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Article: New Bedford bets casino would be cure, not curse
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- October 6, 1994
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1994 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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NEW BEDFORD -- The past is present in this chronically
depressed city, in large part because few outsiders have wanted to
invest in its future.
Most of the textile mills have long since headed south or
overseas. The fishing industry is on the ropes. Unemployment stands
at 9.6 percent, among the highest in Massachusetts.
In the first six months of 1994, the number of murders, rapes and
robberies reported to New Bedford police exceeded last year's total.
The number of New Bedford residents seeking treatment for intravenous
drug use is twice the state average.
Against this grim backdrop, many of New Bedford's approximately
96,000 residents -- and virtually all of the city's leaders -- ...