A Bipartisan Fiasco - the New Hampshire Casino Bill Scuttled

   Question : When is a voter mandate NOT a mandate?

   Answer : When said mandate is given to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

   Question : When is a State Representative not a TRUE Representative?

   Answer :  When said Representative is a New Hampshire State Representative.

   In what was by far the most anti-constituent House vote in the Granite State's recent history, governor Maggie Hassan's state casino bill, which was already passed on March 14 by the Senate by a 16-8 tally, was torpedoed in the House last week, 199-164. Subsequently, Rep. Gary Richardson's  (D-Hopkinton) motion to reconsider the vote was squashed by a vote of 152 to 212, ending the discussion.

   And with Rockingham Park the primary option for this ambitious undertaking, this is a bitter blow for our local businesses. On May 8 Millennium Gaming, who were already on board with the $75 million license fee, submitted a new version of their overall plan that totaled just under $600 million. This would've included the casino and hotel, 3,000 construction and gaming positions (1,300 full-time after the entire complex was built), a new convention center, a 1500-seat entertainment auditorium, among other amenities. The financial explosion, which would've assured a huge increase of patronage for most already-existing local restaurants, markets, stores and gas stations, goes by the boards.

   Rumblings and fears that this outcome was "in the cards" had been evident throughout the months leading up to the vote. Reps from both sides of the aisle had made it perfectly clear that despite the overwhelming support throughout the state for a single casino location, and Hassan's yeoman behind-the-scenes work with both factions to try to make it happen, politics on the GOP side coupled with a heaping helping of constituent-be-damned antipathy on the Democrat one had a good chance to rule the day. And unfortunately for all of us, on all economic levels, these hopefully soon-to-be-deposed traitors won out.

   And for those who think that "traitors" is too harsh a term, just realize that polls showed an astounding 89% positive response throughout the state on the single-casino bill, with an 81% "yea" tally last February with an eye to renovating Rockingham Park right here in Salem. Voters correctly reasoned that unlike the silly earlier six-casino House bill that was quickly defeated, the possibility of gaming dilution that has plagued large-destination gambling Meccas like Atlantic City in recent years had no chance of occurring here with this one. This was particularly true when considering the ready-made influx of Massachusetts gamers as well as concert and event audiences that were guaranteed to populate the new entertainment district (casino crowds are made up of many more attendees than just slots and blackjack players). And security-wise, Hassan already had budgeted the hiring of 15 new state troopers to police the complex, working in tandem with the regular casino security force. 

   It doesn't matter where you stand personally on this hot button issue : with the near-unanimous approval percentages rung up all year by New Hampshire residents guaranteeing a budget bonanza for our state, the bipartisan House vote was unconscionable. The Republican negative end was held up by  119 anti-Hassan GOP conservatives whose last wish is for her first term to be a successful one, and will spend the next 1 1/2 years yammering in interviews about how the defeat was somehow her fault. And the 80 anti-casino Democrats will claim that in reality they voted FOR New Hampshire residents, as if an 80-something percent majority of us are idiots. Gambling is a voluntary activity, like working out, eating Twinkies  and watching reality TV. I work out and eschew the other three options, but all four are legal. The area security question was answered by Hassan months ago (see above). And the Route 93 highway, along with its ongoing expansion, would've made Rockingham in particular a good travelling destination bringing thousands of New Englanders to our borders daily.

   Now this potential income will be instead happily reaped by our sister state Massachusetts, as Millennium Gaming will be a player in whatever plans governor Deval Patrick has there going forward (currently looking like three destinations on the docket). And frustrated New Hampshire residents will be left watching a state-level microcosm of Washington D.C. right here in Concord, as the Democrats and Republicans take up media space sparring over various budgetary proposals here, drastic cuts there, and stalled projects around the corner. All of which would've been alleviated save for BOTH political parties who have successfully sold our state down the river, all for their own reasons and despite inarguable economic benefits for New Hampshire.

   My advice to pro-casino voters is to find out the identities of their local representatives who ignored their best interests (the three Salem naysayers were Patrick Bick, Marilinda Garcia (who unlike her sister Bianca at least had the moxie to cast her vote), and John Sytek). And in November 2014 if enough communities throughout New Hampshire exercise their right and vote in enough pro-casino candidates the topic can be revisited in early 2015.

   Just make sure to ignore all the lies both already out there and to come from state Republicans. Governor Maggie Hassan campaigned on her single-casino bill last year, and along with Speaker Terie Norelli tirelessly worked the House and Senate throughout 2013 in an attempt to pass HB152 to finance New Hampshire's pressing infrastructure needs, only to have the proposal blow up in her face. And partisan idiocy like GOP chairman Jennifer Horn's local op-ed piece last week that ignored her own (Tea) Party's role in the failure doesn't do anyone any good.