The Kraft Group discussed a potential Foxborough casino with two top town officials last summer, months before the public, or other town officials, learned of plans to build a $1 billion gambling resort in their town.
How the issue of casino gambling came up at the meeting is a matter of dispute, though both sides confirm that Town Manager Kevin Paicos and Selectman Larry Harrington discussed casino issues privately with top Kraft executives, including Robert and Jonathan Kraft, in a meeting at Gillette Stadium organized by The Kraft Group. The meeting included a discussion of the need for zoning changes if a casino proposal was to move forward.
Shortly after that meeting, Paicos suggested that the town consider zoning changes to permit gambling on Route 1, saying he had been contacted by several developers interested in building a casino in town. The talks with The Kraft Group were not disclosed at the time, a fact first reported this week by The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro.
“I believe that the people in town and I were misled,’’ Selectwoman Lorraine Brue, a casino opponent, said yesterday. She said she had “no problem with behind-the-scenes meetings’’ to discuss development concepts, but that town boards should not be making policy decisions without all the facts.
Which is weird because that Wynn thing seemed like it came out of nowhere.
“It didn’t allow me as a selectman to publicly vet what was going on,’’ she said.
Harrington, the board’s chairman, said last night that public officials, including the town manager and selectmen, meet as a matter of routine with developers who might be interested in building in the town.
“There wasn’t a conscious effort not to tell anybody,’’ he said. “We came back from that meeting and said: ‘Let’s bring it to the Planning Board. Let’s bring it to the Board of Selectmen and see if there’s any interest.’ ’’
The Foxborough Planning Board declined to endorse the zoning changes, and the Board of Selectmen voted 5 to 0 in September not to put the zoning changes on the town meeting warrant....
Paicos lashed out at The Kraft Group yesterday, accusing the developer of mischaracterizing the substance of the August meeting. The Kraft Group had said in a statement that the meeting was called to discuss water, sewer, and general development issues and evolved into a discussion about gambling after Paicos said he had been contacted by several casino developers interested in Foxborough.
Dan Murphy, vice president of business development for The Kraft Group, who was at the meeting last August, said yesterday that he did not recall who broached the subject of casino gambling at the Route 1 site.
“I do remember [Paicos] asking if we had been contacted by [casino developers], and we told him we had by a handful,’’ he said. “And Kevin said he had, too, and I think he used the number four.’’
Paicos called that description “utterly laughable,’’ insisting he had never heard any casino proposal in town until that meeting, when Kraft officials pitched the idea of a casino “specifically - specifically - to gauge our reaction to their proposal.
“The entire discussion was about their proposal to lease their land for gaming, to ascertain our interest, and, if we had any interest, what the first steps would be,’’ Paicos said.
In the weeks after the meeting, one casino and several real estate companies professing to represent casinos, contacted Paicos, he said, declining to name the casino because the company had asked for confidentiality.
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How do the people in town feel about it?
"Foxborough board rebuffs casino zoning changes; Heavy turnout by gambling foes" December 09, 2011|By Michele Morgan Bolton and Noah Bierman, Globe Correspondent | Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH - In a surprise move, the Foxborough Planning Board voted last night not to support two key zoning changes sought by Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn to build a casino in the town.
See: Kraft Picks a Wynner
Started the season with a loss.
The board voted after more than 500 people turned out at a middle school last night, with most demanding that local officials heed earlier pleas to bar a casino from opening on Kraft property near Gillette Stadium. It was the first public meeting since Kraft announced that he was teaming up with Wynn on a resort proposal.
Planning Board members said they the Kraft-Wynn team should return with their proposal after the first of the year. They said they wanted to delay action because it is clear now that the zoning changes could help pave the way for a casino.
And they hope to quiet the mob in the hope that they will just go away.
“We have and will continue to have a relationship with the Krafts, but not everything that comes down the pike is appropriate,’’ said Kevin Weinfeld, chairman of the Planning Board. “If we are going to consider it, we will need a very specific proposal and zoning that addresses it.’’
The Planning Board meeting was an opening skirmish in what could be a long battle between vigorous casino opponents and the Kraft Group, which owns the stadium and the land around it.
First quarter score; Foxborough 3, Kraft 0.
Residents from the neighboring communities of Walpole and Norfolk joined casino opponents from Foxborough to urge the board to reject the zoning changes.
“Can we make this a dry town as far as gambling goes?’’ said Alan Sweeney, a Foxborough resident.
