If you listen to the dire predictions of many casino opponents, a Wichita casino will end life as we know it in our fair city, unleashing a wave of crime and economic decline and forever damaging the community’s character.
Don’t believe it, we argue in today’s editorial. An Eagle series this week is taking a close look at the actual experience of communities with casinos, and the reporters have found that cities such as Des Moines seem to have prospered from casino tax revenues while not suffering any increase in major crime.
People might still choose, on balance, to oppose a casino in Wichita, but the evidence doesn’t support doomsday scenarios.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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88 Comments
It seems like most of the casinos profiled are in suburbs or otherwise on the outskirts of town rather than downtown. For example, Altoona instead of Des Moines.
It is too bad we cannot vote for “Sedgwick County but not Downtown”. I favor a casino but have concerns about location.
My DREAM location: Wild West World right next to Terry Fox’s church!
Randy, I’d add “Beware of the great economic opportunity” arguments of the casino supporters as well. From the pieces published, it seems the truth is, well, as it always is, is somewhere in the middle.
Ben, good point on location of the casinos profiled so far. I think your suggestion as to siting one here in Sedgwick County is well deserving of consideration.
Unfortunately VT that is not an option we are allowed to vote on. The closest thing would be something like “Nearby but not Downtown” where nearby is the Turnpike 17 or so miles south of downtown.
True, Ben, oh so true.
Beginning about 10 years ago, up and through five years ago, I was a proponent for a downtown casino. I even had the locus thereof identified. Then, with the explosion of casino gambling within easy driving distance of Wichita, I changed my mind, and have arrived at my current position that there isn’t much I see positive about a downtown casino. I don’t oppose a casino as such, BTW, just don’t favor one downtown. Sic transit gloria mundi.
I’m not really for or against the casino. I just don’t see it having the economic impact that some hope(tourist dollars), unless this thing is going to be built on a very grand scale and design. Anything short of that, why visit it if one is closer(or “better cooler” ones are present in Kansas City for instance)?
I do think that it may help to keep some monies in the state, as some people in Wichita may be likely to stay and gamble in Wichita a few more times than they would otherwise.
Beyond that, I don’t really see a big benefit to be for it, at the same time I don’t see a big problem with needing to be against it.
As for location, I’m not certain downtown Wichita is the best place, but I’m not certain near WWW is actually it either. ;)
If Wichita is going to have a casino, it should be downtown or right close to downtown because that is where the visitors usually are. You want people to be able to walk there from the hotels and Old Town. And, at this point, it really is not an option of whether or not to have a casino because Wichita will soon be surrounded by them in Oklahoma. When you drive through Oklahoma it is almost like Nevada- a billboard saying “Exit Here For _____ Casino” every 15 miles. You might not like gambling but it is a fact of life and better for Wichita and/or Wellington to get some money from it than Oklahoma.
The articles seem to indicate rather little interaction between the casinos and nearby entities. They have their hotels, bars, restaurants etc all in one place. So, I am not convinced that a downtown location would have much spill-over effect.
Furthermore, if the goal is to ’snag’ travelers on their way to Oklahoma casinos it seems that a highly visible complex on the highway makes sense. Looking at Altoona again; I seem to recall it at the junction of I-35 and I-80. Others I have seen near St Louis are right off I-70.
One thing they do in St Louis I like is free public transit in the inner core between downtown and the East St Louis casinos.
The Canadians want a Casino built tucked in behind Century II.
What would change along Douglas. Not much! That’s the key point.
No one wants too much Casino garish to change downtown.
$300 Million spent is grand scale to me and it all doesn’t have to be spent in an excessive Casino. The money buys other properties as well.
$200 Million has to be spent on the Casino.
Walking by the river will do citizens more good than not! So entering the Casino along the river sounds fine to me.
None of us will choose the Casino location so it’s pointless conversation. I prefer it downtown with the otherimprovements there.
I don’t believe “bad element” people will be too much a bother causing fear on sidewalks or parking lots downtown.
Century II isn’t going to be sold to the Canadians, Arts and Theater using that facility think there could be a clash of cultures somehow.
Exactly where do you “tuck it in” behind C-II?
The Canadien group wants it IN C-II.
