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Measure 75: Wood Village Casino
Bruce Studer and Matthew Rossman are the chief petitioners behind Measure 75. They want to establish what would be the state's first private casino at the former Multnomah County Kennel Club. They claim that the casino and accompanying family entertainment center would create thousands of new jobs and provide $147 million annually to Oregon's public schools. Additionally, the project would be subject to income and property taxes, which the state's nine tribal casinos do not pay. Opponents of the measure say the casino's primary beneficiaries will be Studer and Rossman themselves. Tribal representatives contend that the casino would have a "severely detrimental" effect on Oregon's Indian Tribes by cutting into their gaming revenue, which is used to fund tribal services and philanthropic projects.
Measure 75's road to the ballot box has been littered with legal hurdles. Studer and Rossman have tried twice since 2005 to bring their project before voters by proposing an amendment to the Oregon constitution that would allow a private casino in the state. Each time, they've failed to gather enough signatures. This time around, they decided to move forward without a separate initiative to amend the consititution. They claim that the existing state constitution gives voters — and not the Legislature — the right to approve a private casino, which is what they say Measure 75 would do.
What do you think about a private casino in Multnomah County? Do you live near the site of the proposed project? What are the potential benefits and costs of a private casino? Are you involved in Indian gaming? How would this proposal affect you?
Tagged as: 2010 election · casino · measure 75 · wood village
Photo credit: John Wardell / Creative Commons
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A heck of a good show would be brainstorming how to "Create businesses that pay workers living wages; that aren't service jobs; and that don't enrich a few self-interested business owners." in the quantities that are desired to effectively reduce unemployment and backfill state coffers.
Personally I don't see it happening given the education and skill-sets of many of the unemployed, but I'm always willing to be enlightened.
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I used to live in rural northern Nevada, and we often noted that the trouble with the culture there was that nearly all actvities were centered on the gaming industry; it was the casinos who put on the big shows & concerts,casinos paid for area fireworks, and they had the best restaurants. The trouble is that the easy money lead to the region being totally dependent on this gaming industry. It isn't healthy. I'd rather not see Oregon start down that rat hole.
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With our economy in such dire straights, I would like to see a casino built.
The old greyhound park is just sitting there crumbling away and is a sorry
site for anyone who has lived in this area for many years. I'm all for it!
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Has anybody considered re-developing the old dog track as park, a plain ol' fly-your-kite, sit-in-the-sun, ride-your-bike, take-your-sweetie-on-a-picnic park?
Yes, I realize there may be some up-front outlay for the work, and some other ongoing costs, but perhaps we could allow whomever currently owns the property and whatever organizations donate the labour and upkeep a deduction on their taxes for their kind support of the community.
At least this way, the property wouldn't just sit there mouldering away and crumbling into a (further) state of disrepair -- and the community could enjoy it for years to come.
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Oops! That should say "...the old dog track as a park,..."
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@Totalnerd
"@Penny From Eugene: how does a dog-park in Troutdale benefit anyone living outside the Greater Portland Area (or even the immediate neighborhood for that matter)? Surely there are places in the southern end of the Valley where you can fly a kite and have a picnic. -- Totalnerd — Mon Sept. 13th 9:23a.m."
If you re-read my first post in this discussion, you will see that I am suggesting the old dog track be re-developed as a MULTI-USE park that all in the community can use, not just a casino for the gamblers, or a dog-park for dog-owners, but a regular park with benches and bike paths and a fountain or two and picnic areas.
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We live in a democracy with a “free” market economy. So the guys from Lake Oswego who want to go into the gambling business have every right to try. But, the license to have a gaming establishment is a franchise granted by the state and the federal government. Governments are empowered by their citizens to be catalysts and stewards for the Common Good.
Two kinds of governments in Oregon are authorized to be in or to grant a franchise for the gaming business—the State and nine tribal governments. The guys from Lake Oswego are trying to get one of those franchises, using the initiative process to validate it. This raises what might be considered by them as simple business proposition to a public policy question. Here are some things to consider as we do so.
