Backers of Wood Village casino measures suspend campaign

KOIN:

Proponents of two measures that would allow for the creation of a private nontribal casino in Wood Village have suspended their campaign due to an apparent lack of support. In a press release Tuesday, the backers of Oregon state ballot measures 82 and 83 announced that they would be pulling their paid advertising for the proposed casino project, known as ‘The Grange.’ The statement reads, in part:“We knew when we began this process that it would be a challenge to break the existing political and gaming monopoly in Oregon, but we also knew that there was a great opportunity to create a unique entertainment destination in Wood Village that provided jobs and new revenues for schools and public services. “We appreciate the opportunity to have worked with Oregon businesses and organized labor to advance this campaign – and there are many people we want to thank.  We want to thank the tens of thousands of everyday Oregonians who have embraced The Grange and shared their ideas and enthusiasm with their friends and others through social media. We want to thank the city leaders of Wood Village who took the time to thoughtfully review plans for The Grange and lent their advice and support. “We want to thank the individual Oregonians who have endorsed The Grange and lent their names, faces, voices and reputations to our cause and our advertising. We want to thank the union members and small business leaders who share our vision for the thousands of jobs with health care and millions in additional revenues for Oregon. And we want to thank our hard-working campaign staff who embraced an inspirational vision of what could be and communicated this vision in a positive, straightforward manner.  “Despite the enthusiasm that has greeted us as we literally made our way across Oregon, in the last few weeks it appears to the campaign team that not enough Oregon voters are ready to add a private casino to the state's gaming options." -- KOIN Local 6 staff

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