Jobs are needed in Androscoggin County. Downtown Lewiston has been listed as one of the worst areas for poverty in the country for decades. When I hear people talking about the jobs they need in Oxford, it makes me wonder what planet they think we live on.

What sense does it make to put a casino that will employ 1,700 people in a town of 4,000 people when we can put one in downtown Lewiston-Auburn that has 65,000 people?

People who live in the cities understand, but I hope other people will as well. The towns of Greene and Sabattus will each get more than $60,000 every year to bring down taxes, and that’s not even including the $0.5 million to county government each and every year. And considering all the tax issues going on in Lisbon, people there could really use the more than $125,000 per year in tax relief.

These are real dollar figures from Maine Revenue Services, not phantom numbers claimed by some paid economist.

If people want a casino, it should be here where we need the jobs and the revenue.

Oxford had its chance. Bangor can handle a gaming facility with no problems; so can Lewiston. I’ll be voting “no” on Question 1 and saving my “yes” vote for next year (for L-A).

Travis LaLiberte, Greene