Riverboat Gambling on Taney

[gonefishin]

It would be more likely to pass in the upcomming non presidential election. Not as many voters out.

[OnTheFly]

It would be more likely to pass in the upcomming non presidential election. Not as many voters out.

There is a lot of truth in that statement.

I live in Tulsa and we have plenty of Indian casinos here and I will tell that they have done nothing for our economy or infrastructure. As a matter of fact all they have done is cause considerable traffic congestion and increased the crime rates in the areas the casinos exist. But then again Indians don’t pay taxes.

[BWO]

I agree with OnTheFly, I'm also in OK and all I have seen are rediculous billboards and traffic congestion around the casino's. There hasn't been any talk of civic improvements resulting from these "entertainment locations".

[Danoinark]

I think if you will do some checking that the Indian casinos or bingo parlors do not have to fork over tax dollars to the locals or state. I think they keep the whole honey pot. So unless they are just making a generous monetary contribution to the local community, I would say the reservation is getting the loot.

Dano

[Thom]

I don't know where in St. Charles that the crime rate hasn't gone up. I do know that our food banks are almost always empty. I worked for a large corporation and our EAP reps had people making 50K a year with record bankrupt filings. The Areas around casino's in St. Louis have had large incrases of armed robberies. The statistic don't bear out that the economy is made better by casino's. That was the sell for New Orleans which heavily depend on casino money. Let me tell you the ecomomy there wasn't improved.

I have lived in E.StLouis Il, Collinsville, Il (horse racing) and Ofallon Mo and I have followed the beginning promises of limits on spending and advertizing that was quickly forgotten after the lobbists got what they wanted. The laws and regulations of how much an individual can spend and access to bank atm's have been continually raised.

Weather you want to recognize it or not there is an element that comes in with and follows gambling that is never good for a community much less a small town family oriented area like Branson. I come there and own there for what is there and so do thousands of others from around the world. It is unique. I wouldn't gamble on loosing it. (no pun intended)

I guess I don't have to tell you what I think of casino's!

[Phil Lilley]

One thing no one can argue with--

If they get their foot in the door, you will never get them out.

Think about it- do you want to take a chance on losing what we now have? Branson is unique but it won't be if gambling gets in.

And you will never get it back. Ever.

[OnTheFly]

Think about it- do you want to take a chance on losing what we now have? Branson is unique but it won't be if gambling gets in.

And you will never get it back. Ever.

That is the question that people really need to ask themselves when allowing casino style gambling into their city.

FYI, back in the late 80’s the local horse people kept saying that horse racing was the way for the state to pull itself out of it financial funk and now some twenty years later and multiple failures of race tracks Oklahoma has not benefited from horse racing. It is a fool’s errand to think a casino, racing or lottery is the way for a city or state to become prosperous.

[loo10]

I could not agree with Phil more on this one.

It's about setting precedent.

If the law is changed and ONE casino is placed in an inland lake;

then the door is open for any lake in this state!

And you won't get it repealed...EVER!

One has to imagine how the fishing would have been

at Lake of the Ozarks if they hadn't been allowed to develop

it right up to the waterfront.

Or what about Taneycomo if there were no docks or buoys to dodge?

Anyone remember the hogs that used to swim amongst the trees at Clay Banks

before the KOA rock pile was built???

Thank goodness for the areas on Taney where there are bluffs

and they can't develop.

I'm against the casino. I'm against more condos. I'm against more

$300,000 homes built on the water.

I am for the slot limit, I am for releasing ALL brown trout,

I am for the fog that comes off the lake, I am for catching trout while in waders or from my boat, and for the smiles that Taneycomo's fishing

brings to people.

So, a casino?

Nah, our goals aren't the same!

[Danoinark]

And with that I also have to agree. Despite the morality of the issue, I think more importantly Missouri residents would not want to allow something that will open it up to every pond and natural stream in your state. We have been faced with this same proposal in Arkansas the last two elections. Just this year a gentleman from Texas proposed Casinos in several locations here..one of them would have been in Boone County at the Taney County line. He has since quit taking signatures on a petition, I presume because of the negative pr it was generating, and announced that he was not pursuing it at this time. Dano

[gonefishin]

I agree with you guys for the most part. I am not for the Casino on Taney. I do believe that if people don't get out in record numbers we will have it. I think it is kind of sneaky to put it on a statewide ballot when it mainly affects the people who live here. It should be a local vote. Anyway they will keep at it until they get it approved unless people get out in big numbers and soundly vote it down again. The only way the will stop is if they think there are so many people against it they can't ever win.