July 7, 2010: Casino gambling gets closer

 

>> Rooney: TONIGHT ON

"GREATER BOSTON," SUFFOLK

DOWNS GETS READY FOR

GAMBLING.

AND WE CONTINUE OUR

CONVERSATION WITH THE

CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR.

JILL STEIN IS HERE.

AND...ßßß

>> Rooney: AND IMPORTANT

VOICE IN BOSTON'S FOLK

MUSIC SCENE RETURNS TO

CELEBRATE AN ANNIVERSARY.

Closed Captioning

brought to you by AFLAC:

Ask about it at work.

>> Rooney: GOOD EVENING.

MASSACHUSETTS IS ABOUT TO

LEGALIZE CASINO GAMBLING,

BUT THE STATE'S TOP

POLITICIANS STILL HAVE ONE

BIG DISAGREEMENT.

HOUSE SPEAKER ROBERT DILIO

WANTS SLOT MACHINES AT THE

STATE'S FOUR RACETRACKS.

TERESE MURRAY AND GOVERNOR

DEVAL PATRICK DON'T.

NOW THERE IS A NEW PUSH,

THE PUSH BY THE

RACETRACKS, SUFFOLK DOWNS,

TO GET INTO THE CASINO

GAME.

THE OWNERS OF SUFFOLK

DOWNS ARE PITCHING A

FULL-FLEDGED CASINO,

COMPLETE WITH SHOPS, A

HOTEL, AND UP TO 5,000

SLOT MACHINES.

THAT'S WAY MORE THAN THE

750 SLOTS PROPOSED UNDER

THE HOUSE'S SO-CALLED

RACINO PLAN.

BUT BOB DELIO ISN'T

BACKING DOWN.

>> IF IT IS SUFFOLK OR

ANYWHERE ELSE, WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT A TWO-YEAR

TO THREE-YEAR PROCESS,

PROBABLY AT THE VERY

LEAST.

WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

WITH SLOTS IS PROBABLY SIX

TO NINE MONTHS.

BUT IN ANY CASE THIS

PHYSICAL YEAR WE CAN KEEP

THOSE JOBS HERE IN

MASSACHUSETTS AND GET

MONEY TO OUR CITIES AND

TOWNS.

>> Rooney: AND HE NOTES

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE A

SUFFOLK DOWNS CASINO WOULD

BE APPROVED BY THE STATE.

>> THERE IS A PROCESS

EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE

TO GO THROUGH TO MAKE

APPLICATION.

FIRST OF ALL, YOU MEET THE

PRIMARY CRITERIA THAT

YOU'RE FISCALLY ABLE TO,

AND SECONDLY, WHAT PART OF

THE STATE IS MORE

CONDUCIVE TO EXPANDING THE

GAMING.

>> Rooney: BUT IF A

SUFFOLK DOWNS CASINO DID

GET BUILT, IT WOULD BRING

JOBS AND BUSINESS TO

DELIO'S BUSINESS.

ESPECIALLY SINCE DELIO

LIKES SUFFOLK'S PLAN.

>> SUFFOLK MAKES A

BEAUTIFUL PLAN IN TERMS OF

WHAT THEY CAN DO.

>> Rooney: BUT A CRITIC

SAYS DISAGREEMENT OVER

SLOTS WON'T KEEP THE

CASINOS FROM BECOMING A

REALITY.

>> MY IDEA WILL BE FOR THE

WHOLE THING TO FALL APART,

BUT THAT PROBABLY WON'T

HAPPEN.

THE PROPONENTS DON'T KNOW

WHEN THE STARS WILL ALIGN

WITH THE SENATE SPEAKER

AND THE GOVERNOR.

>> Rooney: AND HE ADDS

THAT THE DISTINCTION

BETWEEN CASINOS AND

RACINOS DOESN'T MAKE A

DIFFERENCE.

>> IT IS THE SAME THING,

WHETHER IT IS SITTING IN A

SLOT PARLOR OR A FANCY

HOTEL LOBBY.

IT JUST HAS NICER CLOTHES

ON IF IT IS AND A CASINO.

>> Rooney: WHEREVER

THEY'RE LOCATED, EXPECT TO

SEE SLOT MACHINES IN

MASSACHUSETTS IN THE VERY

NEAR FUTURE.

