By Javier Manjarres
The controversial Destination Florida casino gaming bill will one of the hot issues debated during the 2012 Florida Legislative session this coming January. The two co-sponsors of this bill, Representative Eric Fresen (R-Miami), and Senator Ellyn Bogdanoff (R-Fort Lauderdale) have both been longtime “non-pro-gambling” legislators, are not pitching the idea of opening up the South Florida market to gaming.
Both of the bills up for consideration, HB 487 in the House, and SB 710 in the Senate are identical in nature, and they designate a minimum investment of $2 billion for the project. The idea is to bring a “higher end” gaming structure to South Florida and to keep the less desirable forms of gaming out. Fresen says that the low-end gambling market that is fueled by “lower income, or more highly addictive people” is not the type of gambling that the Destination Florida bills call for. The bills call for the expansion of the type of gaming that takes place in the higher-end casino hotels, such as the Wynn and Bellagio hotels in Las Vegas.
The controversy behind the measures is straightforward- pro-family groups, including the Disney Corporation believe that a ‘darker element’ will shadow gaming, i.e. prostitution, drug use/trafficking, and addiction to gambling.
On the flip side, proponents of the bills argue that this measure will brings millions in needed yearly tax revenue for the both state and local governments that would alleviate the stress that presently afflicts their balance sheets.
Apart from the competing views on gambling is a separate concern that concerns the Malaysian conglomerate Genting Group. According to some media reports, Genting has already bought the Miami Herald building in downtown Miami and submitted a plan to construct a casino on its purchased land, and have all but wrapped up the deal to construct and operate a casino in Miami. But according to both Fresen and Bogdanoff, nothing could be further from the truth, as they assert that Genting is using a very clever smoke-and-mirror marketing campaign that gives the perception that they have ‘locked-down’ the bid when in reality, they are no actively competing with other groups such as the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Wynn Resorts Limited, both of whom are also vying for the chance to build a destination casino or two in South Florida.
According to Senator Bogdanoff, the Las Vegas casinos have expressed interest in coming to South Florida for the reason that, “The one place in the entire nation that gives Vegas a run for its money, and that would be the South Florida market.”
9 Responses to “Casino Bill Factions Jockey For Position”
Disney is for “family values” except when they promote the homosexual agenda with special gay days on which their park is closed to hetros.
Ellyn Bogdanoff is sleeping with a lobbyist for the Las Vegas Sands and her days in the Senate are soon to be over.
Javier Manjarres is the only blogger/journalist who get’s the inside scoop and reports it !
Voters will have a choice in the Republican Primary of 2012 in District 25. Mike Lameyer is currently running against Senator Bogdanoff. Mike is a former combat Marine who served in Vietnam and then had corporate/employment experience in the technology and aircraft industries. He is very active with the Palm Beach County REC and the Tea Party/South Florida 912 groups. Mike’s ideas can be explored further at: http://www.naplesnews.com/videos/detail/election-2010-mike-lameyer-fl-senate-d-27/
http://www.mikelameyer.com/
The arguments expressed for the proposed gambling bill are faulty on several levels.
For one thing, it is gambling, not “gaming.” Changing the name does not wash away its problems, one of which is that more money is lost than won by gamblers. It is not just a “game.”
Second, the bill opens the doors to “Destination Gambling,” but there is no guarantee that it will permanently shut the doors to other types. And since when does “Destination Gambling” reduce addictions?
Third, international tourism is already suffering because of problems foreigners have with obtaining visas to come here. Should we look to this uncertain source as the panacea for our state’s budget needs?
Finally, do we really want to build county and state revenues on the backs of losers?
I hope our legislature is wiser than that.
How do you stop people from gambling just because they are not from the high end? Gambling doesn’t just create addiction, it also creates
graft and corruption of public officials as it has in other cities where gambling has been legalized. They are looking for an easy way out of a poor economy, but this creates more problems than it solves.
The problem is that once it is in, it’s like the Trojan Horse. Our
legislatures are fools if they vote this in. And it also brings in the Underworld.
Any kind of gambling profits one person, the winner, at the expense of another (the loser). In that sense any form of gambling is predatory – you cannot have a winner without a loser. Fresen and Bogdanoff’s lame attempt to justify their proposed bill ignores this fact. There is a moral conflict when any government entity tries to promote, protect or justify gaming. The theological necessity for the institution of government is the depravity of man. The mandate of government is to protect society from evil that inevitably results from that depravity and to promote righteousness – that which will enhance the quality of life in a society. (Romans 13). Government endorsed gaming does neither of the above. What a disappointment that two GOP politicians have chosen to promote what has historically proven to be detrimental to society. I’m waiting to see what is in it for them personally – it will eventually come out.
Seminole Chief Wahoo is not going to be happy………..
The same lame arguments against gaming were thrown around when Mississippi and Missouri were debating this topic. Crime rates remained the same as they have for years. There was no increase in prostitution and South Florida has had a Huge stemming from back in the 80′s. It is not the responsibility of the Government to police morality so the entire addiction argument falls again. Like Mississippi and Missouri we will see a boom in economic growth, fueled by a sector of the economy that lets adults make adult decisions, creating thousands of jobs from construction workers to waitresses to casino management. Wake up people, if you want a puritanical Florida, just come out and say it and stop with the lame excuses that attempt to scare people into not supporting gaming.
Above “huge drug problem stemming back to the 80′s”
For every one job created buy a casino the local community loses 1.8 casinos do not create prosperity in any community except for the casino owners. Three of the top 20 most dangerous streets in the United States are in Las Vegas. Oh and where is all that Vegas prosperity gone? I don’t gamble and I don’t like the results of gambling on any community. Prosperity my a@*%$.