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Volume CXXXIII, Number 7 |
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Take it from me, vote no on 3
To the Editors:
I am writing as a concerned Maine citizen. I am a former resident of Norwich, CT, which is located between The Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort casinos. I know firsthand the immense impact a casino has on a town, county, and state. I fear that if question 3 passes, Maine will receive the same death sentence as Connecticut did a decade ago. I urge you to look carefully at the consequences that a resort casino will have on our state.
Casinos have a negative impact on small, local businesses. Their immensity allows them to keep low prices, creating a monopoly. It is also hard for small businesses to keep employees. Although casinos do not pay well, they do offer a good benefit package due to their size. Independent businesses just cannot compete.
My family owns a restaurant in Southeastern, CT. We have seen a remarkable drop in business since the opening of the casinos. V isitors choose to eat at the all-encompassing resorts, instead of the local restaurants. They also spend their money on gaming and not at our family business. Contrary to popular belief, the casinos have not brought more patrons to the area. Instead, they have sucked all the business (and money) out of the region.
The introduction of a resort casino in Southeastern Connecticut did provide more entry-level jobs, since a high percentage of employees are not from New London County. There has been an enormous influx of residents to the area. Years later, there is still a serious housing crunch and rents and mortgages have skyrocketed. With more families moving in, schools have become overcrowded and local budgets cannot afford to educate the extra students. Ironically, these overcrowded schools have been shut down due to lack of funding.
More people leads to more traffic and more crime. The surrounding towns
will have to build and widen roads, install more traffic lights and increase
patrols, just as Connecticut did. There will be more deadly accidents,
a higher rate of drinking and driving, and an increase in domestic violence.
As if these problems were not bad enough, all of these issues will lead
to higher taxes for EVERYONE. Please look at the big picture and realize
what kind of damage a casino would do to the great state of Maine.
I moved to Maine for its small-town charm, majestic scenery, and friendly people. People travel here from all over the world to raft down the Penobscot, hike up Mt. Kathadin, and swim in our beautiful lakes. I do not want Maine to be known for its gambling addicts and congested highway, do you?
Sincerely,
Nicole Bazinet,
Bowdoin College Children's Center
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