BOSTON — It’s crunch time for the Legislature, with just 2 more weeks until the end of formal sessions this year and six major pieces of legislation unfinished on Beacon Hill. The unfinished bills include a sweeping health care law that would change the way doctors and hospitals get paid, a transportation bond bill for local road and bridge repair and a repeat offender and sentencing reform bill that would impose stiff new sentences and parole limitations on violent offenders and at the same time reduce mandatory minimums to state’s drug sentencing laws.

On Monday, the Joint Committee on Economic Development holds a public hearing on the governor’s agreement with the Mashpee Wampanaog tribe to build a casino in East Taunton. Even though the governor signed a compact with the Mashpees during the week of July 9, a casino could be a long way off. They first need the federal government to take the land into trust a process that could take many years.

The Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Cable holds a hearing on July 19 to discuss the high phone rates for prisoner calls. Every time inmates place a phone call, it costs the person answering far more than a regular collect call. Prisoners' Legal Services has filed a petition to address the fees, rates and dropped calls.

And on July 20, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development releases the job and unemployment numbers for the month of June.
 

 
BOSTON — The Mashpee Wampanoag Native American tribe officially signed a deal with Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick for the exclusive right to operate a casino in the Southeastern region of the state on July 12. It's the most concrete development so far in the race to establish casinos in Massachusetts.
 
In a press conference outside his office, Patrick applauded the agreement, saying, “We are very pleased with the deal. It’s a good thing for the tribe, and a good thing for the Commonwealth.”
 
Under the compact, Massachusetts would get 21.5 percent of the revenue from the casino, which the tribe wants to build in East Taunton. That’s a more lucrative compact than other states have managed to negotiate with Native American tribes. But it’s still below what a commercial casino would have to pay.
 
The deal does not necessarily mean the dice will be rolling in Taunton any time soon. The tribe still must get federal permission to use the property for a casino, through a process called "land in trust" that could take years. Meantime, other developers may line up to seek a casino in that region of the state, one of three regions the Legislature has designated for casino development.
 
But Patrick said the benefits of having a tribal casino outweigh the risks.
 
"There has been some worry out there that because the land in trust process can take a long time, that the other regions' advancement towards having a casino would overtake the tribal facility over time. I’m not sure that’s the case, but the risk on the other side is if we don’t allow some reasonable period of time, we could end up with two casinos in the region, which I think everyone thinks is saturation," he said.
 
The compact will now go to the Massachusetts Legislature for approval, and then to the federal government.
 

 
BOSTON — On June 25, President Barack Obama will attend a campaign fundraiser at Boston’s Symphony Hall. The event comes at a tough time for the Obama campaign. Republican Mitt Romney outraised Obama in May. It was the first time he had done so. And outside groups supporting Romney spent $16 million on ads slamming Obama in the swing states. The president will attend two more fundraisers in the Bay State before heading out.
 
Also on June 25, opponents of a casino at East Boston’s Suffolk Downs will hold a community meeting. Developers want to build a 300-room hotel and resort casino at the thoroughbred racing track. Supporters say it will create 2,500 construction jobs and 4,000 resort jobs. But opponents fear increased crime, traffic congestion and reduced property values.
 
And on June 26, state officials are planning to break ground on a $106 million Hollywood-like studio complex at the former military base in Devens. The state announced $5 million in tax-increment financing for the project, which cuts taxes for the complex over 20 years. The fully occupied complex is expected to host 800 jobs.

June 5, 2012

EAST BOSTON — A large crowd of town officials, developers and residents gathered in East Boston on June 5 as the owners of Suffolk Downs unveiled plans for a $1 billion, 163-acre gambling resort casino at the site of the racetrack. The plans include 200,000 square feet of gambling space, a hotel, restaurants and retail shops. 
 
The owners showed a slick 3-minute promotional DVD while horses trotted outside on the track. Principal owner Richard Fields said the location was ideal.
 
"Suffolk Downs is 5 minutes from our airport, is 10 minutes from downtown," he said. "When the project is completed, it will be a great partner to enhance the convention center and stimulate tourism for all of Boston, for Revere and for the entire region."
 
David Manfredi, the lead architect of the project, displayed the first architectural renderings of the proposed facility. "We envision an urban oasis — a mecca of entertainment of hospitality, gaming, restaurants, shops. It is that mix that will make it very special and will make it very urban,” Manfredi said. The plans call for a hotel, spa, restaurants, shops and a casino all to be built around the 77-year-old racetrack.
 
