Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike B.  Bubba,
I guess I could also say you are misinformed. My point is this: Both sides put up stats that benefit their arguments. Both sides are educated. I agree and disagree with statement from both sides. I know, as I stated earlier, that some good things will happen in Ford county because of a casino.
Now about those communities you have mentioned. Like I said both sides can put up stats:
Las Vagas: But what about the glitz and glamour of Nevada? If one scratches beneath the veneer of its gambling-induced prosperity, it becomes apparent that a culture sown on greed and the exploitation of human weakness invariably reaps the social whirlwind. Consider these documented facts: When compared with the other 49 states, Nevada ranks first in the nation in suicide, first in divorce, first in high school dropouts, first in homicide against women, at the top in gambling addictions, third in bankruptcies, third in abortion, fourth in rape, fourth in out-of wedlock births, fourth in alcohol-related deaths, fifth in crime, and sixth in the number of prisoners locked up. It ranks in the top one-third of the nation in child abuse, and dead-last in voter participation. One-tenth of all Southern Nevadans are alcoholics. And as for the moral climate, the Yellow Pages in Las Vegas lists 136 pages of advertisements for prostitution by its various names. No wonder they call it "Sin City." George magazine named Las Vegas "One of the 10 Most Corrupt Cities in America." Former deputy attorney general Chuck Gardner said, "I don’t know if there has ever been a situation with so much power concentrated in one industry. It is government gone berserk. If the poster child for gambling can't do any better than this, why would we want to follow in thier foot steps?
Cripple Creek: I recieved an E-mail just the other day from a man that lives there. Crime is on the rise. Drugs are now found in their Jr and Sr. High schools that were not there before the casinos came. Property tax has risen, not gone down as promised by the gambling industry. P.D. has gone from 1 part time officer to 24. Many people have been "done in" by gambling.
Atlantic city: Property values have indeed risen since the introduction of gambling. More taxes can be collected from a higher apprasial. This adds money to the city coffers to cover the cost of social and economic deterioration.
My point is that both sides, PRO and Anti gambling, have thier stats. I have rocognized the good that may come from gambling. Why don't you recognize the costs associated with gambling also? |
But the difference is, I don't get my facts from one side or the other. I take the time and look them up for myself. Now, on to the subject of your "facts."
Las Vegas: You say that Las Vegas has the highest suicide rate in the nation. That may have been at one point in time. The fact is that Alaska has the highest suicide rate in the nation. (source-
Suicide Reference Library ) You also say that Nevada has the highest divorce rate. That may have been the case
in 1994! But if you look at Jan. 2000 figures (newest I could find), you see that Nevada had 1037 divorces and many other states had more. Like North Carolina with 3028 or Tennessee with 2760 or Alabama with 1435 or Kentucky with 1688 or Florida with 6265. (source-
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nv...0-01-01-03.pdf ) You also say that Nevada has the highest high school dropout rate. I'm sure that was also probably the case at one time. But for the 2001-2002 school year (newest I could find), Nevada had a 6.4% dropout rate and several states were higher. Like Arizona with a 10.5% rate, or Alaska with an 8.1% rate, or Louisiana with a 7% rate. (source-
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2007/2007024.pdf page 22). You see where I'm going with this?!?!
Cripple Creek: You say you got an email from somebody that lives there. That there is more drugs in the Jr. & Sr. High Schools than there was before gambling. That property tax has risen and not gone down. That the Police Dept. has gone from 1 to 24 officers.
I say that you or the person that sent you the email must have a future in politics because those are true facts! I'm not going to dispute those facts at all.
However, I will paint the whole picture to go with those facts. There are more drugs in the schools (which are brand new & paid for by gambling money) because before gambling (in 1980) Cripple Creek had a population of 680, and less than 100 students. After gambling (2000 census figure) Cripple Creek had a population of 1,115 with 494 households and many more students to fill those brand new schools. So, using common sense, you can make the correlation of more students=more drugs. Now, the property tax issue. The property tax has risen because the property values have risen, not necessarily because the tax rate has gone up. Now, the Police Departments increase in officers. Again, the population in 1980 was 680, the population in 2000 was 1,115. That is just the full-time residents. Many casino workers live in nearby cities and come to Cripple Creek to work. Some from even Colorado Springs, 44 miles away. Also there are scores of visitors that come to Cripple Creek. Again, common sense shows that the Police Department needed to grow and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. (Source- I too know people that have ties to Cripple Creek, ie - relation that lives there.)