What’s in… What’s out… #WaterFire,#Sharks, #TwinRiver, and more. 8/16/19

What’s in…

1. WaterFire Lightning this Saturday! Let the fires glow! A full basin WaterFire takes place this Saturday at dusk. It’s part of the Summer of Science Series.  The TechFire Job Fair opens at 6:00 p.m. This fair will feature Rhode Island’s technology community and the effects it has had on RI. The job fair will feature established and new companies that are hiring in Rhode Island.  Fires are lit ’till midnight. Enjoy! For more information check WaterFire.org.

2. Shark! Did someone say “shark”?  Due to an increase in shark sightings in Cape Cod and RI this summer, Cape Cod National Seashore officials have denied a permit for the 32nd annual Swim for Life & Paddler Flotilla. Officials feel that  starting the race off Long Point Beach in Provincetown would be a risk. The September 7th race will be rerouted closer to shore  for the safety of participants.

3. Let’s play ball! Barrington Little Leaguers are on  their way to the World Series in Virginia, but not without controversy.  The New Hampshire Little League team made an accusation against the Barrington team of cheating.  This was all cleared in the field at the tournament, but the New Hampshire team leaders apparently have cried foul.  Move on all! Know how to gracefully lose and accept it! And wish the RI team well as a show of good sportsmanship! Let’s go Barrington!

What’s out…

1. The Epstein chronicles. In want promised to be a bizarre tale of sex trafficking and sexual abuse, we learn of the alleged suicide of Jeffrey Epstein.  The theories are out there!  How did this happen? Why wasn’t he on 24-hour watch? Who dropped the ball on this?

Beyond all this, there are the sad voices of the victims of this man. Let’s not lose sight of the crimes he committed against young girls and of the many he hurt. Their day in criminal court will not come, but their anguish and horrible memories will live on for years.

2. Twin River Casino revenue down, employees laid off. Sad news out of Twin River, where the opening of the new Encore casino in Boston has driven down Twin River revenue. Even sadder news for the employees who were laid off because of loss revenue. According to Ted Nesi of WPRI Eyewitness News, “Twin River is asking employees to volunteer for layoffs, according to spokesperson Patti Doyle and two employees. A memo provided by one worker asked employees to express interest by Thursday at 8 PM.”

While Twin River is busy trying to get the gaming contract away from IGT gaming giant, they have the problem of minding their own store for loss revenue.  How can Twin River, which calls itself a casino, compete with the Encore in Boston? The Encore is a Las Vegas–type  casino with all the amenities. Twin River pales in comparison.  This proves the point that if you are going to have a gaming facility, build it right.  What started off as a small gaming facility in Lincoln has had multiple renovations but has not measured up to casinos such as Foxwoods, Mohegan Sun, or Encore.

It may be the time to review this situation and make some clear decisions.  Either this state wants a first class casino that can compete with the others, or it does not.  We all know RI has gone around the bush when it comes to the casino industry.  Voters have repeatedly voted against a gaming casino here, which has made Twin River have to sneak in the door a little at a time.  But the revenue from Twin River is a major source for the state budget, one the state cannot afford to lose. 

This is a major problem for the state of RI in the next year, one that needs to be addressed by Twin River and the state government.  It may be time for Twin River to put all its resources into a better casino with more amenities. That would mean concentrating on the facility they do have instead of taking on another gaming contract. 

We await to see what actions Twin River will take.  They have already hired lobbyists, averaging from $3,000 to $5,000 a month, to lobby for the contract that IGT now has.  All this is costing thousands of dollars in an expensive lobbying effort stop IGT from getting the 20 year, no bid contract.  Meanwhile, revenue is down and workers are being laid off.  Time for Twin River to concentrate on taking care of what they have, instead of looking to add on more. The ball is in your court Twin River… don’t foul!

 

Featured image by Dave Amadio.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in The Ocean State Current, including text, graphics, images, and information are solely those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the views and opinions of The Current, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, or its members or staff. The Current cannot be held responsible for information posted or provided by third-party sources. Readers are encouraged to fact check any information on this web site with other sources.

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