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The Birth of a Citizens Movement
SARATOGA SPRINGS — An overflowing cross-section of the community gathered on Monday evening, November 18 at City Hall to learn about and make pledges to participate in activities to resist a casino inside the city and county limits.
The meeting, organized by the group Saratogians Against Vegas-style Expansion (SAVE) brought such a large response from the citizenry that the city council chamber was not enough to hold them, necessitating an impromptu second simultaneous presentation in the hallway by Sara Boivin, one of SAVE’s organizers. Inside the council room, a tightly packed agenda brought about a wealth of information and the revelation as to SAVE’s action plans.
SAVE organizers Colin Klepatar and Clem Marino described a multi-pronged approach which, in addition to an online petition, included neighborhood and event canvassing, media and political outreach.
They asked each attendee to speak for a minute about their reasons for attending if they wished. The major subjects that were stated involved concerns about potential rising crime, the social costs of gambling and a general deterioration in the quality of life should Saratoga Springs or Saratoga County host a table-gaming casino facility.
“We’re the ones to give voice to the 20 percent,” said Klepatar, referring to the weight that community support, or lack thereof would count on a casino application. He also noted that there were no specific guidelines as to how that aspect could be gauged.
Both Saratoga Springs and Saratoga County soundly defeated casino Proposition 1 in the recent November 5 election, though it passed statewide. In the Capital Region, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer and Schoharie Counties passed Proposition 1.
SAVE organizers asked each participant to sign their petition and to commit to at least one clear action to help spread the word.
The organization’s website, www.savesaratoga.org, has a mission statement which reads in part: “(SAVE) seeks to preserve our thriving downtown, rarely seen in America today and recognized nationally; our world renowned performance art spaces; our thriving economy and our social and individual security and pride that generations of thoughtful and caring Saratogians have worked to build, rebuild and preserve.
“Casino gambling is a single-destination activity, which succeeds only by keeping its guests at the casino. Casinos are a drain on local businesses, directly competing with them by discounting their hotel rooms, entertainment, and amenities, drawing customers away from downtown Saratoga. The projected tax-revenue benefits are guesswork and when gambling revenues decline, it is the taxpayers who are burdened – with lower property values and higher rates of real estate foreclosures. Critical and already overburdened local services, such as police, fire, and hospital services, will become further stretched.
“The social costs of full casino gambling are potentially significant as well. Gambling is a regressive tax, exacting its profits from those who are least able to absorb financial losses. This can result in spikes in poverty rates, unemployment rates, and crime. The projected benefits of full casino gambling have yet to be convincingly documented. We are concerned that the promise of a windfall for host communities will not be realized, especially in light of plummeting revenues at casinos across the country. Meaningful guarantees and demonstrated long-term value are lacking. SAVE Saratoga contends that the revenues will never outweigh the costs and this is a risk our community will not take.”
It is obvious based on last night’s attendance that these ideas have broad appeal. The SAVE organizers came ready with a plan it will be interesting to see whether we witnessed the beginnings of a new form of broad-based citizen action in Saratoga Springs.