“None of us will choose the Casino location so it’s pointless conversation.” Why should we not have the right to make that decision? Do we have to “trust” the politicians?
Ben, your comments concerning the “self-contained” nature of casinos track with my (now shredded) plans of converting a several block area downtown into a casino complex, replete with hotels, restaurants, etc. Covered pedestrian walkways, no through streets, etc. Boy, it was a beauty, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, those few to whom I showed my ideas immediately were negative, as I hadn’t considered Old Town, etc., which I thought was a bit much, as I felt there would be little reason why those attracted by a destination casino would want to leave the environs to go explore.
I do believe that the people thatproduced the anti gaming ad on theradio should get an academy award for drama. If you listen to that adand gaming is passed then on Aug 8,we should all get out the Jonestownpunch. Lets keep money here and getsome people to come here to shop eat and then hit the casino.
VT – what was your location?
It centered on Douglas, between Main and Broadway, two blocks North, one block South. Utilized the concept of the “Main Street” gateway into downtown off Kellogg, with parking, hotel(s) on the West end, casino centered across Douglas, pedestrian “mall” (covered) to allow easy foot travel between the casino “halves”, restaurants, bars, etc. to the East, with some residential development intermingled to provide housing for employees. At least one “theatre” type improvement for a “floor show” setting, etc., etc.
Maybe you should sell that to the Minnesota guys.
Ben,
The sky-is-falling considering Century II when there is no evidence City is considering selling the building.
Have they publicly lofted what the value would be, like the County is doing with Coliseum?
Tucked in behind Century II is how the Canadians drew their plan.
The construction specifics I don’t know. Could the Canadians have such a flawed plan in that location and be so involved with the City?
Mrage – if you have anything from the Canadians showing what you claim I would love to see it. Everything I had seen bandied about included C-II as part of their proposal.
Again I ask: Am I to trust the politicians?
Prepare to be overwhelmed at the voting booths.
The silent majority has rallied their local Church associations and will be coming out in force on August 7 to vote No No.
This includes those Church associations previously unheard about in the press.
All I have is that little picture of Canadians Casino plan that was in the Eagle.
It shows Casino facing the river, entrance. More behind the Library. Another hotel created will be directly behind Century II. I don’t how tall or how many rooms.
If I remember they have ideas for the Hyatt something to do with Casino’s, not inside Century II.
I can’t answer your question, trust the politicians to pick a good location for the Casino.
No matter where they pick many won’t like the location.
Every Casino site we know about, Canadians Century II area, Ruffin’s Delano plan, and out in Park City with Bob Knight’s group all have challenges in those locations. Detractors won’t believe in the sites for a variety of reasons.
If the vote passes, more details in those plans should come out. Less assumptions will happen about the sites.
Isn’t March of next year, the site will be picked. Long time from the vote.
Do you imagine when the plans come out, public opinion will get those Casino site plans changed? I doubt it.
Once the plans are offered to the state, that’s it. I think the Casino plans will be in Topeka before this year is over. Next two or three months deadline.
Ben, I believe the gentlemen from the Land of 10,000 Lakes have other plans for the area I referenced.
Kanzan,
Why didn’t the Church’s make a difference in other counties? Every vote for Casino’s has passed.
Church’s here, some have image problems.
One things about church’s, they can be against a lot of things, but civic policies allow it.
This is an economic issue, less religious, the evils of gambling.
Do we want $300 Million spent in this County. I say yes, yes!
There is no evils of gambling in any individual if they don’t gamble.
I would be for casinos, except the question before us is will the State of Kansas operate a casino.
If it was private, yes.
The government should not count on gambling for tax revenue. Besides, they don’t need the money.
Probably true VT but it would be interesting to see their reaction. After all, they are in it for the bucks.
