Please share this video with your network. It is a brief, casual conversation between Amherst League of Women Voters host, Alice Swift and me on the issue of expanding predatory gambling.
The only thing that is inevitable about slots/casinos is corruption.
Showing posts with label MA legislature. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MA legislature. Show all posts
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Monday, November 23, 2009
Please take a stand
Dear Senator Brewer and Representative Ashe,
While I am aware that you do not set the calendar for the legislature, I am writing to you to let you know my sentiments about the recent end of the formal session and the failure of the legislature to address issues of grave importance currently on the table.
Average people are suffering from unemployment, underemployment and having to work brutal hours to make up for months of lost wages. All of the above scenarios we have experienced in my immediate and wider family. The Legislature - especially leadership, appear to be out of touch with the realities of the taxpayers struggles.
Today's Republican editorial is something that I hope you will consider and share with your colleagues.
For example, instead of implementing a tax-free zone along the NH border to save retail jobs and stimulate growth in the Commonwealth a higher sales tax was enacted. Thereby increasing the Massachusetts flight into CT as well as NH. This defies common sense.
Egregious behavior by lawmakers continues with failure to inform citizens the truth that only ANGR (Adjusted Net Gaming Revenues) that go out of state would be taxed for a net "recapture" of less than $90-100 million dollars - minus another $80 million dollar drop in the Lottery and the addition of another multi-million dollar bureaucracy. Legislators spread misinformation when talking about a "billion dollars of gambling revenues going out of state that we are losing".
Why are we not seeing the call for an independent cost-benefit analysis which is the primary recommendation of the Western MA Casino Task Force? I believe that it is your duty to bring this forward to legislative leadership, committee members, your peers and the wider public.
Why are we not seeing substantive discussion about the long-term economic drain, impacts to families, courts, municipal budgets? I spent two days last week at Foxwoods for a work-related conference and it was quite revealing to see the low attendance and the misery on people's faces as they stared alone and isolated at slot machines.
Should my family have to supplement the social and municipal costs of predatory gambling either through our taxes or further decline in quality of life to subsidize special interests?
Perhaps, I need to ask you more clearly and directly to call for an independet cost-benefit analysis before legalizing additional predatory gambling, slots/casinos as your constituent and long time supporter?
Please take a stand to declare the need for an independent cost-benefit analysis before legalizing addtional predatory gambling, slots/casinos in the Commonwealth.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I send you and your family blessings for a lovely Thanksgiving holiday.
Warm regards,
Kathleen
While I am aware that you do not set the calendar for the legislature, I am writing to you to let you know my sentiments about the recent end of the formal session and the failure of the legislature to address issues of grave importance currently on the table.
Average people are suffering from unemployment, underemployment and having to work brutal hours to make up for months of lost wages. All of the above scenarios we have experienced in my immediate and wider family. The Legislature - especially leadership, appear to be out of touch with the realities of the taxpayers struggles.
Today's Republican editorial is something that I hope you will consider and share with your colleagues.
For example, instead of implementing a tax-free zone along the NH border to save retail jobs and stimulate growth in the Commonwealth a higher sales tax was enacted. Thereby increasing the Massachusetts flight into CT as well as NH. This defies common sense.
Egregious behavior by lawmakers continues with failure to inform citizens the truth that only ANGR (Adjusted Net Gaming Revenues) that go out of state would be taxed for a net "recapture" of less than $90-100 million dollars - minus another $80 million dollar drop in the Lottery and the addition of another multi-million dollar bureaucracy. Legislators spread misinformation when talking about a "billion dollars of gambling revenues going out of state that we are losing".
Why are we not seeing the call for an independent cost-benefit analysis which is the primary recommendation of the Western MA Casino Task Force? I believe that it is your duty to bring this forward to legislative leadership, committee members, your peers and the wider public.
Why are we not seeing substantive discussion about the long-term economic drain, impacts to families, courts, municipal budgets? I spent two days last week at Foxwoods for a work-related conference and it was quite revealing to see the low attendance and the misery on people's faces as they stared alone and isolated at slot machines.
Should my family have to supplement the social and municipal costs of predatory gambling either through our taxes or further decline in quality of life to subsidize special interests?
Perhaps, I need to ask you more clearly and directly to call for an independet cost-benefit analysis before legalizing additional predatory gambling, slots/casinos as your constituent and long time supporter?
Please take a stand to declare the need for an independent cost-benefit analysis before legalizing addtional predatory gambling, slots/casinos in the Commonwealth.
Thank you in advance for your consideration. I send you and your family blessings for a lovely Thanksgiving holiday.
Warm regards,
Kathleen
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Nothing is Transparent
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kathleen Conley Norbut, M.Ed., LMHC
United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, President
USS Mass
PO Box 376
Palmer, MA 01069
ussmass@gmail.com
Pro-predatory Gambling Legislators Conduct Business Behind Closed Doors
(Boston) – United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts (USS Mass) a non-partisan statewide coalition criticizes pro-predatory gambling legislators as they conduct business behind closed doors with a recent forum on slots/casinos at the statehouse. “The work of “the people” seems to exclude “the people” of the Commonwealth when it comes to slots/casinos as evidenced when pro-predatory gambling legislators met on Monday in a closed forum on Beacon Hill,” stated Kathleen Conley Norbut, President of USS Mass. Organizers defended their actions to hide public officials from the public so they would, “feel comfortable to ask any questions without having any type of criticism.” Legislators give speeches about transparency yet they have crafted a double standard for their conveniences and are not bound by the same rules as local officials by Open Meeting Laws.
