Opponents of a casino in Foxborough backed by Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Vegas mogul Steve Wynn swept the local selectmen races yesterday. It's being seen as a big-time thumbs-down to Kraft and Wynn. Which gets us to thinking: What about East Boston now? The likes of Mayor Tom Menino and members of the City Council have been pushing for a year now (yup, that long) for a casino at Suffolk Downs. And locals, with a history of winning such confrontations, have been pushing back.
Part of the strategy for supporters like Menino has been to use a legal option that allows for only the surrounding neighborhood to vote on any referendum, not the city at large. So that means only a vote for Eastie (and neighboring Revere). That's a big part of what got opponents motivated. Yesterday's Foxborough vote, then, would appear to, um, up the ante on any coming vote in Eastie. All or nothing now?
· Casino Opponents Gain in Foxborough [Boston.com]
· East Boston Is Getting a Casino. You Got a Problem with That? [Curbed Boston]