NEWS ODDITIES

The Biddeford City Council will meet this week with an anti-casino group hoping to convince the city it should not make itself available as the site of a tribal casino. The council met two weeks ago with a pro-casino group hoping to convince the city it should. The result of these meetings will be a decision by the council on whether to hold a citywide referendum on Nov. 5.

This hardly is stunning news, but it is a fine and rare example of good government. The thoughtful, deliberative approach taken by Biddeford officials contrasts sharply with the hysteric, rush-to-referendum seen in nine southern Maine communities after the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe announced their interest last spring in building a casino in that part of the state, provided the project found legislative approval and a willing host community. Regardless of how this turns out, Biddeford has distinguished itself by doing a couple of things those nine did not: It is hearing from well-informed persons on both sides of the issue in open, public forums; if a referendum is held, it will have the benefit of Election Day’s high voter participation.

The hurried votes in those other nine communities, like the firm “no casinos, no way” positions adopted early on by all four candidates for governor, came without another factor crucial to making such an important decision – a full, or at least fuller, understanding of Maine’s deteriorating financial condition. Since all those votes and positions were taken in late spring and early summer, the state’s projected revenue deficit for this fiscal year has grown from $180 million to $240 million, the deficit for the next two-year cycle is projected at $600 million to $1 billion, and the federal government – the likely and proper funding source for federal education and homeland security mandates – now has a deficit of its own.

Another bit of hardly stunning but interesting news on this matter comes from New Hampshire. Two years ago, a poll was taken on legalizing video gaming machines (casinos of nothing but slots) – 41 percent favored them, 49 percent were opposed, 10 percent were undecided. A poll taken last week shows 50 percent in favor, 43 percent opposed, 7 percent undecided. This shift – not seismic, but certainly significant – came without a campaign, advertising or political, designed to move public opinion.

It comes instead as the result of New Hampshire having to hold a long conversation with itself on taxes. Three years ago, a statewide property tax was implemented as the result of a state supreme court ruling on equitable funding of public education. It is hugely unpopular, so there has been a vigorous debate on the options to a statewide property tax – an income tax or a sales tax – and both have been found equally unpopular. Another option – generate revenue not from taxes but from allowing grown-ups to legally engage in an activity legal in 26 other states – suddenly gains support. Strange but true.