A Letter to the Editor in today’s Journal Gazette is one of the first to appear from a citizen in support of a Fort Wayne Casino. Â Some excerpts from the letter:
Casino offers mostly benefits
By Virginia Allen
[…]Â A casino would add many good jobs for our citizens, taking many off the welfare and unemployment rolls. It also would provide money to the city and county for taxes, along with a percentage of the profits, thus lowering property taxes for everyone. It would increase spending in the downtown area, including restaurants and hotels. Many patrons of casinos stay for the weekend, enjoying all the other amenities of the area, making it a mini-vacation.
[…]Â Casinos have many 1-cent and 2-cent slot machines, giving an opportunity for retired citizens to enjoy themselves for a few hours without spending too much. It is much like bingo, with a $20 bill affording a great time of relaxation and recreation. These people are not problem gamblers, but most likely your neighbors.
And yes, there are a few who have gambling problems, but they are going to gamble anyway, just someplace else. To deny Fort Wayne a casino because of the few who go overboard is like not having restaurants because some people eat too much, or closing all bars and taverns because a few will overindulge.
It is time for Fort Wayne to join the 21st century and stop fighting progress and growth. We must look outside our own narrow interests and use every opportunity to create job opportunities and revitalize our downtown.
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Ms Allen – Change your wording to, “To deny Fort Wayne a casino because it just will not prove to be profitable for the owners, the operators, or the city or county tax revenue makes very good sense. There is too much competition for people interested in gaming. Look at what’s happening in Anderson and Shelbyville – the operators aren’t making the desired profit due to a lack of customers, so what do they do? Just like every other “marginal” business, they first ask the Indiana legislature for tax relief – so that tax-payers can support them! This is Mickey Mouse nonsense!!