Tribal governments have leveraged their federally chartered and state sanctioned franchise to build stronger communities and stronger bonds with their neighbors. They have leveraged their advantage in the marketplace not to enrich their individual members but to provide better community infrastructure, social service programs, and restore rich cultures that have been decimated by cruel and unjust treatment and bad policies of the past. Being generous and forgiving, the tribes use their capital to rebuild their communities and the communities of their distressed rural neighbors. As the tribes ramp up their campaign, they will provide all the data on their unprecedented contributions to the state’s overall well-being.
What they won’t say, because they are characteristically humble and understated is this. Tribal governments, their enterprises, and their people have the potential to perfect community and economic development business models that are sustainable long term and light on the planet far beyond what any other government can or will do. This is because they have value systems that treats the interests of all creatures and the land as equal and recognize the importance of inclusiveness in bringing the benefits of their efforts to all people within their territories.
If we want earth friendly and sustainable development in Oregon, the tribes are our best bet. Letting the guys from Lake Oswego and their carpet bagger investors in on the action would be a poor wager and not be in our public interest.
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Oh please, take a look at the in-lieu fishing sites to see how earth friendly the tribes are. Drive through a reservation & see the blight. The tribes who do have a casino are still collecting funds from the federal government - that is you & I and our taxes. Why should they be receiving funds? It is all about greed.
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Moral opposition to gambling is childish and makes us look like hand-wringing nincompoops.
For the record I live in Multnomah Co., and make one or two trips per year to Las Vegas to visit family; while I'm there I do enjoy gambling a little. I would probably never patronize this proposed casino because it will probably be a dump just like Indian casinos are dumps.
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I'm not opposed to it on moral grounds, rather I oppose it on the basis that there is no apparent benefit for anyone living outside the Greater Portland Area, especially those of us who live at the "other end" of the Willamette Valley and don't have cars to go running about the state willy-nilly.
On the other hand, I might be persuaded to support it, IF I CAN GET A JOB (with FULL benefits and a living wage) OUT OF THE DEAL.
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@Penny From Eugene: how does a dog-park in Troutdale benefit anyone living outside the Greater Portland Area (or even the immediate neighborhood for that matter)? Surely there are places in the southern end of the Valley where you can fly a kite and have a picnic.
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@Totalnerd
See Above for my reply to this latest comment.
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@Totalnerd
"@Penny From Eugene: how does a dog-park in Troutdale benefit anyone living outside the Greater Portland Area (or even the immediate neighborhood for that matter)? Surely there are places in the southern end of the Valley where you can fly a kite and have a picnic. -- Totalnerd — Mon Sept. 13th 9:23a.m."
If you re-read my first post in this discussion, you will see that I am suggesting the old dog track be re-developed as a MULTI-USE park that all in the community can use, not just a casino for the gamblers, or a dog-park for dog-owners, but a regular park with benches and bike paths and a fountain or two and picnic areas.
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What I've read on this site so far... Two people from LO delivering jobs and ~150M yearly to schools vs. alternatives delivering 0 jobs and 0M yearly for schools.
I get it that some folks don't like the idea and maybe the jobs aren't the best... but looking at this from a practical perspective in this budgetary climate what are the tangible alternatives to an offer that will get people off the dole and back into the workforce? If I didn't have a job, anyone offering to throw me a rope would look pretty good right now.
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Why is this being voted on statewide when it only effects 1 site in Multnomah Co?
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It is being voted on statewide because it is the STATE, rather than the Counties, that decides who can operate a gambling operation. The Tribal organizations get to operate casinos because they are sovereign nations, even though they are enclaves within the United States or one of the several states.
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It would make more sense if this measure opened up gambling statewide, but it doesn't and IMO someone in Lane co. shouldn't have any say in what happens up here.
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I am against Monopolies. It is strange how the Native Americans arrived at their gambling monopolies. It has to do with separate nation status within the United States. This pushes the limits of illegal products and services, because it is so profitable. Fireworks, gambling, duty free cigarettes and alcohol and even prostituition. But I know Jefferson never anticipated billion dolllar casinos on superhighways with free million dollar roulette spins. Yeah we took their land, but who gave them the right slot machines, high stakes poker. off track gambling and sports wagering?
