Dear Friend,

As the former Principal of the Warren-Prescott School who, after over 21 years helping to educate children in the neighborhood of Charlestown, has more than little bit of Charlestown in my blood. So, I have an idea what that neighborhood faces with a Casino in neighboring Everett.

In my opinion no neighborhood should be pitted against another, and that's exactly what's happening with the plans to build a gambling casino in Everett. Everett may indeed get benefits - and some fallout it has yet to realize - but Charlestown and many surrounding communities will experience a disruption of their lives and perhaps even destruction of their communities. It seems irresponsible to me to do all this simply to allow some people - many of them can not hardly afford it - to gamble their money away and a large rich gambling syndicate to get even larger and richer.

Many reasons have been given for stopping casino's in Massachusetts, including the facts that
Grand Jury indictments, conflicts of interest, allegations of cronyism; though not one casino has opened here in Massachusetts, we've already seen the corrupt casino culture creep into Massachusetts life. Fortunately, we can stop the mess in just a few days.

Casinos have opened their doors in more than three dozen states across the nation, including the oversaturated Northeast market, where five casinos have gone under in Atlantic City, revenues have been lost in Connecticut, and yet, as many as seven new casinos are planned across our border in upstate New York.

In city after city and state after state, we've seen the true costs. Crime will increase in myriad ways-domestic violence and drunk driving, embezzlement, and thefts. Problem gamblers will increase by two to three times their current levels, straining already limited social services and affecting families. Lottery aid will decrease and local businesses will be forced to lay off workers.

Out-of-state casino bosses have spent millions, more than $7.5 million and counting as of today. The promises of thousands of jobs, burgeoning state coffers, and less tax burdens to citizens have been made before. I believe they're empty promises that have failed to materialize time and again.

The Massachusetts Gambling Commission, the very entity designed to protect us, has been a complicit co-conspirator in the mess. In fact, the Chairman of the Commission was forced to recuse himself from the most important decision put before him, the award of the Boston Region license to billionaire Steve Wynn. A decision which resulted in federal indictments for the current landowners.

The evidence is clear. Casinos are wrong for Massachusetts. They're bad for communities, bad for small businesses, and bad for your family and mine.

Together, on Tuesday, November 4, we can vote yes on ballot question 3 to stop the casino mess.


Thank you for your support!

Domenic G. Amara, Ph.D
Former Principal of the Warren-Prescott School
Charlestown,
Boston, MA