I have posted many times over the Casino debate and will post again. Thank GOD I don’t see anyone in here posting negatively. I guess the idiots haven’t gotten off work yet to post.Anyway, I think a Casino in downtown Wichita would be a great idea…put some life back in this dwindling City. We have so much opportunity to build and improve downtown! We have a beautiful downtown area with the bronze statues and some lovely old buildings. Why not even renovate one of those lovely old buildings for a Casino? We are “supposed” to be a building a very nice river walk and a Casino would compliment it nicely.A friend of mine living in Topeka told me that most everyone that frequented Harrah’s up there were from Wichita. We could keep the money here instead of sending it up there! They have started advertising heavily the Casino’s right across the border in OK lately too. They are scared that we will get a Casino here and take their business away! Why shouldn’t we? Keep the money here!There are pro’s and con’s to everything these days. The Church nuts wanted to stop Sunday liquor sales and that didn’t happen. Next they will wish to ban alcohol. They are already banning smoking so why not drinking? To them out there with that belief…if you don’t like it, it is none of your business and you do NOT have to participate in something you don’t like OK?
Sure we can participate in the election process Lori T.
It’s a STATE SPONSORED CASINO THAT IS BEING PROPOSED!
Sorry, not on my watch.
Proudman! Who runs the lottery? Yeah! A state worker did get busted, but I think they are placing safeguards in place.
It’s not that the State is operating the Casino. They just own it, but having the private sector run it.
The one thing I notice about the last two articles about Quad City and St. Louis, in which Ben made reference that nobody is going around the other placed nearby. But the one major element that is missing with both of these Casino operation is a Hotel, with the exception of that they are finally getting of the riverboat crap and letting it on land, giving them a chance to build hotels.
I think a hotel with retail and other entertainment is a real key to get people shopping around and eating.
While I don’t know why the downtown argument is a problem. I don’t think it would be. Actually Ruffin’s idea about putting it on the West side of the river might be good. Kind of insularly but a bit downtown and not exactly in the heart of it. Sort of a good compromise.
I did however receive news that the Sedgwick County Democrat Party is endorsing the YES YES campaign. That’s real good. Get the Democrats on board and the moderates and business Republicans and this thing will pass. :)
Man! Lots of typos in my last post. Time to switch browsers, to one that spell checks. LOL!
Use Mozilla Firefox Joe Williams, it has a built in spelling checker.
Good point about ownership Joe. I think the state deal is mostly a formality. Not sure why they did it that way but ‘who knows’.
I find both of the Ruffin ideas intriguing. Not really sure whether I will support one of them but they are interesting.
One thing I like about the “Ruffin building” site (Broadway/Douglas) is that it might be the exception to the ‘campus’ rule. That is, a hotel/casino in that building might actually have spill-over to neighboring places.
republikanzan. That’s what I did. Just switch to Firefox. :)
I need to set it as my default browser instead of IE. I don’t use IE much anymore, with the exception of portal sites that I access through the company I work at. Only works in IE.
The bad thing now is developing websites. Just when I thought the old IE and Netscape capability nightmare was over, here comes Mozilla and Opera. :( Although it isn’t near as bad as back in the day with IE and NetpoopooScape.
If he uses Delano right and as part of the retail complex of the Casino, it might just work.
What about that amphitheater site across the street from Ruffin’s site? When I was watching the City Council Meeting last week, they were approving Star Bonds for the River Corridor Project, including putting the money from the new Keeper into the Star Bonds. They still act like an amphitheater was going to be built. Well at least the spokesperson for the City Planning Office said.
But I thought the WaterWalk Amphitheater was going to be it.
Actually! Since Ruffin came out with his site, I’ve been really thinking about relocating the Peerless Tower to it’s originally planned location and that is 1st and Waco.
Legally-sanctioned gambling is a tax on stupid people. What the hell. There *are* so many of them.
And, hard as math classes try to teach odds and percentages, people flock to casinos and buy lottery tickets on the odd chance that they’ll grasp lightning and not get burned.
Prostituion is the oldest profession for a reason: there’s always a clientele and there are always providers of the service at hand. (Ask Sen. Vitter)
Marijuana is the #1 cash crop in California. The good ol’ red state of Kentucky harvests the second-largest marijuana crop in America. Apparently there’s a market for $600-an-ounce produce in America and it’s all being produced and sold tax-free.
I was talking with a defense attorney last night whose most recent client was a guy who had two marijuana plants growing in his basement. The cops couldn’t bust him for anything more than misdemeanor posession; couldn’t get him for possession-with-intent-to-deal; so they confiscated his flower pots and potting soil and called them “drug pariphenalia” which, in Kansas, is a felony.
