Gregory Freeman: A Lesson To Be Learned In Vote. P-D 4/8/1994

Headline: A LESSON TO BE LEARNED IN VOTE
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: 4/8/1994
Section: WAR PAGE, Page: 9C, Edition: FIVE STAR

AS PROPONENTS of riverboat gambling decide what to do now, they should consider that many people may have voted against the issue because public officials and others were involved as rented citizens for gambling interests.

It took me a while to decide which way to vote on this issue. When I learned a couple of months ago about all the political types and their associates who had become rented citizens or otherwise were finding ways to personally benefit from gambling, my initial reaction was to vote against it. Once more, public "servants" had jumped into the self-service lane of the riverboat gambling gas station, ready to pump profits into their own tanks.
Ultimately, I voted for the measure after looking at the overall picture - what it would mean to Missouri and St. Louis in terms of jobs and revenue, not to mention riverfront development. I also figured that people who want to gamble will go to Illinois anyway, taking their money - and their tax revenue - with them. May as well keep the bucks over here, I thought.

But I wouldn't be surprised if many voters - seeing an opportunity to tell the political folks that they were tired of the shenanigans - dug their heels in and voted against riverboat gambling. It also would not surprise me if as many as 1,261 voters, the number by which riverboat gambling was defeated, felt that way. More than a million people cast their votes Tuesday, so it's probably not unreasonable to suggest that that many people may have decided to send the politicians a message.

And if that's the case, the gambling interests - and their rented citizens - must look at themselves as much as anyone else as they evaluate what went wrong.

Politicians often can be found when opportunities arise to make money, especially quick and easy money, as riverboat gambling promised.
The whole issue of cable TV in St. Louis in the 1980s - complete with FBI investigations, wiretaps and indictments - provided ample evidence of that.
As far back as the turn of the century, when all sorts of financial deals were cut as the city selected a streetcar franchise, politicians have chosen to represent themselves over the people who elected them to office.

The difference this time is that the public had an opportunity to vote.
   In the 1980s, only politicians could vote on the cable television issue. The same was the case with streetcars at the turn of the century. Voters never had an opportunity to express their own opinions.
   This time, though, they had a chance to speak up. And some of them, I'm willing to bet, decided to teach a lesson to the politicians who had decided to veer into that self-service lane.
   There's no question that voters in rural areas were opposed to riverfront gambling. But the idea was considered much more attractive to voters in urban areas, especially St. Louis and St. Louis County.
   Had some voters in this area not been alienated by the politics involved, the proponents of riverboat gambling might have been celebrating today.

Will they ever learn? I wouldn't bet the house - or even a housefly - on it. I'm straining to hear some of the gambling interests or rented citizens say that in an effort to save riverboat gambling whenever it goes on the ballot again, they will remove their names from the list of investors. Of course, I doubt we'll hear that.
Many of those involved are interested in riverboat gambling for themselves only. Their concern is considerably less for those folks who are now being laid off because of the issue's loss the other day.
And that's what's unfortunate. Money is flowing like a river from Missouri into Illinois, while greed on this side of the river has once again helped sink a good idea.

When the names of the investors were reported, the owners of the Alton Belle and Casino Queen surely rubbed their hands in glee and satisfaction.
They probably knew then what I suspect now: that until things look a lot better - and cleaner - many people would rather sit on their hands than vote for riverboat gambling here and make another politician and his friends a little richer.
No matter how many times the issue is placed on the ballot.

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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