mr Cook and Dr Kelly say they are now hopeful that the ACT trials will yield solid data and that will assist in further strategies to combat problem gambling.
BY JUSTIN LAW
Problem gambling in clubs and pubs along with the increasing exposure to gaming through Internet betting begs the question; why not outlaw gambling altogether?
When that question was put to Eden-Monaro member Dr Mike Kelly, his response was, “Mate, this is Australia! I don’t think you could ever get rid of gambling.”
However, there is increasing awareness of the impact that gambling addiction is having on families particularly in low socio-economic areas such as Eden, and the radical Andrew Wilkie strategy of mandatory pre-commitment was seen as a big step forward in addressing it.
But the financial impact of introducing the technology on clubs in rural areas and the subsequent loss of revenue would have been devastating.
Many clubs along the Sapphire Coast that rely so heavily on gaming revenue would have been forced to close altogether.
General manager of the Eden Fishermen’s Recreation Club, Peter Cook, said gaming represented 60 per cent of the revenue generated at the club.
“We’d like to be able to reduce that figure,” he said. “We’re looking at diversification as well in how we can better address the needs of the future without being so reliant on gaming revenue.”
However, he said it’s a big challenge, particularly in small communities. City clubs have branched into restaurant, accommodation and even nursing home ventures, but Mr Cook said these areas are already over-subscribed in Eden.
“We’d be competing against our own town and that makes it more difficult,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean we’re not addressing it. We’ve done a risk analysis and a strategic plan lately where all these things have been identified and we’re looking at how we would still be here in the community in the next 50 years.”
In the meantime there’s the work on trying to minimise problem gambling and Mr Cook said they’ve had some success there.
“In my eight years here we’ve entered into probably 30 self-exclusions - whether they’re three-month exclusions or six-month exclusions or whether they sign up again, most of those people who have signed up don’t come to the club for gambling anymore,” he said.
“So it has been a tool that has assisted the club to help them and assist with them personally as well.”
However, he said that there was more that could be done, although it would require a change of legislation to make work one idea he believes could.
“One of the best things that could happen on this issue is to have a third party approach us,” he said.
“At the moment in NSW if, say, a gentleman comes and says, ‘Oh, my girlfriend has a problem with gambling’, I can’t discuss that matter with him because of privacy rules, but if that legislation changes and we are able to listen to third parties then we’d be able to approach the people and talk to them about their potential problem.”
Mr Cook and Dr Kelly say they are now hopeful that the ACT trials will yield solid data and that will assist in further strategies to combat problem gambling.
Murray gets it wrong again
Murray gives casinos rules of road
By Thor Jourgensen / The Daily Item
SALEM — Before they bring gambling to a Massachusetts city or town, casino owners must be ready to pay for roadway improvements and traffic reduction work in that community, Massachusetts State Senate President Therese Murray warned Thursday.
Addressing about 80 North Shore Alliance for Economic Development members at Salem State University, Murray said gambling legislation approved last year will create 10,000 to 15,000 "good-paying, long-term jobs" for Massachusetts and increase tourism.
"But with additional visitors will come additional traffic. Any gaming facilities must pay for transportation infrastructure improvements associated with a casino. They won't be allowed to open unless they do," Murray said.
The Plymouth Democrat also talked about burdensome health-insurance costs, job creation and her plan to significantly reform the state budget-making process.
She said the average health insurance premium hike for small businesses and individuals will be 4.8 percent this year, but Christine Sullivan, head of Salem State's Enterprise Center, told Murray small business owners are telling her they will pay 12 percent to 20 percent more for health coverage this year.
"It's killing employment by eroding revenue you can apply to hiring someone," Sullivan said.
Murray called those reported hikes "unacceptable" and said the Legislature will soon focus on health insurance payment reform in an effort to reduce consumer costs.
In response to a question following her speech, she said a court case assuring health insurance coverage for legal immigrants will cost the state $54 million to more than $100 million this year, depending on how the expense is budgeted.
