A New Casino?…. Or is it Wal-Mart?

Admittedly, I will probably not visit the new casino, nor view it as some kind of savior for anything. But having said this, I know many will and I do hope that it can add some positive component to downtown.

The renovation of the Higbee Building has brought back an historic gem with new opulence. It appears grand and exudes class.

It deserves to be visited by those who will make an effort to demonstrate a little self respect and pay homage to such a storied venue–and new event–in patronizing the casino–by not showing up looking like a complete slob.

I am not saying one needs to invest in a $1,000 suit, but how about at least making an attempt to look and smell as though you have not crawled out from under a rock?

I shudder to think of such a spectacular place, peopled with what looks more like a scene awaiting the opening of a new Wal-Mart!

Perhaps somewhat of a dress code might weed out some of the folks who probably cannot afford to be spending their last dime gambling in the first place. This is not about vanity, rather, about self respect.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 3:35 PM 2 comments:

Cleveland, Do We Really Need Gambling?… Or Kenny!

 

I hope that since many other casino operations offer entertainment such as live shows, that Cleveland’s will create something similar by offering a chance to see some of the older performers like Kenny Loggins, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes… I noticed Kenny was performing at a casino in West Virginia, recently–and in previous years Harold and his Blue Notes were performing in the Poconos. This is the sort of thing other places offer and draws a more quality clientele. Maybe these kinds of shows can be offered at Quicken Loans Arena.

But entertainment is really not what I am going to focus on….I am more so, as in the past wondering if this whole casino bit is a good idea at all to place in a position to be some sort of benefactor to the city. I am not convinced that this is the best we can do for economic development, and certainly not the most creative, as casinos in this part of the country are becoming as common as another Wal-Mart!

The regional saturation component when standing alone, is enough reason why I feel ultimately the novelty will wear down, and nothing will be special about another casino. Surely not special enough to attract destination travelers with money to burn. We will never be a Las Vegas, nor should we strive to be, because we do not need to be. It is more likely the casino will attract mostly locals with little money, and many go hoke broker than when they came! Still, I hope that in the end, as reluctant as I am about this project, that it is not just about gambling and that other forms of entertainment, like Kenny, will be offered. Gaming can surely be part of some positive elements in a city, but not looked upon as “the savior” in typical Cleveland desperate fashion. We looked at LeBron James in this light, look where that got us…the manufacturing base…look where that got us! Maybe its time to not place all our chips on one number, for a change?

Not only will people be gambling, but so is the city as a governing unit, “gambling” under the daring notion that it will generate so much revenue and cure many ills. Again, this might be true, but the question remains: Should we place ourselves in a position where we have to depend on that which is related to fostering obsessive and dysfunctional habits, for revenue? I say no, let’s not make a habit of relying on these industries.

It is similar to placing the tobacco and junk food industries in a position where they can claim to be some sort of benefactor to a community because smoking (sale of cigarettes) helped pay for a stadium–OR, because Coke, Pepsi, and Frito Lay chuck a few pennies back to the schools where they place their vending machines. We really should think a bit deeper and awaken ourselves to the fact that these are NOT benefactors in the long run. They’re not because we must consider the trickle down repercussions resulting in fostering poor health which has been shown to be a drain on the economy and benefits only few financially. So, where we gain on one side in the short term, we still lose on another.

Gaming has its own associations with fostering bad habits that have people spending what they don’t have in the hope of winning it big, and thus, creating financial chaos in the hoke life–which carries with it all that can affect family because of it. The classic “externality” the industry has removed itself from. The industry proclaims “people should gamble responsibly” Do “gamble” and “responsible” really belong in the same sentence? Such seems a classic oxymoron! Gaming industry’s profits heavily rely upon IRRESPONSIBILITY! But let’s face it, their profits depend upon people making insatiable, spontaneous, gullible, and irresponsible decisions. The profits, indeed, result from the irresponsibility they warn against in the first place!

The same can be said for bad eating habits and smoking, when those industries pass the whole blame on being more personally responsible. While it is certainly essential to learn how to exercise more personal responsibility, what I do not want to hear are industries who profits depend on being irresponsible, telling us we need to be responsible! If we were, they’d lost a hell of a lot of business! But they know that bad habits are hard to break, especially those as in the case of smoking, where knowingly addictive chemicals are purposely added to get you hooked. So any industry that relies on its customer developing a obsessive habit, can proclaim such advice with confidence in knowing that it is unlikely that a grand enlightenment will overcome its followers.

I am straying away from the pointed question, though…. Back to the pointed question in the beginning: Should we place ourselves in a position where we have to depend on that which is related to fostering obsessive and dysfunctional habits, for revenue? Again, I answer “NO”…and follow with more questions that sum up why I say no: Do we want Cleveland to be labeled the fattest and most unhealthy city by traditionally anti-Cleveland publications like Forbes? The last thing we need is to become this publication;s exclusive target and punching bag.

How about the most financially crippled from gaming? Seriously, this sounds absurd, but Forbes has come up with just about every kind of list you can imagine!

