Thanks

In the past year, a lot of people have thanked me for my blog or my efforts to stop casinos. But today, I'd like to thank them.

First, I'd like to thank my family for hanging in there for another year, and for being there during some pretty scary moments.

And I'd like to thank all my blog visitors, especially the ones who take the time to send a comment or drop me a line.

And I'd like to thank those of you who've come out in the past year, and given testimony or written letters, or just simply showed up for moral support.

I'd like to thank my wonderful clients for their enduring and infinite patience.

I'd like to give thanks to anyone who still has a NO CASINO bumpersticker or sign in the yard.

I'd like to thank those people, and they know who they are, who are always there with an answer or a link when I really need one - which is usually in the wee hours and almost always at the last minute.

And I'd like to thank the people, and I know who they are, who have taken the time to write and request that the filth that's been spewed about myself and my family on public message boards be removed.

I'd also really like to thank my fellow bloggers, who are some kind of wonderful, and because I truly know how long and hard you can work on a post, and how much heart you can put into it - even knowing it might not be read. And I thank them for promoting my blog, too!

I'd like to thank the friends I've made, or who've reached out to me, from across the country, for sharing their knowledge, ideas and inspiration.

I'd like to thank the lovely lady who sent me the flowers. (They were beautiful and greatly appreciated!)

And I'd like to thank the other lady who, at the very beginning of this, delivered a NO CASINO bumper sticker to my house, and for all the wonderful things she's delivered since then.

I'd like to thank the many folks who've truly and openly supported me and my work in closed rooms, public forums and on blogs. Thanks for your faith in me. I hope I never let you down.

I'd like to thank the friends I've made in Casino Free Mass, for being so talented and smart and for their ideas and energy.

I'd like to thank Les Bernal for his tireless efforts to Stop Predatory Gambling!

I'd like to thank all the legislators, especially Mr. DiMasi, Mr. Bosley, Mr. Conroy and Mr. Strauss for their NO votes on the Governor's three casino plan.

And I'd like to thank everyone, everywhere, who doesn't need me or a balance sheet to tell them that casinos are wrong - because they already know what's right and what's wrong.

I'd like to thank the members of the Southeast Massachusetts Regional Task Force who are determined to give the people of this region a voice.

I'd definitely like to thank the leaders of those Massachusetts towns and districts who've taken a stand against predatory gambling. Sometimes doing what's right isn't always politic or popular, and I know it's certainly not always easy. But it's always, always the right thing to do.

I'd like to thank those members of the media who've tried to give fair, intelligent and balanced coverage to this issue.

I'd like to thank everyone who's out there right now working hard behind the scenes. And everyone who's never given up. Or kept the faith.

And a big word of thanks to anyone who's ever offered any words of encouragement.

Thank you all very much. In you're own ways, whether you know it or not, you've supported a grassroots David going up against a powerful and intimidating casino Goliath - billionaire investors, misinformed politicians, the myth of inevitability, and flying monkeys everywhere.

Speaking of whom, thanks for all the great material.