Competition is the bedrock for capitalism. Let the Indians compete on even ground without monopolies.
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Casinos are small compensation for what the US Govt. did to the indigenous populations of this country.
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"Competition is the bedrock for capitalism."
In what alternative universe?Capitalists hate competition and they try to crush it and create their own niche monopoly. That's business 101!
Just look at Bill Gates' Microsoft for just one example. He is a ruthless predatory capitalist, who crushed his competition, and not by creating quality software but by creating a monopoly.
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"Bill Gates' Microsoft for just one example. He is a ruthless predatory capitalist, who crushed his competition, and not by creating quality software but by creating a monopoly."
Guess you haven't been paying much attention to the advent of: Linux, iPhone-OS, Symbian or Android... outside the PC space the competition has done well and if Mr. Gates isn't careful will work it's way on to his turf and clean his clock... competition can work if it's enabled...
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"competition can work if it's enabled... rethomas — Mon Sept. 13th 1:59p.m."
Add Apache server to your list.
And remember those like Linux, Apache server, Mozilla Firefox browser, and Mozilla Thunderbird email are not capitalist, they are for the public good, in the commons.
They are in competition to do good in the world, not to create for-profit corporate monopolies like Bill gates' Microsoft that do bad in the world.
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It is time we repealed the rights of Native Americans, and their exclusive race-based tribes, from being allowed to own and operate casinos. If we are not willing to do this, then we must give the rights to all. This reminds me of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’ in what kind of message it sends. That owning a gaming facility is okay if you are of a certain culture or ethnicity. What weirdness! How did we ever allow this odd-ball system? And, to make matters worse, we now have people moralizing the rights of others to open a casino, and at the same time they are arbitrarily celebrating Native American tribes as a collective, which is a rather disgusting form of bigotry.
If we feel that gambling is a negative and deleterious segment of the economy, then restrict it, but even if we seek restrictions let us make them equitable. Let us correct the wrong and open the doors to all, and, if we feel it necessary, put measures in place to control it. Even if your agenda is one of protection, and it is in the best interest of the public, you should still not use willy-nilly discrimination as a vehicle to do so. This is not the way a democracy ought to operate.
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I think the promise of "new money" for the state is misleading. When Rossman says there will be money spent at the casino, that the state gets a cut of it, this is just getting Oregonians and tourists to spend their money in a different place.
If we, the people of Oregon, think our state and schools need more money we need to commit to that need by voting for taxes and paying 100% of the cost, not allowing someone else to run a business with a promise of some percentage going to what we should be stepping up to do.
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gregn — Mon Sept. 13th 9:23a.m.
Exactly right.
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Having worked for many years in the regional casino gaming industry, it has been my experience that while it is true that a large number of low paying service jobs are created and local and state governments get to painlessly raise revenues without raising taxes, the casinos themselves create an extremely unhealthy, depressing and parasitic experience disguised as "exciting entertainment."
And yes, the primary investors get to make a lot of money.
Oregon does not needs this, it is a quality of life issue, while I don't believe that it's the job of the government to protect people from themselves, it is also not the job of government to take the easy way out when trying to maintain budgets by taking money from casino operators who are, at the end of the day, enjoying a licensed monopoly and taking advantage of people with addictions.
Just as the State Lottery is primarily funded by small group of extremely addicted individuals, this casino would also enrich a few at the expense of these addicts.
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I'd like to thank both of the on-air guests for completely dodging the question put to them. Casino are, without question, one of the most data driven organizations on the planet. If these two gentlemen honestly do not have any insight on this issue then I would question their ability to effectively run a casino in the first place.
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There will be a cost to Oregonians with putting in a private casino. People spend only so much on gambling--- that means less dollars to the competition, i.e. tribal casinos AND the state lottery. Oregon relies a great deal on state lottery dollars to balance the budget; these lottery dollars mean money for schools. The tribal casinos also bring money to local government and if that money decreases, it will mean more money that the state will likely need to divert back to the local counties to support those services. I think it is time to think about renegotiating what the tribes are required to invest back into Oregon. The percentage seems low compared to other states. However, federal law puts restrictions on what states can require. The tribal compacts presently have exclusivity clauses that are a bonus to tribes and would allow the state to require more... if we allow a private casino... we lose the exclusivity clause and will be hampered going forward.
