The town I grew up in and still live in, Milford, Massachusetts, will be voting on whether or not to allow Foxwoods to build a casino on the outskirts of town today. The entire process, from the initial rumors to the public hearings and fundraisers, has been fascinating, so I felt I would share some of what I have learned about gambling expansion.
For those of you who have never experienced the processes of gambling expansion I thought I’d offer up an educated (I’m sort of an expert on gaming I suppose) firsthand explanation of what goes on when your town considers building a casino.
I’ll probably do a follow-up article down the road when I’ve had time to reflect on the entire situation.
The process
While there are other small hurdles to clear, like zoning and random approvals and permits, for the most part the Foxwoods Massachusetts project had three roadblocks:
1. First the casino project needed to receive a 2/3 majority from the town selectman (there are three of them). Done.
2. The next step was to gain the approval of the recently installed Massachusetts Gaming Commission. Done, albeit preliminarily.
3. Then the project would go to a town referendum for a vote. Happening today.
The process was slow, and allowed for the usual amount of politicking, fear mongering, lobbying, and schmoozing, and it also allowed for plenty of money to be funneled into the debate on both sides. And along with the money came the talking points. An endless parade of talking points… If you know me you would understand that talking points rank somewhere between mowing the lawn and losing power for 24 hours on my list of annoyances.
The Factions
The Anti-Casino Group
As soon as the project was even floated a group of “concerned” citizens stepped up to start condemning what turning Milford into a “Casino” town would do. Now I don’t have any data to back this up, but I’d wager that most of the activists in this group are well-to-do, possess a solid amount of gray hair, and could care less about the financial health of the town or its citizenry beyond their own property lines.
The anti-casino group has also tried every legislative trick in the book to get the project cancelled, from calling for preemptive votes at town meetings to running a bunch of their own candidates for this never before mentioned town council nonsense. The latest is to try to repeal the state gambling expansion law passed last year.
While I admire their moxie, and their focus and commitment, I do not appreciate their holier than thou attitude, and “what about the children!” calls to action; especially when their real concern is themselves and not the town.
It all boils down to the fact that they are happy and content with their place in life and don’t want to upset the balance. An absolutely understandable viewpoint and one I would respect. Just as I respect people who are against gambling; I get why they don’t want a casino and I respect their reasons.
What I don’t respect is cherry-picked data, anecdotal evidence, and unchecked talking points.
Foxwoods
I’m not going to dump on Foxwoods quite as bad, because they haven’t been as blatantly dishonest regarding their plans: They want to build a casino and make money, and they are going to give Milford some handouts for letting them do it.
From BBQ’s to rally’s to wooing the local police and fire unions, Foxwoods has been less about denouncing the other side and more about lobbying with TV ads, direct mailers, and on and on. All the while nary a mention of Casino Free Milford has come out of the Foxwoods camp.
Are they being 100% up front? Probably not. Will the town be the same? I doubt it. Will some things get better and others worse? I would be shocked if it didn’t. But our choice seems to be:
* A casino and $35 million/year in taxes and revenue.
* Some other major construction like a mall or an industrial park that will cause more traffic, more crime and pay us next to nothing –let alone set aside money for extra police and fire.
* Or my favorite; nothing. Just leave that massive parcel of land undeveloped (it’s zoned industrial) while property taxes go up and up.
Dueling Newspapers
There are two newspapers in Milford, the Milford Daily News and the online Milford Patch, and the biases of the editors are on full display. It’s like newspaper version of MSNBC and FOX News. You like the casino; read the Daily News. You’re against the casino; then the Patch is for you!
Worse though was the comment section, where people were so spiteful and nasty I refused to post more than one or two tepid comments, despite having a deep understanding of the issue. I also haven’t spoken out regarding my stance very much, as I have friends on both sides of this issue, some of whom are overly passionate.
I’d also add that as a poker player I’m very familiar with phony-baloney comments and forum posts, and have a finely tuned BS detector when it comes to “scientific” studies and “non-partisan” groups. But I’ve discovered that regular Joe’s who comment in your local online newspaper and on social media will believe these people to be real, and spouting legitimate concerns, and that they have their interests at heart; so long as it backs up their preconceived beliefs. They take every opinion and editorial at face value, and will run with whatever talking points or figures they see without even bothering to check their veracity.
My Own Views on the Casino
You would think I would be all for a casino, but to be honest it really isn’t a big deal to me either way. Of course I’ll be voting “yes” but if the casino gets voted down by the town I won’t be disappointed, and I won’t see it as a major defeat. If it gets the go ahead I’ll feel the same way.
In the end it will come down to whether the town has more people willing to accept a calculated risk, or if the nits at the table will keep the status quo in place.
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