Column: Kill Passamaquoddy Tribe's racino bill

Thursday, March 27, 2008  

"Imagine this scenario: Two items appear on a statewide referendum ballot, one to allow a big casino operation sponsored by Indian tribes to be established in, say, southern Maine, and the second to allow slot machines into one of the state's commercial horse racing tracks (Bangor Raceway, as it turns out). The first item is decisively rejected by voters and the second is narrowly approved.

Now imagine that at the very next legislative session, lawmakers pass bills that simply reverse the referendum results, allowing an Indian casino to go ahead but banning slots at Bangor Raceway.

It's unthinkable, of course. Nothing like that could happen here in Maine where politicians tend to respect referendum results, even if they disagree with them.

Which is why, when voters came up with the split decision cited above in 2003, the Legislature accepted public opinion and went about its business accordingly.

OK, imagine this: Four years pass and another proposal pops up on the ballot, this time to allow the Passamaquoddies to set up a racino operation in economically deprived Washington County.

But even though there is much sympathy for the Indians who lost in the earlier split vote, most voters reject the new plan, making it plain they don't want to expand bigtime gambling in this state.

Now imagine that at the very next legislative session, lawmakers move to pass a bill to allow the Penobscot tribe to add 400 slot machines to perk up its flagging high-stakes beano operation on Indian Island in Old Town.

Unimaginable, you say? But that's exactly what happened this week as the Legislature began moving such a bill -- left over from the last session -- along the fast track to passage."

Get the Story:
Jim Brunelle: Legislature should honor state's anti-gambling vote (The Central Maine Morning Sentinel 3/27)