For the past couple of weeks, the discussion of casinos in Massachusetts has been a hot topic in the news on campus. On Thursday night, the two sides of the issue met head to head in a student debate held in Higgins 300. As a culmination of the events held by the Boisi Center on gambling in Massachusetts, Tim Mooney, A&S '09, and Josh Darr, A&S '09, argued their cases for and against gambling.
While many of the previous events on campus surrounding this issue have been geared toward an older audience, this debate was meant to bring Boston College students into the conversation.
The debate was mediated by Kacey Seawell, LSOE '09, and had Mooney arguing for casinos and Darr against them. At the start of the event, two ballots were handed out to each audience member. Those sitting in the stadium seats of Higgins were then asked the question, "Is gambling good for Massachusetts?" and everyone was to circle "yes" or "no" on their first ballot. The debate then followed with convincing arguments on both sides. The questions addressed the economic benefits of casinos, the social costs to the community, the effect on the Massachusetts and Wampanoag Indian tribes, and lastly, the moral implications and repercussions of gaming. Both Mooney and Darr were well versed on the subject, but Mooney took a more practical approach while Darr, being a lifelong Massachusetts resident, had more personal attachment to the issue.
Mooney said there was no question of the value of casinos in Massachusetts and that "it would be hard to argue that the state wouldn't benefit." It was this economic advantage of gambling that drove most of Mooney's argument. Since the state has elected Deval Patrick as its governor, the state has to find a way to afford the increase in government spending that has been anticipated.
One way would be to raise taxes, but Mooney said in this day and age, that would be "political suicide." "The government is having a hard enough time 'staying in business,'" Mooney said. "The people expect certain things, but don't want to raise the taxes to pay for them." He therefore sees a solution to this with the introduction of casinos. Looking to Massachusetts' neighbor, Connecticut, as an example, Mooney believes that legalizing the building of these larger gaming facilities will significantly increase the annual income to the state. Currently many Massachusetts residents have to make the trek to Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun, the two large casinos in Connecticut, to play the slots or a poker game. This is money that the state of Massachusetts is "losing out the back door to their southern neighbor," said Mooney. By introducing casinos, the spending would be kept within the state, he continued.
2008 Woodie Awards