Suffolk Downs and its partner, Caesars Entertainment of Las Vegas, plan to bid for one of the three resort casino licenses under the state's new gambling law. Officials of the track said they would spend millions of dollars to tackle traffic concerns in the congested neighborhood, and would pursue host community agreements with Boston and neighboring Revere. They also said the resort would generate about 4,000 jobs — something on the minds of many residents in the area.

Only East Boston and Revere would get to vote on the proposal, not residents from all of Boston, thanks to a provision in the casino gambling bill which critics said at the time was rigged to help Suffolk Downs. Now that Wynn Resorts and Las Vegas Sands have pulled out of the game, Suffolk Downs appears to be the leading contender for the single casino license that state law will allow in Greater Boston. The lack of competition means the racetrack won't have to bid as much for a license — which could mean that taxpayers lose.

 
BOSTON — This week in Massachusetts state politics, the casino oversight board meets, officials commemorate the Western Massachusetts tornadoes and Springfield hosts the Democratic state convention.
 
On Tuesday, the Massachusetts gaming commission holds its weekly meeting. The commission has been under pressure to move quickly and plans to start evaluating proposals for casinos in January. The meeting comes after two major casino operators — Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Wynn Resorts  — abandoned plans to build facilities in Massachusetts. Industry watchers say this could mean less competition for the Greater Boston license, leading to lower bids or less ambitious projects.
 
On May 30, the House of Representatives takes up a bill that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to preregister to vote. The bill would also authorize random audits of voting machines to make sure they work properly.
 
On Friday, the governor and lieutenant governor head to Western Massachusetts to commemorate the anniversary of the June 1, 2011 tornadoes. The storms destroyed thousands of homes and businesses. Insurance claims topped $200 million and three people died.
 
> > WATCH: Tornado damage lingers
 
And on Saturday, Massachusetts Democrats travel to Springfield for the state convention. Consumer advocate and Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren is expected to easily win the party’s nomination to the U.S. Senate. But North Shore immigration lawyer Marisa DeFranco is also gathering steam. She will likely get the 15 percent of delegate votes needed to qualify for the primary ballot.
 
> >  READ:Marisa DeFranco isn't going away
 

 
BOSTON — Gov. Deval Patrick said on Thursday that he hoped the resignation of Carl Stanley McGee would let the new state Gaming Commission proceed with its work. McGee had been appointed interim executive director before concerns surfaced over a sexual assault accusation.

Patrick defended the appointment, however, saying, "The charges that were made in Florida against Stan were serious, they were investigated, there were no charges. And he and anyone else under those circumstances should be able to resume their life." McGee has worked for the Patrick administration since 2007. He is expected to return to his job as assistant secretary for policy and planning, where he was charged, among other things, with crafting the state’s expanded-gambling law.

The group Mass. Citizens for Children is calling for Patrick to place McGee on administrative leave and conduct further investigations.

“You don’t have to have CSI”

The mug shot from Stan McGee's 2007 arrest in Florida. (Wikimedia)

In 2007, McGee was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in Florida. Authorities there chose not to prosecute — but later, McGee reached a civil settlement with the boy’s family. In a press conference Tuesday at the Beacon Street offices of Mass. Citizens for Children, attorney Carmine Durso said the details of that settlement should be made public.
 
“You don’t have to have CSI engaged to determine whether or not these allegations are credible,” said Durso, who sits on MCC’s board of directors. “There’s information out there — there’s information that could be provided.
 
“I see nothing wrong with asking [McGee] to disclose the amount of money that was paid,” he added. “I see nothing wrong with asking him to have the attorneys who represented him provide the documents that were part of the discovery in the case. Had the case gone to trial, this is information that would have been made public.”
 
Early test for the Gaming Commission
 
The furor over McGee’s hiring began after the Boston Globe reported that the Gaming Commission didn’tinvestigate the 2007 allegations before hiring McGee. State Rep. Dan Winslow said that was a serious mistake.
 
“It’s very important that we get this right,” said Winslow, a Republican from Norfolk. “Because this will set the bar for how the [Gaming] Commission treats future due diligence and future applicants.”
 
On Monday, Winslow urged the gaming commission to stay McGee’s hiring and delve into the old charges. Commission chairman Stephen Crosby refused, arguing that such a move would violate McGee’s right to the presumption of innocence. But at the Tuesday press conference, Durso claimed that no such right exists.
 
“An individual who is a defendant in a criminal case is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” he said. “This is not a criminal case.”

