THE ARROGANT GAMING INDUSTRYA week ago, the Florida Times Union published a letter from Attorney General, Bill McCollum, entitled "Statistics show crime rate will rise". In that letter, the attorney general reiterated the same statistics that opponents at the poker room hearing attempted to present to the 5 councilmen. Two councilmen listened and believed, three scoffed at them and the president of the OPKC referred to those concerns as "red herrings". The majority of opponents related that they were not against gambling as a whole, but rather hardcore gambling such as high stake poker, etc. The concensus being, considering the voracious appetite that the gaming industry has, that poker would be an entree to slots and other types of casino gambling. Proponents assailed the opponents for this view. With visions of Texas Hold 'EM tournaments viewed on television, with all the celebrity smiling faces. Most proponents, and even one councilman who voted for the poker room professed that HE had no problem with poker, but would not want to see slots at the OPKC. The security belt to prevent slots is purportedly the referendum of voter approval needed to allow slots. Well, prior to July of 2006, poker rooms needed the approval by the county in which the dog track was located. That law was changed by the legislature responding to the political power and money of the gaming industry in a matter of 30 days. Now to the point of my tale. In the Florida Times Union today, Oct 7, 2007, there is a large article regarding grehound race tracks, and how poker and casinos are a growing threat to the future of "dog races". As I understand it as the law reads today, dog racing is the criteria for tracks to be allowed poker rooms. The key words ae "as the law reads today". The gaming industry in Florida knows they have the legislature in their deep pockets. To prove the point, Richard Winning, part owner of Derby Lane and president of the American Greyhound Track Operators Association puts it into easy words. He states, "the future of dog racing depends on state legislatures allowing tracks to compete by adding slot machines and other forms of gaming as the operators see fit". He does not say it depends on the "voters of the state", rather the legislature. And the epitome of arrogance is his utterance that the legislatue allow any type of gambling "as the OPERATORS see fit". Again, not what the voters/citizens of the state will allow. Talk about someone who knows he's holding a winning hand! It worked in Orange Park. Look for upcoming changes from the legislature as to how slots and other casino gambling will be allowed. I can envision part of the wording for the addition of slots similar to - any race track that has been permitted by the municipality or county for a poker room shall be allowed slot machines in order to compensate decreased revenues due to the fading of popularity of poker.....blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Face it. Orange Park is headed down the road to a first class "honky tonk town". Pandora's box has been opened! You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em! Submitted by germanfrau on Sun, 10/07/2007 - 2:13pm.
Finder: You're confusing me. You say the legislature changed the law for a good reason - to take it out of the hands of too few people with very narrow visions controlling cities. And, then they placed it in the hands of 3 people with visions of their own political aspirations who, by accepting political contributions from special interest groups such as the OPKC, are vulnerable to favoritism - and you think this is good? The "too few people with a very narrow vision" described by you I assume are the citizens/residents of the particular municipality/county. They should be the ones who have a say about what goes on in the community they must live in. You state that you would like to see casino gambling in the general area. How about in your back yard? Perhaps if you long for the excitement of bright, flashing lights you may be living in the wrong part of the state. But, on the other hand, if the gambling industry continues to get their way, you may be in the right place. This particularly makes me shudder, since I have a first-born grandson turning 18 this month (18 is the age of admittance to the poker room). He's an outstanding student, an aspiring athlete and a great kid, I can't help but worry that if, in spreading his "adult" wings, he makes a trip to the poker room on a dare or just to see what it's like - what will happen. No one knows who has the genetic propensity toward any type of addiction. True, if it's going to happen, it could be at any gambling establishment. But I can't help but feel that - being right at the entrance to our county, that the chances for an impulsive drop-in is multiplied. Statistics say (here's that dreaded word again) that the most vulnerable groups concerning gambling are the young and the old (retired, seniors). And, we have a slew of both in Orange Park alone. Finder, I agree with you partially regarding tax free organizations. A few years back, I purchased a list of tax-free properties in Clay County and could not belive the number. I believe that a church's tax-free status should be given only to the property where the church itself is located. The property they attain through purchase or through donation should not be. Also, one of the big thorns in my side is that Moosehaven, who owns some of our most valuable land - pays no ad valorem taxes, yet avails itself to all the services we taxpayers pay for. Think of what that property could do for us if on our taxrolls. What this county and the municipality of Orange Park need to do is what you and I do in our budgeting process. We live within our means. We make our budgets based on the income we know we're going to have. Government makes a wish list budget of all they want, and then determine the revenue needed and raise taxes to meet their budget. And, checks and balances in place already should be stringently applied to eliminate the chance for government waste, such as the landfill and bridge issue that plague us to this day. And, lastly, I totally disagree with you if you believe for one minute that if this state or county had full blown casino gambling that our taxes would not rise yearly. Government has proven that the more it has, the more it needs. The excuse with casino gambling will be all the services necessary to provide for the baggage that casino gambling has brought upon us, - the same ones the proponents expressed during the meetings and the gambling industry reputed as "red herrings". I read all of your blogs, and I know you're not that naive. Thank you for your comments. I read all of yours and enjoy your thoughts on subjects, even though I don't agree with them all (well, truthfully, hardly any).
