Bishop urges voters to weigh consequences of casino measure

Published: 2006-08-21

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CNS) -- As Rhode Island voters consider a constitutional amendment to allow casino gambling at an American Indian-owned resort, the head of the state's Catholic diocese urged people to weigh the "human, sociological, economic and political consequences" of the measure before voting. Bishop Thomas J. Tobin of Providence wrote in the Aug. 17 issue of The Providence Visitor, the diocesan Catholic paper, that the proposal on the November ballot should be considered in light of questions such as: "Is corporate gambling the best we can do for economic development?" The proposed casino in West Warwick would be owned by the Narragansett Indian tribe and operated by Harrah's Entertainment, which has been blanketing the state with advertising in support of the constitutional amendment.

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