 Todd DormanTodd Dorman is a columnist for The Gazette. His blog has been bringing smiles to readers' faces since November 2007. |
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When it comes to the casino issue, show me the details
As 2013, a gambling odyssey, begins, I’m trying to keep an open, but very skeptical, mind.
First, I’m skeptical as to whether I can write about this topic while refraining from the use of tired, gambling-related cliches. We’ll see.
Backers of building a casino somewhere in Cedar Rapids announced endorsements this past week from local economic development, tourism and labor groups. The investor group led by business executive Steve Gray has grown to 40 people. There was a lot of talk about the $85 million casino’s potential for huge economic benefits, 360 jobs, etc.
We’re also hearing rumblings from opponents. Owners of nearby casinos, who have made a great deal of money from gambling, will use some of it to make sure Cedar Rapids doesn’t cut into their action. These owners, for whom gambling has been very, very good, will join forces with folks who argue that gambling is very, very bad. Those opponents will contend that gambling is a societal scourge, preying on the poor, sucking dollars from worthier economic pursuits.
I’m skeptical of the notion that a casino here would be a big economic game-changer. Clearly, $85 million is nothing to sneeze at, but this is a city that just set a record for construction starts last fiscal year at $347 million. We’re already adding jobs and, as the mayor says, quiet confidence is growing in this city’s economic prospects. We’ll grow with or without gambling, and that’s a good thing.
I’m also skeptical that a casino puts us on the road to ruin. I will certainly listen to arguments about potential negative effects. Open minded, as I said. But after watching the state bless 18 casinos, it feels like we’re standing in the ashes, debating how to put out the fire.
Iowa’s lottery/racetrack/casino industrial complex is decades old, and our public pact with demon gambling has been expanded so many times it’s tough to keep track. Thanks to the invention of horseless carriages, loads of Linn County residents already gamble.
It’s a part of our economy. And like some other parts of our economy, it yields benefits and problems. Do people get addicted, go bankrupt and commit crimes? Yes. Then there are Vision Iowa, the Community Attraction and Tourism program and I-JOBS, which pumped gambling bucks into dozens of worthwhile economic pursuits in this state. Gambling has a bad reputation. And yet, communities with gambling tend to renew their referendums by very large margins.
And I’m actually more interested in the micro than the macro of this proposition.
Basically, we’re being asked to allow a gambling business to locate here. So I’m curious about the details of that business. I want to know where it will be built, who is going to run it, where its financing is coming from and what, exactly, it’s going to offer patrons. Just your basic journalistic “five Ws” stuff. I also want to hear from our elected leaders on how, precisely, this fits into their vision for the future development of Cedar Rapids.
As a voter, I’d like to know exactly what we’re getting. I don’t think I’m alone. I understand that it’s very early, and the petition drive comes first. But before we vote, casino backers really must show their hand. Dang. Almost made it.
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Cedar Rapids is a small town with a large population. When gambling was voted down before it was because people wanted to keep CR a small town. I think we have to decide if and when CR will become a metroplis. If we decide that’s what we want then we should become the center of Eastern Iowa and be the destination of choice. A casino in an area with other opportunities would be a significant move in that direction.
So back to old idea’s again. They couldn’t get the 20 year or the 10 year L.O.S.T. TAX, and now they want to use this as one of the ways to bring money to the city and county. Okay, BUT,
What is there to anchor these small idea’s? Just like a mall has Sears, J.C.Penny and other large stores, the city HAS TO HAVE an anchor to get the people here, we have NOTHING that others don’t have and MORE.
It is just another ploy to gain tax dollars to further their plans that have not been shared with the public.
They say it’s good for our city to give these tax breaks on new building, but what they DON’T SHOW YOU, is say 10 years ago a tax break was done and this year they start to pay those taxes, (if they are still there), And I would like to see a break down for each year they have out in the future gave tax breaks to them as they come back into the budget, starting with 2013.I think you will find that this money TOO has been spent before we ever get it collected. People are tired of bad roads, cut backs on hours (Public Staff and employee’s) yet we are paying more for less, the courts can’t keep, not enough police and fire personal, crimes NOT being solved, much less being talked about on the news media shows, that’s right they call them self, shows now, not news, it’s a show,
they went to DUFFY’S CARS today on CBS2/FOX28, but yet we have 3 major crimes in the first 7 days of 2013 and NOTHING on that, shooting,robbery downtown, and Home busted in to. Was 2012 THE WORST CRIME YEAR TO DATE IN CEDAR RAPIDS,IOWA ? They live in Marion or Robins maybe even N.Liberty, so it’s not important to them, or how about the 40 + fires unsolved to date? Not news? 2 people dead at the hands of Police and not news? After all the people have risked their safety to bring public to only be called liars?
YES, we need to WORRY about what COMES WITH the Casino they want to build with OUR taxes, we seem to always be YEARS behind other citys when it comes to Cedar Rapids,Iowa, look at the city meeting a month ago, there are NO HIGH END OFFICES that are READY NOW for companys to come into here, and well, did they NOT see this 10 years ago or 20 ? Did they NOT know we would grow and in what area’s? Right after the food in 2008, the city didn’t even have a number on the housing stock in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. How do you run a city and don’t even know what and how much of what you have is for sale or not?
We have a LONG way to go here in Cedar Rapids,Iowa and it’s gonna be a long haul the way we are going. How about a TOWN HALL MEETING like they did for their L.O.S.T. TAX they LOST TWICE, and by MORE the 2nd time then the first, by the way.
Maybe if they would have started on development on the WEST SIDE OF THE RIVER years ago, we wouldn’t be in the shape we are right now.
Mick Jagger said it best, ” YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IF YOU TRY SOME TIMES, YOU’LL GET WHAT YOU NEED”.