Cop notes are posted.
Something struck me Saturday.I was at a convenience store and the girl in front of me was talking to her friend about her trip to the casino. She was all excited about all the fun she had. Finally came down to it she only lost two dollars and felt that was a great trip to the casino.
I just dont get gambling I guess. I have my own vices but that isnt one of them.
The odds are so against winning there. At least with a horse or dog track, there is some skill involved and somewhat of a chance of winning. I have done OK at the dog track at times, but not enough to make me really want to go a lot.
Im not so sure that the casinos are a good thing. Has there been any benefit to Kay County or Cowley County?
The narrow road by them is also more dangerous than it used to be because of the additional traffic.
The local relief agencies are also more burdened than they were before the casinos opened.
With the economy, you would think that people would not gamble as much, but any time I go down past that area, the parking lots are still full.
I remember a couple years ago, I had to go out of town because of a family emergency on Christmas day. There on Christmas morning, there were a lot of people at the casinos.
I Just thought that was sad.
Dont mean to judge people here, but ... what good are the casinos?
But on the other hand. Is there some way we could take advantage of the traffic, Get some of that money circulating in Arkansas City before its lost south of the border.?
If you notice there are a lot of SG tags on those cars!
ReplyDeleteThe Casinos are big business and they know how to entice people into their establishments!
Don't think for a minute that they haven't done plenty of research into what works and what doesn't when it comes to their type business.
Even the sounds have a pupose the more machines in action the greater the attraction.
They have special attractions like Mondays for seniors and give you ten dollars to play and give-aways like electronics and even vehicles.
Plus free food, live entertainment and of course their bars.
While they may be operating in a small town area those people are BIG TIME operators.
AND
They are creative! It seems only card games are allowed in Oklahoma (no wheel games). Some of the casinos (not here) have developed an elctronic version of wheels games that are driven by scanning cards. This gets them within the States laws!
Unless I am wrong the Indians don't own the machines they only rent space in the facilities!
Anyway they have been able to attract people to their facilities all hours of the day and night!
Now if they could just get someone on the City commission?
AC already launched a plan to get some of that money. It consisted of staking out cops at the entrances to the city and handing out traffic citations for things such as inoperative tag light or failure to signal lane change etc.
ReplyDeleteThe result, it didn't take long for the SG tag people to communicate the county road route around AC. We became known as a speed trap city and a place to avoid. Much of that traffic has bypassed AC because of our inhospitable welcome.
Some even stay on I35 and take the first Oklahoma exit which puts them near the casino east of Newkirk as well as the two by the state line.
Haven't noticed Newkirk cops writing a bunch more traffic tickets but the few restaurants they have seem to stay pretty busy.
The face of AC economic development seems to be the PD. That's what those SG tag motorists are saying.
One other thing; maybe before blaming the casinos for the "burden" on the local relief agencies, at least consider that rising energy costs, paying more taxes for a war on terrorism and the international economic funk. The casinos aren't the blame for that.
True, but, within days after the casinos opened, people like the salvation army saw a great increase in requests for relief.
ReplyDeleteThere may be other reasons, but ... the timing seems more than just a coincidence.
Let's see hmmmmmm. Casinos opened. War continues. Gas prices hit $3.50+ and remain there for nearly a full year.
ReplyDeleteOver 60% of the fortune 500s announce sweeping layoffs. Creekstone is swacked by madcow scare and gets no support from any level of government. Boeing (Cowley county's largest employer) announces layoffs of several hundred employees. The largest employer in Kay County continues to remove jobs by the hundreds from Ponca City (-600 jobs in the past 3 yrs).
State of Ks begins underfunding agencies which means less state aide to low income households and some staff reductions in the area -we're in the state too. Staffing reductions at the Vet facility…elimination of job seek facility – the ramifications of state budget woes are profound
Then add all the aggressive municipal financial policies in AC. But, nah! None of those factors could have contributed to the demand on local relief agencies.
People are struggling in Cowley AND in Kay County. Stop blaming it on the casinos. I don't think the casinos are the villain this time.
Never said casinos were the ONLY culprit. But if you will remember, the casinos opened before the economy went down, before massive layoffs, before $4 a gallon gas .. and it was then that requests for help went up ..
ReplyDeleteeven more since the economy has gone bad.
My original question, was whether the casinos are good for us.
No one has given any examples of how the casinos have improved our lives or our communities.
Except to make money for large conglomerates from out of state.
They have provided jobs for some people in the community and therefore, have improved the lives of those people. Overall they probably aren't good for this community because we see no tax benefits from them. They are a form of entertainment for those people that can control themselves and a burden to the ones that can't.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree, the roads in front of the casinos aren't as safe as they once were (they were always a hazzard even before the casinos). The casinos have offered a good job with good pay to many Cowley residents that have been layed off. While some may see it as a downfall to the community, those who work there see it as a source of making a living. You can talk all day long about the evils of the gambling that goes on there but many people benifit by them being there. People have got to learn self control. With gambling, drinking or many other habits that we create through out our lives. People get in trouble with credit cards all the time, Do we just eliminate all credit cards? Nope.
