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Economists debate Massachusetts casino plans29 October 2007MASSACHUSETTS -- As reported by the Worcester Telegram: "The debate over casinos has erupted on many levels since the governor proposed opening the state to gambling resorts, including a verbal duel between two economists The Research Bureau has cited extensively in a report condemning the notion of siting a casino in Worcester. "The report, which concludes that the social and economic costs of a casino in the city would far outweigh any benefits, relies in large part on the findings of Earl L. Grinols, a Baylor University distinguished professor of economics, well-known gambling critic and evangelical economist. "But University of Massachusetts professor Clyde W. Barrow, who has issued reports largely adopted by the governor in recommending three casinos in the state to create new jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, said last week Grinols' economic arguments against casinos are tainted by his evangelical Christian values. "The bureau's report cites Mr. Grinols' analysis that casinos drain money from established local businesses, do little to solve local unemployment problems, and create costly social problems that outweigh social benefits. It criticizes Mr. Barrow's extensive studies of regional casino economics, claiming they reflect a pro-casino advocacy on his part. "Mr. Barrow, director of the UMass Dartmouth Center for Policy Analysis, maintains he is not a casino advocate. "...Moreover, Mr. Barrow said, Mr. Grinols' studies on the impact of gaming reflect his presumption that gambling is morally wrong..." |