I’m not happy I have to devote time and energy to the casino issue being promoted by our parish president. Kevin Davis is determined to alter forever the family lifestyle we enjoy in St. Tammany by attempting to bring gaming (Louisiana’s word for gambling, since gambling is illegal) to Slidell’s lakefront.
About three weeks ago, I met with Kevin, along with some other pastors in our parish, to ask him respectfully to stop his pursuit of a casino. We believe it would ultimately be something which destroys families. Contrary to our suggestions, he has chosen to continue promoting the idea. We urged Kevin, who has provided strong and courageous leadership up until now for our parish, not to let this be his legacy. As we concluded our meeting, we gathered around to pray for him, asking the Lord to bless him and guide him as he leads our parish.
Because Kevin continues to promote the casino idea, we have no other alternative but to ensure every elected official who has a voice in this matter hears from us. We must stand against addictive behaviors which are anti-family and bring depression, despair, and desperation to people who engage in such behavior. In a letter I sent to our church membership, I included the names and contact information for every parish councilman, state representative, and state senator in our area. I have personally called every one of them, and I implore you to do the same. These representatives want to hear from their constituents. They will be weighing what we say against others who have a differing opinion. Each caller's opinion will be tallied, so we must outnumber their voices. (If you would like to have a list of the names, please call our office at 985-626-3217 or email me at ken@fbcmandeville.org.) I ask you to contact them soon.
What should you say when you contact them? I’m glad you asked!
1. Tell them to vote NO at the council meeting on any resolution that Mr. Davis brings before them. Don’t let this issue leave this parish.
2. Ask them to decline Davis’s invitation to go to the Lake Charles casino to see what a similar entertainment area might be in Slidell. (Remind them that the trip will not highlight the negative effects of gambling on the people there.)
3. Remind them that this has never been in the vision of St. Tammany of which we spent over four years developing our Vision 2025 plan.
4. Should the councilman tell you that he believes that the citizens deserve the chance to decide for themselves, remind them that legislative government cannot run effectively if decisions are made in this fashion. This is “civics 101.” If a councilman believes that gambling is wrong, he should vote his convictions. That’s leadership.
Please act soon. Don’t delay. Let their phones ring now. Fill up their email boxes and their mail boxes.
Several St. Tammany Parish pastors are adamantly in agreement on this issue. We are meeting every Monday at 2:00pm for prayer and discussion of how we can stop this particular behavior which destroys families from ever entering our fabulous Northshore life. Stand with us to stop this before it ever gets to Baton Rouge.
Because of Jesus,
Ken Schroeder
Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, December 22, 2008
Kevin, Say It Isn't So!
Since St. Tammany Parish went to the parish council form of government, we have had only one parish president. Kevin Davis has served as a strong leader as our parish president. He has provided stability of our parish through many difficult challenges.
However, I was surprised to learn that President Davis advocates the establishment of an “entertainment district” in Slidell that would be anchored by a casino boat. My response: "Say it isn't so!"
No doubt Davis believes that such a district will provide a boost to the economy. The Times-Picayune news story (12/20/2008) indicated that he believes that this boost would mean $8 million to $11 million from gaming. In addition, Davis believes that there would be substantial dollars raised through the hotels, restaurants, shops, and the venue for entertainers to perform.
At first glance, this sounds exciting since it would provide a huge income stream for the parish, plus it would provide our citizens and others with employment opportunities as well as entertainment choices. With so many “virtues” to such a proposal, one might ask, “What possible reasons could be offered to keep reasonable people from approving it?” I would like to highlight several arguments against turning to gaming or gambling as an economic development tool.
1. Gambling contributes to crime. Though proponents may offer counter-arguments, it is hard to deny the correlation between the introduction of casino gambling and an increase of crime. Cities where casinos operate experience an increase in all kinds of criminal acts including assault, rape, burglary, and murder. So rather than providing a safe family environment we enjoy in St. Tammany, introducing casino gaming will likely have a significant adverse effect on our quality of life.
2. Gambling contributes to corruption. Many careful studies on gambling point out frequent incidents of corruption related to gambling. Police are the most immediate targets for corrupting influences. While I have the utmost respect for our law enforcement personnel, they would be viewed by casino interests as targets seeking to make payoffs and bribes. But gambling corruption has bigger targets. Elected officials as well as individuals in the gambling business are also subject to the corrupting influence of gambling.
3. Gambling disrupts the economy. Rather than help us financially, gambling negatively affects the economy. Accessibility and availability create a perfect storm for gambling addiction. Research indicates that when a casino is located within 10 miles of home, there will be a significant increase of those individuals who become pathological or problem gamblers. This will correspond with all kinds of bad economic issues ranging from higher worker absenteeism and greater incidents of unpaid bills to an increase in personal bankruptcy rates. In fact, a recent study of counties that had casino gambling showed bankruptcy rates were 100 percent greater than those counties without casinos. Granted, it takes three to five years for the full impact of gambling-induced bankruptcies to be realized, but I hardly think it is worth it.
4. Gambling destroys families. Studies show that each problem gambler negatively affects marriages and families. Divorce rates for problem gamblers are two to three times the rates of non-gamblers. Gambling creates financial problems and special tensions in the home. It is difficult to determine whether the gambler or his or her spouse is more physically, mentally, and emotionally damaged by the ravages of a gambling binge. A woman whose partner is a problem gambler is more than 10 times more likely to be a victim of domestic violence than if the partner had no gambling problem. Add alcohol to the mix (a likely scenario in an “entertainment district”), and the odds for abuse increase to more than 50 times!
