To the editor:

Casinos are grotesque.  They are not businesses in the usual sense.   They exist, by design, to siphon money from people, without tangible return.

People who gamble shouldn’t expect any return unless they have delusions of becoming “winners.” All will ultimately not only lose, but probably lose more than they anticipated.

The most  vulnerable are the poorest among us, those who most believe that gambling will pay off.  Communities that hitch their wagons to this belief are on their way to municipal (and statewide) financial ruin.

It has been proven again and again.  Local businesses do not profit, but regularly fail when casinos arrive. The spenders spend it all within the casino walls, the character of the community steadily degrades and the misery grows throughout the area.

And now to make matters worse, there is a proliferation of new casinos building in our area. Overbuilding breeds failure. And as their revenues decline,  they have a habit of cannibalizing communities, and each other.  This will hurry our local ruin.

A profusion of political donations always seems to accompany casino-building plans. It’s all bribery and graft, intended to subvert whoever it touches.  Advertising, promotion and cheery community gatherings help perpetuate the myths of success  and swelling local treasuries.  It’s all bad.  What makes you think it won’t happen here too?    The evidence of failure is overwhelming.

 All citizens, town officials and politicians need to develop other means to generate the revenue our communities need so badly. Communities that have resisted the ‘casino allure’ have success stories we can draw upon.  Resorting to casinos and games of chance, in the face of so much social need, is a quitter’s game.  I’m sure we are smarter than that.   Now it’s time to show it.  Otherwise, the bad taste of a casino disaster may never be erased.....what a legacy to future generations!

We must reject all such proposals.   Otherwise, we won’t have a town worth living in — and neither will our children.

Harris Gruber

Tiverton