Residents urged to oppose casino plan

Your recent article "Wampanoag push forward on casino plan" (Globe South, Dec. 4) is misleading for several reasons.

First, the new IGRA Section 20 regulations that went into effect this past Aug. 28 are designed to prevent tribes from locating a gaming facility beyond 25 miles from their established headquarters. Mashpee is more than 40 miles from Middleborough.

Second, the regions surrounding Middleborough will be negatively impacted by this project and most of these towns have publicly opposed this project. Under the new Section 20 regulations, they will now have a say. So, I urge everyone to continue letting their local and state officials know how they feel about this project, before the region becomes a casino disaster.

And lastly, this project is a financial loser for Middleborough and all the surrounding towns. A project like this will affect a 50-mile radius. Sure, the tribe will provide Middleborough $7 million, but zero to the surrounding communities.

No one has really looked at or estimated the actual costs for this project. The recent completed matrix report shows the additional costs for ambulance service to the proposed site will cost the town of Middleborough $2.7 million. When have you seen the actual numbers come in under the estimate?

Add 200-plus new students to each of the region's school systems and the net result will be negative. When Middleborough residents were asked to vote on July 28, 2007, to accept the $7 million agreement, it was stated by the tribe, "We're coming anyway, so take what we are offering." Yet when residents were asked if they wanted a casino, they voted no.

In sum, this casino project is simply a loser. Scott Ferson and the Wampanoag can say they're pushing forward, but the reality is there will not be a casino in Middleborough if our residents and local and state leaders do their research. They can push all they want, but the region is going to push back much harder now that this project is a known financial loser for the Southeast region.

Mike Solimini
Middleborough