Gov adds personal touch to casino bid

Gov. Deval Patrick has started an 11th hour personal appeal to state legislators in his bid to reverse the tide running out on his plan to bring casinos to Massachusetts.Three local legislators said Patrick’s aides have made appointments with them to meet with the governor and talk about expanding gambling.Patrick’s direct appeal for his plan makes the Legislature a tautly stretched rope in a tug of war between the governor and Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi.”They’re both putting up strenuous arguments. I’m undecided and expecting to meet with the governor soon,” said Rep. Mark Falzone., D- Saugus.DiMasi opposes casinos and the chairman of the committee that reviewed Patrick’s plan Tuesday is skeptical about its prospective benefits, including estimates of thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local revenue.”The pro side is the money. The con side is the effect on businesses, especially small ones like restaurants,” Falzone said.Rep. Steven Walsh, D-Lynn, said Patrick’s resistance to allowing slot machines at racetracks like Wonderland Greyhound Park and the need to couple the casino debate with expanding mass transit to the North Shore are among his top concerns.”The governor’s plan, even for proponents, has flaws that may prove to be fatal,” Walsh said.Walsh, Falzone and Rep. Robert Fennell, D-Lynn, want Patrick to work with Democrats in the Legislature to authorize long-term state spending commitments for projects including the life sciences initiative touted by Patrick and education and transportation projects.”They could create many more jobs and they’re ideas we all agree on,” Walsh said.