THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, January 23, 1995 TAG: 9501190018
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 31 lines
The arguments against riverboat/casino gambling in our area should go far beyond the usual questions of whether gambling is immoral and will lead to such things as increased crime, poverty, gambling addiction. . . .
While these are real problems, a greater risk is the probable corruption of and loss of control of our local governments to the ``big money'' crowd. There is so much money available, local politicians might easily forget whom they are representing. (Has this already started in Norfolk and Portsmouth?)
If you want to see first hand an example of what big-time gambling can do, take a ride up to Atlantic City, N.J. While the hotel casinos are bright, shiny and elegant, this once-beautiful city is in a shambles, with street crime and drug use/trafficking rampant. The city is not safe! As for residual business outside the casinos, there is none. Tourists are brought in by bus to the casino doors, and they never go out again until they leave on the bus.
Please let your politicians know how you feel about gambling now while they are still working for you!
WILLIAM J. RIGNEY
Norfolk, Jan. 14, 1995 by CNB