The defeat of gambling in Sedgwick County last week seems to have confirmed Wichita’s conservative stereotype in Kansas politics.
“Most of us are probably thinking had the Rapture been Monday, this sucker woulda gone,” Capitol watcher Martin Hawver said on public television’s “Kansas Week” over the weekend. “But right now, people are a little surprised that bankers and civic leaders really jumped out on this. They tend not to do that, although it was kind of impressive the voter turnout you had. It was better than the turnout on the gay marriage vote, and everything we heard from here was that people were disconnecting from life support to go vote against gay marriage down in Sedgwick County.”
On the south-central Kansas’ casino likely landing in Sumner County, Hawver added: “The nice thing about a casino is, wherever you put it, people will come.”
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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47 Comments
The reason the casino lost was simple- it was a special election held during the summer and was the only thing on the ballot. When you have elections like that, only the most passionate voters pro or con bother to show up and there are more people that are passionate on the anti side. If this vote had been on the ballot during a regular election, it would have went different. If you don’t believe that, have a revote and out it on the 2008 presidential election ballot. It will pass. School boards here in Georgia figured that out long ago. We have a penny sales tax for schools and they have to renew it every 2 years and they always have the vote in the middle of summer and it is the only thing on the ballot. The teacher’s unions and PTAs show up in droves but few other people bother and it always passes.
8 miles from Wichita, 4 miles from Derby.
The reason it failed was because the legislation was junk. The powers in Topeka assumed everyone would jump at the chance to have a casnio and didn’t bother to fill in the ‘who, what, where and how much’. Wait, the how much was about 2% for local units of government with the rest going to Topeka or out of state.
Voters in Wichita are tired of being told “don’t worry your pretty little heads, we’ll have a group of officials figure out all those hard details.”
Trndobrd,
Casino votes passed by wide margins in Ford, Sumner, Cherokee and Wyandotte counties.
This was a uniquely Sedgwick County vote, and had little to do with whether the casino bill was “junk” or something other than “junk.”
The opposition campaign was very organized and well funded.
I suspect that a Casino vote were in Johnson County, they would see the same organize opposition and would most likely fail a yes vote also.
Next on Wichita’s list!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070814/ap_on_el_st_lo/prohibition_vote_3
I’m sure JWink and Mark Kahrs will jump right for it.
Trndobrd is typical of those who do not know that the “group of officials figure out all those hard details” would be his or her local elected officals.
I believe that if Topeka had decided where, who, etc. he or she would be livid that there was no local control or input to the location or developer.
Ignorance and fear were the winners in the vote!
Joe don’t worry about that happening here because Topeka is already looking at adding another tax to alcohol and cigarettes for next year.
The reasons it failed are several. No specific location. Lousy ‘YES’ campaign. Politicians telling us to ‘trust them’ when we have no trust. Remember, the defeat WAS predicted.
Ironically I strongly suspect that a majority of Sedgwick County voters voted YES for expanded gambling; just they split between the track and the downtown casino.
Why no thoughts on why Johnson County has no casino or why Johnson was never in the legislation to begin with? Could it be that Johnson, much like Sedgwick, has an economy that does not need, and in fact, might just be hindered by a casino? I bet Johnson would reject a casino as well. So many you of complain that we need to be more like Johnson County yet you fail to recognize the gains we have made here. While the churches did take a stand it was not the religious conservatives that got out and front and killed this thing. Business and even the true liberal interests came out against this thing in full force. We had a vote, which is what everyone said they wanted. Now that the results are in some of you have changed tactics from we need to be allowed to have a damn vote – to everyone who voted no is an idiot. Come on!
Why are all these Gambling enthusiasts so eager to give away their money?
There will be one in Sumner County, just down the road from Wichita and with more convenient access and better parking!
for crying out loud…stop your whining…
And the funny thing is that they could have had much the same thing just UP the road if they had gotten together and backed slots at the track. Unfortunately Ruffin tried too little too late to decouple from the downtown casino location and, to make matters worse, some downtown casino advocates likely voted NO on the track.