The children of gamblers suffer when a gambling parent loses the money for such necessities as food, rent, clothing, and medicine. They suffer when a gambling parent abandons them in cars, with neighbors, or in gambling daycare centers while they satisfy their gambling addiction. Communities are hurt by the presence of gambling as increasing numbers of people become addicted to gambling and prey on their communities to support their gambling addictions.
5. Gambling destroys lives. The something-for-nothing craving which gambling stimulates undermines character. The hope of winning a fortune causes some to embezzle and steal for a gambling stake. Gambling appeals to the weakness of a person’s character and develops recklessness, callousness, and covetousness. Some gamblers become psychologically addicted to gambling so that they cannot stop gambling and find themselves in a headlong plunge into personal catastrophe. Depression and hopelessness may plague addicted gamblers and their families to the point of ultimate depression – suicide.
I have urged President Davis in a letter dated December 22, 2008, to abandon the idea of an offshore casino boat in St. Tammany. While I know that gaming interests and others will argue that many people enjoy spending money in settings like the one you are proposing, the costs to individuals, families, the economy, and to our community is too high to justify it.
Please join me in telling President Davis to abandon the casino boat idea for St. Tammany Parish.
However, I was surprised to learn that President Davis advocates the establishment of an “entertainment district” in Slidell that would be anchored by a casino boat. My response: "Say it isn't so!"
No doubt Davis believes that such a district will provide a boost to the economy. The Times-Picayune news story (12/20/2008) indicated that he believes that this boost would mean $8 million to $11 million from gaming. In addition, Davis believes that there would be substantial dollars raised through the hotels, restaurants, shops, and the venue for entertainers to perform.
At first glance, this sounds exciting since it would provide a huge income stream for the parish, plus it would provide our citizens and others with employment opportunities as well as entertainment choices. With so many “virtues” to such a proposal, one might ask, “What possible reasons could be offered to keep reasonable people from approving it?” I would like to highlight several arguments against turning to gaming or gambling as an economic development tool.
1. Gambling contributes to crime. Though proponents may offer counter-arguments, it is hard to deny the correlation between the introduction of casino gambling and an increase of crime. Cities where casinos operate experience an increase in all kinds of criminal acts including assault, rape, burglary, and murder. So rather than providing a safe family environment we enjoy in St. Tammany, introducing casino gaming will likely have a significant adverse effect on our quality of life.
2. Gambling contributes to corruption. Many careful studies on gambling point out frequent incidents of corruption related to gambling. Police are the most immediate targets for corrupting influences. While I have the utmost respect for our law enforcement personnel, they would be viewed by casino interests as targets seeking to make payoffs and bribes. But gambling corruption has bigger targets. Elected officials as well as individuals in the gambling business are also subject to the corrupting influence of gambling.
3. Gambling disrupts the economy. Rather than help us financially, gambling negatively affects the economy. Accessibility and availability create a perfect storm for gambling addiction. Research indicates that when a casino is located within 10 miles of home, there will be a significant increase of those individuals who become pathological or problem gamblers. This will correspond with all kinds of bad economic issues ranging from higher worker absenteeism and greater incidents of unpaid bills to an increase in personal bankruptcy rates. In fact, a recent study of counties that had casino gambling showed bankruptcy rates were 100 percent greater than those counties without casinos. Granted, it takes three to five years for the full impact of gambling-induced bankruptcies to be realized, but I hardly think it is worth it.
4. Gambling destroys families. Studies show that each problem gambler negatively affects marriages and families. Divorce rates for problem gamblers are two to three times the rates of non-gamblers. Gambling creates financial problems and special tensions in the home. It is difficult to determine whether the gambler or his or her spouse is more physically, mentally, and emotionally damaged by the ravages of a gambling binge. A woman whose partner is a problem gambler is more than 10 times more likely to be a victim of domestic violence than if the partner had no gambling problem. Add alcohol to the mix (a likely scenario in an “entertainment district”), and the odds for abuse increase to more than 50 times!
The children of gamblers suffer when a gambling parent loses the money for such necessities as food, rent, clothing, and medicine. They suffer when a gambling parent abandons them in cars, with neighbors, or in gambling daycare centers while they satisfy their gambling addiction. Communities are hurt by the presence of gambling as increasing numbers of people become addicted to gambling and prey on their communities to support their gambling addictions.
5. Gambling destroys lives. The something-for-nothing craving which gambling stimulates undermines character. The hope of winning a fortune causes some to embezzle and steal for a gambling stake. Gambling appeals to the weakness of a person’s character and develops recklessness, callousness, and covetousness. Some gamblers become psychologically addicted to gambling so that they cannot stop gambling and find themselves in a headlong plunge into personal catastrophe. Depression and hopelessness may plague addicted gamblers and their families to the point of ultimate depression – suicide.
I have urged President Davis in a letter dated December 22, 2008, to abandon the idea of an offshore casino boat in St. Tammany. While I know that gaming interests and others will argue that many people enjoy spending money in settings like the one you are proposing, the costs to individuals, families, the economy, and to our community is too high to justify it.
Please join me in telling President Davis to abandon the casino boat idea for St. Tammany Parish.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
