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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

posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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