How many casinos do we need?
Folks, let’s think about this. The Las Vegas money guys want to build another casino here, this time on flood plain in North County. Land that works best for farmers and birds. But, oh yeah, you can see it very well from Highway 270.
Here is how it stands at the moment. They don’t have a gambling license, they don’t have a floodplain building permit, they will add a few low paying jobs, and they will do more damage to problem gamblers. But they will probably pay a lot of taxes to County government. Take a look. This is a rare piece of unincorporated County land in North County. Or, Spanish Lake will annex it and get the taxes. Ok, so we begin to see why they are going to eventually get the casino built. But it doesn’t have to be in floodplain.
How many casinos do we have in the STL area? We have six so far. How many do we need? Sure, it’s private business and maybe Las Vegas money guys can invest their money where they want. But we citizens do have a say. It’s called zoning. It’s truly ok to say yes or no to good land use. That is not an investor’s call. Tell your Councilman, find a better place.
Donovan Larson
St. Louis County
Donovan, I agree we don’t need another casino in North County. I am sad to say I think it will pass tonight. Money talks. I have been to all the meetings. The planning commission meeting where the majority of the people were against it. Except the Unions, Lawyers, and the School district. The commission passed it right through. They didn’t care about the residents. Now we are dealing with the Zoning Commission I see the same thing happening. The only thing that might postpone it for a while is the old admiral fixing its hull and keeping its liscence. That would make no avaiable liscense. They keep talking about the jobs it will bring. No one has mentioned the farmers that will be losing their jobs. The money to feed their families, pay their rent and so on. Just so some people can gamble on ground that once fed them. I hope they think of that when they buy a loaf of bread sometime. At the last meeting someone asked how many counsel members had ever been to that area and only one had. How can they sit up there and make a decision that will effect so many in that area without ever even seeing what they are talking about. It is just wrong. I don’t see how they can make a decision without all the facts. It is a little like playing God, only this time they are messing with what God has created.
We need as many casinos as the free market can sustain. If there wasn’t a market for another casino, the people financing these cash cows would not be building them.
No one forces a person to gamble at a casino - it’s a “choice”. So, all of you “pro-choice” people out there should support any new casino because it gives all Missourians a “right to choose” his or her gambling establishment.
Touche’