Analysis
The advertisements produced by Stevens, Reed, Curcio & Potholm for the Casinos No! campaign against the Passamaquoddy racino proposal, which was Question 1 on the Nov. 6 ballot, were still posted on the group’s Web site at www.casinosno.com as of press time.
One of the ads says: ”Here we go again, another deceptive gambling proposal on November’s ballot. Question 1 would allow high-stakes bingo games in any town in Washington County without the town’s approval and without a local vote. Even worse, all the revenue goes to the operators. Not one penny to the local town. Not one penny to the state. So while the promoters make huge profits, Maine gets nothing. Vote no on 1.”
Fact: The actual referendum question asked voters: ”Do you want to allow a Maine tribe to run a harness racing track with slot machines and high-stakes bingo games in Washington County?” By mentioning only ”high-stakes bingo games,” Casinos No! was able to avoid the fairness issue raised by Passamaquoddy supporters, who reasoned that since Maine has approved a non-Indian-owned harness racing and slot machine facility, it was only fair to allow the tribe the same opportunity for economic development.
Fact: Contrary to the ad’s claim that a ”yes” vote would allow high-stakes bingo games in ”any town in Washington County,” the Passamaquoddy Tribe had widely publicized its specific plan and location to build and operate a commercial harness racing track with 500 to 1,500 machines and high-stakes bingo, a hotel and a conference center on approximately 300 acres of fee land in Calais, Maine. The site was specifically chosen to capture some of the estimated 1.5 million people crossing the border with Canada there.
Fact: While the Passamaquoddy and Maine’s three other federally recognized tribes have the right under federal law to conduct Class II gaming – high-stakes bingo – on their reservations, they could not do so ”in any town in Washington County” – or anywhere else in the state – without local and state approval, a restriction imposed by the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act.
Fact: Contrary to the ad’s claim that ”all of the revenue would go to the operators” and ”not one penny” would go to the town or state, the tribe had agreed to pay out 43.5 percent of net profits to the state’s general fund, and to local communities and organizations for health and education purposes. That amount is 4.5 percent higher than [the ?] non-Indian-owned Hollywood Slots facility in Bangor, which shares 39 percent of its net profits with the state, towns and organizations.
