Sen. Jehlen: Gambling Costs Will Outweigh Benefits

InsideMedford.com invited State Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville, Medford) to discuss her vote against legislation to license three resort-style casinos in Massachusetts. Sen. Jehlen is among fifteen state senators who voted against the bill.

The debate in the Senate about expanded gambling was long and intense, because the decision will have economic and political effects for decades.Many of my constituents shared their concerns on both sides of the issue.

We all want to do everything we can to promote immediate and sustainable economic recovery and jobs.

There has been no neutral analysis of the costs and benefits of expanded gambling. The governor, House and Senate all commissioned studies, but only asked about benefits. Yet we know that there will be significant costs — otherwise every version of the bill wouldn’t have to provide for mitigation for host communities. Generally when a developer proposes an economic development in a community, we expect any increased costs for public safety, education, and transportation to be more than offset by increases in property tax payments. With gambling, everyone recognizes that the costs will be more than the property taxes, and they’ll be spread across communities nearby.

I’m convinced that the costs will outweigh the benefits, and the rewards in jobs and revenue will be less than promised.

Other states have found that the risks are real: less discretionary money spent at local businesses and cultural institutions, losses to the lottery and local aid, and increased embezzlement, drunk driving, bankruptcies and foreclosures. There’ll be more state bureaucracy and spending for regulation, public safety, and services.

Casinos are already demanding not to play by the same rules as local businesses.

If you’d like to know more, including the sources for some of this information, send a note to patjehlen@gmail.com.

– Submitted by State Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville, Medford)