WILD ADVENTURES Coming to Green Cove Springs!

We need someone like you in charge to seek out  more wholesome tourist attractions. I especially like your idea about Ferry rides to Jacksonville, that would be a truly unique access to the downtown area.  A nice ferry ride rather then the highway.  Outdoor concerts, ampitheater, all excellent ideas.

I think it would be great to have a family oriented attraction close by.  But, I also do not see the harm in letting the Orange Park Kennel Club open a poker room.  I don't believe it will impact our area in the least.  Creating over 100 jobs that pay good money.... no thank you....I'd rather drive 40+ miles to Southside and sit in traffic on a good day for 45 minutes. 

Come on people. Yes, people wishing to play poker can drive over to the poker room out off US1 but why not have our county get some of the revenue money?  If we are talking about the Town of Orange Park then it would be safe to say that Orange Park Kennel Club is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) employers for the Town.  Orange Park Kennel Club has been with us for 50-60 years. 

I attended the Town Council Meeting and did listen to both sides, while I don't personally play poker I found some of the opposition against it to be almost ridiculous. 

So, I get overweight can I ask for the fast Wendy's or the McDonald to be closed because they contributed to my weight gain?  I am responsible for my own actions.   People need to take responsiblity for their own actions.  People with a gambling problem will find action if they choose to.

I called and asked for the facts, here is what I was told:

          80-100 new poker room employees

          10-20 new dining room employees

         5-6 new security employees (Off duty Orange Park Police????)

        +10-20 additional employees to clean up etc....

I just wish people would be informed.  Get the facts.  Not facts from some huge casino city that is nothing like our Town.  I intend to be present to show my support for one of our Towns biggest employers.   I urge any supporters to come to the Meeting next Tuesday and help them out.  Be the voice they need.

Marsha, as well as some others, hit the target on the subject of personal responsibility.

It seems that there are two basic schools of thought on the subject.

#1.  Pro.  A poker room will bring in extra revenue, jobs etc.

#2.  Con.  It will bring in an undesirable element/it is against my personal/ social groups/ religious groups values.

It is at this point that some real life common sense should come into play.  It may be considered by some to be politically incorrect, but when dealing with real life PC must take a back seat, even if it makes one feel uncomfortable.

Will something like a poker room attract what some may consider undesireable ellement?  History has shown us that this is correct. Now I venture into the un-PC/uncomfortable area.  How many poker rooms or gambling areas are there in the Jax areas where there is a high murder rate?  Surely, those who cause bodily harm or murder people can be considered undesireable. 

How many gambling venues are there in the areas where we hear about traffic injuries or deaths on a daily basis, mainly in the same areas?  Surely people who ignore common sense, common courtesy & the traffic laws can be considered undesireable.

If one does not like or want gambling in the area for the above reasons, pass a law to ban gambling, period.  Of course that means no bingo halls, church bingo, church bunko nights or the Fl. lottery, because, as put forth by some, gambling attracts undesireable elements.

Hope all can see where I'm heading with this.  Can gambling have bad effects?  Absolutely.  But it, like many other things in life can be bad IF they are abused, IF it is not regulated & IF the so-called undesireable elements are allowed to take hold. 

Kids, there are good & bad sides to any problem.  What we should be doing is to make an effort to study the pros & cons in a rational, logical manner, using the head, not just the heart.

Personally, I don't gamble much.  Lotto when it gets above 10M & when I'm on a cruise.  I've never been to a poker room but have been to an Indian casino twice.  In both instances I found them to be not only laughable but an insult to the people who have been  to regular casinos.  I've never come across a gambling venue so set up against the gambler.  So I don't go.  But I don't attempt to impose my standards on others.  If it passes, I probably won't go to OPKC poker room.  But I would not, if given the opportunity, vote against it because I THINK it will draw undesireable elements.  I won't vote against it because some church or societal group says it's wrong.  No.  My vote would be cast because of research, comparative studies on the effects on communities & the like, not because I/ my societal/ church groups don't like it.

Not everybody exercises personal responsibility.  That's a fact & I doubt society will change that any time sone.  So we will do our best to pass the right laws & hope that the powers that be enfoce those laws.  But we have to use the right processes to pass those laws for the right reasons & then be ready to accept the consequences of our actions.

Doubt is the first step towards knowlege.  Acquiring knowlege is the next step to a higher intellect.  JATFUR.

RichK

I had always hoped for Six Flags to come to Clay County.  I thought I had heard that rumor years ago.  I don’t know how stable the company is but we do already have a zoo in the area that needs support. 

Did anyone hear the part of the argument on Tuesday about traffic???  If people in Clay are concerned about a few car mingled throughout a 12 hour period do you really think that they would be okay with a few thousand cars?

The Six Flags rumours have been everywhere.  Many years ago I heard that they were thinking about putting one out where the St. Johns Poker Room is now and now that land next to the poker room/track houses $300,000 homes.  Then I heard when they closed Cecil Field they were thinking about putting in  a Six Flags.  I think it's just wishful thinking.

I was not aware of a zoo in the area, read44.  Where is it located? Not Jacksonville but in Clay county?

I was talking about the Jax Zoo. 

I was thinking that Wild Adventures had animals and it would be nice to have something unique in Clay and not necessarily compete with Jacksonville.  Six Flags would provide jobs and appeal to all ages, unlike the dog track or poker rooms.  It would give the wives and kids something to do when the next Superbowl comes to Jax.

I was not thinking about traffic in this blog, only tourism.

I hear Disney once showed interest in building in Green Cove Springs...I think we need something like that in our county.