By David Anderson
Be sure to gamble a bit and support your community while attending the City Council candidate forum at the Great American Casino hosted by the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, October 3, 11:30 am-1 pm.
To “share their visions for their respective cities,” will be contenders from both Lakewood and University Place – citizens like yourself that want to represent you and, presumably, will present the highest of ideals for preserving and enhancing “the social, economic and political fabric of the community,” thus deserving of your vote.
Never mind that while you socialize with those seeking your support you will be doing so in a setting that “is all about separating individuals from each other — reducing a community to a set of disconnected consumers who don’t add up to much more than their net worth.”
And as these candidates roll out their economic portrayal for what will be their respective city’s future portfolio, that is if they’re elected, ignore in the background the “hooting and hollering (of) patrons around table games – such as baccarat, Texas Hold ‘Em, blackjack, and other styles of poker, such as Progressive Fortune Pai Gow” – as your fellow citizens “transfer their capital to (the casino) in the course of playing repetitive sedentary games against quixotic odds.”
And even though you would expect of wannabe-politicos that evidence of studious reflection is central to their repertoire – “pieces that a performer knows or is prepared to perform” – don’t ask them if they are aware of “the preponderance of good research on the subject (of gambling) as summarized in a recent and widely cited report entitled ‘Why Casinos Matter: Thirty-One Evidence-Based Propositions from the Health and Social Sciences,’ issued by 33 creditable scholars and other experts assembled by the Institute for American Values.”
After all, the essence of these scholars’ report “is that casinos tend to erode and destroy the social, economic, and political fabric of a community.”
Why not?
Why not ask your council candidates about such community values?
Because the Lakewood Chamber is hosting the event at the casino.
That’s why.
Gee, David, I thought for a moment that you had reversed your position against gambling. You never fail to disappoint me, however, you are certainly resolved in the position you have taken on this issue and you have stated your position over and over again in this paper. I for one wish you would keep your thoughts to yourself as I feel you are badgering – “: to harass or annoy persistently” – me with your opinions.
Greg,
In the interest of accuracy, as I wrote in the article, my “opinion” as you call it, is the ‘position’ of 33 creditable scholars and other experts assembled by the Institute for American Values whose study of the gambling business led them to the conclusion that “casinos tend to erode and destroy the social, economic, and political fabric of a community.”
As to your contention that what I write is, as you call it, “badgering – ‘to harass or annoy persistently,’” no one is forcing you to read what you (a) do not like; and (b) cannot – evidently – substantively dispute.
David, if the chamber of commerce ever really gave a darn about a community it would surprise me. They are (especially on a national level) part of this citizen’s united garbage and big business greed! To hell with what helps a community or people. Yes we need business but good business and a business that pays taxes to the community (and yes some casinos do but how big a tax break are they getting?) How about letting them pay their fair share — oh, wait no we have to keep giving businesses tax cuts and breaks right?
No self respecting business wants there to be casinos anywhere around them. They are black holes, drains on the economy and take from businesses all around them. Unfortunately the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce is less concerned with “good business” than they are having a patron(s) in local gambling establishments. Follow the money.