"Say it ain't so. The Boston Globe has endorsed casino expansion, giving state leaders who have remained silent a free pass on this failed business/economic development strategy. As with prior casino proposals in Massachusetts, the Middleborough proposal is all about money, special interests, and politics. State Treasurer Tim Cahill, who has been through the "gold rush" lobbying before, is one of the few who has stood tall.

The devil is in the details, and the Middleborough proposal has few details on how it would be executed. This is an invitation to casino owners to feast on gambling profits, with few checks and balances. The gold rush has just begun. The only winners in this game are the casino owners. Is Massachusetts and its leadership ready -- or have we already compromised?

What's the rush? Why are we trying to resolve in just a couple of months a complex, multi-year, billion-dollar deal proposed by a major international financier? The details of the project are not defined; there is no guarantee that the contract will be either binding or legal in Massachusetts and no indication that any agreement will be approved in Massachusetts. With little outcry from public and civic leaders, many feel that the wheels are greased, the financial interests are aligned, and the casinos are on their way. If there is one thing to be learned from other states, it's that you can't just have one casino. If this casino proceeds, it won't just be Middleborough; it will be other cities and towns. Those with alleged fiscal problems will reach out to the Native American tribes, the Legislature, and the governor asking that casinos be allowed to be their "solution." This is Fool's Gold -- a classic example of the consumer warning "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." When I was attorney general and president of Common Cause, I raised questions for years about expanding gambling to include casinos in Massachusetts. Until now, I believed that the forces of reason, of those who insist upon information, disclosure, transparency, meaningful economic development, sound fiscal and public policy, and values would prevail in Massachusetts."

Get the Story:
Scott Harshbarger: Casinos -- the new gold rush (The Boston Globe 8/2)
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Challenges are filed over vote for casino (The Boston Globe 8/2)