Adam:
I am a former Middleboro resident now living in Las Vegas,NV of all places!!!!! I am watching the casino story unfold and have much to say about the negative crowd that seems bent on killing the casino as proposed.
I will gladly add my thoughts at some point, but on the whole, after living in Vegas since 1999 (having moved from Southern California) the casinos here are MAJOR positive contributors to the economic and social well being of this fast growing community. The naysayers have no clue as to the positive economic engine that occurs, particularly to the workers at ALL levels of employment. That spin off of income primes the pump for retailers, auto sales, home sales etc etc In other words, it has a vast multiplier effect to the positive in the community. Massachusetts is a NO GROWTH if not an ANTI GROWTH state, that is what is causing your fiscal crisis and destroying your town and city budgets. By the way, I DO NOT work for a casino and have basically nothing to do with the casino industry.
I will try to listen on the streaming portion of your "discussions" with the casino hater on 2/28/08 if business allows me to take that time.
Suggestions for another show, my favorite subject, fire protection. I have been a fire buff since growing up in Middleboro . I have emailed back and forth with Chief Silva, when he was in office, and am saddened by the lack of attention the department has been given. I will elaborate with some suggestions in another email to you
Ken XXXXXX, Las Vegas,
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
Comparing Las Vegas & Middleborough is a far stretch. Casinos are the industry in Las Vegas. It has to do well, or else. What are the other major industries in Las Vegas? Mass. has several industries, but I would concede to that the state as a whole is not business friendly. Where else would you have to bribe the bio-tech industry to come in with a billion dollars? With Conn. two casinos, what has been their multiplier? Where is their economic engine? Entire island countries base their economies on the tourism resort industry. Everything looks great at the resort, but go outside of that and the people are living in shacks. That type of industry should only meet a need that already exists, but it never grows more productive industries that really would boost the quality of life, unless you like more Dunkin Donuts and all night pizza joints. Good luck turning Middleborough into Las Vegas.
This is an interesting letter because I too know a woman who has lived in Vegas and really disliked it....alot. It is her opinion, as Ken's is his.
Also, Ken neglected to point out that the State of Nevada is number one in home forclosures, mostly in Las Vegas. I guess that economic engine has run out of gas.
Las Vegas casinos are commercial casinos, so a large part of Ken's comments have missed that major difference.
Indian casinos do not have to abide by local, state or most federal laws, nor do they pay taxes.
To provide anecdotal 'I love it here' comments fail to address educational quality, medical care, crime, enforcement, taxes, environment and numerous other surrounding issues.
And of utmost importance in Nevada, is WATER.
My friends in NV complain about the high illiteracy rate, the poor educational quality, the impact of drugs, prostitution and crime.
And of course, there's Yucca Mountain.
If casinos are the answer, how come NV has fiscal problems as well? The fiscal problems of the Commowealth go beyond sound bytes and simplistic explanations such as growth policy. For greater explanation, you might want to begin with MBPC, MMA or even mass.gov.
I agree that the Fire Department would be an excellent topic for a future show. Actually it would be an even better topic for the next selectmans meeting. When are the interviews for Chief going to be held and who within the department is being considered? Are we going to have a Deputy Chief? Isn't the Chief leaving soon?
I hope we don't wait until the last minute and make a hasty decision.
Chick Renfrew
I will try to answer some of the comments to my letter in a constructive manner:
Middleborough should not be another Vegas, my comments were never directed in that manner.Other industries exist, surprise, conventions of all sizes, a HUGE contributor to the local economy. The LV Conv Ctr is now 2million sq ft, that along with the Sands ConCtr(1 million sq ft) and Mandalay Bay Conv Ctr draws huge coventions and traffic flow weekly.The Vegas Valley also has some large new distribution centers(Marmaxx,Office Max, chemical plants, a huge Citibank credit card proc center,similar with HSBC,
new Ken's Foods plant,etc etc
With thousands emplyed in each large casino, the employees prime the pump of local Vegas retailers as well the tourists shopping in major malls here There is a direct impact on the service sector, i.e.
