MASC Proposed Resolution

Inquiring minds want to know who brought forth the proposed Resolution for the MASC to support casino gambling revenues to fund education? $5.00 D&D gift certificate to the person who squeals. Let's just hope it wasn't a certain SC member who is profiting from his relationship with a certain slots/casino predatory gambling outfit. Conflicts of interest abound.

Here's the version of the Resolution that should be considered by the MASC:

Resolution – Amendment MASC Delegate Convention

November 2009

Whereas the MASC has a long and proud tradition of advocating for public education, working for policies that promote the health and wholeness of all young people, and fighting to garner adequate and sustainable funding to support best practices and pedagogy for comprehensive public education;

And whereas legalizing slot machines would erode participation in the Lottery and siphon away from local small businesses the discretionary spending on goods and services that they depend on;

And whereas the impacts of expanded gambling in other states provide evidence of long-term economic drain, increased student drop-out rates in entire slot/casino host regions (35-50 mile radius), an increased incidence of problem gambling and gambling addiction among youth in these regions and increased fiscal burdens upon school budgets for entire host regions (35-50 mile radius);

And whereas modern slot machines use neuroscience-informed technology to mesmerize and entrap gamblers and to keep them playing until they have exhausted their resources ("playing to extinction");

And whereas medical research has documented the highly addictive nature of the brain's chemical reactions to slot machine stimulation;

And whereas evidence from other states indicates that the long-term costs of gambling addiction -- increased substance abuse, increased crime, increased family discord and dysfunction -- outweigh the short term benefits of licenses and gambling revenues;

Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, as a matter of both principle and policy, opposes the legalization of slot machines and any similar efforts to promote addictive and predatory gambling as a means of raising public revenues and requests that an independent cost-benefit analysis of these proposals be performed before any expanding gambling is legalized in the Commonwealth. Public education cannot sustain any further fiscal negative impacts.