"It's going to be significant," she said.
She noted that insurance for legal immigrants "will add to the $200 million Medicaid deficit."
Murray said she wants to initiate a major budget overall establishing "zero-based budgeting" by 2017.
Under her proposal, state department chiefs would use performance measurements and other guidelines to calculate spending needs instead of submitting their previous year budget and factoring in increases.
"It's going to make government more transparent," she said.
Murray drew applause from her Alliance audience when she announced a newly-released 6.8 percent unemployment rate for Massachusetts. She told Alliance members that community colleges and vocational training schools must combine forces to help fill highly-skilled jobs.
She said specialized welding and machinist positions are among 144,000 jobs in Massachusetts that employers have difficulty filling.
"They are well-paid jobs, but not many people are trained to do them," Murray said.
Murray predicted a nearly $1 billion investment in life sciences and research agreements with Ireland and Finland will bring additional jobs to Massachusetts.
She criticized Congress for not working together, and called on Republicans and Democrats to come together to boost employment.
"Congress can't get out of its own way. You can't get elected and then say, 'I won't compromise,'" she said.
Murray credited fellow legislators during her speech with passing proposals to crack down on financial mismanagement by quasi-public educational organizations and for protecting domestic violence victims' jobs while they seek medical and legal help.
She also praised state Sen. Frederick Berry, the Senate majority leader who is planning to retire from the Legislature this year. Murray said a cold kept Berry away from Thursday's Alliance meeting, but she credited him with helping Salem State make the transition from a state college to a university.
Berry and the late Walter Boverini before him ensured a North Shore presence in the state Senate's leadership, but Murray said substantive talk about a new leader will not take place for almost a year.
By Thor Jourgensen / The Daily Item
SALEM — Before they bring gambling to a Massachusetts city or town, casino owners must be ready to pay for roadway improvements and traffic reduction work in that community, Massachusetts State Senate President Therese Murray warned Thursday.
Addressing about 80 North Shore Alliance for Economic Development members at Salem State University, Murray said gambling legislation approved last year will create 10,000 to 15,000 "good-paying, long-term jobs" for Massachusetts and increase tourism.
[Senate President "Cha Ching" Murray is quoting outdated job creation figures and knows they are incorrect. She is also fully aware that the problem with Slot Barns is that they offer low wage jobs, many of which are part-time. Experience shows that workers tend to be transient. Tourism will be adversely effected, which studies have proven. It should be noted that Murray prided herself with never reading anything 'anti' Gambling.]
"But with additional visitors will come additional traffic. Any gaming facilities must pay for transportation infrastructure improvements associated with a casino. They won't be allowed to open unless they do," Murray said.
The Plymouth Democrat also talked about burdensome health-insurance costs, job creation and her plan to significantly reform the state budget-making process.
She said the average health insurance premium hike for small businesses and individuals will be 4.8 percent this year, but Christine Sullivan, head of Salem State's Enterprise Center, told Murray small business owners are telling her they will pay 12 percent to 20 percent more for health coverage this year.
"It's killing employment by eroding revenue you can apply to hiring someone," Sullivan said.
Murray called those reported hikes "unacceptable" and said the Legislature will soon focus on health insurance payment reform in an effort to reduce consumer costs.
In response to a question following her speech, she said a court case assuring health insurance coverage for legal immigrants will cost the state $54 million to more than $100 million this year, depending on how the expense is budgeted.
"It's going to be significant," she said.
She noted that insurance for legal immigrants "will add to the $200 million Medicaid deficit."
Murray said she wants to initiate a major budget overall establishing "zero-based budgeting" by 2017.
Under her proposal, state department chiefs would use performance measurements and other guidelines to calculate spending needs instead of submitting their previous year budget and factoring in increases.
"It's going to make government more transparent," she said.
