Minutes - October 18, 2007

Several very important issues were discussed at this meeting. Among them were invitations to help with the campaigns of Ed  O'Reilly, Jass Stewart, Diana Stein, and whether to support or oppose issues, such as supporting the League of Women Voters Massachusetts in opposing casino gambling and introducing a ballot initiative seeking to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Will Senator Kerry accept the ADTC's invitiation to speak here in Amherst? ADTC will recommend that Gladys Rodriguez have a second term as Registrar of Voters. Many other items were discussed, including official committee business. Full text of minutes follows. 

Amherst Democratic Town Committee
Minutes of Meeting on Thursday, 18 October 2007

Amherst Room, Jones Library, Amherst

Chair Harry Brooks called this vigorous and useful meeting to order shortly after 7:00 p.m.

1)  Members' Q & A; Statements; Announcements

    a)  All ADTC members are cordially invited to the opening of the Amherst campaign
office of former firefighter Ed O'Reilly, the UMASS Amherst grad & long-time Gloucester
defense attorney who is challenging John Kerry for the Democratic senatorial nomination:  
Friday, 5 - 7 p.m., at 178A North Pleasant Street (painted house back from street)

    b)  Elections on Nov. 6 in which progressive Dems could use help:

        i)  Jass Stewart, running for Mayor of Brockton (www.jassstewart.com)

        ii)  Springfield's election on whether to switch from its present at-large
organization to a precinct format.  Arise for Social Justice is pushing for this.

See Peter Vickery, email Peter(atsymbol)votevickery.com, if you want to lend a hand.

    c)  ADTC's Diana Stein is running for Amherst Select Board, apparently unopposed:  Town
elections will be on 1 April 2008.

    d)  ADTC member Leo Maley is working on a ballot initiative to decriminalize possession
of small amounts of marijuana.  It needs 100,000 signatures within the next 4 or so weeks, and
could succeed.  

If you want to get signatures of neighbors, please contact Leo, email Leo(atsymbol)votevickery.com.

    e)  Harry Brooks distributed names and addresses of members for correction.

2)  Secretary's Report:  Minutes of 17 Aug. (great picnic) and 6 Sept. meetings.  

Everyone either had or could share a copy.  No one was heard to object.  I failed to note
whether there were formal motions to accept.  If anyone wishes to get technical about it,
let's discuss at the November 15th meeting.

3)  Treasurer's Report

Treasurer Keri Heitner reported via email that our treasury stands at $333.63, with one
check for $35. yet to be deposited.

Keri's summer computer meltdown lost the names of about $80 worth of virtuous early duespayers.  

She has received dues subsequently from:  Chilton, Cuomo, Johnson, Maley, McKee, Wolff.
$10 Regular & Life Members, $5. Associate Members to:  ADTC, P.O. Box 1022, Amherst,
MA 01004-1022.  Please.

4)  Harry's Request for Corrections

to list of Officers, Life Members, Regular Members, Associate Members, and Former Chairs.  

He'll incorporate corrections into a corrected list.  No need to note them here.

5)  New Regular Members:  

Moved, seconded, passed to elevate new Associate Members Ruth Backes,
Carol Gray, and Diana Stein to Regular Member status.  

Molly Turner efficiently made same speech, "She's cool," in favor of each.

6)  Resolution on Casino Gambling in Massachusetts

Governor Deval Patrick has proposed that Massachusetts institute gambling
in resort casinos as a way to boost our economy & increase our tax revenues.

Leo Maley had circulated, more than a week before this meeting, a proposed
Resolution against these casinos as well as League of Women Voters Massachusetts
analyses.  

He moved the Resolution's adoption:
    
    *  There's no done deal here, so it's an excellent time to weigh in;
    *  Casino proposal in many respects runs counter to Mass Dem platform;
    *  It's a golden opportunity to talk about Mass. tax equity;
    *  It's important to support the progressive Dem legislators who oppose this;
    *  League of Women Voters website info:
        ~ for every $1 received in gambling taxes, it costs the state $3;
        ~ overall, casino gambling results in a net loss of jobs;
        ~ most casino jobs aren't well paid;
        ~ real plan is to increase the number of gamblers.
    *  Mass. Taxpayers' Foundation report to be released within the week will conclude
that Gov. Patrick's revenue projections are off by at least 40%.

Discussion concerned:

    *  Senator Stan Rosenberg: is reported to be concerned about this proposed
Resolution, and notes that Mass. Indian tribes intend to bring casinos in (at present they
may have only automated bingo), though Stan is chairing the Senate committee to study
casinos & must be neutral (he's voted against casinos in the past);
    *  Perhaps we should wait for Stan's report vs. the time to act is when you can
influence policy, and besides, Stan works for us;
    *  Environmental concerns from traffic, water requirements;
    *  Increases in gambling addiction and its devastation both for gamblers and
their families, with Gov. Patrick's proposal thoughtfully including $$ for treatment of addiction;
    *  Rep. Ellen Story has consistently opposed casino gambling & supports more
equitable taxation;
    *  Casinos can make huge campaign contributions, making them attractive to
some politicians;
    *  Re Gov. Patrick's priority re economy of Springfield, universal health care &
better public transit would be more useful than casinos.

Moved, seconded, and passed 9 to 7 to vote tonight on this Resolution

Roland Chilton moved to amend Resolution to include League of Women Voters along
with Rep. Ellen Story as opposing casino gambling; seconded.  Passed with 14 ayes.

Moved, seconded, and passed to delete clauses concerning legislators' opposition to
casinos in their home districts, and that information apparently from gambling industry
is in Gov. Patrick's proposal.

In light of some concerns raised in the discussion, Steve Brewer moved & Joan Logan
seconded inclusion of the term,
"Whereas casino gambling promotes sin and immoral behavior;"
3 ayes; 12 nays.

