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Casino Controversy Already Lacks Common
Sense
Mayor Mike Sullivan says he want to bring a gambling
casino to the City of Lawrence. State Senator Sue Tucker
says she opposes the plan to legalize gambling. Not
surprisingly, most people are already lining up on one
side of this issue or the other. This happens much too
often when contemplating a major local project.
Since there is no specific details and no real plan as of
yet, I can't help but wonder how anyone can take any side
at all without knowing more. A casino could bring in
millions of dollars in revenue to the local economy and
still more millions into the city's tax coffers. A casino
could also devestate the city with an influx of crime,
drugs and prostitution. The point is, without a specific
proposal to scrutinize we just don't know if a casino
would be good or bad for Lawrence.
Too many people take a position on issues like this
before having all the information needed to make such a
decision. Then they look for the best facts to support
their position and ways to discredit the opposing
position.
Here is a great opportunity to do something right for
once. We have the chance to objectively look at the
casino proposals with plenty of time to work out the best
deal Lawrence can get. We also have the opportunity to
test the waters for other major projects in the future by
taking a serious look at the process of attracting new
revenue to the city and what we have been doing wrong for
the past 25 years.
If we really want change for the better and we truly mean
it when we say we wish Lawrence could thrive then we owe
it to ourselves to be objective and look at the
possibility of a casino with the best interest of the
city in mind.
Those who immediately say that they oppose any casino
idea at all should put aside their own personal morality
and think about what is best for everyone. City councilor
Mike Sweeney, who has not taken a position on casinos as
of yet addressed the fringe anti casino people on the
Paying Attention Daily Show, "Walk into any store or
bodega in the City of Lawrence and you will see state
sponsored gambling with $10 or $20 scratch tickets,
numerous daily numbers and megabucks games. Nobody has a
problem with that. I want to see these legislators who
oppose gambling to submit a bill to end the state lottery
if they feel so strongly about this,"
Sweeney was referring to Sate Senator Sue Tucker (D)
Andover, who has long said she opposes legalized gambling
but admitted on the Paying Attention television program
last year that she supports the states lottery program.
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