I might be a conservative if “conservatives” would stand up and be *conservative* for a change.
But no. So-called “conservatives” want to invade other peoples’ bedrooms, other peoples’ wombs, other peoples’ basements, other peoples’ flower pots… and impose their personal morality on everyone in society who’s not followed their example of a moral life.
Nobody’s forcing anyone to buy a DVD of “Shaving Ryan’s Privates” or “Shindler’s Fist” or any number of tacky porn movies. But Phill (the second L is for “loser”) Kline is hell-bent (heaven-bent?) to turn people into criminals simply because he thinks such films (and “pocket pussies” and leather bikinis and edible panties) are somehow felonious and immoral.
Y’know, the God of my understanding (which, by definition, doesn’t meet the job requirement) and I get along just fine. S/He’s let me know that people who think they have an inside track in to the “one *true* ‘god’” are deluding themselves. He appreciates the attention, cures cancer now and again, tilts a war one way or another sometimes, but really resents it when people claim to speak his/her thoughts. S/He’s *GOD* for chrissakes! S/He’s thought about things longer and at far greater depth than you could ever hope to.
Listen to the “god” that’s been revealed (by men) in your Bible. God’s fine with that. Not eating spare ribs or shrimp cocktail seemed to be a good idea at the time; but it’s no longer “gospel truth.”
People loving each other regardless of gender might have not made sense a couple of thousand years ago, but a thousand years is like a day to “God,” and S/He’s had time to reconsider the issue. Y’know, S/He didn’t stop talking to us after the last verse in “Revelation.”
“This is an economic issue, less religious, the evils of gambling.
Do we want $300 Million spent in this County. I say yes, yes!
There is no evils of gambling in any individual if they don’t gamble.”
I have not seen anyplace in the Bible that states going to a casino is a sin. Now if you take money from your children’s mouths and fail to support your family because you gamble that would be a sin. and plenty of folks do that without gambling. But the mere act of buying a lottery ticket or putting a few quarters in a slot machine is NOT a SIN
Kev – i think you have mentioned the West Kellogg possibility. I think it would be interesting to explore that further but looking at the SOUTH side of Kellogg from 119th-135th Sts. Straddling the creek there with paths between buildings. Maybe going on west to 151st St with a golf course. A rail-trail on the south side of the development.
But we cannot explore potential sites without a yes vote.
Ben
I had suggested a W Kellogg site at 135th NW corner adjacent to Auburn Hills Golf Course. The idea being to build a casino / resort / small conference center, similar to Tan Tar A, or Lodge of the Four Seasons in the Ozarks. It would have entailed buying or leasing the the course from the city …. I believe it would attract more out of area / state visitors, some what more family friendly. It could be an appealling deal to the city, taking over a course that is the least used of the city owned courses and part of the lure of a destination casino. I also think it creates a unique opportunity for a developer to build the first eco friendly, energy efficient facility of it’s type — that alone should attract a lot of conference business to the city. I think it could be marketed to all the conferences / businesses that now go to the Lodge, TTA, Tulsa, KC and OKC.
That’s a rough outline, doesn’t address any concern for drawing conventions etc from C II, but I think that would be easily solvable – the resort / conference center could accomodate meetings etc up to 300 – 400 people with others going to CII.
I think downtown could continue to be developed to be family / resident friendly using Chicago’s Millenium Park or Navy pier as a rough model — that, how ever, would take investment / donations by the big bucks folks in the area — i.e. the Spirit Ice Rink, the Cessna concert pavillion, Koch Gardens etc ….
Evil gambling, will bring great sin upon your land and peoples. You can never go back. Just like the buffalo.
Think no first. Think long. But if you say yes, the money launderers will invade and take over. It will be your last vote of substance.
ken – we have been playing with a derivitive of your idea – looking at the south side. The thinking is that we can get a full mile deep southward from Kellogg there and not run into ‘neighbor’ issues. The South Fork Calfskin goes through there – we would ’straddle’ it with buildings on both sides and integrate the topography.
Our version would have to make its own golf course; however that might actually be preferable.
Both are interesting scenarios. Unfortunately, at this point neither would be likely to ever be considered.