Walpole town administrator Mike Boynton added: “The town of Walpole urges you and pleads with you to look at the real consideration of human lives of the folks who live on the border of Foxborough.’’
Foxborough sure has a deep bench.
*************************
The town’s support is crucial. Zoning changes need to go through at least two local governing bodies and then need support from two-thirds of residents at a Town Meeting. The state’s casino legislation also requires a local ballot referendum before any developer can win a casino license.
They are not getting any of that unless the bribe local officials and rig the voting machines.
On Monday, Kraft and Wynn promised that they would retreat if the town opposed a casino, insisting they would build a project in keeping with Foxborough’s “bucolic’’ setting and pledging to create thousands of jobs.
But the Board of Selectmen voted 5 to 0 in September against a zoning change that would have allowed construction of casinos on property the Kraft Co. owns across from Gillette Stadium.
Before news of the casino plan leaked out, residents were expecting Kraft to build a biotech park at the site. Planning Board officials said they were not aware of the casino until late last week, when reporters began calling about the plan.
Ah, the old counter play! Get the defense going one way and run the other!!
“I don’t want anyone to think that all along we’ve known and that they’ve known that this was about a casino; that is not fact,’’ Weinfeld told last night’s audience.
Actually, looking back on that in light of the above report he just lied.
Weinfeld said that Kraft and the Patriots have pumped money into the local economy and that property owners have a right to develop their land, so long as they comply with the law. But, he said, gambling is not legal in the town.
“We feel pretty good with them coming forward,’’ Weinfeld said. “They have a couple of billion invested in our town. If they do things that are perceived as appropriate in our community, they will get a return on their investment.’’
Not all the speakers last night were against the proposal.
“These are the worst economic times of my 77 years,’’ said Roslyn Liftman of Foxborough. “We have the chance to have a money tree in our backyard.’’
But the crowd’s sentiment was clearly against the casino proposal....
Before last night’s meeting, several dozen protesters held signs outside the school and accepted donations in a piggy bank for the cause.
Stephanie Crimmins said life changed when she woke up last Friday and saw the news of a casino. “The town has said no three times to this, and we thought it had gone away,’’ she said. With the two powerful businessmen behind the plan, she said, “I said, ‘Oh my god, we have to take a stand!’ ’’
Yeah, “What is it about democracy that these groups don’t understand?’’
What part of NO do you not understand? The N or the O?
Earlier this week, an opposition group officially formed and organized under the name No Foxboro Casino. The group says it has gathered more than 1,200 supporters through written and online petitions and social networking.
Meanwhile, Kraft, who is also chairman and chief executive officer of the Kraft Group, was in New York Tuesday and Wednesday meeting with fellow NFL owners....
Bob, we don't want you tarnishing the point spread that appears in every AmeriKan newspaper.
Casino opponents were dealt a setback yesterday. Attorney General Martha Coakley ruled that an effort to repeal the new casino law through a ballot referendum is not legal because the state constitution bars referendums on appropriations. The casino bill falls into this category because it sets aside $15 million to start a gambling commission and $500,000 for a division of gambling enforcement.
Related: Three Cheers For Coakley
She must have received some casino cash for her campaigns in this case.
In Foxborough, the new opposition group already has the Kraft Group’s attention with a letter detailing demands, written by organizer Collin Earnst, a marketing professional who has lived in the town for eight years.
“We’re spending our holiday season worrying about how our town will be changed drastically if this happens,’’ Earnst said before last night’s meeting. “We’re no longer in control of our town. This is a difficult thing for someone to swallow.’’
--more--"
Related: Detroit's Damn Unions
Yeah, those guys are responsible for everything -- including the NFL and NBA lockouts!
Looks like they are changing the play.
"Casino builder courts town; Wynn letter offers jobs with day care for town" December 13, 2011|By Mark Arsenault and Michele Morgan Bolton, Globe Staff | Globe Correspondent
Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn, in a letter sent over the weekend to Foxborough residents, is offering jobs and dangling the promise of free employee day care if residents will accept construction of a casino resort in their town.
The developer of some of the most prominent hotels and casinos on the Las Vegas strip also promised to “listen to your concerns carefully and address them individually,’’ in a soft-sell kickoff to the wooing of Foxborough.
