(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

To Mr. Crosby and the Mass Gaming Commission,

By now you have certainly heard from countless Somerville residents regarding the proposed Everett casino. You have no doubt heard concerns about environmental issues, traffic, crime, and a lack of support for casinos in general. I share all of these concerns, and greatly fear the detrimental effects of a casino so close to Somerville. However, as the ward 1 alderman, whose district is right across the river from the proposed casino, I have another fear that is being overlooked. That concern is the economic impact the casino will have on our newly burgeoning East Somerville business districts.

It took nearly 50 years for our work at Assembly Square to finally come to fruition. Businesses are only now opening in what has been heralded as the biggest development on the eastern seaboard. We are also in the midst of a complete renovation of lower Broadway, which promises to turn East Somerville into a hot destination for restaurants and social events. My neighborhood fought for generations to finally get the financial respect it deserves. Now casino executives from Las Vegas arbitrarily picked a contaminated Monsanto site to drop a towering structure that will siphon all the expected revenue from our efforts.

There are many things that can be said of the pros and cons of casinos in Massachusetts. No one can deny that a casino will make money, which means revenue for the commonwealth. But for every action there is a reaction. Just as it is clear that a casino will make money, it is equally clear that money spent in such a casino will be money lost to every business in the vicinity. The very nature of a casino is to bring customers in and not let them go until they are bled for every penny they have. Casinos do not share. They want all the revenue, not just some, otherwise they would not build the restaurants, bars and activities unrelated to gambling. A casino is first and foremost a gambling hotspot, and with all forms of gambling, the house always wins in the long run and everyone else is left wanting.

It is unfortunate that the good people of Everett are being seduced with the promises of tax revenue and business dollars to sell their neighborhood to Las Vegas speculators. I truly understand their desire to improve their community, but every neighborhood surrounding the proposed site is vehemently opposed to it. A towering gambling structure, surrounded by numerous established business districts, in the middle of one of the most crowded roads in the state, is not the appropriate location for such a venue.

There is a location, however, that makes far more sense for a casino, and that is the proposed site in Revere. Suffolk Downs is an economically blighted, downtrodden area that is in desperate need of rehabilitation. They already have horse racing, and that business will surely see increased revenue from a casino, as opposed to our neighborhood which will certainly see a loss of revenue. Revere also lost significant revenue due to the state ban on dog racing. If a casino must be built, and that is a big if, it would certainly be better suited to an area already known for gambling, not known for chemical waste and traffic jams.

The people of East Somerville have waited a long time to see their community rise as a destination. We did it the hard way, by creating a desirable mixed-use neighborhood with businesses making an honest dollar. Our efforts should not be undermined by get rich quick schemes from billionaires thousands of miles away. I humbly request that this board reject the proposed Everett site in favor of the Revere location.

Sincerely,

Matthew McLaughlin

Alderman, Ward 1, Somerville