OPPONENTS OF RIVERBOAT GAMBLING MEET AT SCOTT CITY

SCOTT CITY -- Emotions ran high Monday night as Scott City residents met again to discuss riverboat gambling.

The Rev. Lee Holland invited gambling proponents to Monday's forum at the Scott City High School gym to defend themselves against claims that riverboat gambling promotes corruption, poverty and social destruction.

Scott City voters will decide today if they want riverboat gambling in their community.

Jon Elliott, president and chief executive officer of the Royal Casino Group Inc., headquartered in Calabasas, Calif., was the only gambling representative to rise to the occasion.

"I am here tonight because Rev. Holland invited me; I'm not trying to crash your little party," he said. "I'm not here to convince you to vote yes, but rather I'm here to inform you about an issue that each and every one of you must decide for yourselves."

Elliott drew fire from area residents opposed to riverboat gambling in Scott City, as well as from two representatives invited by Holland from Cape Girardeau to speak against gambling.

Dr. Mike Wulfers and Dr. Richard Martin each spoke on the long-term effects gambling has on an area and its people. Both were strong opponents of the measure when it faced Cape Girardeau voters last year.

But at Monday's meeting, the men also focused on Constitutional Amendment 3 and the implications it could have on the state of Missouri.

"We have an opportunity to prevent something from coming to this state which carries the potential to inflict a great deal of devastating injures on our families and our friends," Martin said. "We've let gambling into our state a little at a time, and now we're faced with the aspect of riverboat gambling. This is our chance to vote and be done with it once and for all."

The mayor of Scott City organized an informational meeting March 29 for city residents to hear the proposals of Royal Casinos, Lady Luck and Eagle Gaming Ltd. At the meeting, Larry Forhan stressed that its intent was just to inform the public of the firms' proposals -- not to debate the issue.

During the meeting, Forhan squelched an attempt by the Rev. Terry Eades to speak against the issue. Monday night, the move was not forgotten.

"At the meeting the city had a week ago, representatives of the gambling firms were invited to speak about all the wonderful things they could do for Scott City, but the opponents of the issue were not invited," said Holland. "When we tried to speak out, we were cut short.

"The gambling representatives painted a very rosy picture of riverboat gambling," he said. "But whenever you have roses, you have thorns. The roses are beautiful, but the thorns can really hurt us."

Elliott accused the two Cape Girardeau men of acting on behalf of the city of Cape Girardeau, "which has been opposed to Scott City getting ahead all along. They don't want to see a boat go into Scott City because they think it will take away from their boat in Cape."

Both Cape Girardeans denied any connection with Cape Girardeau's effort to solicit a riverboat.

After hearing a great deal of information about the potential "evils" of riverboat gambling, resident Dean Wadlington offered his opinion of the matter.

Wadlington explained that he, his grandfather, his father, his brother and his four sons have all found work in and around Scott City, and have lived in the area all their lives.

"These two doctors from Cape were invited here because of their reputations of having concern and compassion enough to help people who can't always help themselves," Wadlington said. "That is brotherhood -- something gambling companies know nothing about.

"We have known each other and this community all of our lives," he said. "We support Cape Girardeau with business and many of us get jobs in Cape Girardeau. This is a mutual endeavor between these two communities. They cannot be separated like this."

Above all, Martin said the community cannot be torn apart by the results of today's vote.

"Don't be angered by this," he said. "Anger held in can develop into bitterness. There is a good chance we're going to lose, but in the end it is the people who vote yes who will lose."

That is one area where city administrators share the opponents' sentiments. At the March 29 meeting, Forhan said, "We as citizens of Scott City must unite after the vote. There can be no bitterness or hatred between us whether it passes or fails."