 
TAUNTON, Mass. — The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe outlined its plan for a 150,000-square-foot destination casino in the city of Taunton Thursday. There are three potential casino sites in the state; the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is considered the leading candidate for the southeastern Massachusetts region.
 
The Mashpees' casino plan includes three hotels, more than a dozen upscale retail outlets and a family-oriented indoor-outdoor water park, said tribal chairman Cedric Cromwell. The project would employ about 1,000 union workers during the construction phase while creating 2,500 permanent jobs during operation — jobs, Cromwell said, that would benefit both Taunton and tribe members.

"As a federally recognized tribe, we have over 2,600 citizens," Cromwell said. "And like any other government, we want to provide, like the city of Taunton, for our people. We have the same shared interest as the City of Taunton has, to provide for our people and create economic development. And jobs are important."
 
The resort casino is expected to provide about $120 million annually in economic development to the region through employment and by using local companies for goods and services. Michael Speller of the casino development company Arcana Limited, which is working with the Mashpees, said the Mashpee casino would be built in four phases on a 150-acre site near the intersection of Routes 24 and 140. The total build-out would take about 5 years at a cost of more than $500 million.
 
"I can assure you we'll work very hard to deliver a project that this community will be very, very proud to have in its midst," Speller said.
 
But the deal's not done yet. The tribe still must negotiate a compact with the state and an agreement with Taunton, to compensate the city for any impacts. Taunton residents must approve the project in a June 9 citywide referendum vote. The tribe also must get federal approval to put the proposed casino land in trust with the Department of the Interior. 
 
Crowell said it's his belief all those things will fall in place. He was optimistic that construction will begin within the next 12 months.
 
  

 
BOSTON — Massachusetts' newly formed gambling oversight board held its second meeting on Tuesday — and its members agreed that they need some expert advice.
 
The new board is still in its infancy. And the commissioners say they need some tutelage. None of the five commissioners has any experience in the gambling industry, so they’re hosting a daylong conference to teach them about shaping what will be a multi-billion-dollar addition to the state's economy, once the three casinos and one slots parlor the Legislature authorized are up and running.
 
Board chairman Steven Crosby said industry experts from New Jersey and Pennsylvania will fly in to teach the Commission about all the tasks ahead of them from seeking casino proposals to crafting regulations to enforcing the laws.
 
“Rather than have the Commissioners fly out to a whole different places and have a whole bunch of experts, we thought the experts should come in and talk to us,” he explained.
 
Commissioner James McHugh added that the cities and towns who are being courted by casino developers also needed help. "We’re starting to get questions from the people in the various cities and towns and the question is, how do we respond to those inquiries?” he said.
 
The law requires a local referendum before a casino can set up shop in any given town. Applicants are supposed to pay for the help the municipalities need to analyze a new proposal — but McHugh said towns don’t know how to access those funds.
 
The commissioners also discussed the fine line between providing help to cities and towns and the need to keep developers at arm's length.
 
An open educational forum is scheduled for May 3 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Members of the public can submit questions on mass.gov.
 

According to a survey released April 11 by the Center for Policy Analysis at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Bay State residents made more than 7.1 million visits and spent nearly $909 million in Connecticut's resort casinos and at slot parlors in Rhode Island and Maine.

The study also shows that for the first time, people from Massachusetts visited and spent more at Rhode Island’s two slot parlors than Rhode Island’s own residents. Bay State residents made 2 million visits to Twin River Casino and Newport Grand Slots, spending an estimated $284 million, which is a 7 percent increase over 2010 spending levels.

Clyde Barrow, director of the Center for Policy Analysis, said two factors are behind this surprise finding.

“I think the dominant factors are that Twin River has consciously marketed themselves to Massachusetts residents in central and southeastern Massachusetts and were successful," he said. “And the second factor is that I think more people are stopping at Twin River because of higher gas prices and they’re staying closer to home.”

Barrow also said that with unemployment continuing to decline, private payrolls growing, and home prices stabilizing, it is likely that 2012 will mark the beginning of a recovery in the region’s gaming market. That bodes well for casinos being considered in Massachusetts.
 
“The fact that we’re seeing Massachusetts residents again increase their spending, I think, suggests that by the time we open gaming venues in this state, they’ll be opening right into the thrust of the economic recovery in the next couple of years,” he said.
 
Since the center began publishing its annual New England Casino Gaming Update in 2004, Massachusetts residents have spent over $8.7 billion at the region's casinos and slot parlors and directly generated over $2 billion in tax revenues to Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine state governments. 
 
