Casino Free Milford Forum Draws Crowd

More than 250 people attended a forum on the proposed Foxwoods Massachusetts casino Wednesday, listening as a panel of speakers criticized the proposed host community agreement for the development as promising more than can be delivered to Milford.

Speakers include former U.S. Rep. Robert Steele of Connecticut, local attorney David Morganelli, who is a member of the Milford Finance Committee, and former Milford School Committee member Jose Costa.

The forum was arranged by Casino Free Milford, which is trying to galvanize resident opposition to the nearly $1 billion casino development. Registered voters will decide whether the project advances on Nov. 19, at a town-wide referendum.

Morganelli, who spoke as an individual, and not on behalf of the finance advisory committee he serves on, described the project as not worth the impact it will have on the quality of life in town. The town is stable fiscally and does not need the development.

Morganelli said the potential for tax savings for residents has been exaggerated, and disputed whether most of the $25 to $32 million in yearly payments to the town contained in the host community agreement would be guaranteed. "It is a promise that is in fact unsecured," he said. "I guarantee you Milford will take a back seat to some of their other creditors. We are not guaranteed that money."

Costa provided an overview of press coverage of Foxwoods Resort Casino's previous development initiatives, including efforts to expand into other states that were either cancelled or suspended, as well as coverage of the Connecticut casino's restructuring of $1.7 billion in debt. A March 2012 headline shown from the New York Times: "Foxwoods is Fighting for its Life."

If authorized by voters, the resort casino application would still need zoning changes approved at a Milford special town meeting. And the state's Gaming Commission would ultimately decide whether the Milford casino proposal is the best of three pitched for the greater Boston area.

A small number of casino proponents also attended the forum Wednesday, including local attorney for Foxwoods Massachusetts, Warren Heller, who took notes during the meeting from a front-row seat. Michael Kaplan, the leader of Citizens for Milford's Future, a pro-casino organization, also attended, at one point angrily challenging the forum leaders for what he called an intentionally misleading event.

"The $25 million is guaranteed," he said to Morganelli. "It's in the contract, sir." And he questioned why only casino opponents were on the panel of speakers. "It's not facts when you present one side."

"Why did you intentionally mislead people?" he snapped.

Retorted Costa: "I felt the same way when I was at the high school in July," a reference to the weeks-long presentations by casino consultants on the impacts of the development.