But the emergence of new council opponents to the controversial, polarizing proposal — including members of Ford’s executive — makes it very likely full council will slam that door firmly shut when it meets May 7-8.
Executive members voted 9-4 Tuesday to tell Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. it is interested in the casino opportunity, subject to 43 conditions recommended in a city manager’s report plus a handful of others they tacked on.
The vote came after Ford, furiously lobbying councillors to back his casino push, rejected research cited by Toronto’s medical officer of health stating casinos increase the number of problem gamblers around it.
“I just don’t buy these arguments — as a matter of fact they just don’t exist,” Ford said. “They might as well ban food for fat guys like me, close down every McDonald’s drive-through. You have to have some control.”
Unmoved by such arguments were councillors Jaye Robinson, Paul Ainslie, Denzil Minnan-Wong and Peter Milczyn.
“In my constituents’ view, there are better ways to go about city building,” said Robinson (Ward 25, Don Valley West), a former city marketing manager who worries about a casino’s effect on the city’s “brand.”
Robinson said she intends to vote in favour of Woodbine racetrack expanding its 2,500-plus slot machines to casino table game—a proposal that has much greater council support than a downtown site.
Ford later he is “absolutely” optimistic council is heeding his rallying cry for a gambling-anchored resort at Exhibition Place or Front St. W. to generate thousands of “good paying” jobs and boost Toronto’s convention space.
“I’m confident people are going to see the light at the end of the day at council,” Ford said. “Nine votes — I think that’s a good beginning.”
But a Star survey of councillors has found 25 councillors now say they intend to vote at council against a downtown casino — two more than the council majority required to kill the proposal. Added to the list Tuesday were Ainslie, Robinson and Ana Bailao
Denzil Minnan-Wong, one of the councillors committed to the No side, said he will miss the vote if it is held in May. But a casino would not be approved even if the tally was 22-22 and it appears unlikely enough undecideds will move behind the casino to get it passed.
“A lot of (councillors) are actually getting more and more calls from their constituents say they don’t want to see a Toronto casino,” said Councillor Mike Layton, a casino opponent, after the vote. “So I’m not surprised some of the mayor’s closest allies are starting to leave him on this one.”
The vote followed 10 hours of public deputations Monday and several hours more debate Tuesday from councillors.
Opponents cited the increase in gambling addictions, economic “cannibalization” of other casinos and nearby businesses and derided the city manager’s estimate of a casino producing 10,000 permanent jobs as fanciful.
Proponents accused the naysayers of trying to fearmongering when they are just trying to perpetuate a “nanny state.”
Councillor Doug Ford said casino opponents are “the same people folks that are saying no to the Port Lands, they’re saying no to the airport . . . They’ll say no to everything. The silent majority out there — they want jobs.”
Executive committee
added a host of conditions for a downtown casino, in addition to the 43
already recommended by city manager Joe Pennachetti, plus a couple of
out-of-the-blue proposals. None have any force unless passed at council,
but they include:
Original Article
Source: thestar.com
Author: David Rider
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