The letter arrived in Foxborough mailboxes yesterday. Wynn sent out about 8,000 copies, targeting households that have at least one registered voter, according to Wynn spokesman Michael Weaver. The letter followed the release of a 10-minute video pitch for the project, featuring Wynn and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who would lease Wynn the land for the casino on Route 1. The video aired over the weekend on Foxborough Cable Access....
That's a different sport.
The sudden introduction of the casino proposal stunned many residents of Foxborough, already home to an outdoor sports stadium that hosts NFL football and major concerts that bring tremendous traffic.
But not those in the know.
So far, many residents of Foxborough and neighboring communities such as Walpole and Norfolk have loudly objected to the casino idea, setting up a Facebook page and attending a zoning meeting to complain. The Foxborough Planning Board voted last week to put off two key zoning changes needed for the casino.
“I can appreciate that some residents are fearful when they hear the word ‘casino,’ ’’ Wynn wrote to residents, tacitly acknowledging local resistance to the proposal. But he insisted that his primary business is not casino gambling, that it is developing “exemplary hotels.’’
“They have wonderful spas, great hotel rooms, unique entertainment, prize-winning restaurants, and premier convention facilities,’’ wrote Wynn. “A gaming room, representing a small portion of the resort’s overall square footage, makes it possible to build these amenities.’’
Nothing you will be able to afford.
A resident who received Wynn’s letter, Mary MacDonald, was skeptical. “If gaming is such a small part of what they do, why not just build a resort?’’ she said.
Jobs will be a major selling point. Wynn estimated that the project would create “up to 10,000’’ jobs, including direct employment at the resort and new jobs created for vendors and service companies doing business with the casino....
Opponents immediately panned the letter.
“It seems Mr. Wynn is counting on Foxborough residents to be dazzled by the same glitz and intrigue used to ensnare the gamblers in his casino,’’ Collin Earnst, a Foxborough resident and member of the opposition group, No Foxborough Casino, said in a statement. “At the end of the day, it’s still a casino, and it’s still a burden to our town, no matter how you dress it up.’’
Opponents hope to gather as many copies of the letter as they can and mail them back to Wynn with a note that says, “Thanks, but no thanks.’’
The Board of Selectmen is scheduled to meet at 7 tonight at Foxborough High School to discuss the proposal and set a date for a community meeting, the board’s chairman, Larry Harrington, said in an e-mail.
Selectmen had invited Wynn and Kraft to talk to residents this weekend, but the developers suggested a meeting in late January when their proposal is more concrete.
“Mr. Wynn, following his visit here and the input he received from a number of residents, has gone to work creating a preliminary conceptual design of what he would propose to build,’’ Kraft Group vice president Dan Murphy said in an e-mail to officials in Foxborough.
That preliminary design is expected to be completed next month....
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"Foxborough selectmen reject effort to kill casino proposal
FOXBOROUGH - A majority of the Board of Selectmen turned back an attempt last night to kill a proposed Route 1 casino before residents have taken measure of the details.
By a 3-to-2 vote, the board set a Jan. 10 public hearing to invite developer Steve Wynn to present his vision to build a casino on land belonging to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. A minority of the board had sought to terminate any more debate, saying a casino would not fit in Foxborough.
Town Manager Kevin Paicos distributed a memo to selectmen outlining his case against going any further with the casino proposal.
“The casino would come at the expense of good community relations, friends opposing friends, neighbors opposing neighbors. Our town would have more money, but our sense of community would be fragmented for many years to come,’’ Paicos said. “Money must never be viewed as more important than community.’’
In the end, the majority of the board said the public should hear what is being proposed. Some kind of public vote, perhaps a nonbinding referendum, could quickly follow next month’s hearing, said Larry Harrington, chairman of the Board of Selectmen.
Nonbinding?
Last night’s meeting at Foxborough High School drew hundreds of opponents, but also a contingent of casino supporters from trade unions, who cautioned against a rush to judgment on the casino plan for Foxborough before residents have any details on what is to be proposed. The crowd booed when one selectwoman suggested that the issue be tabled and the meeting take place Jan. 18.
Selectman Mark Sullivan, chastising the boisterous crowd, said: “Don’t you at least want to hear what the opportunities are for this community? How some of you are reacting is embarrassing, and it saddens me.’’
What saddens me is this stuff being shoved down their throats.
--MORE--"
"Casino pitch: tax revenue of $10m; Kraft offers town annual estimate" December 15, 2011|By Mark Arsenault, Globe Staff
A representative of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said yesterday that the casino envisioned by Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn would generate at least $10 million annually in municipal taxes for Foxborough, a sum that would equal nearly one-third of the current local tax levy.
