http://www.butlernational.com/Testimony.pdf "Christiansen Capital Advisors (CCA) engaged
by the Kansas Lottery to assess the feasibility of gaming in Kansas, projected even higher gross revenues from a Casino in Dodge City in their 2004 report and again in their updated report of 2006, than our own estimates."
That study? But we're talking about our Events Center, our tax dollars and the huge increase in infrastructure costs by the location (gee, next to someone's ? casino) of same. Will save that casino group millions and millions to do this, of course.
And they also pointed out "In order to maintain the quality of life of the area, the additional fiscal and economic costs incurred due to a casino would need to be covered by additional governmental revenues. ..
"Conversely, benefit-cost ratios of 0.75 shows public benefits are only 75 percent of public costs – costs exceed benefits."
And , "Since gambling has been legalized and made accessible in several states, the range of pathological gamblers has increased to 1.5 to 5 percent in those states..."
And of course "Distance from Casino in miles and
Annual Spending per Person*
0-10 $ 527.64
10-25 $ 234.23
25-50 $ 114.76
50-75 $ 66.97
75-100 $ 32.22
100-125 $ 13.37
125-150 $ 14.36
150-175 $ 8.99
175-200 $ 3.29
So basically Christiansen Capital Advisors indicates that most of the money will leave, most will be from Dodge City and nearby, public costs will go up more than public income, and we better get a lot more police with that $1 million dollars Dodge City or so will get. Thanks for bringing the studies up. Guess you really don't want people to read them, do you?
But back on topic. The location of the Events Center is an open question to those without financial involvement and profit in the casino. There's our difference of opinion. I'm not involved with either casino. I'm interested in saving downtown Dodge. And by having the Events Center at a location that doesn't require massive infrastructure costs.
If you casino owners want to build where no services are available -- hey, it is your money. If it become our money (ie. sales tax) than I would think a class-action court case might be of interest to some of us. And we do have the resources for that. The state law is very, very clear -- bascially "No tax money for the casino, none, for nothing, period."
One casino group even offered to build the Events Center. Not the Olathe, KS Butler National -- the Wichita group, the one that offered free land. That sounds pretty good to me. But than I'm not selling land for an events center -- an important point. (So few dollars left, so little time to take them and run...)
If the city actually needs infrastructure upgrades, than property taxes are the route to go. That's legal. And of course, the actual infrastructure costs of an events center, much lower than hotels, apartment complexes, restaurants, etc.
Oh, yes, you said Quote:
| It's disrespectful, at best, to not believe others who are expert in their fields when they study any issue and report findings. |
Gee, hmmm-- facts here -- 10 years of studies on the Events Center by experts -- none would put it two miles west of town. You might respect those experts.