JOINING MY IS WARREN

TOLMAN AND DAVID

BERNSTEIN.

I THINK THAT LOOKS VERY

NICE.

IT IS NOT OVERDONE.

I LIKE THE IDEA, 1960s

REVERE BEACH.

IT IS JUST A DRAWING AND A

PROPOSAL THEY PUT ON THE

TABLE, BUT WHAT DOES IT

HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING?

>> THEY'RE TRYING TO MOVE

THE BALL FORWARD --

>> Rooney: IT IS SORT OF

AN AH-HAH, BUT IT IS NOT

REALLY --

>> THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE IN

MIND.

YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS

AESTHETICALLY VERY

PLEASING.

IF THEY CAN MOVE THINGS

FORWARD WITH THE

CONFERENCE, AND MAKE IT

LOOK LIKE THIS IS A FATE

COMPLI, AND DON'T GET IN

THE WAY.

>> Rooney: THIS COULD

APPEAL TO THE GOVERNOR AND

DELIO.

>> THE GOVERNOR HAS A

LITTLE BIT OF A POLITICAL

ISSUE BECAUSE HIS BIGGEST

CONSTITUENCY IN ORDER TO

WIN THE ELECTION IS LEFT

BASED.

AND THEY'RE NOT KEEN ON

SLOTS.

>> Rooney: LEFTIES DON'T

LIKE SLOTS?

>> I DON'T SEE WHAT THE

DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN A

SLOT MACHINE OR TABLES.

>> THERE IS AN ARGUMENT

THAT IT IS MORE PREDATORY

TO HAVE IT SORT OF -- IT

SEEMS MORE EASILY

AVAILABLE IF IT IS JUST

SORT OF A SLOT PARLOR.

I'M NOT SURE WHY THAT IS

ANY DIFFERENT THAN A KEENO

PARLOR.

I THINK IT IS NO

COINCIDENCE THE TIMING OF

THIS RELEASE ON THE

SUFFOLK DOWNS' PLANS.

I AGREE WITH WARREN, IT

ISN'T A GAME CHANGER, BUT

IT IS A WAY TO PUT

SOMETHING NICE IN FRONT OF

PEOPLE AND SAY, LOOK,

WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT

SOME HORRIBLE, ATROCIOUS

PLACE.

LOOK AT WHAT IS NICE PLACE

IT WILL BE.

>> AND DAVID HIT THE NAIL

ON THE HEAD FOR ME.

I VOTED AGAINST KEENO WHEN

IT CAME UP, AND IT PASSED.

AND I WENT IN MY CORNER

STORE, AND THEY HAD A LOAF

OF BREAD AND A CARTON OF

MILK, AND THEY HAD FIVE

GUYS PLAYING KEENO AND

SMOKING CIGARETTES.

IT IS HERE.

WE'RE JUST A COUPLE OF

HOURS DOWN THE ROAD, AND

KEENO ON EVERY STREET

CORNER, THEY FEEL LIKE

GAMBLING IS HERE.

>> Rooney: THE WHOLE

THING WITH THIS ONE

FACILITY BEING ABLE TO

HOLD 5,000 SLOTS.

IF THE GOVERNOR'S

POSTAL -- IF THERE IS A

COMPROMISE THERE, 750 IS

NOTHING.

AND YOU'RE GOING TO SPREAD

THAT OUT OVER THREE OR

FOUR FACILITIES.

IT'S DELUSIONAL.

OF COURSE THERE ARE GOING

TO BE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF

SLOT MACHINES ONCE THEY GO

DOWN THAT ROAD, NO?

>> WELL, I THINK THERE IS

A SENSE THAT A RESORT

CASINO, ESPECIALLY IF IT

IS JUST A COUPLE OF THEM

IN PARTICULAR PARTS OF THE

STATE, IT IS NOT SOMETHING

THAT SOMEBODY JUST SORT OF

GOES INTO THE WAY YOU GO

INTO THE CORNER STORE TO

BUY YOUR SCRATCH TICKETS.

THERE IS A LITTLE BUILT

MORE OF A SENSE YOU GO TO

A RACETRACK OR ARENA TO

SPEND A FEW BUCKS.