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In these difficult economic times when fire and police protection are trying to provide adequate management of risk with about half the funding; and at a time when the Governor and Agency Heads are looking behind every rock to find funding outside the general fund: Aren't we at a place that we need every new business possible? This casino would add jobs and revenue to our state. Isn't that what we're working towards?
Yes, the investors are looking at making money from this - but they're offering revenue to US when revenue is very hard to find these days. I will vote for Measure 75.
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A Casino does not create wealth, it only redistributes it from those who do work to create wealth, to those who scheme and scam to get their wealth instead of actually working for it.
This a bad idea.
Why not build a product or provide a service that makes a positive addition to the world, instead of being devious schemers?
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"A Casino does not create wealth, it only redistributes it from those who do work to create wealth, to those who scheme and scam to get their wealth instead of actually working for it."
Replace the word "Casino" with "Government" and you are so right on!
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"Replace the word "Casino" with "Government" and you are so right on!
rethomas — Mon Sept. 13th 2:03p.m. "
Government can enable the conditions for people to create wealth. For example, I spent a few days last week watching the NASA "Green Aviation" Conference speeches and presentations on TV. The government is coordinating and financing the research that will help industry to become more efficent and clean and "Green" and both industry and the public will benefit from that.
I agree with you that Conservative government steals from the people and gives to the wealthy, but Liberal government enables the lower classes to be included in raising their standard of living, creating the middle class.
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Why do we need more casinos? Is this an appropriate source of tax revenue for the state? People complain about being taxed too much by the government, but then willingly pay an indirect tax when they throw their money away gambling.
Jon
Salem
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The economic benefit of gambling to the State of Oregon may be likened to a man who gets a blood transfusion, by having blood taken from his leg.
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I was leaning towards voting against this measure, but after hearing Matthew Rossman dodge questions about the profits for investors while repeating the $150 million in revenue for the state, I'm completely opposed to this just based on his duplicity. If he's certain about the one figure - based off of adjusted gross revenue - how can he not have a number to give out that estimates investor's profits? It feels sneaky, and makes me feel that this project is really only going to benefit the investors at the expense of the community.
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I think casinos are a bad idea for many different reasons, but lets consider this impact. If building a casino is such a great idea, why not build the casino in Lake Oswego where Mr. Rossman lives? Or West Linn? Or another neighborhood of higher priced homes? This would show the classic "NIMBY" (Not In My Backyard) syndrome that is common with big corporations. Sure, they will say, "well the cost of land is more expensive in these areas", well, why do you think that is? They don't have a casino or a Wallmart, or a Fred Myers in the heart of their quiet bedroom communities.
People of lower income status always have to bear the cost of large corporations control over supply and demand, and now you want to feed on the vice of gambling by coyly covering it with features like a water park? That is so far removed from the public good.
Well, at least if this casino measure passes, other folks in Lake Oswego won't have much difficulty buying up the property around Wood Village, since you know the property values around this complex will further plummet.
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This is just going to suck money out of Oregon, under the illusory scam of paying a bit of taxes to the state. And as such, it is a Regressive Tax.
This does not add to Oregon, it just churns the money around a little and then these guys skim off the top.
This does not add value to the world, it subtracts value from the world.
Vote no!
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I am guessing that we could extrapolate that if the state is to get $147 million than the casino would be at least profitting $600 million. Not including any other of the revenue streams.
Which to means means the investors expect to get all of their $250 million back in the first year of operations which is normal for casino develoments.
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It is difficult to understand the opposition to a casino when the state of oregon runs mini-casino's in almost every bar and 'sandwich shop' in the state.
I think it is sad that we as a society are willing to use hundreds of millions of dollars of addicts dollars to prop up our government spending.
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There is no amount of money that any casino industry will agree to spend that will compensate for the degradation of the living environment in which it derives its hundred of millions of dollars when it finally evolves into full blown gaming.
