CASINO SPIN

The debate over whether Maine should approve a casino operation in Maine for the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation is largely over whether it is a good deal for the public and state and local governments, so getting accurate information about what is in the agreement is crucial. A recent television ad from opponents, strongly protested by supporters and later pulled by two stations, demonstrates what happens when political spin tilts too far.

The ad, by CasinosNo!, makes two contested complaints about the proposal. In the first, former District Attorney and current state Rep. Janet Mills is featured as a voice over saying the bill “can only be changed by the tribes.” This is not exactly true. If passed, the bill would amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement of 1980. Just as with the rest of the settlement, both sides – the tribes and the state government – must agree in order to change it, that is, it can be changed only with the consent of the tribes and the consent of Maine.

To say it can only be changed by the tribes as if it would give the tribes some sort of super authority is deceptive. It is fair to point out, however, that this referendum question is different from others that could be amended simply through legislative statute.

Second, the voice over says casino “records are confidential, so we’ll never know if we’re getting our fair share.” The share being offered is 25 percent of the gross revenues from video slot machines. The casino would be a private business and its records would generally be private to the extent that the records of any other business are private. The bill, however, explicitly requires a report to the state of casino finances and provides state auditors with “access to all areas of the gaming facilities without prior notice for the purpose of audits of the tribal gaming operator.” If you trust the state auditors to do their jobs, the public has access; if you don’t trust the auditors, then the public access to documents is a problem, but in either case to assert “we’ll never know if we’re getting our fair share” is over the top.

The advertising season for the November election is young; good things, no doubt, await.