DON'T USE PUBLIC MONEY FOR FORUM ON GAMBLING

Voters in Cape Girardeau face a June ballot issue about whether to allow riverboat gambling in the community. Citizens have a lot of information to digest before making this decision, weighing the pros and cons of this enterprise. The Convention and Visitors Bureau Advisory Board voted last month to allot as much as $1,500 for "town hall" meetings to be held on the subject. Since then, opposition has arisen to this decision, which the board has now placed in limbo. We think the proposal should be suffocated. Tax dollars aren't necessary for getting the word out on this ballot measure.

The advisory board acted on this matter with good intentions, trying to bring to the forefront information on a subject where information surely needs dissemination. Mentioned in this proposal was an invitation to the director of the visitors bureau in Alton, Ill., where riverboat gambling is legal and in full swing. Some citizens were put off by this, and city Councilman Melvin Gateley last week publicly objected to this expenditure of public dollars. Consequently, the advisory board moved off its earlier vote and is rethinking its position.

As the process moved forward in getting the riverboat gambling measure on the local ballot, it became obvious that passions run deep for proponents and opponents. Perhaps the Alton official would offer a balanced view on riverboat gambling's benefits and drawbacks, as the local advisory board suggested, but spending tourism revenues to bring him to Cape Girardeau begged in some a desire for alternative views and a sentiment of a stacked deck. We believe the mood is right (and the resources available) among supporters of the measure to pay the freight on out-of-town experts to pitch this cause. Opponents can do likewise. There are valid points to be made on both sides of this issue. This newspaper will do everything within its means to bring information to light.

We favor public forums being held on this issue, and we support the input and education of the voting public as they relate to riverboat gambling. However, we oppose the use of public dollars for this purpose. Opinions on either side of this issue are plentiful and reasonable, and there are resources that would enable these views to have a broad airing. Money at the Convention and Visitors Bureau's disposal can surely be put to more productive use than in the sponsorship of a "town hall" meeting. Let those folks interested in promoting or opposing the proposition step forward to support such gatherings.