Column: Taking a gamble in Massachusetts`

Wednesday, September 19, 2007  

"Governor Patrick said this week that "casino gambling is neither a cure-all nor the end of civilization." The disclaimer was followed by a bit of the-devil-made-him-do-it victimhood, and he obliquely blamed the Republican Weld, Cellucci, Swift, and Romney administrations. After citing projections of $2 billion a year in new economic activity and the creation of "20,000 new jobs at good wages," Patrick said, "with that potential economic benefit we cannot reject the gaming industry out of hand. Economic growth is critical in order for us to deal honestly and responsibly with the neglect of the past 16 years. Our roads and bridges need billions of repairs."

Since gambling has become America's economic slippery slope, the seduction tax that excuses politicians and citizens from the pain of uniformly raising taxes for critical services, Patrick's decision to support three casinos is rather ordinary. He looked at the $900 million a year that UMass-Dartmouth researchers estimate Massachusetts residents spend at Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and decided that keeping some of that Machiavellian money home is better than no money at all.

Whether that money goes to repair bridges or educate children in a meaningful way is a mystery that may take a miracle to assure. Last week, Stateline.org, a Pew Research Center database on state government policy issues, published a review of gaming expansion among the states, 48 of which now have some form of gambling.

Quoting research by Richard McGowan, a gaming expert at Boston College, Stateline.org said gambling revenues now account for at least 5 percent of the state budget in 17 states, led by Nevada at 37 percent. After Nevada, the states most dependent on gaming revenues are South Dakota, West Virginia, Louisiana, Michigan, Rhode Island, and Mississippi.

There is nothing consistent about whether gambling revenues go hand in hand with long-term civic or infrastructure improvements. Despite being national leaders in depending on gaming revenues, Rhode Island ranks 47th, Michigan ranks 42d, Louisiana ranks 30th, West Virginia ranks 26th, and Mississippi ranks a mere 25th in cost effectiveness in maintaining its state highway system, according to the Reason Foundation's 16th annual highway study. Massachusetts is ranked 45th."

Get the Story:
Derrick Z. Jackson: Gambling on gaming revenues (The Boston Globe 9/19)
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Another Opinion:
Steve Bailey: Collateral damage (The Boston Globe 9/19)