Submitted by finder on Sun, 10/07/2007 - 8:21pm.
Germanfrau; You aren't the only one that hasn't agreed with some (or all) of my thoughts and ideas. But that's OK. If everyone agreed with me, we'd probably all be in trouble and it would be a real boring world to not have anyone to debate an issue with. I've never believed that all my ideas were correct or the best way to go. I'm always open to suggestions and my mind can be changed. I understand your concern for your grandson. But not having a casino here may not be the issue. I'm sure he will travel at some point in his life. All we can do is do our best and hope that the lessons we've taught our children carry them through life. Hopefully they have learned to take all things in moderation. My thinking here is that the prohibition amendment from years ago didn't work. I really would like to see city decisions made by the cities and not the BCC. I just feel that it would be much easier to control issues on that level than at the county level. But then we all have to vote what we feel. Which again is OK. That's how it is supposed to be. Unfortunately you are correct about the taxes and spending. Foolish me to say that the taxing authorities would be satisfied with picking up extra cash from gambling and not wanting to take some more of mine. Obviously had a really bad disconnect there for a moment. I put my mouth in motion before I put my brain in gear. They sure didn't take long to spend everything that was coming in from the housing boom without thinking about what would happen when it slowed down. Still, I would like to see a casino in the local area. Not in your back yard or mine either probably, but I do think there are places that could be built on that would not impact heavily residential areas. Finder Submitted by alabayea on Mon, 10/08/2007 - 2:51am.
You are correct, Moosehaven is tax exempt, however, they make a yearly contribution to the Town of Orange Park. People are talking about ...Here are the recent blog postings with the most comments. |
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Please germanfrau, you make it sound like the world is coming to an end.
Also in the Oct 7th edition of the T-U was a letter to the editor from the CEO of the American Gaming Association quoting an entirely different set of statistics about crime in communities that have gambling.
Now there is one thing that I learned in my education about statistics. They can be made to say nearly anything you want them to say to support your own position. Most of them are a lie of one sort or another.
A German General said it very well in WWII (paraphrased) ‘Statistics are a good thing, as long as you remember that the person providing the information is going to write down exactly what they want to make themselves look good.
I’m not sure I understand all the hyperbole about gambling (or the sale of liquor prior to 2 PM on Sunday for that matter, but that was the subject of another blog). I mean it’s not like gambling hasn’t been in OP for years. The puppies have been running for a long time. We have had Bingo halls for a long time too. Oh wait, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned Bingo halls. They contribute to charities. Some of them churches if I’m not mistaken. So I guess we can rationalize them into being OK.
Just like the OPKC didn’t turn OP into a wasteland when it was built, the card room isn’t going to do it either. Actually I don’t think that a casino equates to nude dancers and hookers walking the streets as some want to make us think. I for one, would love to see a casino in the general area.
In case no one has noticed, this city and county can’t keep to a budget that does not require an ever-increasing tax base. Unless you are willing to have your property taxes go up and have fees imposed like Duval County (I’m not), then it is time to drag a very vocal few out of their bucolic vision of what this county needs to do to generate more income.
All the churches I see being built and expanded are not generating one dime toward supporting this city or county. But they certainly are taking more and more money out of people’s pockets to support themselves. Yet we have a group that wants to appose things like a theater in Fleming Island, they don’t want to have a card room or a casino in OP and they want to have the BCC make a rule that they control all gambling decisions in Clay county.
I think the legislature changed that law for a very good reason. There were too few people with a very narrow vision controlling too many cities.
Finder