Kraft’s company issued the estimate in a statement last evening as part of its continued effort to win local support, but did not explain how the figure was calculated....
The tax revenue estimate was the second carrot the developers dangled before townspeople in recent days. Wynn has also said the project would create “up to 10,000 permanent jobs,’’ including those directly employed at the casino and those working for suppliers and service vendors....
“Ten million dollars? It sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?’’ said Stephanie Crimmins, a spokeswoman for the anticasino group, No Foxboro Casino. “How can we not be dazzled by the huge numbers being thrown around?
“But for the people who grew up here … the question is: What would be left of the character of our community when there’s a billion-dollar casino in the town?’’ she said.
Foxborough Town Manager Kevin Paicos, who has publicly opposed the casino plan, said yesterday that the $10 million figure strikes him as a reasonable estimate, “based on the size of the facility they are talking about.’’
The chairman of the Board of Selectmen, Lawrence Harrington, a vice president for internal audit at Raytheon, suggested the eventual tax benefits could be even higher.
“Add personal property tax, meals tax, and hotel tax, and you are on your way to $12 million to $15 million annually,’’ said Harrington, one of three selectmen who on Tuesday voted to go forward with a public airing of the project in January. “Not to mention anything the town would receive from the casino revenue or mitigation we would require from the developer.’’
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"Foxborough to debate casino tonight" by Erin Ailworth | Globe Staff, December 27, 2011
Foxborough selectmen say they are prepared for a “robust’’ — if not downright heated — meeting tonight when they discuss whether the town should even entertain a proposal by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn to build a casino across from Gillette Stadium.
The town’s advisory committee is expected to recommend that selectmen poll Foxborough residents about whether they would support gambling in the town before officials entertain a casino proposal.
“Say that answer is, ‘Hey, we want gaming in Foxborough,’ then you listen to proposals by the Wynn group,’’ said John R. Gray Jr., who chairs the advisory committee. But first, he urged, “let’s find a mechanism to solicit the pulse of the citizens.’’
I think they have made themselves quite clear.
**********************
Opinions have already started to divide Foxborough residents. A procasino group called Jobs for Foxboro says it is important to let residents hear all the facts about casinos and allow them to make their own decisions. Others supporting a grass-roots effort called No Foxboro Casino say the townspeople have voted against gambling in the past and should not have to wait for another vote to voice that opinion again....
I agree.
Tensions in Foxborough surrounding the casino issue have increased in recent weeks, with residents packing town meetings as supporters on both sides of the issue held signs and occasionally booed one another.
Groups have even set up Web pages to voice their views and are also attracting supporters through social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter.
Over the weekend, a video posted to the No Foxboro Casino Facebook page took a veiled swipe at Kraft and Wynn as “snake oil’’ sellers with undue influence over “puppet’’ officials.
The video was later denounced by No Foxboro Casino, which called on its supporters to “be respectful.’’
“We are deeply disappointed to see this kind of negative messaging,’’ said the group’s spokeswoman, Holly Steel. “From day one, our group has made it very clear that we have nothing but the deepest respect for Mr. Kraft and all that he has done for the Foxboro community. Our anticasino message has been fact-oriented and aboveboard.’’
Foxborough selectmen are feeling the strain. Once united in their stance against gambling, they have more recently been split three to two on whether to consider a casino in the town.
Lawrence J. Harrington, who chairs the board, said he wants to hear a proposal from Wynn and Kraft and put the topic to voters.
“Eight years ago, [residents] voted a racino down, and a racino is very different than what’s being proposed here. And eight years ago was also a very different economic time,’’ Harrington said. “Today, Europe is nearly bankrupt, the United States is nearly bankrupt. Our debt ratings have dropped.’’
Scott Farmelant, a spokesman for Jobs for Foxboro, said the group plans tonight to present selectmen with a petition signed by hundreds of residents who want to hear a casino proposal.
“Foxborough residents surely can decide for themselves what’s best for their town, but should have all the facts before them before they make that decision,’’ he said.
Selectmen James J. DeVellis and Lorraine A. Brue, who have voted to stop casino discussions, did not return calls yesterday.
--more--"
"Casino proposal is dealt setback; Selectmen vote not to negotiate with developer" by Mark Arsenault
Globe Staff / December 28, 2011
FOXBOROUGH - Selectmen dealt a blow last night to a casino proposal by Las Vegas mogul Steve Wynn, declaring that the town is unwilling to host the resort and that the board will not enter into negotiations with Wynn over terms for having a casino in town.
