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 USS Mass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USS Mass. Show all posts
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Andy Rooney Gets Its
Andy Rooney gets what the Speaker's Special Interest Gambling Bill and the Senate's forthcoming Sucker's Bill is all about.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Speaker's Special Interests Gambling Bill
We The People have a few questions:
How much did we the taxpayers pay for the second Spectrum Gaming benefit analysis?
UMass Dartmough has benefit analysis paid in part by taxpayers, kids tuition and gambling interests produced every time one is needed by the proponents.....how is that allowed?
Why do you refuse to have a cost analysis?
Why do you state that you met with opponents, when that does not appear to be the case, we ask again with whom did you meet?
Why was the bill, that did not receive a public hearing, and was rammed through Mr. Dempsey's committee immediately following the Easter holiday, not given more time for legislators to read it?
How many legislators did not have time to read it?
How many legislators have not had the time to fully analyze the gambling bill that has no cost analysis while being pressured by proponents?
How are the taxpayers supposed to know what is in the bill and to dialog with their legislators on a bill of this magnitude that is being "fast-tracked" through the House?
Why are no-bid sweetheart licenses that will yield billions for the owners/investors, not required to followed competitive bid processes as outlined in Mass General Laws?
Why are the casino licenses that will yield multi-billions to the often out-of-state owners and investors being given away at a fraction of their value?
Why are you not accounting for the businesses and jobs that will be lost when people spend their money on slots instead of services in the local economy?
Are those people expendable?
When are you going to tell people that the local aid gambling fund is merely an offset for the losses to will occur when the lottery takes a hit?
When are you going to let the people know that there are not enough revenues to offset the costs?
What is the cost of the new state police department?
What is the cost of the new AG department?
What is the cost to implement the economic crime bill statutes?
Do you know that we know, that the responsibility of House Ways & Means is to review all bills and that they passed the Special Interests Gambling Bill in a nanosecond, without a Fiscal Note - on your watch?
This bill is tainted. Vote NO.
How much did we the taxpayers pay for the second Spectrum Gaming benefit analysis?
UMass Dartmough has benefit analysis paid in part by taxpayers, kids tuition and gambling interests produced every time one is needed by the proponents.....how is that allowed?
Why do you refuse to have a cost analysis?
Why do you state that you met with opponents, when that does not appear to be the case, we ask again with whom did you meet?
Why was the bill, that did not receive a public hearing, and was rammed through Mr. Dempsey's committee immediately following the Easter holiday, not given more time for legislators to read it?
How many legislators did not have time to read it?
How many legislators have not had the time to fully analyze the gambling bill that has no cost analysis while being pressured by proponents?
How are the taxpayers supposed to know what is in the bill and to dialog with their legislators on a bill of this magnitude that is being "fast-tracked" through the House?
Why are no-bid sweetheart licenses that will yield billions for the owners/investors, not required to followed competitive bid processes as outlined in Mass General Laws?
Why are the casino licenses that will yield multi-billions to the often out-of-state owners and investors being given away at a fraction of their value?
Why are you not accounting for the businesses and jobs that will be lost when people spend their money on slots instead of services in the local economy?
Are those people expendable?
When are you going to tell people that the local aid gambling fund is merely an offset for the losses to will occur when the lottery takes a hit?
When are you going to let the people know that there are not enough revenues to offset the costs?
What is the cost of the new state police department?
What is the cost of the new AG department?
What is the cost to implement the economic crime bill statutes?
Do you know that we know, that the responsibility of House Ways & Means is to review all bills and that they passed the Special Interests Gambling Bill in a nanosecond, without a Fiscal Note - on your watch?
This bill is tainted. Vote NO.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Legislators called upon to perform due diligence
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Legislators called upon to perform due diligence
(Palmer) United to Stop Slots in Massachusetts (USS Mass) calls upon the Legislature to perform due diligence with an independent commission appointed to conduct a data-driven cost-benefit analysis of legalizing slots and predatory gambling in the current global recession. In a letter distributed to Legislators today, USS Mass wrote, “Proponents of corporate casinos, racetracks and predatory gambling have spent millions of dollars from out-of-state interests lobbying legislators since Governor Patrick’s failed proposal to license three resort casinos was filed. Special interest groups have targeted the Commonwealth as a market for expanding their profits at the expense of host regions, local aid, small businesses, public safety, environment, taxpayers, individuals and families affected by the negative impacts of this industry. Wildly inflated job projections and revenues have been disseminated in the media by the corporate gambling industry, the Administration and alleged researchers funded by gambling and construction groups. The global recession has impacted revenues with casinos and racinos going bankrupt and creating economic instability. We call on you as an elected representative of the citizens and taxpayers of the Commonwealth to conduct an independent cost-benefit, data-driven analysis of expanded gambling before legalizing slots or any form of predatory gambling.”
USS Mass, President Kathleen Conley Norbut stated, “We are citizens and taxpayers of the Commonwealth who along with many of our fellow citizens do not trust the one-sided figures disseminated by lobbyists and proponents of predatory gambling.” Ms. Norbut continued, “It is clear to the average citizen that the casino train left the station ten years ago…and crashed. Special interests must be clouding the vision of legislative leadership to pursue such a reckless course when bankruptcy, lay-offs and cannibalization of small businesses by the casino industry are rampant.”
# # # #
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Pssst! Preview of Coming Attractions!
USS Mass - United to Stop Slots is getting ready to launch a fantastic website designed and created by the extraordinarily talented web-designer and blogger Mary Tufts, aka Gladys Kravitz.
Please take a minute to check out the website and join our non-partisan ranks of individuals, organizations and regions in the Commonwealth opposed to predatory gambling.
Members of USS Mass distributed literature to Democratic Legislators at the statehouse today. Next week Republican Legislators will receive educational materials from USS Mass. If you would like to assist in our efforts to Stop Slots in Massachusetts please contact me and sign up on the website.
Meet us on Facebook (search United to Stop Slots)!
Please forward widely.
Sincerely,
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