Gaming is a disease upon the economy and the social fabric on which it preys. It makes a few people unbelievably rich at the expense of the communities around them. It is indeed a parasitic animal that takes in far more than it puts out. 95% of casino workers are not family wage workers.
I lived in Nevada for 23 years. I've seen the devastation gaming inflicts on a people. If gaming was a good way to raise money, Nevada would not be 50% upside down on its state budget.
Gaming is just another addiction problem with a smiling face.
Gaming is a nuclear-tipped camel's nose.
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Ha ha ha! These guys are writing their own Regulations, and we know how that worked out with the Derivative based loan scams that resulted in our current Recession.
And we remember that Ken Lay of Enron lobbied his own change in Regulations that have resulted in our current high electricity, natural gas, and gasoline prices.
Sheesh! No!
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If I could, I would vote no plus tar and feathers.
Jerrold Richards
In The Beautiful -Mid-Columbia Gorge
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I’m laughing at the fear being expressed by the spokesman for the existing state gambling monopoly; afraid to face competition in a marketplace that you currently have to yourself?
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As a homeowner in Troutdale (1.5 miles from the proposed site), I find myself and my neighbors firmly against this casino. For the developer to claim that "the state is the primary benefactor" is blatently false, since 75% of the profits will go back to the investors. This casino is going to cause worsening traffic through the 84/205 interchange, as well as along the 84, and will bring crime and low wage service jobs to the area, which will not have any positive impact to our city. The unending quest for profits should not encourage us to relax our morals and let problem businesses like this into our community. I would rather see the area turned into poppy fields and marijunana dispensaries as opposed to a casino/waterpark/whatever.
PS- And for the record, I'm against Tribal Casinos as well, for roughly the same reasons.
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Why should the tribes have a monopoly on casinos? They contribute a small portion of their profits to so called community benefits funds. They all claim poverty and high unemployment, but there is no way to verify it as they claim sovereignty. If the Warm Springs are so broke how can they have spent millions of dollars, so far, to build a casino in Cascade Locks? If approved, they will spend millions more. Wouldn't those millions have done a whole lot of good to their members to create jobs on their reservations and build facilities needed for alcoholism and drug addiction of their members? They claim that they need health facilities yet they receive millions of dollars from the federal government for all of their needs. They receive more than the entire county of Hood River. Where is that money going? They have many businesses on their reservation. They just want to be close to Portland for greed. There is crime associated with casinos. We are a very small town & the tribe would take it over. We have officials who just see dollar signs. River Lady, Cascade Locks
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Yeah... I bet you blame "The Indians" for everyone in Cascade Locks being addicted to meth to.
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I plan to vote "yes" on the initiative. Why? A casino in Wood Village would be far better than the tribal casino proposed for Cascade Locks. The Wood Village casino would likely stop the Cascade Locks idea for good.
Wood Village has mass transit, so people wouldn't burn as much fuel or create as much congestion compared to driving to Cascade Locks. Wood Village is in the Portland metro area, so it won't create the kinds of environmental impact that a casino in the heart of the Columbia Gorge would. It won't clog I-84 with pollution and traffic, it wouldn't create fire danger in the windy and forested Gorge, and it won't put salmon and other wildlife at risk. Being in an urban area, it will be much easier to monitor crime and gambling addiction and keep those negative impacts under control compared to a casino in a small town far away from the city. I also like the idea that tax revenue will flow to the state compared to it only going to tribal coffers.
The Warm Springs tribe had plenty of time to do their project right and propose a site in Portland with revenue sharing for education and other state programs. They refused. They should not be rewarded for poor planning.
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This is false and wrongthinking. Voting yes on 75 has nothing to do with preventing a casino in Cascade Locks. The competition may prevent it for a time being, but every argument you make is false (barring specious claims about fire danger/enviroment, which are patently unproveable). This WILL create worse traffic in the 84, especially at the gateway interchange, there is no major public transport to that area (destination casinos don't tend to attract people who would take public transport anyways), and the city of Wood Village (and largely Gresham as well) are not ready and waiting to put up with the crime and addiction problems either. Most likely, these costs will be borne on the backs of the local residents, either through higher taxes or reduced quality of these services.
