Mayors send letter urging casino passage
Leaders from 12 large cities and towns, including Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, sent a letter today to the state’s top three political leaders asking that they move the casino gambling bill into law.
Debate on the bill began earlier this afternoon in the House.
The letter urging passage of the bill was a follow-up to one sent in the winter asking that Governor Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray, and House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo to come up with a proposal for resort-style casinos. The three Beacon Hill leaders have since forged a gambling compromise that would authorize three casinos and one slot machine parlor.
“The Commonwealth needs the jobs and new revenues that expanded gaming will bring, and needs it now,’’ the letter states. “Our local communities, struggling with state aid cuts and declining local receipts, can’t afford to wait any longer.’’
The other mayors who signed, in addition to Menino are: Mayor Kimberly Driscoll of Salem; Jay Ash, city manager of Chelsea; Mayor Tom Ambrosino of Revere; Town Councilor Paul Burns of Palmer; Mayor Scott Lang of New Bedford; Mayor Elaine Pluta of Holyoke; Mayor Lisa Wong of Fitchburg; Mayor Michael Tautznik of Easthampton; Mayor Mark Hawke of Gardner; Mayor Robert Dolan of Melrose; Mayor Carolyn Kirk of Gloucester.
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