MAINE VOICES: Donna Loring

Paper has been unfair to racino backers

Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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About the Author Donna Loring is a lobbyist for The Penobscot Nation. To top of story

In the past few days the Portland Press Herald has written three pieces that are blatantly unfair and one-sided. They are "Governor is leaning right way on racino veto" (May 25 editorial), "Accusations fly as tribes pursue racino" (May 26 news article), and, most recently, "Racism is a word better left to define true bias" (May 30 editorial).

Your paper has made no secret of the fact that it is against gaming. You manage to spin every article to that end and in doing so you take away our voices. In this case it is tribal and Washington County voices.

In your May 25 editorial you say, "It's true that eastern Maine's economy is far from being the state's most prosperous, but there are several reasons why the idea of creating what would become the state's second 1,500-slot casino is a bad one."

Here I take issue with the term "slot casino." The project being proposed in Washington County (emphasis added) is a racino that features harness racing as well as slot machines. It is not simply a "slot casino."

It seems it is easier to argue against this particular project if you concentrate only on slot machines. This is not about slot machines, but rather this is about people trying to make a living and people trying to provide for their families, people fighting to stay in their homes and on their land.

You say "those who argue that a racino would boost the economy of Washington County ignore several relevant facts. The county is a long way from population centers . . . so it is likely that most patrons would come from the surrounding area . . .and would not bring new money into the area."

This is another wrong assumption. The purpose of the racino is to attract people from New Brunswick. Residents of Calais tell us that over 1 million cars cross the border in a year. The racino would provide a hotel, restaurants, shopping opportunities, as well as a convention center.

The racino would provide a kindling to ignite the economic fires of Washington County.

You mention a social cost again and, yes, there is a social cost, one that Washington County is paying as you read this. It is the social cost of families being torn apart by drug abuse, alcoholism and family violence, and there is not one slot machine or racetrack in that county. It is the social cost of no jobs and no hope for the future.

Finally, let me address the May 26 front-page news article and the May 30 editorial.

The front-page headline promised some hot debate on "accusations," but the only thing it delivered was a quote by me saying, "On it's face it does smack a bit of racism."

You mention my quote again on May 30. You have put your spin on my words now in two of your editions. I hope you will allow me to respond without your spin.

I am very disappointed in your newspaper and your reporting tactics. I have been a tribal representative in the Maine State Legislature for almost nine years and I have said many, many things during those years.

But never were my words used to create a front-page headline in your paper and never have you used one of my sentences for fuel to write two prominent pieces in the space of four days in your newspaper.

I am not denying I said it, but let me surround my infamous statement by what I believe and others have supported. On April 11, Jim Brunelle wrote a column titled, "If a racetrack can have slot machines, why can't Indian tribes?"

He wrote how voters came to accept former Gov. Angus King's view that our image as a state would drastically change.. " the racino initiative was promoted as more wholesomely aimed at rescuing a foundering harness racing industry the racino question passed with a close 53 percent margin. . . . How can we say yes to a racino sponsored by outside gambling interests but say no to essentially the same idea by Maine's Indian Tribes? More to the point, how can we say no this time without the answer coming off as arbitrary, unfair and even a bit racist?"

Did Brunelle's words get blown up and made headlines by your paper? I was just echoing what was in Brunelle's thoughts and the thoughts of many others. I made no accusations. As the old saying goes, "Me thinks thou dost protest too much."

- Special to the Press Herald

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