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Pass this measure, and you wont have to worry about a "Indian Casino" in Cascade locks. Don Guido from Vegas will out bid them on the land, and build his casino there. And one in Eugene, and one in Salem, and one in Woodburn, and one in Kalamath Falls, and one in Govt. Camp......and on and on and on
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Past Oregon governors have limited Oregon's 7 tribes to one casino per tribe and the casino must be on reservation. Allowing a private casino in Multnomah County opens the door to putting casinos anywhere in the state and will upset that delicate balance we have currently with tribes. Why should Oregonians want this, especially when casinos compete with the state lottery? Location, location, location...
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Each Oregon tribal run casino is run by Natives of our fine state - people that have long term- generations- of investment in the health of Oregon's community, economy and environmental future as a whole. How can this private non tribal casino guarantee that it will act in the same manner? I don't believe the hype. Oregon is NOT Nevada. It's in our constitution.
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Good point -- the Native American communities in Oregon were likely here LONG BEFORE this place was even known as 'Oregon.'
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I hear talk of all the good to the East County community this casino will bring. What about the quality of life for the residents who live within two miles of MKC? The dog races did not run all day long every day of the year. I don't think enough of us will gain anywhere near the reward that the investors are due to personally gain.
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I find it odd that no one has brought up a very interesting fact that this casino is another example of our economy leaning more towards services as opposed to actually manufacturing a product that can be exported. In oregon we have too many of these, and over all the amount of jobs generated, and the economic boost our local economy would get from a factory outshines the neon signs of a casino.
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This scammer, Roger Gray, says that the voters are in charge, but the voters did not ask for this bill, he and his fellow schemers pushed it onto the voters. He is just blaming the victims!
This, of course, is dishonest and just portends more of the same in this casino business.
Why would anyone vote for a dishonest person and his Casino business?
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Another point. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that "corporations are people too..." cash-swollen gaming interests will be able to literally FLOOD the newspapers, the airwaves and the internet with their message that gaming is all positive with few negatives. Whoever creates the first non-Indian gaming operation will want to create another, then another, and another. Once it starts, the gaming industry's unrestrained bull-horn will be very, very difficult, if not impossible, to stop.
In Nevada, where I lived for 23 years, and reported on the gaming industry, I watched and wrote first hand about gaming, its profits (for the elite few), its damage to communities and it's gargantuan influence on the political currents in the state. Gaming is so in control in Nevada because it donates dump-trucks of campaign cash on BOTH Republican and Democratic candidates. "Heads gaming wins, tails gaming wins." Gaming offers soooo much money that NO ONE is immune. By the way, those who are elected to state office and the legislature refuse to tax gaming at even a reasonable level. Nevada is 50% in the red on next fiscal year's budget, while they run out of money to cover the cost of the current one.
Property crime, including burglaries, fraud, theft, embezzlement, any way to feed local gaming addictions are sky high in Nevada. People you know all your life as upright, law abiding citizens fall prey to gaming's easy hook and then its strangling addictive grip over their minds and their lives. Walk around any casino, Native or otherwise, and pay close attention to the mindless hypnotic trance most players are under as the casino separates them from their hard-earned cash. Those huge gaming palaces are not built from winners.
This is not just any camel's nose coming in under our tent. It is the devastating snout of an economically devastating Tyrannosaurus Rex. Vote NO!
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I lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for many years before and after the arrival of the first casino In Biloxi. We relocated to Portland just two years ago.
I agree with the listeners who attest to the fact that the nature of a community is changed forever once casinos come in. They dominate the scenery (one example: the 'bedroom' community of Ocean Springs, MS had to petition for the cessation of laser lights filling the night sky over the bay - they, in fact, caused a disruption to airplane traffic as well as homeowners, night fisherman, and people who were exposed to the boundriless interference of casinos)
More importantly, we say the quiet, meditative drive along the Gulf Coast on Hwy. 90 (featured in Percy Walker's novel The Movie Goer) turn into a traffic snarl, with increased deaths of tourists trying to go from one side of the hwy. to the beaches. And, while the industry did bring badly needed jobs to the area, I saw many of our children's peers get jobs as valets, and later, inside jobs - I saw, first hand, how these young people were affected by the world off fast money, free drinks, drug use and general lask of values. We knew families who sold their family homes, some historical, to casinos that ursurped the property just north of Hwy. 90 - then deteriorate in the wake of the sudden increase of cash from the sale of their property and the loss of their place in their neighborhood.