Murray drew applause from her Alliance audience when she announced a newly-released 6.8 percent unemployment rate for Massachusetts. She told Alliance members that community colleges and vocational training schools must combine forces to help fill highly-skilled jobs.
She said specialized welding and machinist positions are among 144,000 jobs in Massachusetts that employers have difficulty filling.
"They are well-paid jobs, but not many people are trained to do them," Murray said.
Murray predicted a nearly $1 billion investment in life sciences and research agreements with Ireland and Finland will bring additional jobs to Massachusetts.
She criticized Congress for not working together, and called on Republicans and Democrats to come together to boost employment.
"Congress can't get out of its own way. You can't get elected and then say, 'I won't compromise,'" she said.
Murray credited fellow legislators during her speech with passing proposals to crack down on financial mismanagement by quasi-public educational organizations and for protecting domestic violence victims' jobs while they seek medical and legal help.
She also praised state Sen. Frederick Berry, the Senate majority leader who is planning to retire from the Legislature this year. Murray said a cold kept Berry away from Thursday's Alliance meeting, but she credited him with helping Salem State make the transition from a state college to a university.
Berry and the late Walter Boverini before him ensured a North Shore presence in the state Senate's leadership, but Murray said substantive talk about a new leader will not take place for almost a year.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
What happens in Vegas...Wynn Slapped by Prostitute
Wynn, 'known prostitutes' in tussle, LV police captain says
Steve Wynn
Casino developer declined to press battery charges against sisters in tussle, Las Vegas police say
Posted: Aug. 5, 2008 10:00 p.m.
Updated [?]: Sep. 26, 2008 5:20 p.m
Wynn Resorts Ltd. Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn was slapped in the face at his hotel during a recent run-in with two sisters with a history of prostitution, Las Vegas police said.
The incident unfolded about 9:30 p.m. July 25 at the VIP valet parking area of Wynn Las Vegas, according to a police report.
As Wynn headed for the doors, Sarah Cournede stepped out from a small crowd and propositioned him, the report said. Wynn put his arm around the woman and continued toward the doors, where he told a door man to summon security, the report said.
Wynn held onto Cournede as she struggled to escape, and her sister, Maria Cournede, eventually joined the fray and tried to pull her sister away, the report said. During the struggle, Maria Cournede slapped Wynn in the face, the report said.
Both women had been banned from the property in the past and were arrested on trespassing charges, said Capt. Brett Zimmerman of the Vice and Narcotics Bureau.
"They were known prostitutes," he said.
Wynn was unavailable when police arrived and did not immediately press battery charges related to the slap, he said.
A spokesman for Wynn could not be reached Monday evening.
Neither Cournede sister could be reached for comment.
Steve Wynn
Casino developer declined to press battery charges against sisters in tussle, Las Vegas police say
Posted: Aug. 5, 2008 10:00 p.m.
Updated [?]: Sep. 26, 2008 5:20 p.m
Wynn Resorts Ltd. Chairman and CEO Steve Wynn was slapped in the face at his hotel during a recent run-in with two sisters with a history of prostitution, Las Vegas police said.
The incident unfolded about 9:30 p.m. July 25 at the VIP valet parking area of Wynn Las Vegas, according to a police report.
As Wynn headed for the doors, Sarah Cournede stepped out from a small crowd and propositioned him, the report said. Wynn put his arm around the woman and continued toward the doors, where he told a door man to summon security, the report said.
Wynn held onto Cournede as she struggled to escape, and her sister, Maria Cournede, eventually joined the fray and tried to pull her sister away, the report said. During the struggle, Maria Cournede slapped Wynn in the face, the report said.
Both women had been banned from the property in the past and were arrested on trespassing charges, said Capt. Brett Zimmerman of the Vice and Narcotics Bureau.
"They were known prostitutes," he said.
Wynn was unavailable when police arrived and did not immediately press battery charges related to the slap, he said.
A spokesman for Wynn could not be reached Monday evening.
Neither Cournede sister could be reached for comment.
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