Narragansett Indian Chief Campaigns for Casino Vote

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island – As reported by the Rhode Island Providence Journal: "That tireless juggernaut spending millions of dollars each month to persuade voters to approve a Harrah's-Narragansett Indian casino in November visited downtown yesterday in the form of a royal-blue bus, with Chief Sachem Matthew Thomas stepping off to promise good things if the referendum question passes.

"The 40-foot tour bus with the words 'Support the Narragansett Indian Casino Vote Yes on [Question] 1,' parked on a corner of Kennedy Plaza for what Thomas said was the first stop of the tribe's "victory drive" to win voter approval for a casino.

"The scene had all the makings of a campaign rally, complete with cheering bystanders -- in this case, construction workers recruited by their union stewards from several surrounding job sites to hold signs in front of the television cameras.

"…Thomas said repeatedly during his speech that the proposed casino was a $1-billion investment in Rhode Island, which would create 3,500 construction jobs, 3,800 permanent casino jobs, nearly 2,000 more jobs in the business community and provide $144 million in property-tax relief.

"…Lawmakers agreed to put the question of a casino before voters -- in the form of a constitutional amendment -- even though financial terms with Harrah's were never worked out…"