Is your economy growing? Is industry stable? More industry moving in? And no, Pikeville doesn't work yet. Until the blights outside of the town limits are erradicated, you can't consider that any thing you mentioned is a success. What is unemployment overall in your area...the whole area, not the two cities of Ashland and Pikeville? What about those WV areas bordering?

 

The casino/resort at French Lick serve an area of former manufacturing in several counties surrounding...most of which has dried up or reduced staff. Until the resurgance unemployment was astronomical in the area....family's receiving federal aid were the norm, not the exception. Now, a lot of members of those same families are all employed in various capacities throughout the resort. You should come and talk to some of them. They are extremely grateful for the jobs, the people who come there to spend their money.....extremely grateful. And it's been a hard transition for many of them to go from working an assembly line to interacting with guests in a 4 star setting. Many employees now have opportunities they never dreamed of, such as getting a post-secondary education through the tuition reimbursement program offered, and the opening of the Ivy Tech campus in their community.

 

Go over to Greenbrier and ask those folks what they feel about the casino and resort in their community....employeeing many people in an area that was supported by the mining industry.

 

Funny you mention the Greenbrier. What happened to the mining industry? Basically Greenbriar County replaced high paying mining jobs with a casino. Plus, you might want to check what the economy is like in West Virginia before using them as an example for the positive effects of casino gambling. The state has be crippled by the current administration and casinos are taking a leak on a forest fire.

Please address the above.

 

 

 

By this logic, I guess we should tell Toyota to hit the bricks since they're sending money back to Japan.

 

We already have the problems of gambling across this state. By recapturing some of that revenue as tax money, we are at least equipped to help those who do become problem gamblers.

 

Jim when was the last time you or anyone else you know bought a car straight from the Toyota plant? Everybody I know buys them from a dealership not directly from Toyota.

Funny you mention the Greenbrier. What happened to the mining industry? Basically Greenbriar County replaced high paying mining jobs with a casino. Plus, you might want to check what the economy is like in West Virginia before using them as an example for the positive effects of casino gambling. The state has be crippled by the current administration and casinos are taking a leak on a forest fire.

 

I know exactly what's happening in West Virginia. I also know people working at the Greenbrier. The mining industry was gone before the casino was a factor. The casino has kept some people working.

Jim when was the last time you or anyone else you know bought a car straight from the Toyota plant? Everybody I know buys them from a dealership not directly from Toyota.

 

My good friend did about 6 months ago actually....

We already have all the problems of gambling. What we don't have is an ability to divert some of the money Kentuckians are already spending at casinos toward addiction programs (as well as to pay for our roads and schools, you know, instead of Indiana's). As a state, we have all the problems and none of the benefits. Getting into the casino game helps level the playing field and stops neighboring states from preying upon us.

 

Do you believe the benefits will surpass the existing problems + the newer problems we will have if this is permitted? (not intended as a rhetorical question)

I know exactly what's happening in West Virginia. I also know people working at the Greenbrier. The mining industry was gone before the casino was a factor. The casino has kept some people working.

 

The minining industry is not gone far from it. I know several people who are executives in the mining industry and the industry was still strong in West Virginia prior to 2009.

 

OK it has keep some people working but what about the overall unemployment rate, is industry moving in, is it stable, is the Greenbriar having financial trouble?

Do you believe the benefits will surpass the existing problems + the newer problems we will have if this is permitted? (not intended as a rhetorical question)

 

Randy, honestly there is no way for anyone to know. I think is safe to say that hardly anyone wants a casino down the street from their neighborhood.

Do you believe the benefits will surpass the existing problems + the newer problems we will have if this is permitted? (not intended as a rhetorical question)

 

I'm highly skeptical there will be any "new problems." I think people who already gamble will continue to do so. Those who don't, won't. All this would do is shift the money around and keep it from going to Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, WVa, etc.

Jim when was the last time you or anyone else you know bought a car straight from the Toyota plant? Everybody I know buys them from a dealership not directly from Toyota.

But just think of what Georgetown would look like now if Toyota didn't come to town, plus all the $$$ in jobs and all it has brought to the state.

My good friend did about 6 months ago actually....

My friend did but he works for Toyota.

I'm highly skeptical there will be any "new problems." I think people who already gamble will continue to do so. Those who don't, won't. All this would do is shift the money around and keep it from going to Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, WVa, etc.

 

I believe that as well. For the most part, I don't think expanded gambling creates more gamblers. I just wonder if it might create more frequent gamblers.

Is your economy growing? Is industry stable? More industry moving in? And no, Pikeville doesn't work yet. Until the blights outside of the town limits are erradicated, you can't consider that any thing you mentioned is a success. What is unemployment overall in your area...the whole area, not the two cities of Ashland and Pikeville? What about those WV areas bordering?

 

The casino/resort at French Lick serve an area of former manufacturing in several counties surrounding...most of which has dried up or reduced staff. Until the resurgance unemployment was astronomical in the area....family's receiving federal aid were the norm, not the exception. Now, a lot of members of those same families are all employed in various capacities throughout the resort. You should come and talk to some of them. They are extremely grateful for the jobs, the people who come there to spend their money.....extremely grateful. And it's been a hard transition for many of them to go from working an assembly line to interacting with guests in a 4 star setting. Many employees now have opportunities they never dreamed of, such as getting a post-secondary education through the tuition reimbursement program offered, and the opening of the Ivy Tech campus in their community.

