Pro-casino ad campaign begins

By Jessica Alaimo, PolitickerME.com Reporter

The group advocating for a casino in Oxford County has begun its advertising campaign, with two ads running in heavy rotation Sunday.

Vote Yes On 2 For Maine is the Political Action Committee formed to support the casino effort, launched by a citizen’s initiative.

Last week the Olympia Group, a Las Vegas development group, bought controlling interest in the casino project from Evergreen Mountain Enterprises, a company created by Rumford attorney Seth Carey.

The first ad claims that Mainers made 271,000 trips to Connecticut casinos last year, spending money that could have been spent in Maine.

It directly mentions CasinosNO! the anti-gambling group.

“Don’t let the no people drive this opportunity away again,” the narrator reads.

The second ad highlights the number of jobs that would be created by the casino, and the revenue that would be generated for the state.

Both ads can be viewed here.

Vote Yes on 2 for Maine registered with the Ethics Commission on Sept. 17. Theresa Savage is listed as the treasurer with an Augusta address. Savage was the treasurer for Pat LaMarche’s 2006 gubernatorial bid. LaMarche is the spokeswoman for the project.

The other name listed on the registration is William D. Harrold of Las Vegas, the new president of the project. Harrold has been involved in a number of casino ventures, and is a past president and chief financial officer of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

JESSICA ALAIMO is a PolitickerME.com Reporter and can be reached via email at jessica.alaimo@politickerme.com.

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Comments

How many trips?

posted by Mike Lange

So the pro-casino ads claim that 271,000 trips to Connecticut last year to gamble.

I didn't know you had to declare your residence when you entered Foxwoods. Or did Olympia Group hire people to count Maine license plates in the parking lots and multiply each one by three?

Yeah, this is a great deal - but not for us. I wouldn't favor a 10-year monopoly for any business in Maine, much less a casino.

This pig won't pass even with two coatings of lipstick.

09/23/08 7:21 am

casino

posted by jpnitram

the 271,000 trips is public information produced by the center for polocy analysis from U Mass......it is time for a change I am voting yes

09/24/08 4:34 pm

Yes on 2

posted by ninjzx6c

yeah lets just sit back and let the other state s do all the business to grow them selfs when we just sit back and collect unemployment, come on people.. we all need to accept change at some point, we need this it would be the best for us, and the monopoly is great , it just means that we will get all the traffic, fine with me. Change = growth

10/07/08 8:12 pm

Reasons to vote Yes for Casino

posted by Anonymous415

All you people who are voting NO for the Casinos can be the same ones to support all the people on welfare in Oxford County because we have no jobs there. We are already supporting people who CAN'T work and everyone that DOESN'T WANT to work why not give people who want to work jobs instead of supporting them too. How much more economic depression do you think the few of us who work can support? I don't even think it should have to be on the ballot! It's freedom of commerce in this country, if Maine doesn't want gambling then lets be fair and get rid of Megabucks, scratch tickets, powerball, why support Maine with some gambling but not allow other? Those of you afraid of Mainers becoming compulsive gamblers, why not close all the restaurants because we are compulsive eaters and all over weight? Why not close all the bars because we are compulsive drinkers? We need jobs in Maine to pay for all the immigrants coming into Maine with 10 children each, that's about $1,000 a month they recieve in TANF and $700 a month in food stamps, you want to keep paying for this? Then I think all the people who vote NO should pay not us!

10/10/08 9:35 am