LET'S GET EDUCATED ON PROS, CONS OF GAMBLING

This fact is clear: Cape Girardeau residents will vote June 8 whether to allow riverboat gambling. Muddying the waters are the many implications of this outcome. In the next four and a half months, we must all become educated on the pros and cons of riverboat gambling if we are to make an educated choice.

Up to now, the case has not been made locally for or against riverboat gambling. One letter from the Downtown Redevelopment Corporation asked the city to put the measure on the ballot. Their purpose was to determine the costs, site, interest and commitment of Cape citizens to proposals and requests they had been receiving. A handful of citizens have spoken out against it at council meetings, mostly for moral reasons. Up to this point, there has been very little public discussion.

The proposition's placement on the ballot was even out of the ordinary. Typically, a measure of this kind is placed before voters by initiative petition. These petitions assure sufficient citizen support, since they must be signed by 10 percent of the registered voters. The fact 51 percent of Cape Girardeau County voters approved riverboat gambling in November convinced some council members there is enough support to place the measure on the ballot. That may or may not be true. People may enjoy gambling, but not at their own back door.

We understand the wish of some downtown merchants for a quick decision. They had requested a March vote. But we feel the June election is more suited for complete and spirited public debate. A March vote would have also stirred confusion with estimated $22-25 million Cape Girardeau Public School bond issue that is targeted for April. This bond issue, in our opinion, is a much higher priority subject.

Over the coming months, we must analyze competition for this tourism dollar. Several Missouri cities have already approved the local option, including Ste. Genevieve. A $18 million riverboat gambling operation is also scheduled to open in March or April in Metropolis, Ill. Both of these operations are only an hour away. If the whole purpose is to promote tourism, we also must weigh the fact that up to a dozen other boats may soon be operating around the state by next year. Is the state, and in fact the entire Midwest, becoming saturated with riverboat gambling?

Cape Girardeau downtown merchants say they have had several inquiries into the possibility of a riverboat being docked in our city. What are these proposals? Who will pay for riverfront improvements for the boat? Citizens should be advised up front if we must pay out money to bring in these enterprises. In some cities, the developers have footed the bill. In other towns, such as Fort Madison, Iowa, the city borrowed $2.6 million for riverfront improvements, and were left holding the bag when the boat operator left town with little notice.

What kind of jobs and economic revitalization has been realized in Alton, Ill. or the Iowa towns that brought in boats? Has gambling been a boon or bust?

Furthermore, Cape Girardeau citizens should ask: What's in it for us? How much can the city realize from such an operation? What kind of profits can we expect? These are only a few of the questions that must be answered. And that doesn't even touch on the moral or criminal issues that concern many people, including us.

We can't simply vote on the notion of riverboat gambling as we did on the statewide ballot. It's a whole different ballgame when that boat is docked at our back door. As potential hosts, we have a right and responsibility to ask tough questions, and receive informative answers. Let's get educated.