THE PUBLIC MIND: WILL WE SHOOT OURSELVES IN THE FOOT OR SHOOT DEAD RIVERBOAT GAMBLING MEASURE?

To the Editor:

The issue facing the voters of Cape Girardeau next week has been dubbed an economic issue. Indeed riverboat gambling is an economic issue which raises several questions.

Has anyone ever known an individual who established and maintained his livelihood solely as a gambler? I've not and I have never heard of anyone who has. If one person cannot survive economically by gambling, would someone explain to me how an entire community of individuals can expect to survive economically?

The success of riverboat gambling is dependent on the willingness of people to spend (give) their money to the gambling establishment. Recent ads flaunt big dollars. If these pipe dreams are realized, from where will those dollars come? They will come from the pockets of our neighbors. Will the success of riverboat gambling mean that my neighbors will be richer and better off? No way!

How many families in Cape Girardeau can afford to lose a thousand dollars from their annual income? If five hundred or a thousand dollars is lost on the riverboat, who in the family will be most likely affected? Sadly, in many cases it will be the children. The success of riverboat gambling v.~ill mean less money for clothes, school supplies, and savings for college for those children. Convenience gambling will drain needed money from many family budgets. A vote for riverboat gambling will prove to be a vote against a brighter future for many children in our community. Yes, many of our neighbors are facing an economic issue not ever faced before. Economic pressure on their budgets can be avoided with the defeat of the gambling issue.

Only a few weeks ago the voters of Cape Girardeau defeated a proposal to spend a few million dollars over a twenty-year period on the community's educational infrastructure. Had the proposal passed we would have had fine educational facilities that could have been used for two generations. Now, we are told that if riverboat gambling is legalized, we will spend as many millions in one ~year down on the riverboat. And what will we have in return for our millions? Very little. Where are our values? Our children will answer that question next week.

Finally, who is spending the money to promote this issue? Is it local business interests or outside interests? Who is spending the money to defeat this issue? Is it local people or outsiders? The answers to these two questions should tell us which group is vitally interested in our community. And those who are truly interested in the economics of this issue.

Yes, riverboat gambling is truly an economic issue. The stakes are too high. It's not worth the gamble. Will we shoot ourselves in the foot or shoot dead this issue.

J. Wendell Wyatt

Cape Girardeau