It’s Not All About Tax Dollars

It’s Not All About Tax Dollars

(Ed. Note: The following letter was sent to Governor Quinn last Friday.)

Dear Governor Quinn:

The Task Force to Oppose Gambling in Chicago shares your concerns about SB744. Our specific concern is over a Chicago casino. But at the same time we recognize the entire bill is too much for Illinois.

Several concerns we have about a Chicago casino are:

1.) The tenth license is opening in mid-July in the nearby suburb of Des Plaines. This casino will remove the concern Mayor Emanuel has about Chicagoans going to Indiana to gamble, thus removing tax dollars from the state. We have no position on the existing 10 casinos in Illinois;

2.) We are greatly concerned about how a casino will change Chicago forever, now an international business center and world class city orientated to families. Chicago as you know is vibrant, exciting and appeals to all classes of people;

3.) We are also concerned about the impact on people with gambling problems. The research published in the Journal of Studies of Alcohol, November, 2001 shows 4.2 percent of Latinos, 3.7% of African-Americans and .5% of Whites have gambling problems. The math shows that minorities will be carrying the burden of gambling problems.

The issue of problem gamblers was mostly ignored by legislators. Gamblers with

problems, which are expected to increase were relegated to being collateral damage.

There are other issues too, but several of the Task Force members would like to sit down with you and discuss the problems a Chicago casino will bring so you can evaluate if a casino in Chicago is worth the heart ache.

On behalf of the Task Force to Oppose Gambling in Chicago, we are therefore requesting a meeting to discuss our opposition to a Chicago casino.

The Task Force to Oppose Casino Gambling for Chicago consists of business, civic organizations and religious leaders. The group continues to be in formation.

Doug Dobmeyer

Spokesperson