A goal-line stand!!!
The 3-to-2 vote does not formally kill the proposal, but sets up a significant headwind if Wynn decides to continue to pursue his plans.
Hundreds of Foxborough residents packed the selectmen’s meeting, the public’s first chance to speak out on a proposed casino in such a high-profile forum....
The meeting came hours after New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft circulated a letter urging that the proposal be heard....
Kraft said in his public letter: “It concerns me that in these uncertain economic times some do not want to allow their fellow citizens the right to hear a proposal.’’
*******************************
On a divided board, Selectman Mark Sullivan was the swing vote, siding with the casino opponents for passage. He said the pressure he felt over the issue ruined his Christmas and spurred him to put his phone in his garage to get away from the calls.
Sullivan said he visited Gillette Stadium and asked the Kraft family to withdraw the proposal. He said the Krafts told him that they deserved the right to have the proposal fully heard.
Wynn had dangled some carrots in an effort to win support. He said the project would create thousands of jobs, through direct employment at the resort and through the casino’s business dealings with local suppliers and service vendors. He has also estimated that the development would pay at least $10 million per year in local taxes, which the town could use to bolster services or reduce property taxes.
Paicos said Wynn could still come forward with a formal proposal that explains the project, estimates the potential costs to the town - such as traffic, demands on police, fire, and schools, extra work for town inspectors - and proposes ways for the developer to pay for the costs....
What was edited out was him saying it was tearing the town apart.
The Foxborough plan had a rocky rollout in early December, and the proposal immediately sparked fierce resistance from a hastily organized citizens group, No Foxboro Casino....
--more--"
Halftime.
"Foxborough casino fight apt to go on; Town’s rebuff unlikely to be last word; Kraft’s next step is awaited" by Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff / December 29, 2011
A day after their casino proposal was rebuffed by the town of Foxborough, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and casino mogul Steve Wynn expressed dismay at the setback but refused to back down from their plans for a casino near Gillette Stadium.
WTF?
“We’re disappointed with the Board’s decision to deny Foxboro taxpayers the due process they are entitled under the state’s gaming law,’’ Wynn Resorts and The Kraft Group said in a statement. “We have not made any decisions regarding next steps.’’
The 3-to-2 rejection by the town’s Board of Selectmen Tuesday night does not halt the process.
Under the new state law allowing casino gambling, a developer has to win the support of voters in a referendum to be eligible to apply for one of three casino licenses.
But before a casino package can be considered by a town’s voters, an agreement has to be negotiated with local leaders.
The vote by Foxborough selectmen made it clear they are not interested in talking.
“There absolutely will not be casino gambling in any community that does not want it,’’ said Stephen P. Crosby, the recently appointed head of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, which will ultimately award the licenses. “The governor and the Legislature were slam-dunk clear on that point.’’
Related:
Political veteran to head casino panel
Oh, that makes me feel a lot better.
Crosby pointed out that there is nothing in the law that requires a town that opposes a casino proposal to hold a referendum to reject it.
Still, town officials said they do not expect Wynn and the Kraft Group to back down.
“We would hope that in light of such an overwhelming negative response, that they would take a message from that, respect it, and go away,’’ said Town Manager Kevin Paicos.
“But those are all nonbinding . . . and no one can say in truth that it represents the will of the voters,’’ he said. “Our supposition is that they will ignore the board’s vote and that they will go forward.’’
Yesterday, a procasino group, Jobs for Foxboro, posted on its Facebook page the telephone number, home address, and e-mail address of Selectman Mark Sullivan, whose swing-vote decision to oppose the casino proposal doomed it.
“Please contact him and let him know that residents want to see a proposal on the table before making a decision,’’ the group urged.
And no criticism, apology, or retraction?
Sullivan, who was inundated with calls yesterday, said the pressure on local officials facing a $1 billion casino resort proposal is “just massive.’’
“None of us [is] equipped to be faced with this,’’ he said. “I thought I’d seen a lot of controversial situations, but none of them even compare to this.’’
If the developers continue to push to have their proposal heard, it is unclear what the next step will be....
--more--"
"Meetings aside, little support found for plan" December 29, 2011|By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH - The “casiNO’’ signs scattered through town are in some places as common as telephone poles. But their procasino counterparts seem to appear only at meetings, planted in few if any yards.