Do we want myths about our city and region to be perpetuated even further, or have the myths actually come true which can result in a shunning or disinvestment in the city by potential stakeholders?

Finally, here is a question that just might result in revenue! How about good old fashioned home ownership and fostering neighborhoods that are attractive for such, like focusing on quality of life issues, safety, and clean environment and good schools? I know the gaming industry has posed as a benefactor to schools, but again, I ask….Do we want to have our schools reliant on gambling for the funding they need? We welcomed in junk food and this was just one part of many components that got us to an obesity level so shameful, that that the current generation of children may not outlive their grandparents! What are the costs?

Do we really want the gaming industry, despite the dark side we seldom hear of amidst all the hype, to be in a position to proclaim.. “The schools/city cannot survive without us…so we must get what we want!” (How did the planet survive before Vegas?!) Well, they’re already off to a good start because they got what they wanted with the destruction of the pedestrian oriented city block, to make way for one which encourages less street foot traffic and more driving–that is, unless the design is altered. This might be appealing for the generation of obese we have nurtured.

At the beginning of all this , I mentioned that I hope the gaming scene will at least offer some quality entertainment at the Q. Yes, despite all the above skepticism, maybe a song by Kenny Loggins will make it all a bit more easy to digest. Perhaps “Celebrate Me Home” to remind us of how much establishing a good home life can contribute to making a great place in which to live and raise a family, and for that family to do the same! It happened before deals with gaming industry, tobacco or junk food, and I am confident it can happen again without them. Cleveland should not be so desperate as to whore itself out to anything in the name of “economic development” that comes along. Development at any cost can be costly! Maybe the last song can be Kenny’s “I’m Alright” to remind Cleveland it can be alright without gambling!

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 11:20 AM No comments:

Please Ohio, Once Again—Just Say NO To The Gaming Industry Hype!

Here is my rather redundant editorial on the latest gaming proposal idea!

Ohio… Psssst.. Listen up.. Please STOP being sold a bill of garbage that casinos are the be all end all cure for economic woes. Just because many surrounding states bought on to this bandwagon, does not mean we have to follow the leader and do a “monkey see monkey do.” Nor does it mean they’re right and we’re wrong.

We should not be trying to build an economy around this sort of thing…. Something that simply has no accountability where the money goes. If people read closely through the proposed issues (as in the past you will find that there is NO guarantee we’d make anything from these entities. Too many loop holes; too many empty promises. We should not be building an economy around entities that help to produce and foster bad and self destructive habits—that in the long run, could be a cost burden on the state, Example: bankruptcies, etc. I can see it now, already economically depressed…..what a time for gaming promoters to pitch their goods! (especially when their own industry is in decline!) People gamble and drink when depressed…and we see people peeing away their government assistance checks on gaming! This will NOT attract high end gaming enthusiasts as Vegas. We will NOT be the gaming destination place like Vegas. Gaming promoters are in business for one thing: PROFIT! NOT charity to states! Please see past the smoke and mirrors, Ohio.

Even if proposed right… I am still not sold on this idea. If we want to help our economy, we’d be trying to lure and promote high tech jobs and workforces that perhaps can have our region being the hot pit for cutting edge green technologies, such as windmill manufacturing, alternative fuels, green vehicles, solar panels, recycled product manufacturing, etc. Such would display a contrast and total change from our industrial polluting past manufacturing base. The jobs that could result in a green economy…. could help foster a better populous in body, mind, and spirit by creating a healthier environment—and hence—this could help keep people living here long term and raise their family. Can you see how such an economy would be a contrast to what depending on the tobacco, booze, fast food, and gaming industry, helps to trickle down produce in the population?——A sad sap bunch of obese mental numb heads who are so down and out and misinformed, that somehow they become deluded into thinking gaming will cure everything from world hunger to cancer! Absolutely pathetic if this is the best this entire region can do for economic re-development.

Let me reiterate…. How about Cleveland and Ohio in general, being a world leader in green or other future technologies? For every product produced, there is a job behind making it, marketing and selling it. It is time Cleveland and N.E. Ohio re-invent itself from the past economies—and placing a band-aid on the economic woes right now with the gambling hype is NOT going to sustain a long term future economy—nor should we build one around such that ultimately is a contributing factor in producing the mediocre mid-west ‘Kielbasa Kid” mentality that is so pervasive throughout our region.

Every state, every city in this region having a casino, is the same as seeing the big box “Sprawl-Mart” stores all over the place—and what is so very special about that? Would such a scenario have people coming from all over to see just another casino? I don’t think so, and rather, I see the scene as a soon to be a dated one…so pase. Seen one seen ’em all! Please, Ohio, don’t follow this extremely deceptive bandwagon and instead…. discover all the other alternatives to build the economy–and the entertainment sector, in particular, that really will lead to making Cleveland, N.E. Ohio a place people will want to live, work and play—and visit. Let all the others who thought this was the answer, look at Cleveland/Ohio and envy us for something we have that they do not—all because they were all too busy following the leader…to a road that leads to nowhere, nonetheless!

