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WARWICK -- Proponents of a casino in West Warwick may not have an enemy in their neighboring city, but they don't have an ally either.
Last night, the City Council rejected a resolution opposing Harrah's Entertainment's venture, which will go before the voters statewide in November. Six Democrats voted against it, and two Republicans and a Democrat voted for it.
But most of the members who voted against it said they personally were against the casino but felt it was up to the voters to decide its fate. On the November ballot is an amendment to the state Constitution to allow the West Warwick venture.
"The people should have the chance to decide," said council President Donald Torres, a Democrat, while adding that he opposes the casino.
Democratic Councilman Joseph Solomon said that the right forum to decide the casino's fate is a referendum. "I have enough faith in the general public not to disenfranchise them," he said.
The resolution was introduced by council Republicans Sue Stenhouse and Timothy Lee, with the backing of Republican Mayor Scott Avedisian. It states that a nearby casino would damage the tourism, hospitality, restaurant and entertainment industries in Warwick, because local operators "cannot fairly compete with the economic advantages casino operators possess."
It also cited "great social costs," including crime, political corruption, fraud and embezzlement, and personal ramifications such as domestic violence and child abuse, gambling addiction and increased suicide rates.
Stenhouse said that, regardless of how individual council members felt about the casino, the potential alteration of the state Constitution to accommodate Harrah's Entertainment should concern every member.
"I am adamant and passionate about not changing the Constitution for a business," Stenhouse said. "I want to give a resounding no -- that we are not going to sacrifice our Constitution for one demographic group."
Avedisian and the council also plan to conduct an in-depth study of the fiscal impact of a West Warwick casino. Councilman John DelGiudice said that it would be irresponsible to come out against the casino without the results of that study in hand.
Democrat Steve Merolla, who represents Ward 9, the section of Warwick closest to the proposed casino site, fought for the resolution saying that a casino would hurt hotel revenue and bring crime citywide, and that it would snarl traffic in his ward.
He was particularly worried that visitors flying into T.F. Green Airport would forsake hotels near the airport for rooms in the casino complex.
"My fear is that they'll take the shuttle bus to the casino and it will really devastate our local economy."
Merolla sponsored similar resolutions against the casino, which the council passed, in 1999 and 2004.
Harrah's is negotiating a host-community agreement with the Town of West Warwick that would set annual payments to the town.
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