Q&A with Richard Young

The Globe asked advocates from both sides to present their cases. This is a Q&A with Richard Young, who is against the casino.

Q: What are the potential positives, as well as negatives, of having a casino in Middleborough?

A: The only positive for Middleborough will be whatever mitigation funds are given to the town in lieu of the problems.

On the negative side, most of those funds will be used to purchase additional services to support the casino. We will need more fire and police personnel to handle traffic, increased accidents, and crime issues. The restaurants and bars in the area will see a sharp decrease in business. A 39-story building will be the dominant sight anywhere in town. Close to a thousand acres of open space will be developed and will bring major environmental impacts to our community. The single largest development in the town's history will have no local oversight.

Q: What do you envision happening if the casino gets voter approval?

A: The town will enter into a state of "fiscal limbo." No one will want to do anything until the "casino money" starts rolling into town, even though that may be years away because there is a long and complicated process that would follow the Town Meeting vote.

The land will need to go into the "trust" process through the Department of the Interior. Cites and towns around Middleborough will have an opportunity to weigh in on the process at that point.

Also, Massachusetts currently does not have Class 3 gaming. The state, through the Legislature, would have to approve a change to the law. Without this change, the billion-dollar backers will not see a return on their investment and would not build in our town.

Q: What will happen if the casino gets voted down? How will the town survive financially?

A: Middleborough will have to do what every city and town in the Commonwealth has done for years, follow good fiscal planning. We will have to review our services and programs to look at waste and duplication of services. Our town needs to work with other communities in the region to find new and innovative ways to cooperatively solve problems. Finally, Middleborough will need to attract businesses that will add to the tax base without greatly draining services and manpower like a casino would.

Q: How do you think a casino will change the character of town, or will it change it?

A: The character of Middleborough will absolutely change with the addition of a casino. Connecticut has Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, yet many readers of this piece will be hard-pressed to name the towns in which they reside. A casino becomes the identity of its host community, especially to the outside world.

On a positive note, I believe the citizens of Middleborough have learned a valuable lesson throughout this process.

We now know the importance of leaders who listen to their residents, seek their opinions, and look for help in solving problems, because none of that happened during the past three months. I have seen people stand up for their rights and beliefs now more than ever.

Q: Do you think the casino will impact neighboring towns?

A: Absolutely. Watch the traffic problems on routes 44, 24, and [Interstate] 495. Try to get to Cape Cod on a Friday afternoon during the summer with an additional 40,000-plus cars trying to get to the casino.

The Massachusetts State Lottery will take a huge hit. Across the country, every state where a casino has moved in, there has been a decrease in lottery revenues. This affects cities and towns because Lottery dollars are a major part of local aid.

Also, this is not about one casino in the town of Middleborough. Allowing Class 3 gaming will add slot machines to all the state racetracks. The Aquinnah tribe on Martha's Vineyard will have the right to build a casino. Treasurer Tim Cahill has also proposed a commercial casino in our state.

Q: Does Middleborough have any responsibility to help with impacts that might occur in neighboring towns?

A: Of course we do! Middleborough has had longstanding agreements with our neighboring towns. We have worked with our neighbors to make this a great region to live in and raise a family.

Those towns will feel the impact of the casino even greater than Middleborough because they will have all of the problems without any mitigation funding.

For more information on the casino opposition position, see casinofacts.org.

Richard Young is on the board of directors of Casinofacts, the casino opposition group. He is director of the state's Child Abuse Hotline, and an active school volunteer.