Joe – you raise a point but also a problem. Park City haters might vote against it because they cannot stand the idea of it possibly going up there. People who don’t want it downtown (a majority according to the Wichita Business Journal) might vote no because they are concerned that it would go downtown.
The term ‘pig in a poke’ has been used by people other than me. I think the uncertainty is a weakness to the proposal.
I think today’s profile of the Quad Cities casino’s are a very good indicator on how things will go here.
My objection to casinos isn’t moral, it’s economic. And I don’t think where they build it will make a difference; people will either come to it or not wherever it is.As someone who’s lived in Kansas all my life, I’ve seen so many great plans to get a tourist trade going go bust. We have no mountains or beaches or great shopping or fine weather. The only thing that will get tourists to come to Kansas will be to have something here that’s unavailable anywhere else- a city-sized duty-free discount import mall or legalized child prostitution or wild west gunfights with real bullets or a vast herd of wooly mammoths or some such. Casinos are all over the place, and most of them a lot nearer to other tourist sites!
Well Jed! It isn’t about bring a lot of tourist. It’s bringing those in Kansas who game in Oklahoma back in the state.
A casino will not have lasting benefit to the city or state. In case you haven’t noticed, they are everywhere. At first they are full, then the newness wears off.
So Randy, hope you are still with the newspaper when it fails!
You MUST vote NO on Casino!
You will be stealing wom-pom from casino tribes in Kansas. This is no fair!
Vote no on Casino and support your native American brethen.
(We sell you smokes without tax)
Absolutely honored Chief!
I will be voting “No No” on the casinos.
I’m tired of these whites stealing from us!
Jjoe is correct. This is largely about capturing Kansans heading toward Oklahome and/or KC. Keping their money in the region.
This is about Casino owners getting richer and those who lined the way for the Casinos to come into Wichita to get their pockets lined.
There will be a Casino in Cherokee County. If they want to keep money in Kansas go there or one of the other proposed Casinos. Then they can hop on over to Branson and yee haw their way to a really good time.
ALSO< IF Sedgwick votes NO one gets built in Sumner on the Turnpike less than a half-hour from Wichita. The law provides for revenue sharing between Sumner and Sedgwick Counties.
Please, please vote no on casino.
We have found effigy burial grounds within the city limits of Leavenworth. We will be seeking congressional approval to establish Indian ownership of this site along the Missouri River. Very good wompom will come from casino we build over grave site. Vote NO@!
Ben
Who is the we that you say are working on a south Kellogg idea? Instead of building a new course, buy or lease Auburn Hills — if it’s not too far from the areas you’ve been looking at … it’s a very good course (some drainage poblems I hear they are probably solvable). THe courses at TTA and the Lodge are not on the main property but easily accesible.
How can I help? Retired AF — can fit you into my nonexistent schedule — I’ve 3 pages of notes / ideas to help the idea succeed.
I’m glad some one else sees the notion has some potential — in order to suceed the casino has to be unique and offer what other casinos don’t, a resort / spa with a mini business meeting convention center and a golf course all built and designed to be eco friendly and energy efficient should attract more out of towners / staters? Bring a few more conventions to C II etc ….
Let me know how I can help — I work cheap …..
A guy out in Goddard. I’ll relay your info to him.
This casino is a no-brainer. Vote YES. If you want money for your city and state pockets vote yes. The heck with the morality issues.The heck with what the bible says.We NEED this money@!
Don’t ask me why. But we need it.There is so much the state can do with it.
We can fund illegal alien housing programs, education, and training.
We can provide free healthcare to everyone who doesn’t want to pay the employee cost share.
We can provide more to our higher educational institutions. They have only been able to jack up tuition 125% over the last five years. Although that is much higher than 10 percent inflation rate over that period, we still need MORE MONEY to keep our professors happy.
We can spend more on bi-lingual phone lines for all government offices.
We can provide funding for low income housing programs.
We can spend it anyway, someway, and find a way. Not too difficult for our state legislature to do that.
Vote YES.
GIVE ME THE MONEY!!!!!
“… It isn’t about bring a lot of tourist. It’s bringing those in Kansas who game in Oklahoma back in the state.”