I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE IS

THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE.

I THINK ONE OF THE BIG

DIFFERENCES IS, ONE OF THE

BIG THINGS THAT MAY BE A

POINT OF COMPROMISE IS THE

ISSUE OF WHETHER THE

RACETRACKS ARE GOING TO BE

SORT OF THE OWNERS OF THE

LICENSE WITHOUT ANY

COMPETITION.

OR WHETHER THAT BE THE

TRADEOFF, YES, WE CAN HAVE

THREE OR FOUR RACINOS,

SLOT PARLORS, BUT NOT

SPECIFICALLY.

SO OTHERS CAN BID ON IT,

BUT THEN THEY MIGHT RIG

THE PROCESS --

>> Rooney: EXACTLY.

WHY SHOULD THEY BE GRANTED

THOSE PLACES.

I FEEL BADLY, AS MANY

PEOPLE DO, THAT ALL OF

THOSE PLACES ARE OUT OF

BUSINESS.

AND THAT WAS BY THE

VOTER'S CHOICE.

I DON'T KNOW WHY.

PEOPLE WANT TO GO BET ON

THE DOGS, LET THEM BET ON

THE DOGS.

BUT WHY SHOULD THEY BE

AUTOMATICALLY GRANTED THE

LICENSES.

WHY NOT THE SMALL MOM AND

POP STORES THAT GOT PUT

OUT OF BUSINESSES BY

C.V.S.

>> THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN

HELPING TO FIGHT THE RACE

TRACKS FOR YEARS.

IN TERMS OF PUBLIC POLICY,

THE BEST WAY TO DO IS IT

IF YOU WANT "X" NUMBER OF

SLOT PARLORS, PUT THEM UP

TO BID, AND WHOEVER ANTES

UP THE MOST --

>> Rooney: WHY NOT STAR

MARKET?

I'M SERIOUS ABOUT THAT.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY IT

HAS TO BE A DESTINATION.

PUT FIVE IN A STAR MARKET,

AND FIVE IN A TRADER

JOE'S.

SPREAD THEM ALL AROUND.

>> THEN YOU'LL HAVE A

PROLIFERATION.

>> Rooney: SO WHAT.

>> HAVE A PLACE WHERE

SOMEBODY GOES THERE TO DO

IT, AND NOT SO MY

20-YEAR-OLD OR 21-YEAR-OLD

CAN GO IN AND START

PLAYING SLOT MACHINES.

>> AND ROBERT DeLEO

MAKES THE ARGUMENT THEY

PUT THEM IN THERE, BUT IT

DOESN'T REALLY CREATE

JOBS.

IT MAY SAVE JOBS, BUT IT'S

A SMALL NUMBER OF JOBS.

IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT

THE KIND OF THING THAT

SUFFOLK DOWNS IS PROPOSAL,

THAT'S A LOT OF

CONSTRUCTION JOBS.

IT'S A LOT OF ON-GOING

SERVICE-INDUSTRY JOBS.

WHICH IS WHERE THE ECONOMY

IS GOING IN THE FUTURE.

>> Rooney: BECAUSE THESE

CASINOS ARE GOING TO BE

LARGELY AUTOMATED.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE

HIGH EMPLOYMENT --

>> THE SLOT PARLORS,

ABSOLUTELY.

THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE

PEOPLE.

BUT A LARGE DESTINATION

RESORT CASINO, EVEN IF IT

DOESN'T DRAW PEOPLE,

BRINGING MONEY INTO THE

STATE, IT DOES CREATE A

LOT OF JOBS.

SIMILAR TO -- IF YOU LOOK

AT THE CONVENTION CENTER

THAT WAS BUILT ON THE

SOUTH BOSTON WATERFRONT.

YOU LOOK AT THE TYPES OF

JOBS, UNIONIZED, VERY

GOOD, PEOPLE MOVE UP THE

SYSTEM.

THEY WERE FIGHTING OVER

THOSE JOBS, ROXBURY AND

SOUTH.

HOW MANY GO TO EACH AREA.

I THINK THAT'S THE APPEAL

IN TERMS OF JOBS FOR THE

STATE, OF DOING IT THAT

WAY.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, YOU

HAVE THE DISCUSSION OF

WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE.

