Anyone else feel empowered after they've read this? My I Am Sparticus moment aside, it feels great to be a part of what Kathleen's doing. I'm not as deeply entrenched with United to Stop Slots as Kathleen is (I don't know how she does it), but I definitely consider myself a part of the group, doing my best to get in the way of the lobby's incessant push for casinos, as if they owned the joint. Well, Mohegan Sun and Suffolk Downs, guess what? You don't.
It's tough to understand why slots are so dangerous to states without really doing the research, and people tend not to do the research until the danger is imminent. The only gift the casino industry has ever given Massachusetts was its Palmer proposal, because it sparked something inside Kathleen Conley Norbut -- and she's been so freaking effective at delivering that message to regular people all across the state. This far, no further. We will win this thing and it'll be because of people just like Kathleen Conley Norbut. She, in a lot of ways, personifies the entire movement.
Here's a great video of her from a hearing at the state house.
Posts
2 comments:
racist, NIMBYist.
From her blog: "Each non-special education student that enters Monson Public Schools would inflate the district‘s budget by $9,075. The amount could be higher if the surge included students who required special education or English language learners (ELL); there currently are no ELLs in Monson Public Schools. (We note that many of the families that are attracted to a region because it offers casino employment come from non-English speaking cultures. This often requires a concomitant investment in unanticipated programs such as teaching English as a second language.)"
Gol darn it, we don't need none of them non english darkies in our back yard.
Kathleen Conley Norbut is neither racist nor NIMBY. She doesn't want a casino anywhere in Massachusetts, because the effects don't just touch one town. They effect entire regions -- 50 miles wide, every direction. Three of those covers the entire state. If it was just about Palmer, Kathleen never would have gotten involved beyond that town. She's debating proponents on all corners of the state.
The fact that large resort casinos bring people in who frequently don't speak English is not "racist" it's just what they do to lower costs. Kathleen's no more "racist" than the casinos, who choose to hire outside the area, often from non-english speakers, to employ cheap labor. Norbut isn't "racist" pointing out the truth. Maybe you need to do a little bit more research before you throw mud?
Post a Comment