Joe I understand the need to keep KS money in KS — but to succeed it has to attract out of towners / staters, tourists, business meetings etc ….. it needs to be unique — as a business shouldn’t it be about “market share” and getting some of the Okies, Mo’s etc here too –
Anyone really talking morality issue with the gambling?With the lottery, dog track, bingo, porn shops, legalized prostituition, et al that goes on in this city?
Ben
I work cheap ….. as in free
make sure you tell him that too –
I think this is too good an idea to let fall by the wayside — I’ve already made 1 contact in the county gov’t who thinks the idea has some potential — I hope to meet with them next week — also note I am not connected with anyone, developer. real estate agent, etc ….
Ken! You have to include the 54 highway expansion also. I don’t know if they will be putting in frontage roads on the south side of Kellogg after 119th street. Maybe they will, but not for sure.
I know that the NW Bypass is suppose to be around 135th.
Well Ken! $300 million is no joke. That is what the investors are willing to spend developing a Casino/Hotel/Retail/Entertainment Complex.
I’m sure they will hire the best marketing agencies to promote it, because that’s a huge investment for them to loose on.
What is important to realize is that a casino is coming to the Wichita area regardless of what the vote is. If it doesn’t go here it will go slightly south in Sumner County, who has already passed a casino vote. If we want the $$$ benefits to come to Sedgwick County and Wichita we must vote yes. If we vote no it go south. Wichita residents will be the vast majority of people using the casino regardless of the location. It makes the most sense to keep the money here at home.
Joe, Ken…
Sorry for taking so long to jump in on this convo, but let me stick my 2 cents in on a west side Casino.
Yes, there will be frontage roads that will extend from 119th all the way to Goddard. They are already planned and will be built as development expands along Kellogg.
Disclaimer: I know the owner of the land south of Kellogg between 119th and 135th. I do not represent them, but i do know them.
Ok, After the casino issue started and the idea of a west side casino was brought up, i asked the owner about it and he said that when he brought it up to the county, they basically laughed.
He did how ever say it would be an interesting idea and he would be happy to sell or assist in developing it there. There is plenty of land owned by a single owner so having the space isnt an issue.
Also, a note about the NW Bypass… It has been said that the entire NW bypass will be scrapped and reevaluated and placed farther west. West of Goddard and North of Maize. Kellogg will still be expanded, but again, still 5 yrs out for 119th, 7 for 135th and 10+ for anything farther west.
Hey Steve..
I’d rather the casino go in Sumner county. I dont trust Sedgwick county and/or the state of Kansas to select the best plan for our city.
IF I were allowed to vote for a specific plan, than I would vote yes.
This blog is a perfect example of the statistics quote:
“Torture numbers long enough and they will confess to anything.”
Tony- thanks for jumping in for kev – kev, this is the guy I referred to.
Does anyone have the details of revenue sharing between counties if it goes to Sumner?
As I understand it if sumner gets it, the county gets 2%. Thats it. I dont think Sedgwick gets anything.
Joe,”Well Jed! It isn’t about bring a lot of tourist. It’s bringing those in Kansas who game in Oklahoma back in the state.”
You’re talking like the money Kansans lose in a Kansas casino will stay in Kansas. Most of it will go to the investors, who as far as I’ve seen, are all from out of state.
Anyone know how much an advantage split local contractors and engineers will get on bids for the project?
I know there are construction companies that specialize in Casinos, but seems to me that the interior and certain exterior accouterments could be done by local folks.
You know who Phil Ruffin is Jed?
Tony – maybe one of our ‘legal eagles’ (VT?) could look that up for us.
Just because Ruffin is from Wichita and has businesses, doesn’t mean the money will stay here. Ruffin lives out of state a majority of the time. A majority of his investments lie out of state. Maybe he would invest more locally if he has a casino here but who knows…
I do however think I would rather have Ruffin developing a Casino rather than about anyone else IF the vote does pass. Maybe his since of community responsibility will kick in and make sure that what ever he does develop is the best thing for the community. Not just build some warehouse of slots.
I still think the best casino is a casino without slot machines!
How about legal gambleing in the entire downtown, where invidual smaller casino’s were scattered throughout the area. It would give tourist variety, kind of like the old downtown in vegas. Maybe some penny slots, and smaller places could compete with different attractions to make it more interesting.
