Opinion |

Voters should think carefully about implications of casino

By Nick McCrea

Posted on Thursday, September 18th, 2008, 12:00 am

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You may not have heard much about Question 2 on November’s ballot, but it has the potential to make a severe impact on our state.

Question 2 asks, “Do you want to allow a certain Maine company to have the only casino in Maine, to be located in Oxford County, if part of the revenue is used to fund specific state programs?”

Sounds simple. Sounds like jobs. Sounds like progress. Sounds OK. However, before you go to the polls on Nov. 4, I encourage you to inform yourself of the real implications behind what can be a vague referendum. This casino in southern Maine or in any part of the state, could cause far more harm to Maine people than growth for our state.

Casino proponents often argue that Maine should accept casinos because they already have every other piece of the gaming puzzle – lotteries, racetracks, off-track betting, slots, etc. I don’t believe any of these things have helped our state significantly.

Even the seemingly innocent scratch-off ticket has its drawbacks. I worked for two years as a cashier at an area grocery store. In my time there, I noticed a trend – a large majority of people with food stamps, EPS cards, WIC checks and other forms of social government aid would pay for their food with said supports. That’s wonderful, until a large portion of that group turned around and purchased $40 worth of lottery tickets in an attempt to get rich the quick, easy and unlikely way.

People who don’t have the means to gamble are often the first in line when a gambling facility opens. The elderly, poor and those with low incomes are drawn by the allure of winning big. The problem is, these people have the most to lose and risk losing what little they have in their attempts to gain more. Other risks that come along with casinos include increases in crime, addictions and the amount of social welfare the state will need to shell out.

Perhaps the most off-putting thing about this casino plan is the fact that we still know very little about Vegas-based Olympia Gaming’s ideas. What are these jobs? Some may be high-wage, secure positions, but a large percentage is likely to be temporary construction jobs that will leave no long-term benefits. Not to mention they don’t even know basics, like where they’re going to build the facility.

Perhaps Olympia simply isn’t sure of the details yet because they just took over the referendum after Rumford-based lawyer Seth Carey gave up his leadership of the campaign following allegations of professional misconduct in his practice.

Olympia said it will have more information, such as possible locations for the casino, by the time the elections roll around, but how much time will that leave the public to make an informed decision? If they come up with a semi-formal plan by late October, that leaves little time for opponents of the measure to react, or people who aren’t sure to make up their minds.

Before stepping into the voting booths, Mainers should look into the facts behind not just Question 2, but all ballot issues. More importantly, those behind the referendums should offer up ample information to help the public with this task.

Nick McCrea is a senior journalism major and a skeptic, but he’ll still play poker this weekend