Discussions

I received this through the Chamber of Commerce mailer today for anyone that's interested. It makes some very good points worth listening to regarding a casino, some of the lack of information out there to date and the statement we would be making with either a Yes or No vote:  
 
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The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is concerned that the recent lack of clarity with regard to the proposed Casino may taint the results of the plebiscite on March 12th. To that end, we would like to ask for your support on March 12th by voting "YES" to the question, which will simply allow further discussion on this issue. If we are able to get a majority of voters to support the establishment of a Casino in Brandon, the Province will hear a clear message that we are in favor of this general concept as a community.  
 
- A "YES" vote to the non-binding plebiscite will send a clear message to the Province of Manitoba that Brandon would like the opportunity to establish a Casino and Entertainment venue.  
 
Many of us will have different visions of what the proposal should look like, who will own & operate, revenue sharing agreements, other facilities that should be attached to it, etc. It is not yet time to debate the details of an agreement that does not yet exist. We believe that the plebiscite represents a watershed moment as to whether any further discussions take place. If we do not have a positive response, there is enough political pressure to simply kill the deal all together. By voting "YES", you are only agreeing with the opportunity to establish a casino/destination venue in our community. Details of the arrangement to be negotiated once there is a positive response.  
 
Issues to Consider  
 
- A "NO" vote to the plebiscite will kill all debate and negotiation surrounding the establishment of a Casino in Brandon.  
 
- A "NO" vote will encourage those parties seeking to establish a Casino to "cast a wider net" which may eliminate Brandon as a possible location, or even worse, establish a Casino close to Brandon without any spin-off economic benefits for Brandon.  
 
- A "NO" vote to the plebiscite may be reflective of well organized, anti-Casino interest groups. Therefore, the onus is on those who support the idea of a Casino to:  
 
o Become well organized and mobilize all supporters to exercise their vote on March 12th.  
o Vote "Yes" so that further discussion can take place with the Province and the City of Brandon  
 
- A "YES" vote will provide our City Councillors and Mayor the political permission to continue discussions about the framework that will govern the Casino. Mayor and Council will then be able to negotiate with the Province to ensure that the terms and conditions of the proposal are in the best interest of Brandonites. If the terms and conditions do not meet the community's approval, Council still has the opportunity to vote "NO" at the Council table when the time comes.  
 
The Chamber has purposefully tried to simplify the perspective of what the results of the impending plebiscite will mean for our community. We feel that speculation about details that do not currently exist is not a productive discussion. This is our opportunity to send the government a clear message that we are interested in a Casino project as part of a destination venue and economic engine for our community. We need to say "YES" on March 12th to ensure Brandon has any chance of furthering discussion on this issue!  
 
For more information, please contact Shane Robins, General Manager, Brandon Chamber of Commerce  
 
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