An aviation themed place, a prairie theme at another, nice gift shops and retail tourist traps, good dining, and even some cheap 1.99 Prime Rib deals. They could even build a religious whacko themed small casino.
Dream up a unique attraction, for example old downtown vegas has a huge overhead audio visual show every hour. It could be neat, and benefit the whole downtown. The saloons could have machines in them. Their are so many old warehouses and buildings in decay, it would be great to see them being used.
Tony,
I have to challenge why you care IF the vote passes. Your voting No!
I don’t get that. Community responsibility begins with voters.
Way before hoping the Casino operator gets the community designs right.
What major casino doesn’t have slot machines? Do you have an example?
How can you want something different than the industry standard?
What was the west siders talk about a casino? None of the developers identified is thinking about that area. The County can’t be talked into it. It has to be a plan from a casino developer.
If a new person with land out west has $225 Million plus $25 Million given to the State, they could put up a plan to Topeka, like the other casino developers and hope that location is picked.
Why people don’t want $300 Million spent in this county is weird to me.
I want the City to benefit, preferably the Casino downtown.
Mrage! You have to remember that a huge lobbying effort that is well funded is targeting communities that are considering Casinos. And who may be funding these lobbyist? But Las Vegas themselves.
I have a good buddy that works at Cessna and people there found out the reason why Russ Meyers was against it. It’s because many Casino operators and owners do a lot of business with Cessna buying their Citation Jets. So when Russ is speaking against the Casino it is more about the interest of Cessna’s business than anything else. You will find that all the business jet plants Presidents will speak against the Casino or will keep their mouth shut.
Same with all the retailers who think they will lose a buck because fewer people will patronage them, such as the Crest Theater. They don’t want or like competition. If they are afraid of losing people, then work harder to improve and attract and retain people to visit your business. These people are acting in self interest. They will gladly give up $300 million in our community if they think they will lose $100.
Remember the Harrah’s and other Indian Casino operators that were lobbying State Legislators? You know who they were giving money to? But the Legislators that were against State run Casinos. Bonnie Huy, Brenda Landwhere and others. These hypocrites accepted money from Casino Lobbyist only to speak and vote against the state-run casino.
It’s like the damn people against the Rails to Trails project in our city. They say it would increase Crime, decrease property values and etc. The exact same argument said against the Rails to Trails are the same against Casinos. Almost word for word, just take away “gambling” and it’s the exact same.
Since we will not be able to find out who is funding the Yes or No campaigns until after the election, make my word that the “No” side, you will find many, many casino operators in Oklahoma, Harrah’s, KC Riverboats, Las Vegas and so on. They will probably make up for more than half of the contributions.
“Same with all the retailers who think they will lose a buck because fewer people will patronage them, such as the Crest Theater.”
Joe!The Crest Theater closed down over 10 years ago and the building where it used to be was torn down over 5 years ago. So, I doubting the Crest Theater will be complaining about casinos.
I think he meant Crown maybe?
The Crown Uptown owner was complaining about the potential business loss as I recall. Same general neighborhood, but a different theater.
My bad! Yeah! Meant the Crown Uptown.
I don’t know why Crest to my mind. But I do remember going there in the 80’s as a small child. Remember watching the Hoosiers there.
Joe,
I enjoyed your background on Meyer and Chandler the other day. Today, more Meyer and I only know him as reputation. I don’t know the guy at all.
He’s great for Wichita bringing Presidents to town and his social causes but $300 Million is too much to deny our community.
I was against Rails to Trails on the East side because they took out train stops on Woodlawn.
Would crossing lights for bikes and people be put in?
That part of the trail going east is near high powered electrical lines anyway.
I hated the people who wanted Sedgwick County to not vote for this casino legislation! Who did they work for? I’m glad most got thrown out of office without gambling being in the key point to replace them.
Those were flawed people, too staunch in their beliefs that go against this community.
Dave Unruh doesn’t want a casino here and that’s surprising.
County financially benefits and if downtown, the casino would support events near the arena.
“I think downtown could continue to be developed to be family / resident friendly using Chicago’s Millenium Park or Navy pier as a rough model — that, how ever, would take investment / donations by the big bucks folks in the area — i.e. the Spirit Ice Rink, the Cessna concert pavillion, Koch Gardens etc …. ”
Navy Pier would be a real rough model since it is about a mile long! You’d have a hard time sticking that into the Arkansas (pronounced Ark-Kan-Saw) River!