THE SENATE WANTS TO HAVE

THREE SEPARATE AREAS OF

THE STATE AND ONE IN EACH.

ONE GUARANTEED FOR WESTERN

MASS.

AND STAN ROSENBURG WHO

REPRESENTS WESTERN MASS IS

IN THAT CONFERENCE

COMMITTEE.

AND THE HOUSE SORT OF

WANTS IT TO GO TO THE BEST

BIDDER.

>> Rooney: YOU'RE

ALREADY WORRIED ABOUT YOUR

21-YEAR-OLD GOING INTO

TRADER JOE'S, BUT HE CAN

ALREADY DO THAT IN THE

CONVENIENCE STORES.

HE CAN GO THERE AND BUY A

LOTTERY TICKET OR KEENO.

>> 100% OF THE REVENUE

GOES TO THE COMMONWEALTH

AND OTHERS GO TO THE

PEOPLE.

>> Rooney: AND THE STORE

OWNER GETS SOME.

>> AND THE STORE OWNERS

GETS A SMALL PERCENTAGE.

FOR THESE THINGS, THE

STATE GETS A SIGNIFICANT

PERCENTAGE, BUT IF I HAD

MY DROJERS, I'D LIMIT THE

PROLIFERATION, AND I

WOULDN'T HAVE THEM IN

EVERY STREET CORNER, WHICH

THEY ARE.

>> I WOULD MAKE A POINT ON

THE POLITICS, AND WARREN

WOULD APPRECIATE IT AS MEN

WHO HAVE RUN THE CLEAN

ELECTIONS STATE-WIDE,

THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY TO

BE MADE IN POLITICAL

CONTRIBUTIONS IN THIS

AREA.

AND THE MORE YOU OPEN IT

UP TO THE POSSIBILITY OF

MORE -- YES, YOU WANT TO

HAVE THE BIG, WEALTHY

DEVELOPERS CONTRIBUTING

MONEY TO THE LOCAL

POLITICIANS, BUT WHY THOT

HAVE THE RACETRACK OWNERS

HAVE A PLACE IN IT.

THE MORE AND MORE YOU HAVE

PART OF THIS MIX, THE MORE

IT PAYS OFF FOR THE

POLITICIAN.

>> AND AS SPEAKER DELEO

SAYS, WHEN YOUR BUDGET

YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT IS

FACING SHORT FALLS, AND IF

YOU CAN PICK UP A QUICK

$200 MILLION OR

$300 MILLION -- EVERY

LEGISLATOR HAS SPENT THAT

MONEY 12 TIMES ON PET

PROJECTS.

>> Rooney: LET'S FACE

IT, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO

AHEAD AND DO THE WHOLE

SHABANG.

DO THE CASINOS, AND

EVENTUALLY WE'LL HAVE THE

RESORT-STYLE THINGS AND

WE'LL HAVE TENS OF

THOUSANDS OF SLOT

MACHINES.

IT'S IN THE CARD.

>> BUT IF THE GOVERNOR

SIGNS THAT BILL, DOES HE

LOSE SOME OF THE VOTES HE

NEEDS?

>> BY THE WAY, THE SENATE

PRESIDENT SEEMS TO BE

ALIGNED WITH THE GOVERNOR.

AND IF THE GOVERNOR VETOES

THIS, THERE IS NO CHANCE

FOR AN OVERRIDE UNLESS

THEY GET IT TO HIM IN THE

NEXT FEW DAYS.

AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO

GET IT TO HIM IN THE NEXT

FEW DAYS.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS A LOT

OF POWER --

>> Rooney: BUT IT IS

LIKELY NOT TO FALL APART,

AS SUSAN TUCKER HOPES.

>> SOMETHING WILL PASS

THIS TIME.

THE STARS ARE ALIGNED MORE

THAN I HAVE SEEN IT IN THE

PAST.

>> I THINK THEY REGRET

LETTING THE OPPORTUNITIES

PASS THE LAST TIME, THEY

KNOW THEY'RE LATE TO THE

GAME, BUT THEY'RE NOT

GOING TO BE ANOTHER COUPLE

OF YEARS LATE.

>> Rooney: WHEN WE

CONTINUE, THE RACE FOR

GOVERNOR.