Letter-writer: By the time Massachusetts gets through with all its rules and regulations, casino officials will have lost interest.
It’s too late to join casino bandwagon
What in the world is wrong with this state? All this casino hype is a big joke. Every state around us has casinos now, and Massachusetts expects to get on the winning bandwagon, when Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are laying people off.
Massachusetts taxpayers {I use the term loosely) WAKE up. Your dollars and mine are being wasted, with these commissions and regulatory departments. (Another way to get politician’s friends and relatives jobs).
We should have been on the bandwagon 15 years ago. Now is too late. The “jobs” will be temporary and who will occupy the buildings after they are built? Needless to say, not only is there just so much money to go around for gambling, but by the time Massachusetts gets through with all its rules and regulations the casino officials will have lost interest.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a trip to the casinos, but now when the economy is in a downturn, who has money to gamble?
– LORETTA DORN, Springfield
Sacco-Vanzetti case historical reminder
Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco.Thank you for the fine article on the 85th anniversary of the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti which appeared in Tuesday’s edition of The Republican.
May I make one small correction? The last legal execution in Massachusetts took place in 1947, not 1943. Source: http://www.nodp.org/ma/.
The first recorded judicial execution in Massachusetts took place in 1630, when John Billington, who had arrived on the Mayflower, was hanged at Plymouth for the murder of John Newcomen. The last executions were on May 9, 1947 when Phillip Bellino and Edward Gertson, both convicted of murdering Robert William, were electrocuted at Charlestown State Prison. In total, there have been approximately 345 executions within Massachusetts, including 26 people convicted of practicing witchcraft.
– JOHN J. FITZGERALD, Longmeadow
Fireworks company committed to safety
Our family-owned company, Pyrotecnico, has been a fireworks industry leader representing a standard of excellence for over 100 years – and safety has always been of utmost importance to us (“State hearing on Pyrotecnico unexploded fireworks at Massachusetts shows set,” The Republican Aug. 9).
It is our commitment to safety that led us to act immediately when we learned that unexploded fireworks shells were retrieved in some of the Massachusetts communities in which we recently performed shows. We acted quickly to conduct thorough examinations not only of the areas in which these shells were discovered, but in every single Massachusetts location in which we had recently performed shows.
With local authorities, we have determined that all of these areas are clear. While we believe the unexploded shells were an isolated event traceable to a defective product – one which we have separated from our inventory and will never use again – we also conducted an internal investigation containing findings that will likely lead us to enhance our safety training procedures moving forward. We are committed to ensuring that our shows uphold the highest level of safety for the families who enjoy them. We look forward to continuing to provide safe, reliable and entertaining fireworks displays throughout Massachusetts communities for years to come.
– STEVE VITALE, Pyrotecnico, New Castle, Penn.
Vega is capable of 2 elected jobs
Holyoke City Councilor at Large Aaron M. VegaFollowing a July 9 article, questions arose as to whether or not Aaron Vega could serve on both the Holyoke City Council and in the 5th District State Representative seat at the same time.
I feel that this would not only be acceptable but would offer an extraordinary benefit to the citizens of Holyoke. I have spoken to Vega and told him that if elected, I would want him to retain his council seat. If elected, he would not seek re-election to the city council and would not accept any pay from city council duties. I have always found Vega to be open to new ideas and voter input as a councilor. He has taken his time to meet with people when they ask and I am sure he will continue this practice as a state representative. Some issues Vega and I have agreed on, and some issues were based on information that I had not known, and on other issues we have just had to agree to disagree.
However, one thing is certain: Vega has always thoroughly articulated his reasons why he supports or opposes a particular issue. So to the voters of Holyoke, please join me in voting for Aaron Vega for state representative on Thursday, Sept. 6.
– STEPHEN MESECHER, Holyoke