“ALSO< IF Sedgwick votes NO one gets built in Sumner on the Turnpike less than a half-hour from Wichita. The law provides for revenue sharing between Sumner and Sedgwick Counties.”
Well hell! If that is the case then I got THE SOULTION! Build the damn thing in MULVANE! Right over there where folks pay taxes on the house to Sedgewick and on the driveway to Sumner! Build it exactly where 1/2 of it is in Sedgewick and the other 1/2 in Sumner!
“The Crown Uptown owner was complaining about the potential business loss as I recall. Same general neighborhood, but a different theater.”
I don’t think he need worry. The Crown Uptown has a very nice product. If anything it will get MORE business. I am not even an artsy fartsy type person and I like the Crown Uptown!
“My bad! Yeah! Meant the Crown Uptown.
I don’t know why Crest to my mind. But I do remember going there in the 80’s as a small child. Remember watching the Hoosiers there.”
Let’s see how old you REALLY are! What about the MILLER Theatre?
I was thinking more on the lines of pedestrian bridges for the streets on the Rails to Trails.
Russ Meyers is a great guy, but remember that he has an underlining purpose. The Welfare to Work program, which by the way end up failing, was an honest attempt by him to help the NE community. But it also gave him access to W.J. Clinton for his greatest purpose was to have Clinton sign the limited liability act on small aircraft so they can produce prop airplanes again.
Sorry! I don’t know Miller theater. Remember! I was a small child when I saw Hoosiers. What year did Hoosiers come out?
And I believe that the Crest Theater was like the Palace, playing the old movies.
Religious Fundies–
Don’t have a heart attack or anything, but I plan on voting no to the casino.
I can remember when gambling was illegal everywhere in the US except Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
It still should be, for the same reason prostitution and hard drugs should be illegal.
State lotteries and Powerball should be shut down.
We’re all better off without gambling.
I know I’m late into the conversation…I’m so FOR the casino in Park City/N. Sedgwick! I wonder how much Eldridge counted on the park to flop and be able to gain on the failure. I know we didn’t buy season tickets just because of the T. Fox church. Will he (Eldridge) take an offer from a casino or investors that wish to pursue that?
Capn,
You spite the County sales tax buying a car outside the borders and now voting No to $300 Million.
Elected legislators from a large section of Kansas found legal reasons to allow gambling. They will defend the decision against challenges.
You would turn down lottery money given by a friend? They win and want you to benefit?
I’d rather spend a few dollars on the lottery than buying beer. I won’t get a DUI buying a lottery ticket.
I’d advocate smokers reduce smoking and buy lottery tickets. It could save their life.
I don’t care about prostitution long as its not done on the street. What healthy people do to exchange services for money is between them behind closed doors.
Drugs should be illegal, but some think the drug war is lost. Jails are too full with addicts.
cpt. america…none of those things were illegal until someone decided they could be taxed. Hence the term “sin” tax. The Constitution guaranteed Freedom FROM religion! What you say doesn’t mean the same to ME…or your neighbor!
Interesting to find out the VOTE NO movements gets most if not all its funding from the Oklahome and Kansas Indian Casinos.
On Aug. 1, 2007 Jim Schuster, CEO of Hawker Beechcraft Corp., sent an email to all employees urging them to vote no against bringing a casino and slot machines to Wichita and Sedgwick County. Mr. Schuster says in his letter that “preserving our community’s values and character is critically important to the long term success of Hawker Beechcraft.” I wonder what happened to Mr. Schuster’s values and character when he stood on the tailgate of a truck and announced that all 400 of the wire-harness jobs were going to stay here in Wichita because of the hard work and dedication of the employees in that department, yet a year later nearly all 400 of those jobs were shipped south of the border to Mexico. For him to now appear concerned about this community is a slap in the face to every one of those people. Expanded gambling in Wichita is a huge issue and each of us should become educated about it. All I would say is be very careful who you listen to. I can assure you that there are others just like Jim Schuster that care more about the almighty dollar than the workers that create that dollar.
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