Downtown Casino advocates wanted less tax spent on Century II.
Huge number more than the Arena costs to upgrade, but those aren’t reasonable. There will be no vote to stop that spending.
City says Libraries need tax help. Downtown Library would have had investment help to relocate.
With all that future City budget, they will still spend owning the Hyatt.
Some harp on a few million to help parking for the Arena, why, the City seems to have funding possibilities, where $290 Million seems easy to raise.
Those who voted NO for the Casino, wanted it this way.
If you voted no no, please read on
Sedgwick county residents turned down the chance to have a casino in our county. I do not know or understand why the opportunity was not accepted. The average education level of our fine county might be lower than we think or maybe our schools need more money (more on that below). One of the things brought up by casino opponents was, schools would not see a penny from the taxes on this. Since when do we care as residents what bucket the tax money comes from when the school system receives there budget for the year. They took a non-related issue and made you think that, since this money that didn’t exist before (and by the way it still doesn’t) and wont go to the school system it will somehow effect our schools. I don’t get it. Did you think they were going to take money away from the schools? If your boss doesn’t give you a raise tomorrow are you going to make less money? The fact of the matter is, there would have been a considerable amount of new tax money to spend in Sedgwick County and somehow you thought this was a bad thing. Not to mention all the people from other counties or states spending their monies here and paying taxes here. Yes believe it or not when people visit sometimes they buy gas or eat food sometimes they might even spend the night in a motel in our county …… duh it is not tax free. Do you think that just maybe some of those new tax dollars might have gone to the schools? Now there are going to be many Sedgwick County residents going to Sumner County to spend their Sedgwick County money (yeah, that’s better for our economy). Let me spell this out a little simpler so even you can understand. Our residents that would have spent their money at the casino are still going to spend their money at the one that is going to be right down the street in Sumner County. But don’t worry the 250 Sedgwick County residents that you put on our unemployment line probably won’t be able to afford to go. I’m not going to even mention the new jobs that would have opened in the casino and the dog track. I will let you think about that yourself, if you have that ability. I suppose we won’t have to worry about all the tourists that would have been shopping, eating, spending the night and spending their money in Sedgwick County, after all that could have closed down our businesses (yes that was sarcastic). The more I think about this the more I have to look around at my fellow Sedgwick County residents in disbelief. Until now I thought Sedgwick County had an above average intelligence level. We have just passed up on one of the most exciting opportunities this county will ever see. Thank You, for ruining it for all of us.
A slightly smarter than you Sedgwick County Resident,
Joe Olson,
Some of those 250 unemployed were high school kids.
They were not working for the highest wages in Sedgwick County, they were in the lower one-quarter wage earner bracket? Ruffin couldn’t pay them more? Sure he could, but he didn’t did he?
The fact is that local Casinos turn out not to be destination Casinos. Ninety percent of the customers are within a 50 mile radius and will not stay in Hotels or Motels, but simply drive home after gambling.
Joe, none, that’s zero, nada, zilch of the tax money earned by Casinos will go to schools. That is written into the Kansas State Law.
Maybe we dumb Sedgwick County Residents are so dumb after all. Perhaps we read up on the issues, before making assumptions on wild speculation.
But then again, if you like wild speculations, then you’ll probably like gambling.
As I’ve said before,
“Many must lose before a few can win.
Thank You, for ruining it for all of us. A slightly smarter than you Sedgwick County Resident,Posted by: Joe Olson
You are most welcome Joe!!
I have a box of kleenex right here for you boy and it sounds like you are going to need the entire box!
I didn’t bother reading beyond your first sentence, as I detected the sniffling and whimpering right off the bat.
Maybe you should just focus on your last sentence. Being “smarter” has no bearing on an election in a democracy Joe.
But you just keep on thinking that way, someday you will catch up!
The average education level of our fine county might be lower than we think or maybe our schools need more money (more on that below). Joe (Whiner)
Say Joe, maybe the education level is higher than you think?
Or higher than you can think?
Or higher than he thought he thinks?
