Community Essay : ‘A Dismal Future on a Silver Platter’ : Card clubs: Referendums are scheduled in Pomona, Azusa and Hawaiian Gardens.
As you drive through Pomona, a city whose 140,000 residents are 60% Latino, you cannot help but to be side-tracked by the propaganda promoting card club casinos. In residential areas, the placards read “Another Family for Casinos,” while the major streets are decorated with numerous signs reading “1,000 jobs for Pomona.” Other propaganda touts “$10 Millions for Pomona” and aunion office has more than a dozen signs displaying “Vote YES on Proposition K” with the word “JOBS” In huge letters covering the building office.
Although Pomona voters already voted against casinos back in April, the issue is once again before the voters on Tuesday. Over the past two years, casinos have become the focus of audience participation at each City Council meeting, the daily discussion of activists on both sides of the issue and the topic of numerous newspaper articles.
It could be said that in cities like Pomona, casinos have become more divisive than the racial antagonisms facing our nation. Casino promoters seem to target poor cities with large minority populations. But the promises they make are deceptive and greatly exaggerated, and their presence in our municipalities is politically dangerous.
In Azusa, where a special election on casinos is scheduled Dec. 12, Councilwoman Cristina Madrid, the only City Council member who voted against casinos, says the gaming industry is splitting her city. In Hawaiian Gardens, now facing a $1.5 million deficit, casino proponents promise to save the city from economic decline. Just last week, a crowd of “pro” residents picketed outside city Councilwoman Kathleen Navajas’ home. This incident, caused by a court motion which put on hold a special election scheduled for Nov. 21.
Much like the ‘49ers in the California Gold Rush of the 1800s, card club pioneers are milking our city governments for the right to hit the casino gold rush. But the gaming industry overall has a history of controlling city governments, increasing crime rates and creating serious gambling addictions. And while the card club issue is still being fought in Pomona, Azusa, Hawaiian Gardens and other cities, cities such as Irwindale, South El Monte, Pico Rivera, Bellflower, West Hollywood and Cypress have been successful in defeating card club initiatives. Casinos are a new political force moving in on local municipalities. But instead of looking toward casinos to solve the economic ills of local government, we should look toward innovative and permanent measures to solve our problems. If we don’t, casinos will continue to prey on the poverty of our communities for their own economic interests.
If the only solution we have for our children is casinos, then we are giving them a dismal future on a silver platter.
