Wednesday, July 25, 2012
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City votes in favor of legalized video gambling

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[July 25, 2012]  Tuesday evening at City Hall there was an unusual sight on the second floor: so many people in attendance for a council committee meeting that the fire chief was forced to monitor the number of people allowed into council chambers.
With a maximum seating capacity of 50, every space was filled, and approximately 10 to 15 people stood in the lobby outside the chambers to hear what would be said on the issue of video gambling.

Alderman Tom O'Donohue had called a 6 p.m. meeting of the ordinance committee for the sole purpose of hearing from the public on the issue. Before the meeting began, he advised the group that each speaker would be allowed only five minutes and there would be no exceptions.

The first person to speak was in favor of the gambling. Dick Anderson, the post commander at American Legion Post 263, told the council his organization relies heavily on the revenues from the gaming machines to support charitable and outreach work in the community.

He said his board recently had to deny a request for support from the Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce and had furthermore decided to suspend all charitable giving until the city had reached a decision regarding the new legalized gaming machines.

He spoke about the Elks Lodge just six blocks away being in the county and being allowed to have the machines. He said this would hurt the Legion, and he didn't want to see his organization go the same direction as the Moose and the VFW.

Robbin McClannen spoke out against the machines. She did not specify what organization she is with, but did say she'd dealt with a client who had recently won her house rent at the casino boat in Peoria. The woman told McClannen she planned to continue going to the boat and continue winning her house rent. McClannen said she couldn't help but wonder how long it would be until the woman was turning to organizations such as the township or Community Action to get money to pay for her rent and other needs.

Bob Benedict told the council that Lincoln was a nice town and he wanted to keep it that way. He said they just couldn't have any idea how much the Legion would lose if they lost their gaming machines. He said it was embarrassing to him that local businesses should have to come to the city and plead for something they needed. He urged them to "stop the foolishness" and said no one was going hungry and no one had been struck by lightning because they played these machines.

Anita Bedell is the executive director of Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems out of Springfield. She was the only person from outside the Lincoln area to speak. She said indeed people were getting hurt from these machines. She noted a case where a man had a heart attack at one of these machines and another case where a person committed suicide.

She also said it would increase crime, and she spoke about the Illinois Gaming Commission, saying they would do nothing to enforce the laws regarding the new machines. She said that it would be up to local police to enforce the laws, and they would not do it because it would be their friends who were breaking the laws.

Gerald Carter spoke next, saying he was opposed to the machines. He noted he had just wrapped up a 29-year career as a counselor at Logan Correctional Center. He said many of the problems that put people in prison began with addictions. He said his concern was for the youth of the area who could easily become addicted to this vice.

Carter said it was an important decision that the city had to make. He said legalizing these machines would not improve the community, and there were far more reasons to vote no than yes.

Jim Killebrew told the council the state had made it easy for them to legalize these machines because the state wanted people to spend their money in them.

The ones who own the businesses want them so they can make money from losers, but he said those who do lose are the ones who can't afford to, and many others around them suffer for it.

Killebrew also offered quite a bit of information on the psychology behind gambling and behavior modification. He said the games would trickle a few quarters out to keep people playing because that is how you teach people to do something: by offering occasional rewards.

Killebrew did run out of time before he was finished and O'Donohue asked him to leave the podium.

Larry Crawford of Open Arms Fellowship said he felt like everyone is looking for the same thing: a strong, healthy community. He said, "Lincoln has lost too much already; we can't afford to lose more." He added it was the responsibility of the city council to look out for the overall good of the community. He said this was a quick fix that could sound good, but in the end it wouldn't be.

Dustin Fulton of Jefferson Street Church opened his presentation by asking the council if they recognized the number $46,650. He said that was the amount of money embezzled from the city by Melanie Riggs, former city clerk. He said that crime had been committed due to a gambling addiction. He said Riggs drove 38 miles to feed her addiction, and he asked the council to imagine what it would be like when gambling was right here in the city.

Fulton punctuated his statements with: "The house always wins and the home always losses."

Fulton said this act would not create new jobs, would offer no societal benefits and would financially benefit only a few.

After Fulton finished speaking, the city treasurer, Chuck Conzo, said he wanted it noted on the record that the city had received full restitution for the $46,650 that was taken.

Bob Tumbleson said he and his wife enjoy gaming. They go out once a week for a nice dinner, then go gaming for two to three hours.

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Shawn Taylor spoke on behalf of several local establishments. He said he had collected 492 signatures of people supporting the gambling. He also noted Springfield and Bloomington have joined the ranks of those legalizing the gaming machines.

He said they were no worse than raffles, pull tabs and bingo, which are legal, and the lottery. He then noted that last year $3,000,000 was spent on the Illinois Lottery from the 62656 (Lincoln) ZIP code.

Greg Wooten also spoke against gaming, saying key words that are being used to promote the machines are "entertainment" and "revenue," but there are two more words the council needs to consider: "addiction" and "poverty."

Andi Hake spoke on behalf of the Lincoln/Logan Chamber's legislative committee and board of directors. She said the committee had met with groups on both sides of the issue, and the board had voted to support legalizing the gaming machines in Lincoln.

She said the chamber was opposed to offering unfair advantages to certain businesses, and to prevent the legalized gaming put local businesses at an unfair disadvantage as they compete for business.

She also commented that there has been talk about the gambling as though it hadn't existed before in Lincoln, when everyone knows that it does, including city officials. She said, "You're not bringing it here; it's already here."

Tony Shuff of the Salvation Army talked about the $24,000 raised this year in the red kettle drive. He said organizations such as his are hard-pressed to meet the needs of the community as it is. Legalizing gambling in the city will create more need, and he doesn't know if the local agencies will have the funding to help them all.

Melissa Newhouse was the last to speak. She said she was a bartender locally. She sees people play the machines and said they are going to go where they can play these machines. So, if the machines are not legalized, people will be forced to go elsewhere.

She noted many of the liquor establishments are already suffering due to the no-smoking laws and noted as an example, she used to go to the boat in Peoria, but now she drives to St. Louis because there she is allowed to smoke while she plays.

There was no discussion by the council during the committee meeting.

Directly after the meeting, the reconvened session of the July 16 meeting was called so the council could vote on four items.

When the vote for the legalized gambling came up, O'Donohue made the motion and it was seconded by Jonie Tibbs

Marty Neitzel was the first to speak, saying she would vote for the gaming. She said she was all for local business. She also noted the people of Lincoln have had plenty of time to come to the city and say there was a problem with gaming, but they didn't until this new law came up.

David Wilmert said he, too, would support the vote in favor. He said his ward was the home of many of the businesses affected by this, and he wanted to support them. He also said, for him personally, it was more about liberty and the right to do what they wanted to do on their private property.

Kathy Horn, also of Ward 2, said she agreed with Wilmert, her co-alderman.

Tibbs said she was in favor as did David Armbrust. Buzz Busby also was in favor, saying it has been here for years anyway.

Before the vote Mayor Keith Snyder commented as well. Snyder is very much opposed to the legalized gaming. He said as mayor he was not charged to seek out the most popular decision, but to seek the best course for the city. He said he often speaks about the council, telling others he is blessed to have a good council to work with, and he knew that regardless of whether they disagree on this issue or not, the council will do what it feels is in the best interest of the city.

When the roll call vote was taken, the motion to allow legalized video gaming in the city of Lincoln passed with an 8-1 vote. Jeff Hoinacki voted no, and Melody Anderson was absent for the evening.

[By NILA SMITH]

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