CVB TO RETHINK MEETINGS ON GAMBLING

The Convention and Visitors Bureau will reconsider whether the city should sponsor a "town hall" meeting regarding riverboat gambling in Cape Girardeau.

The CVB Advisory Board voted last week to hold the three informational meetings to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a riverboat casino. The cost of the meetings was to not exceed $1,500.

But Robert Hendrix, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, said Wednesday the group will reconsider its action because of public concerns over the expenditure of city funds for what might be considered promotion of riverboat gambling in the city.

Voters in Cape Girardeau will go to the polls June 8 to cast ballots on whether to allow a riverboat casino to dock here.

"The issue of tax money is very touchy. It always is," Hendrix said. "The city can spend tax money on informational programs, but with a hot topic like this, we might be ask~ing for controversy."

City Councilman Melvin Gateley raised the issue at Monday's council meeting. He said Wednesday that he doesn't think it's appropriate for the CVB an arm of city government to spend taxpayer dollars on the town hall meetings.

"I thought it was kind of on shaky ground for them to use city funds to publicize this," he said. "I would say the same thing if it was against the issue."

Gateley also said he doubted whether the proposed speaker for the town hall meetings Bob Ratliffe, director of the Greater Alton-Twin Rivers Convention and Visitors Bureau in Illinois would be an objective source of balanced information on riverboat gambling.

The city councilman said there are local groups on both sides of the issue that could provide appropriate spokesmen for the meetings.

"If we find out that it is a legitimate expenditure of city funds, then they ought to have someone in town who is opposed to it able to give the other side," Gateley said. "I think people look at this as an issue that came about legitimately.

"It's on the ballot now, and we need to be careful that we don't create something that's controversial," he added. "Let the pros and cons come out, but let either individuals or groups on both sides of the issue do that."

Hendrix said the concern over proper appropriations of city funds is legitimate, but he said ideally, a forum could be held with one representative with an objective viewpoint instead of representatives from two, conflicting sides.

"I don't think the `con' side in a riverboat gambling debate is going to be hard to find, but I don't know how easy it's going to be to find the pro side," he said. "Then if you do, it turns into a debate. It often becomes an emotional shouting match."

Hendrix said another option is for the city, the chamber and the CVB to do nothing at all, and simply let both sides make their arguments as the June election date looms.

"I don't know really if that's a good option," he said. "I think it's better for people to be informed about the issue both sides of the issue so that they make an informed choice in June.

"What we'll run into there is people complaining that we didn't give them enough information, and regardless of the results at the polls, people are upset."

Hendrix said he would favor another independent entity sponsoring the town meetings as they were proposed by the CVB board.

"The chamber is looking at that issue and will bring that information back to the CVB board when it meets later this month," he said.

"Basically, we're talking about the same type of idea for a town meeting, but remove city government."

Hendrix said Ratliffe likely wouldn't pitch a pro-gambling agenda if he were brought in.

"He's just someone who would bring information on how they went about it, and what happened at Alton," he said. "If it's just an informational meeting, they're not going to have a problem with tax money.

"However, since the issue has been raised, we're back looking at that and trying to decide which way to go."

Gateley said he's had several residents tell him they object to city funds going toward the meetings.

But he did say he favors both sides of the riverboat gambling issue being fully presented prior to the June election.

"Definitely, if from a legal standpoint they think it's appropriate to spend money on it, we ought to have it balanced some way," Gateley said. "We ought to let each faction do their own work just as a candidate for election would.

"Right now, if there are two groups, it really looks best to let them handle it and for the government to stay out of it, especially with city funds."