VOTE YES ON 3
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.
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
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