First, to both the proponents and opponents of the casino question, a thank you is in order for running two vigorous campaigns that resulted in more than 50% of Revere’s eligible voters coming out to cast their vote. This large turnout — even more than what was cast in November shows how seriously thousands of Revere voters took this issue that will decide the future of our community.
Today, the votes have been counted and let no one deny that a fair and impartial election was held on Tuesday.
Like in any campaign, one side is now basking in their victory while the other side looks at why they did not prevail. This is democracy.
We now call upon all residents and leaders to put aside their differences and come together as a community.
We view that there were no losers in this campaign. We view that both sides put together deeply rooted campaigns that resonated with the voters.
As we pointed out last week, the casino is neither totally evil nor totally beneficial. There will be drawbacks, but these drawbacks are outweighed by the positives that the casino will bring to many of our residents.
We look to those residents who supported the Vote No to come together with our city leaders and see if their concerns can be addressed in a constructive way that will make the casino more palatable for them. For these residents are part of our city and deserve to still have their opinions heard and acted upon.
And perhaps this is what makes America great. To fight the good fight, but we can come together afterwards as a united community. to move forward.
This is what we need now. For the eyes of the Massachusetts Gaming Commssion are upon us. We are now in a fight to show why Revere should be the home to the sole Greater Boston casino license rather than Everettt.
If we fall into a warring community, then Everett will certainly get the casino. If this scenario holds then there is little doubt that Everett will get the windfall of revenues and the monies to address the drawbacks of a casino while the residents of Revere will get the problems of a casino with no added revenues to address these drawbacks.
These drawbacks will certainly happen since the Everett casino is eight minutes away from downtown Revere. Can anyone argue that if a Revere resident has a gambling problem that the Everett casino is unreachable to them? The answer has to be that it will be as easy for them to travel to Everett as it is to go to Revere.
We now have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the drawbacks of a casino if we work together.
This is what the Mass. Gaming Commission wants to see; both sides in a community united by a casino campaign. There are solutions to some of the drawbacks that the Vote No addressed in their campaign. The solutions are not going to be easy.
President John F. Kennedy in an address about sending a man to the moon said, “W e do things not because they are easy but because they are hard.” Let us heed these words and find answers to some of the drawbacks of a casino. Then the citizens of Revere will truly be the big winners.