> > READ: The complete survey findings (pdf)
 

 
BOSTON — The panel that will regulate casino gambling in Massachusetts is set: Bruce Stebbins, a business development administrator from Springfield and Jim McHugh, a retired judge from the state appeals court were named as the final picks Tuesday. But it could be a long time before the casinos are actually built.

When the casino bill passed in November 2011, top lawmakers said shovels would be in the ground within 3 to 5 years for casinos, and even sooner for a slots parlor. The newly formed gambling commission says that timetable may be unrealistic. 

Commissioner Enrique Zuniga said there's still a lot of work ahead: 

"I think its doable from a just a real estate and procuring, development," he clarified, "but there’s a lot of bridges to cross prior to that and a lot of study that we need to undertake, discuss amongst ourselves and other stakeholders." 

Casino industry players are making pitches, wooing locals, releasing plans and buying property for potential resort development. 

Meanwhile, the five board members have yet to hold a first formal meeting, set up offices or even leave their old jobs. And chairman Steve Crosby says he wants the board to be methodical.

“Bidders are working within the communities, there’s a lot of energy going on in the target communities both pro and con and there’s an interest in us getting moving and going, I think," he said. "I have said right from the beginning that we will not let pressure to move forward get in the way of doing this thoroughly, right and well.” 

The deadline for putting out a request for applications to the commission falls in October. Crosby guessed that the commission would not start actually reviewing proposals until at least 18 months from now.
 

FIVE-MEMBER MASSACHUSETTS GAMING COMMISSION NOW COMPLETE AND MOVING FORWARD WITH BUSINESS

Gov. Deval Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley and Treasurer Steve Grossman today announced the final two appointments to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, rounding out the five-member independent body which is responsible for implementing and overseeing the expanded gaming industry in the Commonwealth. 

The final two appointees are James F. McHugh, retired associate justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court; and Bruce Stebbins, business development administrator for the City of Springfield. Both appointees will serve as full-time commissioners.

“With these last two appointments, the Gaming Commission is strong, complete and ready to get on with the business of creating jobs for Massachusetts,” said Patrick. “James McHugh and Bruce Stebbins are excellent additions and I look forward to the thoughtful discharge of the work the commission has before it.”

“Together, these five commissioners have the breadth of experience and judgment to effectively oversee this critical new industry in our Commonwealth,” said Coakley. “As we proceed with gaming in Massachusetts, we must ensure that it is done right and having this strong commission in place is an important first step.”

“Through close collaboration with the governor and the attorney general, we have assembled a highly-respected group of individuals with a level of expertise that is both deep and diverse,” said Grossman. “I’m confident that these commissioners will oversee the introduction of gaming in Massachusetts with a focus on fiscal discipline and accountability, as well as with the ethics and integrity that have been the hallmark of their respective careers.” 

The commission will now move forward with its business of hiring staff, establishing an office, hosting public meetings and soliciting bids for up to three commercial casino licenses and one slots facility. Licenses must be competitively bid and awarded following local approval, under the rules of the Expanded Gaming Act signed by Patrick on Nov. 22, 2011.

Separate from the commission, the Administration has hired a specialized law firm and financial advisor, which are currently assisting in negotiating a Native American gaming compact for a casino on tribal lands in Southeastern Massachusetts.

Patrick appointed Steve Crosby as chair of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on Dec. 13, 2011. In February, Coakley selected former New Jersey Lieutenant Colonel Gayle Cameron as the Attorney General’s law enforcement appointee to the Commission. Last week, Grossman selected Enrique Zuniga as the Treasurer’s corporate finance and securities appointee. In order to ensure the strongest possible commission, McHugh will now serve as the Attorney General’s law enforcement appointee, and Cameron will now serve as the joint appointee with legal experience related to gaming. Stebbins will serve as the final joint appointee.

All costs of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission will be borne by the gaming industry itself and will not be paid for by Massachusetts taxpayers.

Justice James F. McHugh, of Boston, served on the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1985 until 2001, when he was appointed to the Massachusetts Appeals Court. He served on the Appeals Court until February 2012, when he retired from the bench. He is a former adjunct faculty member at Boston College Law School and Northeastern University School of Law. He received a B.A. from Brown University and graduated magna cum laude from Boston University School of Law. He is a former active duty member of the United States Navy. During the course of his career, McHugh has presided over more than 600 trials in both civil and criminal matters and authored more than 400 opinions as associate justice. The scope of these cases has ranged from murder trials to liability lawsuits. McHugh served for ten years as chair of the Committee on Judicial Ethics. Most recently, he drafted five reports for a task force created to reform the hiring and promotions process throughout the Massachusetts court system. McHugh also led an effort to improve the judiciary’s technology which resulted in MassCourts, a more efficient and highly praised case management system.  

