Green resident urges opposition to ‘racino’
4/26/2012 - South Side Leader
To the editor:
I am against a racino in Green on airport property. We promote our community as family-oriented, but gambling is not a family-friendly activity. Traffic will increase on already busy South Arlington Road and Massillon Road — charter buses carrying gamblers, METRO buses carrying gamblers and workers, and cars. Traffic may be directed to use the airport exit, but people will use the quickest and shortest route.
Gambling establishments use free alcoholic beverages as an incentive for gamblers to spend more. We do not need more drunks driving on our roads. These establishments are usually open 24 hours a day — will we be able to enforce our anti-noise ordinance?
Who will pay for the increased cost of police and fire and EMS services — Green residents will.
The racino will have a security staff, but they will only police racino property. Our mayor’s visit to one racino on one day in no way provides a realistic picture of this activity and its effect on the surrounding community.
The racino could be forced on us — current zoning of the land in question permits such a use.
City Council needs to pass legislation that prohibits spending any city funds for racino infrastructure (streets, waterlines, sewer, etc.) or providing any tax or other financial incentives. If they build [the racino], all zoning and other requirements must be strictly enforced — no variances or deviations.
Please write to our mayor and the president and CEO of the Akron-Canton Airport to express opposition to the racino. If we sit back quietly, we deserve what will happen to our community when the racino is built.
Letters do not have to follow a specific format and can be handwritten — just speak your mind.
Their addresses are: Richard McQueen, president and CEO, Akron-Canton Airport, 5400 Lauby Road N.W., North Canton, OH 44720-1598; and Mayor Richard Norton, city of Green, P. O. Box 278, Green, OH 44232-0278.
Patricia Carleski, Green
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