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PROPOSED: Harrah's/Narragansett Casino

Cotuit

By Cotuit
in Rhode Island

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Dan Hamlet

Dan

Posted
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I always thought the Narragansetts are being deprived of their own "piece of the action." Years ago RI passed an amendment banning the NI Tribe from building a casino on their own tribal land, and the definition of the word lottery was grossly misinterpreted by legislators to suit the opponents of casino gaming expansion in RI. Then they were denied the right to sell cigarettes - and the State Cops invaded their trailer and beat up their people! Besides... Newport and Lincoln aren't casinos? C'mon!

Does anyone think Trump has a real plan to compete with the West Warwick proposal? I don't think a casino can survive amidst the smell of the dump. (Anyone drive 295 to 6 East this morning... mother of god was it awful today!)

I voted yes when I was living in my basement apartment on a crumbling Crompton street in 1999 and I'll do it again this winter.

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damus Burg

damus

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is there any info on the dump and plans for what we will do with our trash in the future??????

maybe enough info to create a seperate thread even!!!??

Call Joe Gentile from Utopia .... his company built a Costco on a landfill... only for it to start sinking into the ground soon after it opened.

I always thought the Narragansetts are being deprived of their own "piece of the action." Years ago RI passed an amendment banning the NI Tribe from building a casino on their own tribal land, and the definition of the word lottery was grossly misinterpreted by legislators to suit the opponents of casino gaming expansion in RI. Then they were denied the right to sell cigarettes - and the State Cops invaded their trailer and beat up their people! Besides... Newport and Lincoln aren't casinos? C'mon!

Does anyone think Trump has a real plan to compete with the West Warwick proposal? I don't think a casino can survive amidst the smell of the dump. (Anyone drive 295 to 6 East this morning... mother of god was it awful today!)

Are these people even a real tribe? I wonder what these people were doing 20 years ago before Foxwoods opened as a casino. If, like I suspect, these people are a fake Indian tribe like the 2 we have in CT, why should the voters give them anything? I would rather see Trump at the Dump than these guys getting something built. In any case, a casino can be too exciting for some and if you think RI is corrupt now just wait until there are people with gambling problems embezzling from the local towns. Newport and Lincoln aren't the same as a Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. To me, those places are as exciting as playing Keno at Tommy's Place downtown... and I think some people who became problem gamblers around here would not have done the same at a boring place like the slot parlors RI has.

I'm no sociologist but I can tell you how I perceive the difference between the places and the fact that there are sooooo many people who get caught stealing hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars from governments and businesses only to waste it all away at a casino.

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damus Burg

damus

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New London Day - R.I. Casino Grows Closer to Reality

A columnist once wrote that Rhode Island would have a casino only over the dead bodies of the entire editorial staff of The Providence Journal and everyone in the state who opposed gambling.

Wishful thinking, no doubt, because the day may not be far off when funeral directors may see a big boost in business in the Providence area.

...

I had to read that story twice. Yes, a gambling colossus may wind up with a no-bid contract for a casino in a town where most residents want it only because it is now teetering on bankruptcy after caving in for years to municipal unions that have won benefits now going through the roof.

...

Still,

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damus Burg

damus

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If people think this is a bad deal, then they should vote it down in November. Pure and simple. We won't have the General Assembly to blame if this amendment is passed and the result does more harm than good.

I have no faith in "the people" making major decisions, especially after what has been happening in Eastern CT recently. People tend to look at soundbites and bullet points given by the politicians and the media without looking into the story or thinking for themselves. A lot of these people have no time to make informed decisions, others are just plain stupid. That's why we live in a Republic, the congress is supposed to debate these things and weigh the pros and cons, including what goes beyond money: quality of life issues.

A big casino is a mixed bag. It brings in jobs and tax revenue, but many of those jobs don't pay too well and you also will see increases in traffic and crime. The best thing, in my opinion, about having the casinos in Southeastern CT is that we now have places to go see national acts nearby, something we've never had before. I am concerned as to what the effect of a Mohegan Sun type place would have on PPAC and the Dunk. Have there been any studies done about the effect of a big casino on the entertainment market in RI?

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JimmyGreaves Hamlet

JimmyGreaves

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The best case scenario is a full debate on the issue televised throughout the state...ideally, more than one debate. With this being a mid-term federal election plus a gubernatorial election and city of Providence mayoral election, people will be motivated to vote. Thus, both sides need to be heard, and public televised debate is the answer, not a Harrah's billboard or other PR releases.

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Cotuit Megalopolis

Cotuit

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If people think this is a bad deal, then they should vote it down in November. Pure and simple. We won't have the General Assembly to blame if this amendment is passed and the result does more harm than good.

