In response to the letter from Marcel Turmenne complaining about CasinosNO! television ads, I would ask him to simply read the casino bill (Sept. 18).

Our ads are 100 percent accurate and are now running on all TV stations. They state the truth: that Maine voters will never be able to change this casino bill without the consent of the casino owners; that if the revenues from the casino fail to cover the state’s cost in dealing with increased crime, addiction, corruption, etc., we can’t change that either – in fact, if the state raises fees on the casino, the casino won’t have to pay the state anything. And all the financial records of the casino are private and confidential so the public will never know how much of their money is going to Las Vegas or how much is going to help Maine Indian tribes.

This is all guaranteed in the bill. However, there is nothing in the bill that guarantees tax relief, 10,000 jobs or $100 million for the state. It should be pointed out that the state of Connecticut negotiated a deal with their Indian tribes for a guaranteed minimum of $100 million or 25 percent of the slot revenue, whichever is higher. Maine isn’t being offered such a guarantee. That’s why we say it’s a bad deal for Maine.

Dennis Bailey, Portland

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