On Resolution as amended:  13 ayes, 2 nays, no abstensions.

Roland Chilton moved, was seconded, to append LWV materials to Resolution.  This passed
handily though I lack a count.

Leo Maley will handle press release about Resolution, other circulation.

Resolution as amended, & LWV press release that Leo circulated, are at end of Minutes.

7)  Senator Kerry to address ADTC?  

ADTC hosted a talk by Dem. Senatorial candidate Ed O'Reilly in May.  In spirit of non-
partisanship, Harry Brooks has asked if Senator Kerry, also, would like to address the ADTC.

No response as yet.  No one holding breath.

8)  ADTC Letter of Support for Ms. Gladys Rodriguez for additional term as Registrar of Voters

Registrars (2 Democrats, 1 Republican) are recommended by Town Committees & appointed
by Select Board.    

Among other duties, if there's a recount, the Registrars run it.  

Harry Brooks has worked with Ms. Rodriguez for 1 1/2 years; pronounces her "a jewel."  

Harry asked if anyone else wanted consideration as a Registrar -- no takers.

Peter Vickery moved; it was seconded; passed with all ayes to recommend that Ms. Rodriguez
have an additional term.  Harry will handle.

9)  New Business

Do we want a holiday party?  Yes, indeed.  Peter Vickery bravely offered to host; will get proposed dates.

10)  Harry asked whether any of us wants to work at the polls.  

Ruth Backes and Sarah McKee interested.

Possible glitch:  all ADTC members wishing to be elected at the primary might be ineligible to work
at the polls then.  (We must get ADTC slate together by Nov. 9 -- another email re this to follow).

Harry will inquire.

11)  Adjournment:  Steve Brewer moved, Molly Turner seconded; all ayes.  Adjourned 8:37 p.m.

Attendees:  Alice Swift, Michael Wolff, Roland Chilton, Leo Maley, Steven D. Brewer, Chad Johnson,
H. Oldham Brooks, Herschel Shohan, Peter Vickery, Molly Turner, Mary Wentworth, Joan Logan,
Rich Fay, Ruth Backes, Diana Stein, Dick Bentley, Carol Gray, Tom Plaut.

Respectfully submitted,

Sarah McKee, Secretary

Motion made by Leo Maley.
Motion seconded by Diana Stein.
Motion, as amended, passed by a vote of 13 to 2 with 0 abstentions.

    
PRESS RELEASE ON CASINO GAMBLING:     

For Immediate Release:    October 11, 2007
    
Contact:

Diane Jeffery, President, djeffery(atsymbol)lwmva.org, 781 929-6182
Kelly Marcimo, Executive Director, kmarcimo(atsymbol)lwvma.org, 617-523-2999

Casinos in the Commonwealth will not be an Economic Boon, but an Economic Drain

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts strongly opposes any plan to change our current gambling laws from class 2 to class 3 gambling, which if legal, would allow for blackjack tables, slot machines and mega casinos – and all of the problems that would ensue.
For the past several months the League has been updating our information on casino gambling.  We have compiled close to 30 independent studies and articles that were written by professors of law, economics, and psychology; reporters from states that have casino gambling and states that are considering casino gambling; taxation specialists; and even Warren Buffet, renowned investor and businessman.
    
Diane Jeffery, President of the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, stated, “These studies and reports all conclude that casino gambling is not a solution to the fiscal problems that states face and definitely no substitute for reasonable tax policy.  The perceived financial gain is easily outweighed by the myriad of problems that accompany the introduction of casino gambling.”  

Ms. Jeffery summarized some of the main problems associated with casino gambling:

Gambling is a business that drains the economy, it does not bolster it: Independent research has shown that for every $1 earned in revenue from casinos, $3 is spent in the costs associated with them. “Gambling in America: Costs and Benefits”. Gringols, Earl PH.D. 2005.

Gambling is no substitute for a reasonable tax policy:  The Governor claims that adding three mega casinos is just one piece of the solution for our fiscal challenges. Yet, not one state in this country has ever solved its budget problems with gambling revenues. Last year, New Jersey, with its 17 casinos, had to shut down its state government due to a budget crisis.   
Governor Corizne signs executive order for orderly shutdown of government operations, Office of the Governor press release, July 1, 2006.

Casinos will not bring an economic multiplier effect to our area: Cities like Atlantic City and Detroit and States such as Louisiana and Mississippi continue to languish despite their heavy concentration of casinos. If the casinos were good economic development as their proponents say, then The Boston Business Journal would not be strongly editorializing against them. Casinos lower a region’s standard of living by attracting many low wage casino jobs and merely act as a jobs transfer, not a job creator.
“Gambling numbers don’t add up.” The Boston Business Journal, September 21, 2007. Pg 63.

Expanding Gambling will turn the myth that everyone is gambling already into a fact. While 16% of residents in this state traveled outside the state to gamble, 84% did not! The real mission of the casino plan is to increase the number of gamblers in the state, which is why they are trying to locate them near our population centers.
Opinion Dynamics poll on behalf of the Massachusetts State Lottery and the Massachusetts Council of Compulsive Gambling, Fall 2005.
The negative impact of casinos is most intensely felt within a fifty mile radius of the facility. With 3 mega casinos proposed strategically across the state, there is not a place in the Commonwealth left without an overlaying effect from the casinos. Central Massachusetts has the greatest area of concern, with a triple overlay effect, falling in the fifty mile radius of all three of the proposed casinos.
National Gambling Impact Study Commission Report commissioned by US Congress 1999.

There will be few winners in the state if casino gambling arrives.   It is not a quick fix for Massachusetts, but no fix at all.”