THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 7, 1995 TAG: 9502070010
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 34 lines
Del. Jerrauld Jones & Co. sound very patriotic in the call for a popular vote on the subject of riverboat gambling. Certainly most Virginians agree that we should have a say in important issues such as this.
However, in general-election votes on gambling in other states, those who favor gambling have spent a great deal of money campaigning. The gambling interests have millions of dollars to invest and potentially billions in profits to reap. Those who oppose gambling, typically churches, civic groups and community interests, have no large cash reserves with which to fight back.
It is not unusual for the pro-gambling forces to outspend those who oppose by 10-to-1 or more. It is therefore not surprising that they usually win, not because the arguments against gambling are not strong but because they are not heard. In the few cases where pro-gambling interests have lost, they simply came back the next year knowing that the opposition was tired and out of funds.
So when politicians piously call for a general-election vote on gambling, we must remember that they are almost assured of victory. They know it, and it's time everyone else knows it as well.
STEVEN G. DYER
Virginia Beach, Jan. 23, 1995 by CNB