It's also the job of the Assembly though to deflect poor bills. If the General Assembly was doing its job properly, this would not be before the people, at least not in its current form.

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JimmyGreaves Hamlet

JimmyGreaves

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Haven't the General Assembly been touting gambling as the solution for Rhode Island's operating budget problem for 30 years? First it was the lottery. Then VLTs. Then VLT expansion. Now, it's a full-fledged casino with a performing space and restaurants/shopping. You would think that RI residents would learn their lesson by now which is my point about having nobody to blame but ourselves if this passes.

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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Haven't the General Assembly been touting gambling as the solution for Rhode Island's operating budget problem for 30 years? First it was the lottery. Then VLTs. Then VLT expansion. Now, it's a full-fledged casino with a performing space and restaurants/shopping. You would think that RI residents would learn their lesson by now which is my point about having nobody to blame but ourselves if this passes.

the problem is the bill/amendment in its current form allows for only one casino and one deal. who's to say that trump's deal was not better than the state? they basically said "no" to him. the general assembly should have at the very least written the amendment to allow for a casino, but also to allow competition for the go ahead to build. i am honestly very shocked that a bill so specific as to even say that it's ok for the harragansetts to build a casino in west warwick. that flatly shuts out all other competitors. the only thing it does is prevent future developers from being able to build.

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cstsauveur Crossroads

cstsauveur

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As a resident of West Warwick, the proposed casino site is in my backyard (literally, the woods in my backyard is the site) im very discouraged with the lack of communication the indians and other officials are giving to the immediate effected community. It seems as though the indians are unwilling to answer questions regarding what will happen to my home and whether or not they would be willing to purchase my home should this plan go through. As the possitves of this project may be clear on a grande scale, the negatives will definatly be felt by the sourrounding community and town and communication between both parties must become a lot better on this level.

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JimmyGreaves Hamlet

JimmyGreaves

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I don't know enough about the projections that Harrahs and the Narragensett Nation are reporting, but I am skeptical to say the least. We have a structural budget deficit in the state, exemplified by the $200 million hole that needed to be closed in the latest budget cycle. This even with gaming revenues of around $300-$400 million. Why would cities and towns expect tax relief when budget line items such as state aid will likely need to be reduced to deal with these structural deficits?

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runawayjim Metropolis

runawayjim

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Has everyone here just about had it with all those casino commercials that have been hammering us for the past few weeks? Not to mention the political ones. :angry::sick:

they make me even less likely to vote for it (not that i ever would have). i think the chief is an idiot... trying to make it sound like RI has a lot to gain from it... while he has even more to gain from it.

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jencoleslaw Town

jencoleslaw

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i'm not against a casino (provided it is the greenest, most environmentally aware casino in the world with zero surface parking and a green roof that grows organic tomatos for the poor) but what i have a problem with is a constitutional amendment which gives one town, and one company and one tribe the rights to a casino. i mean, my cod, if we can't even get an equal rights amendment into the US Constitution, i hardly think one that specifically names A Harrah's casino in West Warwick, With the Narragansett Indian Tribe is hardly necessary in the state constitution.

Frankly the state and the governor doesn't have a leg to stand on in keeping a casino out, not if we continue to have gaming in newport and lincoln (at least we're not subsidizing the crueltry inflected on greyhounds anymore), but put the damn casino out to bid! this no-competition thing does by no means serve any kind of greater good. Best deal, best location, best company win. simple as that.

and i BLASTED someone the other day who in passing said "oh and i want to talk to you about supporting the casino." She'll never bring THAT up with me again, that's for sure. :)

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Recchia Town

Recchia

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i'm not against a casino (provided it is the greenest, most environmentally aware casino in the world with zero surface parking and a green roof that grows organic tomatos for the poor) but what i have a problem with is a constitutional amendment which gives one town, and one company and one tribe the rights to a casino. i mean, my cod, if we can't even get an equal rights amendment into the US Constitution, i hardly think one that specifically names A Harrah's casino in West Warwick, With the Narragansett Indian Tribe is hardly necessary in the state constitution.

Frankly the state and the governor doesn't have a leg to stand on in keeping a casino out, not if we continue to have gaming in newport and lincoln (at least we're not subsidizing the crueltry inflected on greyhounds anymore), but put the damn casino out to bid! this no-competition thing does by no means serve any kind of greater good. Best deal, best location, best company win. simple as that.

That's always been my opinion as well. I'd be alright with a casino in the state, but not the way they're going about it. And I don't know about a West Warwick location either. I'd hate to slap more sprawl on an already ridiculously sprawling area. Make it like the Providence Place of casinos.

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