Joe, which best describes your post:
bereaved, bitter, blue*, cheerless, dejected, depressed, despairing, despondent, disconsolate, dismal, distressed, doleful, down, downcast, forlorn, gloomy, glum, grief-stricken, grieved, heartbroken, heartsick, heavy-hearted, hurting, in doldrums*, in grief, languishing, low, low-spirited, lugubrious, melancholy, morbid, morose, mournful, pensive, pessimistic, somber, sorrowful, sorry, troubled, weeping, wistful, OR woebegone?
Kansas,
you’re obviously not intelligent enough to read my post. Ha, you said “Maybe we dumb Sedgwick County Residents are so dumb after all. ” Now lets talk about what you are really trying to say. You said some of the 250 unemployed were teenagers. I guess what you are trying to say is that you do not care that people lost their jobs. I guarantee most of the 250 were not teenagers, but decent, taxpaying residents like you and me. Your opinion is cold and heartless, and that makes you evil. Just because they do not make as much money as you does not mean they wanted to lose their jobs. What kind of monster are you? I go to casinos quite often, yes I do, it is entertainment. Do you ever spend money on entertainment? I would hope not, as much as you are against it. All the same hype was sung by small brain people such as yourself when the dog track came in and when the lottery came in. You were not right then and you are not right now. Casinos and towns where casinos are have full motels, it is hard to find a room I know from experience not guessing by talking out of a hole other than my mouth. I am not talking about Vegas or Atlantic City, I am talking about Topeka, Kansas City, And Ponca City. I frequently gamble in all of these places. I pose this question to you how much money did our school system stand to lose? or are you just mad because you can not control taxes? You obviously are to dumb to understand that these people that are gambling are also spending money in town and paying city and county taxes when they do. All you care about is imposing your views of how you want your life to be onto other people, you want everyone to be like you or they are wrong. So yes maybe you dumb Sedgwick County Residents are so dumb after all.
slightly smarter (sic) – did nobody ever teach you how to use paragraphs?
And remember, the track ‘racino’ went down because downtown casino proponents voted YES-NO hoping to get a monopoly for their downtown casino.
Avg Bear, I didn’t see DISGRUNTLED and your list.
I think that’s the best word for him.
Some day he’ll get a job, earn some self-respect, and figure out that gambling is just a waste of time and money and only retirees (spending their Social Security money), and non-working people (spending their welfare) have time (and foolish hope) to go to the neighborhood casino 3 nights a week.
Indeed Ben, paragraphs do help. :)
Well Joe, it seems you have made your mind up about me and the vote in Sedgwick County.
There is probably nothing I can write here that will convince you.
So here’s a suggestion.
Print out this topic on your printer and use said printed topic for kleenix to wipe your eyes. :)
Max or should i say weird guy who thinks he is God,
Who the hell do you think you are to try to control whether people should gamble or not. I suppose with your view people should check with you before they do anything. Maybe you can put out a list so the rest of us know what we can or cant do. I wouldnt want to break the rules you have for all of us.
Ben,Your just an idiot
Average Bear,Glad to see you’re smart enough to use a thesaurus.
A N Keny,You posted the last line of my post and then said you didnt read past the first, think about it.
Thank you much dumber. You have illustrated perfectly why the casino lost. Your ignorance is exceeded only by your arrogance.
By the way – I think the correct useage is “you’re” (meaning “you are”) rather that “your” (possessive). Unless, of course, you are attempting to say that YOU are ‘just an idiot’ and that I somehow own you.
Slightly Smarter, do what you want with your own money.
When you are living off welfare though, that becomes my business and the business of all the taxpayers.
And when YOU want to use other peoples’ money to build casinos, that’s settled by the voters.
Get over it.
Max,
I have gambled all my life and never once lived on welfare. You are trying to impose your uneducated views on other people. Just like many other gamblers in this world I am a grown up and i can do what i want.
Ben,
You are still just an idot, you are below me.
Ben,
I’m having trouble comprehending some of these posts. You have a PhD Ben, perhaps you can explain to me exactly
…what an “idot” is?
