Column: Trump needs credible pitch in Rhode Island

Tuesday, May 2, 2006  

"If I were Donald Trump and wanted to build a full-fledged casino in Johnston, I'd get to Rhode Island and stay awhile.

I'd start by testifying at Thursday's 11 a.m. House Finance Committee hearing on a constitutional amendment for the West Warwick casino being promoted by Harrah's and the Narragansett Indians.

If Trump has any hope of slowing down the legislative train for that casino and of making the case for competitive bidding for a casino license, he has to make a credible personal pitch. And I don't mean helicoptering in and out and trying to dazzle folks with his celebrity.

He has to demonstrate that, despite bankruptcies in its past, his financial empire has the wherewithal to construct a major league facility and the creativity to offer a much better deal for taxpayers than Harrah's is offering."

Get the Story:
M. Charles Bakst: Casinos, celebrity, credibility (The Providence Journal 5/2)
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