“I have a pretty good feeling of what they want out there,” Ford said during his weekly two-hour radio program on Sunday. “How can people say no to this?”
An outspoken proponent of casinos, the mayor devoted much of his radio show to extolling the benefits — in jobs and revenue — that he says would flow from the construction of a major casino somewhere downtown, along with an expansion of the gambling attractions already available at Woodbine Racetrack.
His brother Doug — radio co-host and city councilor for Ward 2, which contains Woodbine — is also an enthusiastic advocate for casino development and joined the mayor on air in promoting the expansion of gambling facilities in Toronto.
“This is all about creating jobs, folks,” he said.
The Fords’ latest pitch for gambling came one day after the city wound up a series of five public consultations meant to inform residents about several proposals for a major casino development in the city.
About 200 people crowded into the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library on Saturday, either to speak out themselves on the emotion-laden issue or to listen to what others had to say.
Many wore buttons proclaiming “No Casino Toronto.”
Most of those in attendance seemed to be opposed to the plan by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. to include Toronto in its proposal for more casinos in the province.
“I’m against the casino,” said Bob Bernstein, who teaches family medicine at the University of Toronto. “I think they are a lousy way to raise revenues.”
One woman, a former New York resident who now lives in Toronto, said casinos would damage this city’s image.
“Toronto is a great city,” she said. “It’s a city of culture. Bring people in to see the Canadian Opera Company. Anything is better than a casino.”
A smaller number of those in attendance on Saturday seemed in favour of casino development, while a very few said they had an open mind on the subject, and others were resigned to having a major casino in the city no matter what the people want.
“It’s a done deal,” said Mary Anne Kowalchuck, a retired teacher. “They’re going to build it no matter what we say.”
Saturday’s public meeting at the reference library was the last in a series of such sessions, but Toronto residents may still express themselves on the issue by visiting a city-run website where they may fill out an electronic form devoted to the casino issue.
However, the web form will be available only until Friday. After that, the matter will rest with the bureaucrats, the special interests, and the politicians.
City council is to make a decision on the casino question on April 3, after considering a report from the city manager’s office.
In fact, there are two separate decisions.
One choice involves Woodbine, which already has slot machines and betting on horse races, but would expand into other forms of gambling if the OLG proposal is approved. The other decision involves the possible construction of a major gambling operation in one of three locations — right downtown, at Exhibition Place, or on the Port Lands.
If Toronto rejects a downtown casino, construction of such a facility might still go ahead in either Markham or Mississauga.
During their radio program Sunday, the Ford brothers said the two gambling proposals, taken together, would create 10,000 jobs and raise as much as $200-million in additional revenues annually.
They denied the project would attract crime to the city.
Original Article
Source: the star
Author: Oakland Ross
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