Charley beat me to it, but the Boston Globe has a must-read on Patrick's casino plan today.
Come on, Gov. Let's get real. We need to have an honest and frank discussion about casinos, which means we need an independent, nonpartisan commission appointed by the State Legislature to study this issue at length, not a stamp of approval from Suffolk Downs. Once again, another casino myth has bit the dust. It's time to open up the closets and see what's really inside.Governor Deval Patrick has repeatedly emphasized the creation of 30,000 construction jobs as he tries to sell Massachusetts on his proposal for three resort casinos. But a close look at the governor's assumptions reveal they are excessively optimistic when compared to other New England casinos and an industry standard.
In Connecticut, the ongoing $1.5 billion expansion of two casinos created 2,600 new construction jobs. At that rate, casino developers in Massachusetts would have to spend $16.7 billion to achieve Patrick's prediction of 30,000 new construction jobs - an amount more than five times as great as what most developers say is likely to be invested in casinos statewide....
Asked to explain Patrick's methodology, a spokeswoman for Daniel O'Connell, the state economic development secretary who has shepherded the casino proposal, said the governor's administration derived its job figures from a study by Suffolk Downs - a leading voice in the state's gambling industry and a would-be bidder for a state casino license.
Or, as Charley said:
Oy.
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Maybe he meant to say the 25,000 jobs will be created in the new Massachusetts Gaming Commission which will have to be created to oversee his casinos. It'll be like the Lottery on steroids.
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