Smith Committed to Work for Salem Casino

In several campaign appearances, Republican gubernatorial candidate Kevin Smith has told voters that he will push for two casino licenses in the state if he is elected.

On July 17, Smith stood inside Rockingham Park, one of the potential casino locations, and committed to the crowd that he will work to bring expanded gambling to Salem.

"It's not lost on me how valuable and important (Rockingham Park) is," he said.

Smith admitted that when the race started out, he was gray on the issue. During a March campaign stop he because of dependency on the generated revenue.

He said that he has since visited the Meadows Racetrack & Casino in Washington, Pa., and was happy with the impact that gambling had on the surrounding community.

Smith said that he will support the two licenses as long as the money does not go to the state's general fund budget and there is an equal bidding process.

Smith also used the time to knock current Gov. John Lynch for the way he handled the expanded gambling issue.

"What I thought was disingenuous was when Governor Lynch straddled the fence (on expanded gambling) over the last eight years, and right at the last second he pulled the carpet out," Smith said in reference to Lynch's veto of gambling legislation.

John Manning, a Salem resident and candidate for state representative, pushed for Smith's commitment to Rockingham Park.

"We have been fighting month after month, year after year for this facility to bring life back to Salem," he said.

Windham resident Peter Griffin explained to Smith that the racetrack facility had rail service to Boston until the mid-1960's, and asked if that would be a possibility should expanded gambling come to the town.

"I'm not completly dismissing the idea," Smith said. "Here's what I want to see. What would be the economic benefit to New Hampshire in doing that?"

Smith explained that he would need to see a cost-benefit analysis on the matter.

While gambling was the dominant topic, Smith addressed several other state issues with the audience.

Problems with what he called a health insurance "duopoly" in the state have come up in previous campaign stops. Smith once again said that he will work to open up the borders to other health insurance companies to bring competition and drive health insurance prices down.

Smith also told the room that he had just left a meeting with Joe Faro, owner of Tuscan Kitchen. He said that Taro told him that business in the state of Massachusetts is "all about job creation," which Smith said needs to be the New Hampshire focus.

He was also asked about the controversial Northern Pass power transmission project, answering that he does not support eminent domain and that it should only be used in the rarest of cases.

"You have to show that there is significant need if you're going to take land through eminent domain," Smith said.

Smith was also asked whether he would consider a conversation on broad-based taxing, which he said he would not.

His detailed tax plan says that he will oppose any sales tax, income tax or other broad-based tax.

Three other candidates are scheduled for future appearances at Rockingham Park.

Democratic candidate Maggie Hassan is scheduled to appear on July 24, while fellow Democratic candidate Bill Kennedy will appear on July 31.

Ovide Lamontagne will close out the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce Speaker Series on Aug. 7.

Lamontagne has previously said that he will support a plan for one casino, which Smith said will never be supported by legislators.