Pepsi Cola just finishing a large new plant here, by the way Ocean Spray has a major plant here as well There is much more to the Vegas valley than casinos!Middleboro should not be Vegas, we are talking about one modest casino operation employing maybe a few thousand tops. You can spin this anyway your heart desires but it will pump money into the local economies in ALL the surrounding towns Middleboro still needs more new industries such as Christmas Tree Shops and so does Lakeville.
When an area starts to grow, good dynamics can come to play as long as it is handled properly.
Ken
Additonal replies to comments on my letter in this blog:
Not everyone that moves here or anywhere likes or loves the place. About 5-6000 new residents move to the Vegas valley each MONTH. We are first in foreclosures because we had more growth than any other State in the past 10 plus years AND a group of out of state investors were looking to make a quick dollar by buying homes as "investments" and then tried to flip them.The downturn hit Southern Calif, Arizona and Nevada
badly. Contary to carverchick's comments this economic engine is BIG and quite strong. City Center being built by MGM Mirage, $9 billion(the largest private development in US history. Echelon Place(old Stardust property) $5 billion under const right now. Many new condo buildings and hotel additions STILL being built today!
I could go on and on but I hope that this does not turn into a "knock Vegas" fest as many people have no idea what is really happening in this Valley.
I will try to answers a few more comments. WATER, we have what we need, our SO Nev Water Auth is now going to build a huge pipeline from Eastern Nevada to bring additional water down to this Valley in years to come. Through conservation, the water district says we are using LESS water now then 10 years ago!!
We have 3 new hospitals that opened last year, expansion by the others. The L V School District opens one brand new school A MONTH.
We have fabulous parks and ball fields that people would die for in Mass. Yucca Mountain is about dead at this point.Nevada is doing just fine fiscally, trying to hold the spenders in check. California has the BIG money problems along with New Jersey and other states.
We have NO state income tax and I will put my real estate tax bill against anyone's in Mass of comparable home value.
I want Middleboro and Mass to do well (my daughter lives in the State as does my sister and many relatives)Forget the anti Vegas talk, worry about bringing new revenues to your local towns to help pay bills BUT have constructive discussions as to controls for all types of development.
Ken
Ken,
I lived in California for several years and spent my fair amount of time in Las Vegas. As I said, it was one persons opinion as you have yours. My point about forclosures is that even with your "economic engine" people can no longer afford to live there. As far as a booming industry goes, perhaps your right, I haven't been there in over 6 years. My friend I was talking about....her sister has lived there for most of her adult life working in the casino hotel industry. The casino hotels are downsizing and she was one of many who lost her job. Needless to say, she has not found another one yet and is beginning to worry. One person's story, but I feel it bears mentioning because she is not alone. As much as we can appreciate your viewpoint, there are others out there who tell a different tale - it is a matter of perspective I guess. And please let us not forget that comparing Vegas to Middleboro is a stretch. There is nothing around Vegas except desert...well, that and the Hoover Dam. The booming industry you talk about is supported by the several casinos in the area (yes, I am too lazy to actually look up how many). My point is, we already have a Staples and an office max and a mall and have no real need that I can see for a convention center. I am not trying to be rude, I am merely saying that the surrounding area in Vegas was built up around the casinos - heck, is there because of the casinos...is supported by the casinos and will fail without the casinos. We already have an established community that is quite successful. A casino here in our region threatens our local businesses and will most certainly not act as a primer to pump economic growth.
CC
I see your comments, well taken, but Vegas is employing thousands and thousands with new jobs still coming. The Palazzo, 50 stories, just opened last month next to The Venetian, it employs 5000 plus. Your friends relative may have other reasons not to find a job. The Encore Hotel next to The Wynn Hotel will open shortly with thousands of new jobs, I could go on and on. Obviously, you have no knowledge of what is happening in Vegas. By the way, The World Furniture Mart has built 3, million square foot showroom buildings with a fourth under
const.in the old railyards downtown. A 50 story jewelry mart building will start const shortly, these are all non casino oriented businesses. Enough of Vegas, we are doing just fine here.
Middleboro, my old home town, needs some more new industry, the proposed shopping center at the circle, and other tax yielding businesses just to cover the growing municipal costs.The casino proposal is just one of additional revenue generators needed.As I said, and you fail to recognize, the wages at the casino for local employees will help prime the economic pump. What threats you are talking about are absurd and ridiculous.
Post a Comment