BETS ARE OFF; GAMBLING OPPONENTS ORGANIZING

Citing the title of a current, popular movie, organizers of Citizens Against Riverboat Gambling called the issue an "indecent proposal" for the city of Cape Girardeau.

Dr. Richard Martin and the Rev. Charles Grant are two of the five men spearheading the group, which will work to defeat a June 8 city ballot measure on riverboat gambling.

"Why would we want this for our city?" said Grant of the riverboat gambling proposal. "What would we throw away at the chance for maybe some easy money? What is the soul of our city worth?"

Martin said riverboat gambling "threatens the very fiber" of the quality of life in Cape Girardeau.

"I feel anybody who votes for gambling is interested in what will happen for the next five years, and then they'll move somewhere else."

Grant and Martin said they envision Citizens Against Riverboat Gambling as an "umbrella group" that other efforts against the measure could fall under.

The group includes representatives from more than 30 churches and religious organizations in the city that are convinced the social costs of gambling outweigh the economic benefits.

Indeed, Grant and Martin said the economic potential of riverboat gambling is, at best, dubious.

"When we look at this question, we can't look at anything that's been in operation for less than five years," said Martin.

He said one report he read showed that half of the small businesses operating when Jersey City, N.J., ushered in gambling have since gone under. "You have to consider that when you're talking about riverboat gambling in Cape Girardeau," he said.

Another city Martin cited was Central City, Colo., which, faced with crumbling infrastructure and a dying economy, hoped for a gambling windfall. But a September article in the Wall Street Journal said the city has gotten more than it bargained for.

The article said: "Certainly, the towns have gotten much more than they bargained for. Instead of a few slot machines, full-blown casinos owned by Las Vegas veterans and real-estate developers have swept in, swallowing many mom-and-pop businesses along the way. Water, sewer and traffic systems have been overwhelmed, crime has increased, non-casino businesses face huge tax increases and the relative calm of local politics has been shattered."

One of the city's residents who helped organize the gambling campaign now refers to its effect on Central City as "devastation."

Grant questioned the need for a gambling-induced economic boost in a county that enjoys a robust economy and a 4-percent unemployment rate.

Martin agreed.

"With a city like Cape, with its beauty and economic stability, we're thriving," he said. "This is the last thing you want."

Grant also warned of the effect gambling might have on industrial recruitment efforts.

"I'd like to know if the kind of industry we want to attract to Cape Girardeau will come to this city if they know it has legalized gambling," he said.

Economics aside, Martin and Grant said too many people ignore the potential social effect of compulsive gambling.

Martin said studies show that up to 5 percent of the general population already is comprised of compulsive gamblers.

"How many people would we add to that percentage if gambling were legal and readily available?" he said. "How many lives would be destroyed by this?

"As gambling comes into a community, gamblers come from all areas; hence the need for more types of gambling. This in turn brings in more gamblers. It will change the whole picture of Cape Girardeau."

Grant said that if the city opens the door to riverboat gambling, regulations and constraints likely would loosen rather than tighten over time.

An exit poll conducted April 5 by the Southeast Missourian showed that as much as 40 percent of city residents favor riverboat gambling.

"I believe if those people in favor knew the facts, they would vote against it," Grant said. "That's what Citizens Against Riverboat Gambling hopes to do inform the public about this issue."

The group's next meeting is at 5:30 p.m. May 6 at First Presbyterian Church, 235 Broadway. Also, Martin will be one of the speakers at a riverboat gambling forum May 25, sponsored by the Cape Girardeau County League of Women Voters.