Elected officials should not be shielded from taxpayer’s questions and criticisms when it comes to discussing legalizing gambling activities that derive the vast majority of revenue from addicted individuals; are historically wrought with graft, political corruption and criminal activities. As offensive as these actions are to the citizens of the Commonwealth, closed door discussions and one-sided presentations have been common practice in the debate about legalizing expanded predatory gambling. Opponents of predatory gambling and local officials concerned about negative impacts to their communities were not included in the senate informational hearing in June. Concerned citizens were ignored by Administration officials two years ago when requests were made to meet to discuss the flawed legislation submitted by the Governor. The July 4th middle of the night legalization of predatory gambling by politicians in Pennsylvania was not a beacon of democracy.
Lobbyists are on-track to spend over $1 million dollars this year to influence the legislature to expand predatory gambling with slots/casinos in the Commonwealth. Meanwhile the Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling budget was recently slashed, drastically reducing the safety net needed to treat the human tragedies created by compulsive gambling. The Beacon Hill formula has not changed; quick fixes, closed doors meetings, lobbyists fronting for deep-pocketed out-of-state and foreign investors, misinformation about revenues and job creation.
Labor unions have threatened to withhold support to long-time Democratic legislators and traditional allies to pressure them to support their short-term interests for construction jobs. A handful of legislators have pressured labor unions to support their minute special interest group, track owners. These antics occur despite the reality that there is no upside for substantive construction jobs and many of the track jobs are not unionized. Legislative leadership has expanded their thinking to support expanding predatory gambling stating that jobs are needed, but they willfully ignore the long-term economic drain of slots/casinos including the documented subsidies by taxpayers in states with legalized slots/casinos for social, public safety and infrastructure costs created by the industry. Pro-predatory gambling legislators serve on Advisory Committees to UMass public policy centers while also setting the budgets for these facilities and the people who perform the limited research on slots/casinos.
Governor Patrick initiated the race to the bottom with his declaration of support for casinos. United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts therefore calls upon the Governor and the Legislature to perform independent cost-benefit analysis before any steps are taken to legalize an industry that creates greater long-term negative fiscal costs than it renders in benefits.
######
Contact: Kathleen Conley Norbut, M.Ed., LMHC
United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts, President
USS Mass
PO Box 376
Palmer, MA 01069
ussmass@gmail.com
Pro-predatory Gambling Legislators Conduct Business Behind Closed Doors
(Boston) – United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts (USS Mass) a non-partisan statewide coalition criticizes pro-predatory gambling legislators as they conduct business behind closed doors with a recent forum on slots/casinos at the statehouse. “The work of “the people” seems to exclude “the people” of the Commonwealth when it comes to slots/casinos as evidenced when pro-predatory gambling legislators met on Monday in a closed forum on Beacon Hill,” stated Kathleen Conley Norbut, President of USS Mass. Organizers defended their actions to hide public officials from the public so they would, “feel comfortable to ask any questions without having any type of criticism.” Legislators give speeches about transparency yet they have crafted a double standard for their conveniences and are not bound by the same rules as local officials by Open Meeting Laws.
Elected officials should not be shielded from taxpayer’s questions and criticisms when it comes to discussing legalizing gambling activities that derive the vast majority of revenue from addicted individuals; are historically wrought with graft, political corruption and criminal activities. As offensive as these actions are to the citizens of the Commonwealth, closed door discussions and one-sided presentations have been common practice in the debate about legalizing expanded predatory gambling. Opponents of predatory gambling and local officials concerned about negative impacts to their communities were not included in the senate informational hearing in June. Concerned citizens were ignored by Administration officials two years ago when requests were made to meet to discuss the flawed legislation submitted by the Governor. The July 4th middle of the night legalization of predatory gambling by politicians in Pennsylvania was not a beacon of democracy.
Lobbyists are on-track to spend over $1 million dollars this year to influence the legislature to expand predatory gambling with slots/casinos in the Commonwealth. Meanwhile the Mass. Council on Compulsive Gambling budget was recently slashed, drastically reducing the safety net needed to treat the human tragedies created by compulsive gambling. The Beacon Hill formula has not changed; quick fixes, closed doors meetings, lobbyists fronting for deep-pocketed out-of-state and foreign investors, misinformation about revenues and job creation.
The only thing clear about what is happening on Beacon Hill is that nothing is transparent
Labor unions have threatened to withhold support to long-time Democratic legislators and traditional allies to pressure them to support their short-term interests for construction jobs. A handful of legislators have pressured labor unions to support their minute special interest group, track owners. These antics occur despite the reality that there is no upside for substantive construction jobs and many of the track jobs are not unionized. Legislative leadership has expanded their thinking to support expanding predatory gambling stating that jobs are needed, but they willfully ignore the long-term economic drain of slots/casinos including the documented subsidies by taxpayers in states with legalized slots/casinos for social, public safety and infrastructure costs created by the industry. Pro-predatory gambling legislators serve on Advisory Committees to UMass public policy centers while also setting the budgets for these facilities and the people who perform the limited research on slots/casinos.
Governor Patrick initiated the race to the bottom with his declaration of support for casinos. United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts therefore calls upon the Governor and the Legislature to perform independent cost-benefit analysis before any steps are taken to legalize an industry that creates greater long-term negative fiscal costs than it renders in benefits.
######
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Cost: Benefit Study Required
"We believe that once you examine the facts, the revenue and expenses, and give casino/slots a fair examination, they should be opposed because we simply can't afford to subsidize wealthy investors."
The elected officials of the Commonwealth have a solemn duty to perform due diligence on all matters that come before them. A comprehensive cost:benefit study of slots/casinos is required.
The elected officials of the Commonwealth have a solemn duty to perform due diligence on all matters that come before them. A comprehensive cost:benefit study of slots/casinos is required.
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