Showing posts with label democratic state committee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label democratic state committee. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Slots and Costs
Slots and Costs. Democrats vote to oppose slots and costs of expanded gambling, negative fiscal impacts on region.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Democrats resolve to oppose slots
Whereas the Democratic Party has a long and proud tradition of advocating for social justice, working for policies that promote the public health, and fighting to protect citizens from exploitive and predatory business practices;
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 licensing and promoting such addictive, predatory gambling technology for the purpose of raising State revenues goes against the aforementioned values and principles for which the Democratic Party has long stood, and is at odds with the ideals that underlie our Party's honorable and consistent struggle to end the deceptive and predatory lending, marketing, and pricing practices that have pushed so many families to the brink;
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 development of slot machine parlors would neither create significant new jobs, nor increase tourism in Massachusetts;
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 Democratic Party, 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 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 licensing and promoting such addictive, predatory gambling technology for the purpose of raising State revenues goes against the aforementioned values and principles for which the Democratic Party has long stood, and is at odds with the ideals that underlie our Party's honorable and consistent struggle to end the deceptive and predatory lending, marketing, and pricing practices that have pushed so many families to the brink;
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 development of slot machine parlors would neither create significant new jobs, nor increase tourism in Massachusetts;
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 Democratic Party, 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.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Palmer anti-casino standout
Several local anti-casino activists held signs and spoke with members of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee as it met this evening at Pathfinder Regional Vocational Technical High School in Palmer.
The response from many DSC members was positive with members from various communities throughout the Commonwealth including Stoughton, Framingham, Gloucester, Amherst and Wales expressing opposition to casinos in Massachusetts.
As people learn more about the negative impacts of casinos, concern is growing locally and statewide. The impact area is a 50 mile radius from a proposed casino site.
This leaves few communities that would not be negatively affected by the Adminstration's casino bill. For more information see, The National Gambling Impact Study Commission http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ngisc/reports/fullrpt.html
The response from many DSC members was positive with members from various communities throughout the Commonwealth including Stoughton, Framingham, Gloucester, Amherst and Wales expressing opposition to casinos in Massachusetts.
As people learn more about the negative impacts of casinos, concern is growing locally and statewide. The impact area is a 50 mile radius from a proposed casino site.
"NORC (National Opinion Research Center)found that the presence of a gambling facility within 50 miles roughly doubles the prevalence of problem and
pathological gamblers."
This leaves few communities that would not be negatively affected by the Adminstration's casino bill. For more information see, The National Gambling Impact Study Commission http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ngisc/reports/fullrpt.html
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