New Yorkers voted yes to Proposition 1 on ballots yesterday, authorizing seven non-Indian casinos to be built, mostly in the upstate region.
The amendment to the state constitution, approved 57 percent to 43 percent Tuesday, was proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his administration as a way to boost economic and job growth.
In Monroe County, the proposition was narrowly beaten by 460 votes.
Bill Reilich, chairman of the county’s GOP committee, voted no. He says gambling will not bring the economic development promised.
“You know gambling is something that touches a lot of people in a negative way," Reilich said. "It’s also something that seems to bring prosperity to the structure itself, but when you leave the door of the casino it seems like it doesn’t do anything to improve the neighborhood or the economy in the immediate proximity. I don’t think government should be built on gambling.”
Reilich says the propositions on Tuesday’s ballot gave voters a lot of complex information to digest.
He says the passing of Proposition 1 is not a good thing for the upstate region.
