|
|
Casino effort failing late
Down by about 40,000 votes casino supporters say they will wait for all results before conceding
M. Dirk Langeveld and Scott Thistle
,
Sun Journal Staff
Wednesday, November 5 at 5:00 am
PARIS — Supporters of a proposed resort casino in Oxford County said they were not willing to concede early Wednesday morning as voting results on the Question 2 referendum continued to trickle in.
Down by about 40,000 votes statewide, Pat LaMarche, spokeswoman for the Yes on 2 for Maine campaign said supporters were not giving up hope.
"It is not my job to concede this election. It's the people of Oxford County and they are humbly waiting for the rest of the state to be counted and I stand with them. I'm waiting with them and a whole pile of them are here tonight," LaMarche said at the King’s Hill Inn in Paris where about 40 people had gathered.
The question passed by a wide margin in Oxford County and was supported in the cities of Lewiston and Auburn. The town of Rumford, home of Seth Carey, the attorney who started the campaign for a casino in the county two years ago, also voted in favor of the measure.
"I think the hard-working people of Oxford County understand how important jobs are and we are going to continue to work hard to bring economic opportunity to the inner part of Maine," Carey said. "We are going to keep at it. These results show people are interested in projects like this."
But voters in Maine's southern counties and many smaller towns around the state and particularly Down East were nixing the measure soundly.
LaMarche said she expected people in Portland and Bangor to oppose the question and that voters in Lewiston-Auburn and Augusta would be more favorable.
Les Flanders of Stoneham, a former Norway selectmen who has been involved in economic development activities, said the casino would bring “meaningful jobs” to the county.
“It’s not a cure-all,” Flanders said. “It’s one piece of the puzzle that will help this area.”
Rupert Grover of Norway said he supported the proposal for its promised jobs and state revenue. Grover, who owns Grover Gundrilling and employs about 70 people, said major employers in Oxford County have been leaving or shrinking.
“I give it a 50-50 shot of making it,” Grover said. “But it’s exciting to be a part of trying to get it to happen. Everyone likes a horse race, especially a close one.”
The proposed Oxford Highlands Resort-Spa-Casino would have been built in two phases between 2009 and 2014 and would require an estimated $154 million investment. The casino would include 1,500 slot machines, 30 table games, five poker tables, 5,000 square feet of retail space, five restaurants and a 400-seat lounge and entertainment venue. The development would also include 300 hotel rooms, 15,000 square feet of spa space and 30,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.
Olympia Gaming, the Las Vegas-based group backing the proposal, has stated that the project would create 1,277 jobs with an average annual wage of $30,975 during construction, with additional economic benefits of 458 jobs. The casino itself is projected to create 907 jobs with an average annual wage of $35,876 and additional creation of 592 jobs.
The group also promised to pay 1 percent of the casino’s revenue to Oxford County and 2 percent to the town of Oxford. LaMarche estimated those figures at $3.5 million for Oxford and $1 million for the county.
On Oct. 3, the Oxford Board of Selectmen and the town’s Economic Development Advisory Committee voted unanimously in support of a casino in the town. Olympia Gaming announced a week later that it had chosen Oxford for the site, citing its access to a highway — Route 26 — support from the municipal government and proximity to population centers.
The group has since narrowed its options for the development to three possible sites along Route 26 between Number Six Road and Industrial Drive.
Dennis Bailey, a spokesman for CasinosNo!, a group formed to oppose casinos in Maine, said he didn't believe the late results would make up the difference for casino supporters.
Two key things contributed to his opponents’ loss, Bailey said.
"Maine people decided on the casino about five years ago and Las Vegas just didn't get the memo," Bailey said. "They've been pretty consistent on this.”
The casino campaign was also "saddled with a pretty bad bill," Bailey said. "And I can't for the life of me understand why they thought Maine people would accept this bill."
Bailey also said negative campaign tactics and personal attacks against him likely backfired. "In the end, I think it came down to believability," Bailey said. |
Comments
 |
Posted By:PLS at November 5, 2008 6:08 AM (Suggest Removal)
What a shame if this did not pass.
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:tony at November 5, 2008 7:46 AM (Suggest Removal)
WE NEED TO DO THIS OVER BUT ONLY IN OXFORD COUNTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THAT WAS NOT FAIR WHO CARES WHAT DOWN SOUTH OF MAINE THINKS THEY ALL HAVE JOBS AND CHEEPER GAS OIL ECT .WE NEED JOBS::: IN OXFORD COUNTY ..GOV BALD YOU NEED TO PRESS THIS AND RE DO THIS VOTE IN AND ONLY IN OXFORD COUNTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SHOW THE PEOPLE GOV BALD YOU HAVE GUTS!