Lastly, I plead again…..Many think Ohio is a joke because they have voted the gaming down so many times. Ohio is only a joke if many of you posters actually believe this is going to salvage the economy…and are duped into thinking this is the only thing we can do to make the city/state shine and be attractive for the future. When people are desperate, they’ll latch onto anything that sounds promising with little question, as long as the hype is all the tootie fruttie nonsense people want to hear. The casino hype is a classic example of what I am talking about. Why do you think promoters hit this whole part of the country hard in the first place? It is easy to lure the hungry and desperate. Please tell me you’re not this desperate Ohio, that you will allow anything at any cost set up shop in your state, as long as the promoters spew all the right ‘jobs and taxes’ B.S.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 8:45 PM

SAY NO TO OHIO ISSUE SIX GAMBLING!

I oppose issue six for several reasons. Before going into a few reasons why it is nothing more than a con to benefit one casino operator, I want to talk a bit about the twisted philosophy we are buying into these days when it comes to curing economic woes—and who we chose to rely on to pull us out of them!

Perhaps it is time people in Ohio stop making ‘deals with the joker’ in attempts to cure economic/social problems or generate better business.

Let’s look at a few examples:

* Schools—stop making deals with the junk food industry thinking you are going to get revenue from, say, vending machines–because the dollar amount the junk food industry yanks from you versus what you keep is not worth it the resulting growing number of obese kids we are helping to produce who could one day place a big strain on health care costs!

* Bar owners who complain about no smoking laws…. Pssst… Stop thinking you have to rely on tobacco to drive your business. Alternatively, develop a new vision or philosophy as to how you can generate more business. Shouldn’t the food, drink, or atmosphere be the cornerstone attraction? Is it worth ruining your interior with smoke and making people sicker?

* Now we have bought on to yet another vice driven revenue rescue source…gambling as the panacea to cure all social/economic woes. If the best Ohio can do for economic development is to nurture the ‘bad’ under the belief that it will ultimately do good, then this is a sick and twisted cultural mentality that needs to be re-evaluated and perhaps changed! It is a mentality as sick as a gambling addiction. Only those in the treatment industry thrive from such a philosophy–and the vast majority of people do not.

None of the above helps to foster a healthy body that will be competitive in today’s economy, so who can begin to measure the revenue losses that come from a physically and mentally sick people?–which we are–and growing! Again, only those in the treatment industry gain. What about the rest of us?

Continuing further, lets look at some of the technicals why issue 6 should be opposed. For starters, some of the language suggests that some revenue will help those addicted to gambling. OK, Let’s use gambling to help the gambling addicted. That’s like selling cigarettes to pay for lung cancer research!

Next, if you read through the issue authored by the gaming industry, there are simply too many loopholes that could result in the casino paying absolutely NOTHING to the state because the language states that the casino would pay “up to” x amount of revenue. “Up to” could mean nothing. The gaming industry is in business for one reason–PROFIT…NOT charity. other language in section 6 of the issue reads as follows: (d)The remaining gross casino receipts taxes collected shall be distributed as follows: ten percent (10%) to the county in which the casino is located and ninety (90%) to be distributed on a per capita basis among all 88 counties in Ohio, such funds to be deposited into the general fund of each county and spent at each county’s discretion. Where is the accountability here?

I hope Ohioans will remember even just these two examples of language in the proposed amendment that has unaccountably written all over it when they vote. The question is…Are we really going to generate revenue for the state? If so, at WHAT COST???

Sure, several other states have jumped on the casino bandwagon and it may seem like the latest thing to do BUT—If everyone is playing monkey see monkey do, why would Ohio be so different or special enough to attract tourists in drones? A casino? Its just like another Wal-Mart or Walgreens on the corner; nothing special! Are we going to become a destination place like Vegas where people travel to gamble, many of whom actually have some money to blow…or, do we become the gaming industry’s patsy? The answer is probably the latter.

The gaming industry cannot wait to get its hands on Ohio for several reasons, one such reason is because they know many areas in Ohio are economically depressed—and what can often accompany such depression? You guessed it…Drinking and gambling! Stage set…A great place to help nurture a bad habit tinder box and profit at the same time. Some people would even be prone to spending government help money on gaming!

Ohio can be progressive and unique—and say no to the casino rave–and instead spend the money developing and investing in real jobs and fostering a quality workforce, create high tech family sustaining jobs, green jobs–and maybe a green economy to carry us long into the future–and not develop economies that prey upon and make worse already ill social scenes. Contrary to popular myth, casinos will NOT produce the kind of jobs we need in Ohio for its long term success–instead, produced will be many dead end, low paying service oriented jobs already plentiful. The gambling promoters are like opportunistic vultures waiting to swoop down and feast on the weak and dying–and in a time Ohio is weak, they are opportunists. You can do better than follow the gambling band wagon, Ohio.

P.S. On one last footnote: If you read through the constitutional amendment, the proposal basically sets up a monopoly for an out of state casino operator and also leaves little accountability to assure criminals are not employed or involved with the operation of such an establishment. There are simply way too many loopholes in the proposed amendment. Leave the state constitution alone.

Posted by Angry Man In The Basement at 7:54 AM