No one from the anti-casino side has stepped up here to offer their thoughts yet, so I thought I'd play Devil's Advocate and take their side in this post. Please note that I do favor the Wampanoag casino, and intend to vote that way on July 28th, but I can see both sides of the issue.

First of all, much has been made about Middleboro cutting services and heading for more problems without this windfall. That's all true enough, but the problems can be solved without a casino: simply raise taxes. From what I can see, it might take $75 to $100 extra per month for the average taxpayer here to raise a similar amount of money. That's painful territory, but at some point people just need to bite the bullet: essential services cost money and you are better off tightening your belt and paying for them than losing them.

I came from Sharon where we did exactly that for years: we kept almost all industry out and paid for what we needed with high taxes. It can be done if that is the will of the people. I do have to note that this would change Middleboro also: lower income people could be forced out by taxes. However, it is a solution.

It's also been said that the town will just waste the money. While I feel that is up to the residents (they can control wasteful spending if they take the time to be involved), I agree that there's truth there: it's always easier and safer to hire ever more expensive consultants and add more administrative overhead. That's going to be the natural trend, and it's easy to see why. For example, I have a small business. I do my own taxes because modern software makes it easy, and I'm too cheap to hire a professional tax person. However, if I had investors, even if they were only friends who had lent me money, I would hire that professional because I wouldn't want the responsibility for screwing something up. It's the same reason most companies look for degreed candidates when hiring for important positions: someone without the degree may have experience that actually makes them better, but the degreed candidate is the safe choice. Selectmen are going to err on the side of safety: if it looks like another layer of administration could help protect against embarassing disaster, that's the path they'll recommend. So there will be "waste" no matter how much effort is made to avoid it. Of course that remains true if we solved this by raising taxes, so it's really a separate issue that needs to be dealt with on its own.

I don't buy the crime argument. Middleboro isn't going to turn into a dangerous place to live because of a casino resort; that's utter nonsense. The traffic arguments are somewhat specious also: no casino can afford to have major traffic jams facing its patrons. But, there obviously will be more cars and even if we have underpasses and bridges so that we can do our daily trips without ever seeing any problems, there still will be more air pollution and more noise as a natural result. As I have to breathe just like everyone else, and I also like listening to the birds, crickets and the frogs, that does concern me.

More traffic obviously means more drunks and accidents also. Sure, a big shopping center with restaurants and bars means the same thing, but it just adds to the picture.

Light pollution is another problem. This could be mitigated by proper design, but no matter how well that's done, the nights won't be quite as dark as they were. No big deal, say some, but it has value to me. Again, a shopping center would do the same or worse, but saying something else is just as bad doesn't change the problem, does it?

And, call me a tree hugger, but I have environmental concerns also. The loss of wild habitat is something we are likely to deeply and horribly regret when we finally realize that it has gone too far. Sure, a few hundred acres over on Precinct Street isn't going to save the world, but it is just one more thing I do not like.

As I said at the beginning, I'll be voting pro-casino on the 28th, but it isn't a simple black and white issue with me. No doubt someone actually against the casino will complain that I didn't present their side forcefully enough; I'm sorry, but my heart is just not in it. I understand your concerns, but I think the big picture is that Middleboro needs this.

A small postscript: Someone I was talking to today exclaimed "Why are these anti-casino people so stupid?".

They aren't stupid: they are simply putting different values on the many factors in play here. It doesn't help any of us to see the opposition as unintelligent or unthinking. There are reasons to oppose this project; I don't find those reasons compelling, but that's just my opinion, not a matter of pure fact.

One final point though: it's becoming more and more obvious that this resort is coming whether Middleboro likes it or not. If the "no" voters succeed on the 28th, all they will have accomplished is to deny Middleboro any direct payment - we'll have to hope that the State gives us some pittance.

If you really just hate the idea of a casino, at least cover your bets: vote "yes" to let the Selectmen make a contract, and then feel free to jump all over your State and Federal reps to try to stop it from coming. Be smart: your vote will only hurt Middleboro, it will not stop the resort.

This upcoming vote may be the most important thing you ever do for or against the future of Middleboro. Please think about it carefully.

For more information on the Wampanoag Resort, please visit Casino-Friend.com.

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