Gambling
I sent this letter to several news papers in 1991 when the Indiana state legislature was considering a bill to legalize casino gambling in the French Lick / West Baden area. This letter was part of the information the legislature used when it voted to defeat the bill.
Dear Editor:
How many times have you heard people complain about the sins of America? I believe this is the best country in the world - but it does have many grievous sins. Those include the legalized murder of the abortion mills, the tens of thousands killed on our highways yearly by drunken drivers, and the multitude of crimes generated by the drug trade, just to mention a few. It may be a bit hypocritical to expect anything better from a government that is supported, to a large extent, by the "sin taxes." How many of the political coffers are filled by the organizations supporting, or manufacturing, the use of products such as alcohol, tobacco, and drugs? How many people deplore the use of these products but support taking money raised from their use to run the government?
We can also add to the list of the "sin taxes" the money raised from gambling. Is gambling a sin? Life itself is a gamble. The main sin associated with gambling is the promising of "something for nothing." The very thought of offering hope appeals to those without much hope and makes merchandise of them. It puts the government (which has the duty of protecting its citizens) in the position of preying on its citizens. It takes from those who have little, and gives to those who already have more than enough. The state already is using the regressive tax of the lottery. As the government tries to get manufacturers to be truthful in their advertisements and product labels, it puts on deceitful advertising to attract more people to the lottery. A hypocritical government is the product of hypocritical people.
Now many want to add casino gambling in Springs Valley and Gary to the list of state-run sins. While I applaud the efforts of state representative Jerry Denbo to find out what the majority of the people want, I do not applaud those people who talk privately against the gambling but do not stand against it. Most of the local churches preach from their pulpits that they need to fight it, but then do nothing about it. Many people would be disappointed in their minister if he didn't stand against gambling, but they either favor it or do not take a stand against it themselves. A little hypocritical, don't you think? While those who favor gambling stand united in a number of community organizations (with the hotel money paying for lobbyist), those who oppose gambling stand mostly alone. The Springs Valley Ministerial Association and the churches that participate together do stand against gambling. But 70% of the churches in the area do not participate with one another in anything and they are the ones who talk against gambling within the walls of their building but do not have the drive or ambition to get together with others and actually do something. I believe the Holy Scriptures teach us to be doers - not merely hearers and talkers.
I also do not applaud the hypocrites in the surrounding communities who want gambling in the area - as long as it is not in their community. They are like those who want access to electric power and landfills but do not want the power plants or landfills in their town.
Gambling will produce jobs. But most of them will be minimum wage jobs. It is good to have minimum wage jobs to give people a start, but it is a crime to condemn them to a lifetime of working at this level. The gambling industry (as the hotel industry has always done) will fight any attempts to bring better jobs into the area because that would hurt their labor pool. This is a disadvantaged economic area, but gambling will only serve to guarantee that it remains so. The money will go to the hotel owners and the minimum labor rate jobs will go to the people.
It seems that if no one has the ambition to stand for what is right, we are destined to remain a community that our children will have to leave to find better wages, or at least work outside the community.
Yours truly,
Keith Howard
GAMBLING in WEST BADEN HOTEL
I sent this letter to several news papers in 1995 when the Indiana state legislature was considering a bill to legalize casino gambling in the West Baden Hotel. This letter was part of the information the legislature used when it voted to defeat the bill. The Minnesota interests gave up and went home. The hotel is now being renovated without gambling. See the pages on the hotel.
Dear Editor
It seems like we are living in a time dominated by bribes, kickbacks, and payoffs. In Indiana we have Minnesota interests trying to extort money from Hoosier sources by holding a National Historic Landmark hostage.
The Minnesota interests purchased the West Baden Hotel for the purpose of filling their pockets with Hoosier money. If they had any real concern for the preservation of the Hotel, they would be at least taking steps to keep it from deteriorating. Instead, while they let it crumble, they are using it's condition as a time bomb for getting the State to pass laws permitting gambling on their private property. Their first words revealed their real motives better than their present promises. They were willing to tear down the historic structure and build a new hotel. They seem very willing to promise whatever it takes to get the state government to allow them to cart home truckloads of Hoosier money.
A lot of well meaning people are working to preserve the Hotel. It is sad they are just being manipulated by out-of-state interests. I would also like to see the West Baden Hotel saved - but not at the cost of Hoosier honor and dignity. Most of the property in the Springs Valley area with the same historic value has long ago been destroyed. It is sad that it only exists today in pictures and stories.
If the Hotel can be saved without giving in to their threats and rewarding the extortion of out-of-state interests - it should be saved. Public funding and gambling should not be the only way to preserve the Hotel. This area is rich in tourist attractions such as the Patoka and Monroe lakes, mineral springs, caves, parks, etc. that attract millions of tourists each year. The history of French Lick shows the success of attracting tourists and conventions to the area. Other parts of the country, such as Branson, Missouri, have been very successful without using gambling and with only a fraction of the attractions we have. A lot of the fault of the present situation belongs to the incompetent California courts that turned down legitimate offers for the Hotel and held out for more money while their negligence allowed the building to deteriorate. If the state doesn't give in to the Minnesota interests, some of those legitimate interests may be revived.
If there is enough public reason for preservation of the Hotel and public money is required, the Hotel should become public property and used for the benefit of Hoosiers, not out-of-state interests. If there are not enough honest purposes for the preservation of the Hotel, the state should abandon it and Hoosiers should retain their self-respect.
Keith Howard
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