- Target:
- Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Legislature
- Region:
- United States of America
Dear Friend,
The leadership on Beacon Hill is attempting to open the door to predatory gambling in Massachusetts. They have refused to conduct a proper study of the pros and cons of their proposals. The House passed its casino bill without holding public hearings.
They claim casinos will create jobs. But the facts show that casinos are jobs killers and community-busters. They drain so much money from the local economy that they kill 1.5 jobs for every one they create. And they saddle us with social problems that cost taxpayers $3 dollars for every $1 dollar in tax revenue.
Casinos are not part of the solution. We can create more jobs by investing in the energy-efficient green economy of the future. Casino jobs create addictions. Green jobs give us reliable energy, clean up the air, improve nutrition, reduce chronic disease, health costs, and avert the threat of climate change.
Sign our petition to ask the Massachusetts legislature to say NO to casino gambling.
To the Massachusetts Legislature and Governor Patrick:
In signing the pledge below I am asking you to reject attempts to establish a government-endorsed program of predatory gambling in Massachusetts. The predatory gambling industry is harmful to local businesses, undermines sound job growth, and fosters addiction, bankruptcy, crime, divorce and other social problems. Building casinos locks us in to high greenhouse gas emissions and make our economy vulnerable to oil price shock. In the final analysis, these problems will consume more tax dollars than we can recover from gambling taxes.
For my own part, I pledge not to patronize gambling casinos or slot parlors in Massachusetts. I pledge to strongly encourage my children and family members to avoid such establishments. Instead, I pledge to direct my discretionary expenditures into locally-owned, productive businesses that are good neighbors in the community, that do not exploit people with addictions, workers, or the environment, and which are the best way of creating permanent jobs in a sustainable economy.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Boycott Casinos - Support Local Businesses & Green Jobs petition to Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Legislature was written by Patrick Burke and is in the category Politics at GoPetition.