 

Go over to Greenbrier and ask those folks what they feel about the casino and resort in their community....employeeing many people in an area that was supported by the mining industry.

 

Great post rockmom. Totally agree with you.

 

When we have laws protecting people from themselves, we erode the need to be personally responsible for one's actions. When we have laws protecting people from themselves, we tramble liberty and individual choice. We make a mockery of free will.

 

God could have, if he wanted to, prevented all sin by denying us the ability of sin. But what would that have proven as to faith? Nothing. God gave us the free will to follow him and his teachings. Those that do are saved. Those that do not, are doomed. But God wanted us to have that choice. He made us personally responsible for our choices. He doesn't prevent us from being tempted; he doesn't prevent all temptations.

 

Choosing to gamble is in the eyes of some a sin; a temptation. I've got no problem with churches or religious types speaking out that gambling is a sin. However, taking action to ban gambling or not permit it to exist is not, in my opinion, in keeping with God's message of choice and free will. I'm not a big Bible reader, but can someone point me to the verse that states that says Christians should not permit gambling to exist?

Great post rockmom. Totally agree with you.

 

When we have laws protecting people from themselves, we erode the need to be personally responsible for one's actions. When we have laws protecting people from themselves, we tramble liberty and individual choice. We make a mockery of free will.

 

God could have, if he wanted to, prevented all sin by denying us the ability of sin. But what would that have proven as to faith? Nothing. God gave us the free will to follow him and his teachings. Those that do are saved. Those that do not, are doomed. But God wanted us to have that choice. He made us personally responsible for our choices. He doesn't prevent us from being tempted; he doesn't prevent all temptations.

 

Choosing to gamble is in the eyes of some a sin; a temptation. I've got no problem with churches or religious types speaking out that gambling is a sin. However, taking action to ban gambling or not permit it to exist is not, in my opinion, in keeping with God's message of choice and free will. I'm not a big Bible reader, but can someone point me to the verse that states that says Christians should not permit gambling to exist?

 

You state your argument well & make some valid points. A disagreement I have, though, is about laws protecting people from themselves. If Joe Blow goes & gambles his family into bankruptcy, his children are going to be affected by that. So it's not just a law that protects himself from himself. This reasoning is also why I feel like there has to be some semblance of government assistance when it comes to lower income families.

 

As far as the Bible goes, there's nothing forbidding gambling; nor do I believe it to be a sin. As with many other subjects (alcohol, for example), the sin is in the excess. I do believe the Bible teaches that wealth is best built by accumulating it little by little (see Proverbs 13:11), but not everyone gambles to strike it rich.

 

For me personally, I'm not in favor of the expanded gambling, because I've yet to be convinced that the positives outweigh the negatives. I've also had some experiences with friends where casino trips shattered their families, so I'm sure that has something to do with my position. But my reservations with it don't stem from anything Biblically related.

 

What I do think is that this should go to the ballot for the people to decide.

You state your argument well & make some valid points. A disagreement I have, though, is about laws protecting people from themselves. If Joe Blow goes & gambles his family into bankruptcy, his children are going to be affected by that. So it's not just a law that protect himself from himself. This reasoning is also why I feel like there has to be some semblance of government assistance when it comes to lower income families.

 

As far as the Bible goes, there's nothing forbidding gambling; nor do I believe it to be a sin. As with many other subjects (alcohol, for example), the sin is in the excess. I do believe the Bible teaches that wealth is best built by accumulating it little by little (see Proverbs 13:11), but not everyone gambles to strike it rich.

 

For me personally, I'm not in favor of the expanded gambling, because I've yet to be convinced that the positives outweigh the negatives. I've also had some experiences with friends where casino trips shattered their families, so I'm sure that has something to do with my position. But my reservations with it don't stem from anything Biblically related.

 

What I do think is that this should go to the ballot for the people to decide.

 

 

I completely disagree that restricting his access to casino gambling is going to prevent his destructive path. He needs to do no more than sit at his computer to do the same activity. The difference is that his money is not benefiting the community/state that will eventually be taking care of his family. It's lining the pockets of investors in off-shore gambling sites. Additionally, he's likely betting on sports in some way, and taking trips that aren't too far out of his way to do actual casino gambling. In each case, again, no revenues generated for the state. A person with a gambling problem is NOT stopped by the lack of a nearby facility.

The minining industry is not gone far from it. I know several people who are executives in the mining industry and the industry was still strong in West Virginia prior to 2009.

 

OK it has keep some people working but what about the overall unemployment rate, is industry moving in, is it stable, is the Greenbriar having financial trouble?

 

The financial difficulty you allude to is a seasonal issue. They temporarily layed off 100 of 1800 employees, and as information I've seen states, they'll be rehired in season. It seems Mr.Justice is still learning about the resort industry. And hiring more seasonally will definitely help him in maintaining his staff in a more financially lucrative fashion. He is facing the same situation as pretty much any resort...seasonality....and his issues are the same as what we face where I am...how do you get people to come to a resort setting in January and February (particularly). The Greenbrier is in no dire straits, just in a learning and growing stage. They have the PGA Greenbrier Classic through 2015, so they'll definitely be growing as their reputation and recognition increases.