I thought they were. Bought-and-paid-for by corporate money.
Chris Bartick grabbed one of those “JOBS YES’’ signs when a supporter was handing them out. But when he got home, the bartender and laid-off construction worker merely stashed it on his porch.
“I’m waiting to see if there’s any of my neighbors that want to rally around me before I put it out,’’ said Bartick, 40, a lifelong Foxborough resident, counting himself among those who believe that a casino would bring more good than harm. “They’re out there, but they’re being quiet about it.’’
Away from the emotionally charged meetings that have drawn hundreds to Foxborough High School, residents interviewed yesterday said the debate has been civil, quiet, and, well, not much of a debate. Vocal supporters of the casino proposal are hard to find in this town of nearly 17,000.
Some said they knew no one who supports the casino plan; others knew only one or two. And even then, they said, that support often amounts less to wholehearted endorsement than to a desire to learn more before dismissing a plan that could bring tax relief to the community.
Town selectmen voted 3 to 2 Tuesday in an early blow to the still-emerging casino plan pitched by Las Vegas magnate Steve Wynn for land held by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Selectmen declared themselves unwilling to negotiate the details of a development that would ultimately need the support of a townwide referendum to succeed.
“I don’t know where the people are that want it,’’ said Lori Dunbar, 43, a resident and the owner of the Pawsmopolitan pet boutique, opposite the town common. The nascent casino proposal has been a frequent subject of discussion among her customers, mostly parents with school-age children, but not one has favored it.
Carpenter Mike Lynch said he has encountered just one friend so far who thought the casino was worth exploring. “He thought it would bring a lot of work to the town,’’ Lynch, 62, said as he left Spoodles Soup Factory, a downtown lunch spot. Their debate did not last long.
“Bring work to the town?’’ Lynch said, scoffing in a cheerful Irish brogue. “Yeah, minimum-wage jobs.’’
At nearby Loewen’s Deli, a middle-aged couple waiting for takeout acknowledged their own casino support, something they had not, to that point, shared with anyone other than family, assuming that most were opposed.
“I just like the tax benefits,’’ said Nick DiMartino, who works at a car dealership. “That’s basically it.’’ His wife, Debbie, who works for an internist, agreed, but not before kidding him about outing them as casino supporters.
“Now, we’re in trouble,’’ she laughed, shooting him a look.
Dan Flynn, chairman of the procasino group Jobs for Foxboro, said he has been greeted away from meetings with a mix of support and hostility. After a recent Mass at St. Mary’s Church, Flynn received a few thumbs up when he returned from taking communion but also garnered some dirty looks, he said.
“Then when I was walking out to my car, a group of guys a little younger than me spat on the ground, and I could hear them mumbling,’’ said Flynn, 52, a carpenter and union representative who wants the full proposal to go to a town vote. “The people that are against it - oh, my God, they’re blood-thirsty about it. I’m not going to be blood-thirsty about anything other than my rights.’’
Sigh.
Speaking of blood-suckers, maybe it's because money and government won't listen?
But others said they have seen nothing like that, aside from the few public meetings on the subject, when the rhetoric has been pitched....
Steve Powers, 55, a self-employed construction worker, said it was not until this week that he discovered he had two relatives who support the casino, an unemployed couple in their 60s, when one stopped by the house.
“She knows it’s not the best thing for the town, but [they] are looking at it like, ‘I need a job,’ ’’ said Steve, taking a break from building the stairwell and deck that would finally allow him and his wife to rent the apartment above their Main Street home. “After she left, I think we had her voting against it.’’
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"Neighboring opposition grows to casino proposal in Foxborough" by Christine Legere Globe Correspondent / January 6, 2012
Rumblings of opposition to a Las Vegas-style casino in Foxborough are becoming louder in neighboring communities as officials worry about strain the operation would place on local schools, housing, roads and public safety departments.
Selectmen in Wrentham and Norfolk are sending letters this week to their Foxborough counterparts, protesting any plan for a local casino, town officials said yesterday. Town leaders in Walpole had previously penned their own letters of opposition.
The Wrentham selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose any plan for a casino in Foxborough....
The vote by Norfolk’s selectmen was also unanimous....
Kevin Paicos, town manager of Foxborough, said aspects of the state’s new casino law that provide for help to mitigate the impact on communities adjacent to a casino were discussed at yesterday’s meeting.
