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kjbathe · 11-17-2008, 01:10 PM

I ask this question because I honestly don't know, but when I read the following quotes...

"...opponents worry that expanded gambling would also bring crime and hurt the local quality of life." "...[T]he cost of affiliated social problems like addiction and crime would wipe out much or all of the state's take," and "before he can support it, he'll need evidence that it won't harm New Hampshire's quality of life."

...is there any hard evidence to substantiate these fears? What I recall from my days in Connecticut is that the casinos were training and employing lots of people, paying wages higher than they were able to otherwise get for their skill level, paying oodles of taxes to the state and doing other things like buying a new fleet of school buses for the local community, because that's what good corporate citizens do (and the school needed new buses).

I also remember the employees were paying more taxes on their increased wages (aka State "revenue"). I hear the talk and wringing of hands about increased crime and addition, but with the CT casinos and their nearly two decades of experience we can evaluate, is there any fact-based evidence to support the crime and addition claims? I keep hearing the "fear" but I don't see anyone citing the "fact". Is the fear valid?

11-17-2008, 01:10 PM	#11
kjbathe Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 281 Thanks: 3 Thanked 21 Times in 11 Posts	Question I ask this question because I honestly don't know, but when I read the following quotes... "...opponents worry that expanded gambling would also bring crime and hurt the local quality of life." "...[T]he cost of affiliated social problems like addiction and crime would wipe out much or all of the state's take," and "before he can support it, he'll need evidence that it won't harm New Hampshire's quality of life." ...is there any hard evidence to substantiate these fears? What I recall from my days in Connecticut is that the casinos were training and employing lots of people, paying wages higher than they were able to otherwise get for their skill level, paying oodles of taxes to the state and doing other things like buying a new fleet of school buses for the local community, because that's what good corporate citizens do (and the school needed new buses). I also remember the employees were paying more taxes on their increased wages (aka State "revenue"). I hear the talk and wringing of hands about increased crime and addition, but with the CT casinos and their nearly two decades of experience we can evaluate, is there any fact-based evidence to support the crime and addition claims? I keep hearing the "fear" but I don't see anyone citing the "fact". Is the fear valid?