Letter: A risky gamble
It appears that risking $80 million to avoid a sales and/or income tax is dumb, but I’m not a politician.
According to what I read and see in the news, it seems that everything being proposed by the governor and the Legislature is predicated on the $80 million casino being built and profitable. But what will happen if it is built and no one shows up? What if Massachusetts builds a couple of casinos near the New Hampshire border and all the expected business from Massachusetts stays there and doesn’t cross the border to gamble here?
What if the economy tanks again and prices for food and other goods and services keep going up and up so there is much less money for discretionary spending on gambling?
What if the out-of-state gambling company says, “We are not making enough money; we’re out of here”? Who will be responsible for the upkeep, taxes and other maintenance on the property? What about the ancillary businesses, e.g. restaurants, motels and others who will lose if the casino goes out?
I haven’t heard anything about these possibilities, and they need to be addressed.
SUMNER GOLDMAN
Penacook
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