Casino Supporters Make their Case

By Trish Anderton on Tuesday, January 22, 2002.

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Backers of a proposed casino in Berlin made their case to key lawmakers today. Casino supporters said the facility would give the struggling region a shot in the arm. But critics said a casino was anything but a sure bet.

NHPR's Trish Anderton reports.

THE PROPOSAL CALLS FOR THE CASINO TO BE BUILT AND RUN BY A PRIVATE COMPANY. THE COMPANY WOULD KEEP MOST OF THE PROFITS, BUT 20 PERCENT OF THE GROSS REVENUES WOULD GO TO THE STATE TO REDUCE PROPERTY TAXES. SPONSOR JOHN GALLUS, A REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE FROM BERLIN, SAID THE BENEFITS OF A CASINO WOULD BE SPREAD FAR AND WIDE.

Coos county and berlin get almost immediate job relief. The state gets new nontaxpayer revenues. The taxpayer gets a break ? something we always seem to avoid 12

SUPPORTERS SAY BERLIN DESPERATELY NEEDS THE HELP. THE STATE?S NORTHERNMOST CITY HAS BEEN STRUGGLING SINCE ITS LARGEST EMPLOYER, A PAPER MILL, CLOSED THIS SUMMER. BERLIN MAYOR BOB DANDERSON TOLD THE COMMITTEE A CASINO WOULD SPUR DEVELOPMENT IN BERLIN. THAT IN TURN WOULD PROVIDE HOPE FOR PEOPLE LIKE DANDERSON?S TWO SONS, WHO GRADUATED FROM BERLIN HIGH.

One was a valedictorian, the other an honors student. I don?t plan on them coming back to berlin. The opportunities aren?t there for them. 9.5

BUT COMMITTEE MEMBERS QUESTIONED WHETHER SUPPORTERS HAD DONE THEIR HOMEWORK. THEY ASKED WHY DANDERSON AND GALLUS DIDN?T HAVE ECONOMIC STUDIES TO SHOW HOW MUCH REVENUE A CASINO WOULD PRODUCE OR HOW MANY PATRONS IT WOULD DRAW. AND THEY SUGGESTED BERLIN IS TOO FAR FROM POPULATION CENTERS TO HOST A SUCCESSFUL CASINO. LIBERTARIAN STEVE VAILLANCOURT OF MANCHESTER IS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF GAMBLING. BUT HE TESTIFIED AGAINST THE BILL, COMPARING THE PROPOSED CASINO TO THE FAKE VILLAGES ERECTED IN RUSSIA TO IMPRESS CATHERINE THE GREAT.

And I fear that a casino in berlin would be somewhat of a potemkin village, full of glitter on the outside, but perhaps not fulfilling the expectations. 11

COMMITTEE MEMBERS ALSO WONDERED WHETHER THE PROJECT WOULD REALLY SPUR DEVELOPMENT, OR WHETHER BERLIN WOULD BECOME AS DEPENDENT ON A CASINO AS IT WAS ON THE MILL. IF PAST VOTES ARE ANY INDICATION, THE PLAN FACES AN UPHILL BATTLE. LAST YEAR, THE COMMITTEE WEIGHED IN 15-1 AGAINST ANOTHER CASINO PLAN. FOR NHPR NEWS, I?M TRISH ANDERTON.