ReplyDeletePeople have to take the blame for their own downfalls, we can't blame the casinos, although it is easier.
If people are stupid or weak enough to give their paychecks to someone else instead of putting a roof over their heads and feeding their families, more power to em.
ReplyDeleteThe local relief agencies did not see an increase of requests within days of the casinos opening.
ReplyDeletethe vast majority of players are NOT from Ark city.
It is true there are some poeple that need a keeper, and can't control themselves. But the reality is that while some people can't control themselves most are responsible and don't spend their rent money.
Two closing thoughts: $4/gal gas dates back to our reaction to the 9/11 bombing so I think that pre-dates the casinos.
ReplyDeleteAs for teh benefit to local economies, where, my friend, are the profits from WalMart going? Which conglomerates are benefitting from the merchandise sold at the retail mogul? Billionaires are being made by our Christmas shopping.
Are any of those billionaires buying a home or groceries from our local economy? Has any one from Cowley or Kay County cashed a check for $30billion like the oil companies have. The plight of global economy is it aint helping little cities like those which exist in the midwest.
Why measure the casinos by a different standard. It's entertainment and capitalism all rolled into one. They make almost as much money as the media outlets reporting on Tiger Woods marital problems. And, you ain't seeing any of those dollars in AC either. Is that an accurate summation?
BTW: The three casinos in NC Oklahoma offer health benefits to full time employees. That is something a number of other local employers do not offer.
ReplyDeleteIf you are going to assess, then weigh things like number of employees, health insurance and viable entertainment.
Casinos, one might argue can grow an economy. Anyone ever heard of Nevada? The Boardwalk? Gulf Coast? Rio?
There are some impressive places where casinos and the accompanying entertainment are the principal sources of revenue for local or state economies. Meanwhile, other than accidents on the highway, the predicted crime rate has not risen as used for justification of local law enforcement budgets.
The casinos did create a brief spike in traffic court revenue before folks learned how to go around AC.
What we need now is legalized prostitution like Nevada. That will grow the economy!
ReplyDelete@4:10
ReplyDeleteMoments of brilliance like yours are the hallmark of AC.
And we wonder why only certain people can live there.
What we need now is legalized prostitution
ReplyDeleteNo, Tiger already tried the one man Stimulus Package! Look what's happened to him!
AND
At that short or range she had to have used a pitching wedge!
You see people using food stamps and yet they have money for beer, cigarettes, lottery tickets etc. The same people drive new cars and have big screen TVs, cell phones, etc.
ReplyDeleteIt is about being smart enough and disciplined enough to control your spending. What is the truly sad part is that people mentioned above make it harder for those who are really in need.
I know there are people out there that need our help, and are looking for help to get back on thier feet, and they deserve all the help they can get. Those that are just looking for a hand out while continuing to foolishly spend their money deserve to starve. If they get hungry enough maybe they will sell that TV and even, God Forbid, get a job!!!
And a good example of stupid undisciplined spending getting people into major trouble can be currently seen at 1600 Penn Ave....
ReplyDeleteI like that last comment.
ReplyDeletewho are we to cast judgement on others, is this the devout christian following that makes us who we are?
ReplyDeleteIt's a no brainer, jj. They don't call it sin city for nothing. eh :) With google's help and a few mouse clicks, one can easily find oodles of research that show that gambling brings pain and misery on it's wings.
ReplyDeleteIt is to be regretted that the Native Americans have chosen gambling instead of work as their source of income and their legacy. With their favored status as a "nation" and laws predisposed in their favor, they could have chosen to build factories, printing, food production, etc, etc and provided jobs for their people first and then for others. Yet they chose gambling. (albeit, I think maybe with outside help in their thinking processes. IMO)
BTW the law does not state you must have a tag light. Sad fact is: many times, even the police don't know the law.
D.Q.
And a good example of stupid undisciplined spending getting people into major trouble can be currently seen at 1600 Penn Ave....
ReplyDeleteDecember 14, 2009 6:31 PM
It's been seen at that address for the past 25years. It's just that recently the money recently became colored so, while it slows the counterfeiters a bit, more people notice it.
yeahbutwhat?
ReplyDeletewhat does the color have to do with anything?
I think bills have colors other than green on them now. Maybe that is what the poster meant?
ReplyDeleteColor is used to stop counterfeiters is what I meant. I am that anonymous poster. Yeah it was a play on words with the new President but harmless. The new US currency is colorful. Hence, color has everything to do with it.
ReplyDelete