October 26, 2009 Khazei urges Chamber to abandon support for casino gambling in Mass. Play video

(NECN: Peter Howe, Boston, Mass.) In an otherwise perfunctory U.S. Senate candidates' forum Monday morning, City Year founder Alan Khazei provided the one spark of surprise. On the home turf of forum host Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Khazei passionately implored the Chamber to drop its new support for resort casinos in Massachusetts.

"We cannot take this step,'' Khazei said. "I urge all of you to reverse your position on casino gambling.''

"At this time of economic suffering, it preys most on low-income people and on addicts,'' Khazei said, adding that he considers the idea of casinos a disgrace to Massachusetts' rich historical heritage. "Do we now want to become a state that embraces casino gambling? I know people are hurting for jobs but we believe in biotech and health care and clean energy. casino gambling will irrevocably change the culture and fabric of our state. it's a decision that we can't take back once we've done.''

The chamber's recent endorsement of resort casinos does come with important qualifications. "One, will resort casinos create jobs? I think it's pretty clear that they will,'' Chamber CEO Paul Guzzi said. "Second, will there be capital investment? And I think it's pretty clear that they will. And third, any resort casino proposal has to have safeguards, so that's what we've said, and those are principles that I think are important.''

Howe: Now the discussion was hardly entirely about casinos, but it was casinos that

generated the most passion as the four candidates laid out their contrasting positions on issues including financial services regulation, promoting economic growth, federal education standards, and the best use of stimulus money. Candidates also sparred over who has the best life experience and background and independence to succeed the late Edward M. Kennedy as Massachusetts senator.

Front-runner Martha Coakley said as state attorney general, she's only providing legislators impartial analysis of the casino issue. "We have really, rather than saying it's good, bad, or indifferent for Massachusetts, trying to say if you're going to go down this road, this is what you need to know about doing it right, making sure you have a good regulatory structure and enforcement.''

Businessman and Boston Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca said, "Casinos bring a lot of bad things to economies: Gambling addiction, blight, and possibly crime. On the other hand, they bring jobs in. So we're studying that right now.'' (The Boston Celtics have occasionally played pre-season games at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut, and Mohegan sponsors a charitable program through which it donates $25 to the Celtics' charity for every three-point shot made in games.)

Congressman Mike Capuano said he'd back only casinos that only cater predominantly to tourists, such as a possible casino near the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center or similar locations. "Tourists who come here, give them an option. I'm not interested in finding ways for more Massachusetts people to lose their money,'' Capuano said.

At the end of the day, whoever replaces Ted Kennedy will have little if any influence -- other than the large megaphone of a U.S. senator -- over whether casinos do come to Massachusetts. But for now, it's an issue providing some sparks in a race that hasn't had many.

The four Democratic candidates vying to replace Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy will square off in a debate for the first time tonight. It will be their only face-off before the December 8th primary. You can watch the debate tonight at 7:00 on NECN and NECN.com.