Editorial: Massachusetts gaming bill not perfect

Friday, October 12, 2007  

"Gov. Deval Patrick made it official yesterday, filing legislation to support his plan to allow up to three resort casinos in Massachusetts. Naturally the multi-layered bill reflects the enormous complexity of the issue.

But in a couple of respects, the governor has made it far more complicated than it needs to be.

First, from the beginning, Patrick said his plan would require that half the revenue derived from casinos be earmarked for property tax relief, the central promise of his gubernatorial campaign.

But as is his way, Patrick has concocted an elaborate system of pulleys and levers to ensure that any such ‘‘relief’’ would only go to select property owners — those whose tax bill totals more than 2.5 percent of their income — in the form of an income tax credit.

But if you’re going to sell the idea of casino revenue as a source of property tax relief, then it darn well better benefit all homeowners — not just those the administration, in its unilateral wisdom, deems to be overpaying."

Get the Story:
More work ahead on gov’s casino bill (The Boston Herald 10/12)