Bruce Stebbins has worked for the City of Springfield since 2010 and served for two terms on the Springfield City Council. He has previously worked at the National Association of Manufacturers and the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. Stebbins also served in the administration of Gov. Bill Weld, and earlier as associate director of political affairs in the White House under President George H.W. Bush. He received a B.A. from The George Washington University and has completed a management program at the Kennedy School of Government. He lives in Springfield.

BOSTON — This week in Massachusetts politics, judges and lawyers make the case for more state funding for the trial courts, utilities officials weigh the proposed NStar-Northeast merger and the final members of Massachusetts Gambling Commission are expected to be announced.
 
Later on Monday, Judge Roderick Ireland of the Supreme Judicial Court will be on Beacon Hill to ask lawmakers for more money for the Trial Court. Judges and court administrators have been warning since last fall that budget cuts have dealt a crippling blow to the effectiveness of the court system in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Bar Association has taken the unusual step of conducting a statewide billboard and media campaign to bring public attention to the issue.

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities hears oral arguments on NStar and Northeast Utilities' proposed $4.7 billion merger. The hearing comes a week after Connecticut’s attorney general signed off on the deal, removing another major hurdle. The companies hope to finalize the merger by mid-April.
 
Wednesday is also the deadline for Gov. Deval Patrick, Treasurer Steve Grossman and Attorney General Martha Coakley to name the final two members of the Massachusetts gambling commission. The commission will decide who gets to open casinos in Massachusetts and will have broad authority to regulate the industry. 
 
And on Thursday, the state office of Labor and Workfore Development releases February’s job numbers. Last week, the Patrick administration announced that the state added only 12,000 jobs last year — 30,000 fewer jobs than initially reported. Senate Republicans are calling on the state auditor to audit the methodology for counting the state’s employment figures.
 

 
BOSTON — On Monday, state treasurer Steven Grossman named his pick to the new gaming commission: Enrique Zuniga. Zuniga is currently the executive director of the Massachusetts Water Pollution Abatement Trust and has previously served in management positions with Ernst & Young and the Boston Housing Authority. Until last June, he worked for the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
 
That experience gave Zuniga his key qualifications for the job, Grossman said in a press conference: "One of the things that made Enrique far and away the right person for this job is the fact that he has been so intimately involved in public procurement and best practices … and I think if anybody said what’s the most successful enterprise in state government in the last 10, maybe 25 years, I think the Mass. School Building Authority would rank right at the top."
 
Grossman also emphasized the need for the members of the commission to be transparent in their dealings. "I will opt always for full disclosure to the public in each and every detail, and Enrique certainly made that clear in all the interviews he did with the panel, which is the reason they brought him forward, and the reason we selected him," he said.
 
Zuniga had this to say about his qualifications: "I’ve done a lot of risk assessment of many different organizations — real estate, construction, retail operators, but also at the MSBA, my second title included being the director of quality assurance, so what I believe is important is to understand the element of risks of these enterprises."
 
Zuniga is the third person named to the panel. Gov. Deval Patrick previously named Steven Crosby, a UMass Boston professor and former state official, to chair the commission. Attorney General Martha Coakley chose Gayle Cameron, a former New Jersey state investigator. The three state officials will jointly choose the final two members.
 
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.

 
BOSTON — A Native American tribe has taken the first concrete step toward securing one of Massachusetts' three casino licenses.
 
The Mashpee Wampanoags had already considered and abandoned plans to build a casino in Middleborough and in Fall River. But now, tribe members say they believe they’ve found a home in East Taunton. They announced Wednesday that they have entered into an option to purchase a tract of land at the intersections of routes 24 and 140.
 
> > Read the tribe's announcement.

Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell said the project would be an economic boost to the tribe and the struggling area: “It provides someone a gateway, if you will, to southeastern Mass. for travel, tourism and that will help create thousands of jobs for people and a wide range of jobs, if you will, in management, accounting, service, working different game tables, technology.”
 
Cromwell said the destination casino would include hotels, restaurants, a cinema, spa and waterpark. The investor is Malaysia-based Arcana.
 
