An anything but ostentatious casino—designed to look like a library—is being proposed for the town of Tiverton, Rhode Island, which sits near the boundary between the state and Massachusetts. The million casino is a subject of an initiative, Question 1, that will be voted on statewide—but also to determine whether the town’s voters will support it.
The election campaign created to support Question 1 is “Citizens to Create Jobs and Protect Revenue.”
Despite its lack of glam the proposed casino by Twin River Management Group has aroused the ire of a local ministers group.
The Rev. John Higginbotham sees the proposal as a source of evil. He told the Providence Journal last week, “Part of being a priest or a minister is being able to speak with a prophetic voice. So, when you see an evil within your community, which is how we see this casino, it’s incumbent upon us to speak out. We’re telling people clearly how bad this thing is.”
Higginbotham is outspoken about a lot of things, but of who is backing him in his campaign he is very tight-lipped. He will say that several months ago two people arrived at Trinity Episcopal Church and offered to fund the anti-casino campaign, which has been dubbed “Save Tiverton.” “They have sworn me to secrecy” he says of the backers.
The Tiverton Interfaith Clergy Group is working in the same direction as “Save Tiverton,” without actually being a part of the effort. Their common concerns include crime, property values and a suspicion that the town won’t get nearly as much tax revenue as Twin River Group is promising.
They have broken with “Save Tiverton,” when the backers, who for all they know might be a competing casino company like MGM or a gaming tribe, refused to disclose their identities.
Higginbotham told the Journal, “I had asked multiple times and never got an answer,” adding, “This time, all the clergy was present, and … he absolutely refused to name any group. He hypothetically threw out the possibility that it could be an American Indian tribe behind the casino, it could be unions — people like that who wouldn’t want to be known.”
The minister says that even “Save Tiverton’s” Facebook page is controlled by anonymous people.
John E. Taylor, Jr., chairman of Twin River Management Group, has led the effort to shut the Newport Grand slots parlor; to pick it up and move it (or its license at least) to Tiverton. This will place it more strategically for challenging the Taunton casino that the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe would like to build, but which has been delayed, perhaps indefinitely, by an adverse court ruling.
The state has so far been happy to grease the skids for Taylor since gaming taxes is the third largest source of revenue for Rhode Island.
Both Taylor and “Save Tiverton” activists are holding campaign meetings with resident and merchant groups. One well-known “Save Tiverton” speaker is former U.S. Rep. Robert Steele, who talks about what he calls “the curse” of corporate gambling.
So far Save Tiverton hasn’t filed any campaign expenditure documents with the state, a requirement if it actually spends money. Higginbotham insists that the mysterious backers have so far spent nothing—despite their promises.
Twin River is funding its own campaign and so far has donated $491,000 to Citizens to Create Jobs and Protect Revenue. This will begin funding a series of TV commercials beginning soon.
