John Ribeiro, The Neighbors of Suffolk Downs, on the likelihood of a Casino at Suffolk Downs

Our text question of the day is it overweight people have to pay more for their health insurance kind of a mixed bag of responses here I know we yeah we do -- 781 Barry wants to know. How do you propose to measure them and determine who was overweight and by how much did you windier bossier H aren't they my life -- in the scale -- and win. Yet he got to step on the scale every ninety days and if you get a little porky are tremendous and -- -- and it soft you know she said to me got flashy if we're having dinner right now I'm eating my usual. Portion which involves going back for seconds. She says to me you know what you're BMI is I don't -- what is that there on the dude your body mass in yet it's not a good thing when you -- somebody asks you that. It's generally a bad that's that's not an I'm thinking and hold off on that question. And you know in I don't know about anybody else listening in but the office is the worst place the most unhealthy -- place in the world there's always cakes especially here birthday cakes and people bring eating cookies and all kinds of -- ask him any good -- in the side yes the problem let it. That's why health insurance is evil what you were talking about is an invasion of privacy how do you verify the cholesterol. Well I don't know that it's an invasion of privacy a big would it really boils down to is that. Healthy people people that are maintaining good health are sick of subsidizing those who have self induced health -- and we're talking about obesity but I would. Lump in their urgent smoking of cigarettes and people who are drinking -- now are alcoholics absolutely and just bad. Eating habits and and you know what the cheap food unfortunately very. Costs less and it's fast yes it's -- this past they were joined now by John Rivera of the neighbors of Suffolk downs John welcome to the show are you don't. Good -- you better things. I'm glad to do it in and John you're right you're on the opposing side of building a casino at Suffolk downs is a cracked. Credit score why AME not looking at it and -- sand. It especially now that Foxboro went down in flames grow Robert Kraft is NC -- have withdrawn their. Proposal I'm kind of surprised that you be opposed to why you post. Well in -- does not a single community or state across the country that's doing better because they've had casinos in fact most states that have casinos. Have higher unemployment rates are foreclosure rates higher bankruptcy rates. And messages -- -- now. Well they don't you're -- -- including a state like Nevada which he had a housing bubble. Well even if you look at Connecticut that's next door on the California air Connecticut's three straight in the country. -- -- in the -- -- richest per capita on when you talk about the unemployment rate when you talk what the tax burden. And Eric in areas close to the casinos there's also are bankrupt your great tenure messages to to a. Now and you but what about the jobs that would agree be created I mean you must have neighbors that are in construction later unemployed and -- thing and themselves say is 5000 construction jobs that are going to be created if they build a casino over Suffolk downs. Short in the short term you do have construction jobs but in the long term because you're you're paying the casinos 1000 under slot machines 1002000. Dollars a day. And that when he's coming out of the local economy that's gonna come out of restaurants and businesses in the area and -- send. South Boston waterfront from tourism dollars that are becoming yet and I just couldn't dream. On the what's already being spent in the economy the casinos don't bring additional money into. Here -- neighboring more tourism I mean the whole Nevada economy's based on tourism and it's a desert there's nothing there -- other than Vegas so if we had a casino. Wouldn't we get more convention business would we get more tourism dollars coming into the -- into the city. That doctrine which -- sweet Australia hall was before most visited there a tourist attraction in the country and we've got to fifteen billion dollar tourism industry here in Massachusetts a -- -- people don't come to. Boston Massachusetts. For casino and and people that anybody that might be coming here they've got a choice of 37 other states to go and do there they're important and probably casino. Somewhere between them -- -- are -- that they can go and casino dollars. But John here's the thing they eat -- go to foxwoods 50% of the license plates and foxwoods and Mohegan Sun have masked by top. That that's true. And we might recover some of that revenue yet but. But what's gonna happen though is when you put a casino in a community like East Boston Foxboro content in those places it draws on people that are spending money in our community are ready. And it makes it easier for them to spend their money faster. Steve persecute and New Jersey Casino Control Commission spoke at the gaming commission's summit last week and he said make the mistake that delicatessen on the street is going to go out of business and has nothing Damascus you know. Commission can do. Why would it went with the -- go out of business. Because people are gonna spend their money faster and in the casinos because he does have an unfair competitive advantage over all of the business. The they're allowed to stay open 24 hours today did you give out free I'll call. They actually have access to your personal financial information because they can give out loans they can check your credit history have access to your credit history and they. They know who to target based on. Their credit is available credit that they had. So it's it's a very predatory business that hasn't that is now partnered with the state and the state has a vested interest in their success. Over the success of other businesses in the area. Where's where's the mayor stand on this amendment other -- the -- has been very pro casino. But I think that's -- has that's directly correlated to a distances from his house and still in the East Boston. We were planning to put this somewhere and -- park but he could be a starch report. You knew the date who's gonna make the decision on. They know how to how does a decision making process made on this of people Foxboro were able to knock it out if people Boston have a -- Well the City Council has come out strongly in favor of it as as the mayor so we expect that they are going to negotiate with -- account ownership. And come up with a plan and an agreement and once that happens then it will go to a vote in east Austin and we're there. What are what are you getting from your polling numbers when you poll the people at these Boston Revere. That that whole area surrounding Suffolk downs will be here and. So I mean I'm I'm just a volunteer -- full time job so we don't have money to do polling but I've been doing this for two years here and -- Boston Revere and I saved 41 people are against this and at least have concerns especially when you take into account. At that license is going to be given out basically forever there's no recall. No. Recourse for the town to bring it back before -- Parsons not to be able to close down that casino even installations gets revoked the casino actually has a status similar to a town because at this casino go into. Conservative ship and not close. And but they will find another operator of -- So I mean it it it just so many ways that this is different from any other business and we really it's not even. In our purview to even. Give it a chance because we don't have any way to control it when we do give -- questions -- John you've done your homework I admire your research thanks for joining us -- that's John ribeiro of the neighbors of Suffolk downs got to ask Egypt. We think is gonna happen in union casinos -- and I do not my dad drives from. New Hampshire to foxwoods and he said if there was a place closer so we can season girl. Maybe -- he he -- or just get as a closer community absolutely.