Kansas,
The best you can do is an attack on a typo?
Some day he’ll get a job,Posted by: Max | August 14, 2007 at 02:49 PM
Max he is disgruntled alright. But the real reason is because the public transportation will not take him from his subsidized apartment out of the city to where the casino will be built!
Gambled all your life?
Should be ready to retire by now then.
Below average,
Wow,You can’t respond to me on an intelligent level so you fabricate (that means to make believe) an attack about poverty. do you have to wear a helmet when you concentrate?
crax,
I am not ready to retire. It is entertainment. I suppose you would also like to close down the stock market.
Who know Kansas. The moron is so filled with his oner-inflated sense of self-importance he is obviously clueless as well.
I still wonder why he indicated that I own him?
And he also clearly has no clue why the casino lost in the first place. I wonder if he was smart enough to have seen it coming. I doubt it.
Several typos there – been at the keyboard to long today.
way way smarter,
This happens when you generalize about an entire population.
Not only do your generalizations show what a buffoon you are, it shows that you cannot place reasonable expectations on a population center that is larger in size than Sumner and that larger population center may have different reasons for voting NO for a casino.
Perhaps Sedgwick County is not quite as desperate for funds as Sumner County is?
Ben,
No problem with your typo’s. At least you are smart enough to admit it.
And I am smart enough to realize I am not smarter than anyone else.
You all should go easy on self-called ’smarter’. He obviously has deep-seated insecurity due to his extreme inadaquacies. Perhaps he flunked out of school and now must strike out at people. Note for example how he rambles on and on and then lashes out at anyone who does not bow down to his self-perceived superiority.
Perhaps he was a member of the Vote YES campaign and is just now waking up from a drunken stupor.
His is to be pitied; not derided.
All of you have proved my point over and over.
I’m tired of dealing with the stupidity.
ComCare can help you.
Looks like Ruffin has asked for a recount on slots at the dog track.
With a 2/10ths of 1% margin, I’d be doing the same thing.
Tom – so would I. Statistically this is a tie; the sort of election that I am sure gives Bill Gale grey hair!
;^)
Statistically this is a tiePosted by: Ben
Stats do not matter in a democracy which elects by the vote of the citizens. Each and every ONE vote counts.
Many elects are one by one.
Have a recall to confirm the vote. I’m all for it and hope it is a public affair. But the end result will come down to one side of the issue having been decided, by a few individual voters.
ANK – on this we agree. My point is just that this is an obvious case for a thorough recount. And, my sympathies to Gale and his staff.
“Casino votes passed by wide margins in Ford, Sumner, Cherokee and Wyandotte counties.”
In the case of Wyandotte they had little choice because the casinos in Kansas City Missouri are draining lots of money from Kansas City KS residents and the indians want to build a casino in downtown KCK.
“There will be one in Sumner County, just down the road from Wichita and with more convenient access and better parking!
for crying out loud…stop your whining…”
While I was for the casino in Wichita, I agree with that. I mean it is less than 20 minutes away. Who knows maybe the Sumner Casino will even run a free shuttle from downtown Wichita! If you really wanna gamble (I don’t), you can get there.
Kev,
It isnt just about wanting to gamble closer than 20 minutes away. It is about making a great town even better. But more than that it is about Sumner draining Sedgwick of money and 250 people losing their jobs, in the last 3 months their have been a lot of people losing their jobs. Sedgwick county has a great economy and a better than average unemployment rate.
But how much more can we take before that turns around.
And the schools not seeing a penny of the taxes from it, was just a stupid argument to begin with. The schools were not going to lose money over it. I mean maybe we shouldnt tax anything unless the schools get it. We could decree no more tax except for school tax. We better all get 4 wheel drives first.
They said the crime rate would go up. Can the new tax monies from the casino and the extra sales from gas food and motels go to increase and better our police forces. that is one small thing out of many that extra money could go for.
No no was full of the same lies they were when the lottery and the dog track came in. it is all a bunch of hogwash.