Growing Opposition

Casino foes seek action against construction
CFCV, elected officials encourage opposition
Laurel Leader-Call

LAUREL — About 70 people attended a meeting at the Cameron Center in Laurel Monday to lend support in efforts to block the construction of a casino in the Bogue Homa Community near Sandersville.

It was the first official public meeting for the Coalition for Family and Community Values (CFCV), a group formed after the Tribal Council of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians voted to build the casino. Coalition member Allen Nix, Director of Missions for the Jones County Baptist Association, opened the meeting by telling the audience that a lot has occurred during the past two months. He advised the crowd that Coalition members would talk to them about what they consider to be the main reasons CFCV opposes the casino.

“The Coalition for Family and Community Values is an alliance of like-minded citizens working together to encourage and affirm positive values for the purpose of doing what’s iin the best interest in family and community life,” said Nix. “Things went rapidly since news of the casino first broke.”

Nix presented those in attendance with a copy of a time line that started with a news story on May 4, 2010 about the proposed casino and ended with the MBCI Election Commission’s July 8th rejection of petition of a tribal vote on the casino.

“There were three members of the tribe who wanted to have a voice themselves in determining whether to have a casino,” said Nix. “There is division within the tribe.”

Nix noted that on June 8th the Tribal Council voted 8-7 to approve the building of the casino. He added that although the group has aerial shots of ground work taking place on the designated casino site on Choctaw Road, the group is not giving up its fight to stop the construction of the casino.

CFCV is not alone in its fight. A number of public officials, including Gov. Haley Barbour, have voiced their opposition.

Rebekah Staples, the governor’s policy advisor, was among those attending Monday’s meeting. Staples said it is important for the local community to voice its opinion to local, state and federal leaders.

“We have had Congressmen say that they have not heard from any of their constituents,” said Staples. “We encourage you to be engaged in the issues. Write your elected officials and voice your opinions.”

State Auditor Stacey Pickering also attended Monday’s meeting. He shared his concerns, and like Staples, encouraged those in attendance to take a stand and voice their opposition.

Pickering told the audience that as a Jones County resident, one of the things that alarms him the most about the pending casino is the fact that “both U.S. Department of Justice studies of gambling and crime and academic studies such as Grinols and Mustard show that when a casino enters a non-gaming county, crimes such as aggravated assault, robbery, larceny, burglary, and auto theft all increase.”

Pickering informed the group that his house was burglarized last year and a television was taken from his home. He cautioned those in attendance that once the casino is constructed, the same thing could happen to them.

“According to studies, bankruptcies will increase,” he said. “People who don’t have money will steal it.”

Pickering added that all of the pawn shops seen in areas are not used by people to pay casino debts. Customers go to them to get money to pay their bills.

“This casino is not good for Jones County or the state,” added Pickering. “And this is not a proposed casino as the media has said. This is a casino under construction.”

CFCV spokesman Cal Callen said a lot of Jones County residents think that since work has already begun on the casino, there is nothing they can do to stop it. “We tend to disagree,” he said. “We just need to work together to make it happen.”

In addition to a number of elected officials, 23 Southern Baptist churches, six Congregational Methodist churches, one Church of God and one Church of Christ have joined the list of those opposing the casino.

Callen noted that the Jones County Board of Supervisors also presented the group a copy of a resolution which voices their opposition to the casino. During the last board meeting supervisors voted 3-2 in favor of a resolution. The resolution will be presented for a vote at Monday’s board meeting in Laurel.

A number of questions were asked from audience members during the meeting. One question was about whether Sandersville officials have taken an official stance on the casino issue.

Sandersville Alderman Bob White, who attended the meeting, told the group that he opposed the casino for moral reasons and made it knows at last week’s Sandersville Town meeting.

“I was the only one to do so,” he said. “It looks like they are taking a wait and see attitude.

“I don’t think you should straddle the fence. You need to make a decision of whether it will be good or bad. My moral values is what makes me take a stance against it.”

White admits that he is torn, however. He has received a number of calls from Sandersville residents who say they want the casino and think it will be good for the area.

“I represent the people and I want to do what’s best for them,” said White. “I want our businesses to prosper and I want our town to grow. This is something that’s really tearing at me.”