Governor Deval Patrick pitched his casino proposal yesterday at the State House.

In his full speech, the text of which is available here, Patrick painted a "softening revenue picture." Enter the casinos, which he believes can bring in new jobs and a steady revenue stream.

Patrick's speech was largely reassuring and addressed the major counterarguments--that casinos would be demeaning and tacky and that the maintenance costs would wipe out the new revenue. He said they would be "attractive to a range of interests and tastes." (This is debatable if Trump is already ogling the state.)

He also said, "Resort developers -- not taxpayers -- would bear the cost for road and other infrastructure improvements and expansions necessary to make the new facilities work" and that 2.5% of revenues would fight compulsive gambling.

The speech makes casino gambling seem like a panacea for the state's budget ills. If the casinos are approved, Patrick should hope that he's right--he's rolling the dice on a major change that will shape his legacy.

Ryepower12 at Blue Mass Group is skeptical because Patrick's plan will be "inevitably bastardized" and that "there's no stopping casino lobbyists from getting their greedy hands all over everything in the future." The proposal will go through many, many hands before the gambling begins, which makes Patrick's moves seem even riskier.

Image of DVD cover from Amazon.