I was at the Oxford casino public informational meeting (Sun Journal, Oct. 1). Unfortunately, the propaganda offered there was mostly disinformation, misinformation and non-information. For example:
The casino backers based all their wildly optimistic claims on the predictions in the “Gabe Report” by University of Maine professor Todd Gabe.
They claimed that it was an independent report; that is not true.
Professor Gabe was paid by a front group called “Maine Taxpayers Taking Charge,” which is actually the casino owners' group. Gabe’s own report admits that he can’t tell whether the money he projects for the casino is new money into the economy or just money being sucked into the casino that would otherwise have been spent in other local businesses. Gabe’s similar study prior to the 2003 vote on the Bangor racino made “projections” that were almost double the actual receipts.
The backers claimed that the casino would be “locally owned and operated.” This is not true. They know the law requires that the casino be operated by an “experienced casino operator.” There are no “experienced casino operators” in Maine.
At the meeting I asked the backers to tell us what out-of-state company would be the real operator of the casino, and what would be its ownership stake, and they refused to answer, admitting only that an out-of-state company would be operating the casino.
The plan is destructive and dishonest; a bad deal for Oxford Hills; more harmful than good.
I’m against it.
Jeffrey Rosenblatt, Albany Township
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Those RAY BAN drop downs are
Those RAY BAN drop downs are pretty annoying.
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They must be there for the out-of-state skiiers with good paying jobs and economic development.
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Where they know and use that other word YES!
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Can someone please explain to me why the people of Maine always say NO to every economic development opportunity?
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No nuclear power; no offshore drilling; no LPG terminals, no wind turbines; no casinos. WELCOME TO MAINE...THE WAY LIFE ONCE WAS. (They called it the Dark Ages back then).
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Maine is the state of NO;
Maine is the state of NO; except when it comes to high taxes, lousy roads, gay rights, obesity, flat feet and poor penmanship.
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nothing it forcing you to stay. I'm sick of a-holes bitching about life and the way things are, but NEVER do anything to improve things. Your departure would improve things enormously if for no other reason than a better level of dialogue around here.
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What? And give up the pleasure of busting your ignorant chops? No way, Horshack. There you go with the big words again; "dialogue"? What'd you do, finally read a book? Nice to see you've given up the name calling. Tough addiction to kick with a brain the size of a pinhead isn't it?
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when you arrive at the scene intelligent dialogue ceases.
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but what would YOU do to improve things (besides leave?)
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.How many times can we say no
How many times can we say no to multimillion dollar construction projects? The addition of a conference center in Western Maine? 1st rate hotel rooms? Imagine how many tour companies would route their tour buses there during foliage season instead of heading to Conway, NH? People will work and stay working, as they have in Bridgton with the Hannaford there. There used to be alot of jobs in the area, so there are most likely many people just waiting for an opportunity to go back to work. It's time to give people a chance to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and add some much needed tax revenue to help pay down Augusta's debt. I can assure you there is not millions of dollars being spent in Western Maine by local people, so lets capture that tourist dollar. Vote Yes on 1!
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like we need the clap. Casinos have never been shown to improve the GDP of the communities in which they are located. They simply siphon away the money of the poor uneducated rubes who come to gamble.
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You will have to back that asinine statement up with some kind of facts. It'seasy to just make something up and throw it out there, prove it Wide Stance
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You mean like those quarter carousels at the Fryeburg Fair?
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you went to the meeting. Your mind was closed and all ready made up.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.What is your plan to provide jobs for all these unemployed folks
No matter what the project a casino, Plum Creek, the JFK in Portland Harbor, wind power, etc. etc it is always the same right down to the words used in the objections, "the propaganda offered there was mostly disinformation, misinformation and non-information," " based all their wildly optimistic claims," "they refused to answer, admitting," "they lie," "they are taking taxpayer money," "if they weren't getting huge subsidize they wouldn't do it," "it is a scam," "it is bad for the community," my favorite, "we must protect ourselves." and the list goes on and on and on. These nay sayers to economic development never give a supported or substantive reason to oppose whatever project. They just oppose every project. The attitude is, "if we aren't already doing it or haven't done it before it is wrong to do it." Well folks I think there might be a really big hint that there is a problem with that logic in that the real unemployment rate in this state right now exceeds 15% and that better than 70% of the population is collecting welfare. To a rational mind that would say, what we are and have been doing just is not working and it is time to try anything and everything else we possibly can cause this here is a train wreck. I would really like to know are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
In yesterday's paper there was a very similar letter to this one. Could have well been written by the same person for the lack of substance and support. Both letters were basically accusing people of lying, cheating and stealing or planning to. And both letters argued that the casino will not bring jobs dispite Professor Gabe's reseach; I assure you, a university professor is not going to compromise his/her reputation for the paultry amount the university is getting paid for him/her to do research. The previous writter emphasized they would be "menial" jobs such as maintenance, housekeeping and other service staff. As Ed McCaffrey said in his post his boys would be delighted with an $8 or $10 an hour job with 15% of Maine's workforce out of work these jobs would be great and they are honest work for honest pay. Not papermill wages but there are fewer and fewer papermills and fewer and fewer jobs in the mills that remain. The question I asked yesterdays ltte writer that I unfortunately did not get an answer to was,you are obviously opposed to a casino. So what are you doing to create jobs here? If not a casino, if not Plum Creek, if not wind power, or the JFK in Portland Harbor what is your plan to bring jobs here for all these unemployed people?
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The parrot sez he'd bet 12 dubloons that Mr. Rosenblatt would be in opposition to wind turbines, too.
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of people that are unemployed don't seem to want to work. Many seem to be content with collecting and do roofing and other odd jobs "under the table." Anyone with a good work ethic willing to take on any job can find a job. No, the engineer from Boeing will not be able to find the same type of job and pay in Buckfield. Still if or she really wants to work there are jobs out there. A casino possibly could lower the jobless rate for a short while. However, once the real work ethic of some of these unemployed is discovered they will be right back on the unemployed roles. Who will work in the Casino and stay? Retired people. I'm not against the casino. It's just not a magic bullet to solve the unemployment problem.
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Does this reply mean you wrote the Ltte or that you oppose any and all economic development projects that would bring jobs?
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