However, the casino is not a done deal. The tribe must now negotiate a compact with Gov. Deval Patrick to work out how much money the state would get from the casino and how it would be regulated. The Mashpees must also get approval from Taunton residents in a citywide referendum. Finally, the tribe must get the land into trust with the federal government, which observers said could be a long and difficult process.
 
The recent gambling law gives the tribe until July 31 to enter into a compact with the state. Otherwise, the casino license for southeastern Massachusetts would be open to competitive bidding — as are the licenses allotted to western and northeastern Massachusetts. 

 
BOSTON — This week in Massachusetts state politics, Gov. Deval Patrick continues his whirlwind tour of the nation's capital, former House speaker Sal DiMasi fights for his pension and the treasurer mulls online lottery sales.
 
Governor Patrick is in Washington, D.C., for the National Governors Association winter meeting. But he’s also squeezing in some politicking. Patrick was recently named a chairman of President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, and this weekend, he defended the president’s policies on ABC’s “This Week" with George Stephanopoulos. Later on Monday, Patrick and other governors will meet with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at the White House; in the evening, he’ll attend a White House reception in celebration of Black History Month.
 
Also on Feb. 27, DiMasi's attorneys will be back in court fighting for his pension. DiMasi hopes to recoup close to $30,000 in benefits. His pension was suspended in September when he was sentenced to 8 years in prison for bribery and fraud. 
 
On Thursday, Steve Grossman, the state treasurer, will appoint a gambling industry consultant to help decide whether the state should sell lottery tickets online. The consultant, along with a 20-member task force, will consider the potential impact of online gambling on lottery agents and the effect of online gambling on the nascent casino industry. The task force plans to issue its report in May.
 

EAST BOSTON —  In the next few years some part of the greater Boston area is going to get a casino — and after Foxboro nixed Robert Kraft’s proposal, the smart money seems to be on Suffolk Downs, which spans East Boston and Revere. So far the debate over that proposed site has been pretty quiet. But that may be about to change.
 
The sprawling, 163-acre Suffolk Downs horseracing complex is a site that Gary Loveman, the CEO of Caesars Entertainment, thinks is perfect for gambling. At a Boston College luncheon for political and business leaders, he said, "We’re pretty fond of Boston. If there’s going to be a casino in the eastern part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we think Boston’s a pretty good place!"
 
Caesars wants to help build a resort-style casino at Suffolk Downs, and Loveman says the project would be a boon for the neighborhood.

An opposition group stakes its ground
 
East Boston native John Ribeiro couldn’t disagree more. "I can’t stress this enough – not one state or community is better off for having added casinos," he said.
 
Ribeiro, who now lives in Winthrop, is leading the push to keep a casino out of Eastie. He claims traffic will worsen, crime will spike, local businesses will lose customers and any job growth will be temporary.
 
"In the overall analysis there’s going to be money taken away from the lottery. There’s going to be money taken away from building schools and roads. It’s going to have a long-term impact on the trade unions," he said.
 
Right now the politicians who represent East Boston are backing the Suffolk Downs proposal, from Boston mayor Tom Menino — who's called the idea "a natural" — on down.
 
Still, Ribeiro and his fellow opponents are gearing up for a fight. They’ve launched a No Eastie Casino website and Facebook page and in the coming weeks they plan to start knocking on doors and hitting community events.
 
When East Boston finally gets to vote on the casino, Ribeiro predicts that his side will win. 
 
"A lot of people aren’t willing to come out and say they oppose it because they’re friendly with politicians, and some businesses want to maintain their friendships with politicians," he said. "But when it comes down to it, and people are talking about what’ll happen in their backyards, I think they’ll vote no."
 
Asking around the neighborhood

That confidence may be misplaced. Judging from the people we spoke with in East Boston’s Maverick Square, pro-casino sentiment is pretty widespread. A sampling of responses:
 
- "It’d be good for the economy, good for jobs, good for East Boston."
 
- "When you have a job, and a place to work, a lot of people will be off the street."
 
- "I wouldn’t mind going to a casino really close to me every once in a while."
 
The one skeptic we found seemed to think that fighting the casino is a losing proposition.
 
"You’re talking about a morality in this country that’s gone," he said. "You can buy all the scratch tickets you want in the mom-and-pop stores. Now you’re going to bring in a casino? Fuggedaboutit. It’s gone."
 
If enough people agree, Ribeiro and his allies face extremely long odds.