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:PAUL at November 5, 2008 8:36 AM (Suggest Removal)
Maine another mistake if this did not pass
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:CHRISTIE at November 5, 2008 9:04 AM (Suggest Removal)
For all those still waiting for an answer to your prayers, you just had it in front of you and voted it away. Where do you think that money is going to come from? The sky? The government? Don't hold your breath..they're busy bailing out the irresponsible banks and people that made bad choices. We'll be paying for that on a federal level soon enough. We'll continue to pay on a state level because people here continue to think inside the box. You don't want extra taxes to be put on beverages to help pay for Dirigo, yet you don't want to tax someone else who is fortunate enough to be able to build a $150 Million dollar casino that would bring this state money WITHOUT taxing the residents to death. We already can't afford to buy new cars because excise tax is a killer, property taxes going up, tax tax tax. Tax someone who can afford it..I sure as hell can't. But the owners of that casino can. That's ok, you can keep driving down to Connecticut and give those people your money. This is ridiculous. No one asked for a vote to open the walmart, the target, the restaruant on the corner, the gas station down the street....if it's a viable business, let it open and see if it's successful. That's the American dream and those people's right. Why should anyone have a vote on it? See if it fails like the rest of the poor businesses in the state because Mainers make stupid decisions. Stop waiting for some miracle to come along and save you. Start taking part in saving yourselves and your fellow Maine residents. The fact is, Maine needs jobs and it needs money....it's not going to fall from the sky because you prayed for it.
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:CHRISTIE at November 5, 2008 9:05 AM (Suggest Removal)
Just a side note on how much I love Maine's decisions....Freeport...one of our tourist capitals...hired a New Hampshire based company to build that HUGE project in the middle of town. So much for keeping the work/jobs/pay withinin the state. Here was a great opportunity to provide what has been over a years worth of construction work to a Maine contractor, but no....they outsourced. I must have missed that election day....I don't recall voting for that.
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:Merlin at November 5, 2008 9:55 AM (Suggest Removal)
Boo hoo for all you folks who were waiting to make money as hookers or working for the mob. Pat Ledouche and her pals LOST.
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:CHRISTIE at November 5, 2008 10:06 AM (Suggest Removal)
Merlin, you watch too much TV....
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:Robert61 at November 5, 2008 11:53 AM (Suggest Removal)
Poorly written, poorly administered by people we would not want to associate with, this was doomed from the start. A true casino measure written correctly and with money mostly staying in Maine will pass in the near future, the only question is which town or region will be the victor?
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:Gasp! at November 5, 2008 12:23 PM (Suggest Removal)
I hope for the sake of the people in Oxford county and the state as a whole this does pass. Jobs are needed, as is the taxes generated by this venture.
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:ojhuig at November 5, 2008 4:08 PM (Suggest Removal)
Do you want it enough to let the Indians do it? I'd have voted for it if the money would stay in-state, and that's what the tribes would do.
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:MrsBeck at November 5, 2008 9:29 PM (Suggest Removal)
There really has to be something wrong with the air or the water in this state. It never ceases to amaze me how many bad decisions or illogical decisions get made every day and on such a grand scale. Why should anyone outside of Oxford County have been allowed to vote on this issue? Does that mean every time some big business up north or downeast or south wants to build or expand from here on out, everyone in the state gets to vote to approve it? To me it does. If they get a say on something in my county, I get a say on theirs. Where was the Scarborough racino issue on my ballot? In this positively hideous economy, someone wants to come in, build a place that will attract out of state money from tourists, provide jobs and put money back into the system. The local people directly affected approve it, but the people who won't be involved on a daily basis don't? What is wrong with you people? Why do they get a say in the first place? And when the heck do we stop making it so hard for businesses in this state? We sit around and moan and complain because people don't have enough jobs, there aren't good jobs, the taxes are too high, things cost too much, the list goes on and on! But every single time someone comes along with an idea or a business venture that could do something to change that, you people slam the door in their faces! Get a clue Maine! You can NOT have it both ways. You can either stay in the dark ages forever and be taxed to death because no one else is around to share the burden or realize that you have to let businesses of all kinds in. You have to give them some incentives to come here, pay taxes and employ people. And you have to let them BE businesses. They are there to make a profit. That is the nature of business. Regardless of what the business is someone is going to make money, but along the way there will be jobs, taxes paid, customers, benefits and so much more as the ripple effect of employed people who can pay their bills kicks in. But as usual, you people can not see past the end of your noses. If there isn't something directly in it for you, if the money doesn't fly into your pocket, you don't want it. But you're the same people complaining about all those high taxes you pay, too. For once, look at the BIG picture and not just on the casino issue.
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:Fed Up at November 5, 2008 9:56 PM (Suggest Removal)
Mrs Beck, Will you marry me?
| Add your comments
|
Posted By:MrsBeck at November 5, 2008 10:10 PM (Suggest Removal)
Fed UP, thanks but no. I already have a great husband who puts up with how riled up I get over this crap.
| Add your comments
|
|