I could go on with details of the negative impact of the casino industry to not only the immediate area, but the surrounding environs, but will stop here...I see the program is off the air!
Antoinette LaGrone, Portland OR
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One other point, if Non-Indian gaming gets a toe-hold in Oregon, it will grow from one community to another. With the recent U.S. Supeme Court ruling that "corporations are people too," the gaming industry's bull-horn will be impossible to stop.
In Nevada, where I lived and reported on the gaming industry for a Carson City newspaper, I wrote first hand of gaming's damaging effects on the economic growth, social fabric and overall quality of Nevada life. Many companies and corporations will not locate to Nevada which internationally proclaims it's "24 hour lifestyle." Gaming is, after all, the second "oldest profession," the first of which gaming quietly promotes in the background.
Not only that, the gaming industry completely dominates the political currents that drive local and state government. In Nevada, gaming donates mountains of campaign cash to both Republican and Democratic candidate. "Heads gaming wins, tails gaming wins." The result is that gaming is not taxed at anything near what it should be paying to compensate for the huge societal dysfunctions it inflicts...on families, on the non-gaming work-place, law enforcement, the courts and prison system. This powerfully coercive political power has enforced it's political and economic will to the absurd extent that Nevada, with a state budget that is OVER 50% IN THE RED, continues to be run by those, in both parties, who continue to proclaim, NO NEW TAXES (including on gaming, OF COURSE!)
Gaming is a clear and present danger to Oregon. It is a predatory greedy beast. Just walk around any Native American gaming operation in Oregon. It's the same as in Nevada...miles of slot machines where "losers-in-waiting" are locked in the mesmorizing sight and sound of machines that separate them from their wallets. These gambling palaces are not built on winners!
There is no amount of "alleged benefits" that justifies casino gambling in Oregon. These nice looking men in their expensive suits tout construction jobs and tax revenues to the state along with promises to be "community minded." It's all hogwash. Gaming is more than the camel's nose under our tent. Oregon will be ripped apart by the vicious snout of an economically devastating Tyrannosaurus Rex.
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Measure 75 serves as a excellent example of the bastardization of the citizen-driven initiative process.
As I understand it, the citizen initiative process is intended to give voters an opportunity to do the things that citizen's felt their state representatives are unable or unwilling to accomplish.
Measure 75, however it got on the ballot, clearly demonstrates how a narrowly focused, self-serving interest can hijack the process purely for their personal gain.
- R Jones (Beaverton)
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Ayup!
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To be fair and frank Oregon should either open the door to all casinos including the privately owned casinos or close all casinos including the tribal ones.
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Good luck with your idea of closing the existing tribal casinos. You may as well dam the Columbia by standing on the side and throwing pebbles in. The Warm Springs tribe should be allowed to open a casino in Cascade Locks. It would draw out-of-state visitors into a beautiful part of Oregon where they could leave some money in the form of sales tax...someday.
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What everyone seems to be forgetting is that if this passes, we have opened our doors to private casino's. This will be only the first of many, many, many more. If you want to live in Nevada so bad, please move there. Don't bring it here. Do you really think that they wont come up here and start buying up land in your area and building in your neighborhood. If you thought that the "Indian casinos" were so horrible, just wait. I really thought Oregon was smarter than this measure. But there are obviously some very ignorant people posting on here.
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The opponents appear to have Oregon law on their side as the opponent's link states. Don't we have enough casinos in Oregon and Washington? Create businesses that pay workers living wages; that aren't service jobs; and that don't enrich a few self-interested business owners.
Oregon Casinos
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/oregon.shtml
Washington Casinos
http://www.americancasinoguide.com/washington.shtml