On the ballot: yea for slots, nay for marijuana and charter schools
Not just two weeks from now, Massachusetts voters will head to the polls to decide the future direction of their communities, their state and their country. While we're not in the business of endorsing candidates, we have taken a closer look at a few of the ballot questions through the lens of impact on local businesses Regardless of where you stand on these issues or the candidates for local, state and federal office - we expect that our business leaders will do their civic duty and vote on Nov. 8.
On Question 1: Yes for an additional slots parlors. This initiative isn't without its deep-seated flaws, especially since this call to add a second slots-parlor license on top of the one already awarded to Plainville will only benefit the Suffolk Downs race track in East Boston and the one developer eying the area. While we did not support the expansion of casino gambling in the state, now that it is here, a little more competition in the Greater Boston market will do little harm and bring a facility to a location that has been looking for a rebirth for many years. Central Massachusetts was thankfully left out when the proposed casino facility in Leominster lost out to Plainville.
There is no question that over-saturation of the market, not just in the state, but across New England will lead to reduced income for casino operators and their state partners who are in on the deal. Yet, a small dose of slots-parlor competition for the larger Winn casino in Everett can't do much harm and will help a site where gambling is welcome by a majority of neighbors.
Regarding Question 2: No on more charter schools. We get it; this initiative to allow the state to open up 12 new charter schools every year is a win for parents and students looking for more choice in the state system. The arguments for it are compelling, and as we stated with the slots parlor question, choice is a good thing. The problem is secondary education isn't a business, and this initiative doesn't benefit overall secondary education in the state. Voting down Question 2 will clearly put the pressure back on the public schools, teachers unions, etc. to up their game and deliver a better product, especially in some of the chronically lower-rated urban school systems.
Ultimately, it is hard to argue against the fact that charter school siphon off students and funding from traditional schools. While students and parents would get more choice, too many low-performing school districts still wouldn't get better.
Many charter schools have done very good work and have delivered positive results, but not all charter schools score as winners, with first-time curriculum approaches falling short or being run with too much focus on the bottom line. A difficult call, but the math to us says that too many students would fall through the cracks, and public education needs to be about raising the bar for the entire state.
Pass on Question 4: No on recreational marijuana. Pot is an over-criminalized drug and doesn't deserve to rated as a Schedule 1 substance along with heroin and cocaine. The issue is this ballot measure will create an entirely new industry that leaves a lot of questions, and a full step to legalization feels premature and unnecessary at this time.
From a consumer standpoint, almost every adult in Massachusetts can get access to marijuana one way or another, including the relatively new medical marijuana laws. The current legal penalty for possessing a small amount of recreational pot is so small that it is essentially decriminalized. The only real beneficiaries are those wishing to sell large amounts of recreational marijuana.
Pressing, concerns over where these dispensaries would get their supply, where they would be located, and how edibles are regulated are questions that should be answered before this initiative moves forward. In addition, the opioid crisis creates grave concerns about marijuana as an entry drug leading to more serious addictions. Other states with legal recreational marijuana have seen unintended side effects, requireing further study. Massachusetts is a national leader in many year, but this is one where it is prudent not to be on the leading edge.
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