“I think the consensus in the room is a proposal will likely come forward, and they are trying to decide the best way for their communities to respond,’’ Paicos said.
WTF?
Paicos said a regional campaign for mitigation would probably not include Foxborough, even though a majority of selectmen in that town recently voted not to support a casino proposal.
He said Foxborough may have interests similar to adjoining communities, but it will get a great deal of cash for mitigation, as the casino’s host.
Paicos predicted neighboring towns will not receive nearly as much.
“No matter how a mitigation agreement reads, it’s highly unlikely they will get all the resources they need,’’ he said. “The mitigation money would be significantly below what the impacts would be.’’
Ross agreed. “The legislation said there will be mitigation subject to appropriation,’’ he said. “That means the money from the casinos could go anywhere.’’
Following their recent vote, Foxborough selectmen sent a letter to Governor Deval Patrick and Stephen Crosby, chairman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, opposing a local casino. Paicos said selectmen have yet to discuss letters of protest now coming in from other communities, but they could decide to forward those to state officials, as well.
“I am hopeful that boards in all the towns will ultimately write to Foxborough selectmen to oppose the casino,’’ Paicos said.
--more--"
Related: Casino rivals gauge support
Also see: City Council to study casinos
And have you ever seen what gambling does to families?
"Family ties prove thorny for Tierney; Wife’s kin face legal woes again" November 28, 2011|By Jenna Russell, Globe Staff
In the spring of 1978, federal agents were keeping close watch on an oceanfront estate near Bar Harbor, Maine, suspicious of its rental to a suspected drug smuggler. After confiscating nine tons of marijuana on a sailboat offshore, agents descended on the property. Among those arrested were two brothers from Massachusetts: Daniel Eremian, 28, and Robert Eremian, 25, who said he was at the estate for a tennis vacation.
Now, 33 years later, the brothers are again facing federal charges. Daniel Eremian is on trial for his alleged role in an illegal Antigua-based gambling venture, Sports Offshore, which raked in millions of dollars between 1998 and 2006. Robert is a fugitive on related racketeering charges. Closing arguments are expected this week.
The saga of the Boxford-bred brothers might have attracted little notice outside the courtroom if not for the fact that their sister is Patrice Tierney, wife of US Representative John F. Tierney, the eight-term Democratic congressman from Salem....
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Related: Tierney's Time to Leave
I was wrong.
"Racketeer conviction for in-law of Tierney; Operation run out of Antigua took in millions, US says" y Milton J. Valencia | Globe Staff, December 05, 2011
The brother-in-law of US Representative John F. Tierney was convicted in US District Court in Boston yesterday of racketeering and gambling charges for running a large-scale, sophisticated gambling operation under the auspices of an Internet betting site based on the Caribbean island of Antigua.
Daniel Eremian, 61, of Florida, whose sister Patrice Tierney is married to the congressman, showed little emotion as the jury announced its verdict of guilty of multiple counts of racketeering, racketeering conspiracy, illegal gambling, and related charges.
A codefendant, Todd Lyons, 37, of Beverly, was also found guilty of racketeering and gambling charges. He is the first person in the United States to be convicted under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which was enacted in 2006 to prevent the US banking system from paying Internet gambling debts incurred by US citizens.
Always protecting the banks.
What, gamblers don't get a bailout (unless they are on Wall Street)?
The law was passed to discourage the very type of operation that Lyons took part in. Prosecutors say that Eremian and a brother, Robert Eremian, ran the gambling site, Sports Offshore, in Antigua, and that they illegally took bets from across the East Coast of the United States. Lyons was one of the agents who helped collect money, millions of dollars himself from 1998 to 2006, according to evidence in the trial.
Always protecting the banks.
What, gamblers don't get a bailout (unless they are on Wall Street)?
The law was passed to discourage the very type of operation that Lyons took part in. Prosecutors say that Eremian and a brother, Robert Eremian, ran the gambling site, Sports Offshore, in Antigua, and that they illegally took bets from across the East Coast of the United States. Lyons was one of the agents who helped collect money, millions of dollars himself from 1998 to 2006, according to evidence in the trial.
“Today’s convictions should serve as a message to those involved with illegal gambling schemes that the government will apply the full weight of its resources to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who seek to profit from offshore gambling,’’ US Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz said in a statement....
So when do the war crimes trials for torture and wars based on lies start?
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Time for me to go bet on today's NFL playoff games.
