[bernard]

Casino a bad choice for Pueblo
http://www.lovelandfyi.com/
Loveland, CO FYI:

The glittery get-rich-quick appeal of landing a $100 million casino and hotel might persuade Pueblo leaders to allow Oklahoma Indian tribes to create a sovereign nation in the city's downtown.

But it shouldn't.

Gov. Bill Owens is right. Pueblo officials should turn down a proposal to build the casino on a 5-acre site along the Arkansas River in Pueblo. Though Longmont-based venture capitalist Steve Hillard has promised the city will reap 5 percent of the casino's gross revenues and would receive a $2 million venture capital fund, Pueblo ultimately will be a loser if it approves the Cheyenne-Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma casino.

First, there seems to be no formal plan about whether the autonomous Indian reservation, which would have to be established for the casino to be built, would cooperate with the city. Hillard contends that will be worked out during public hearings and community meetings on the casino, but there's no guarantee.

Second, the three Colorado communities where gambling has become the main industry all have lost their quaint charm to the bright lights of casinos. The streets of Central City, Cripple Creek and Blackhawk are empty. All the people visiting those towns are in one of the row upon row of gambling establishments, losing their money to the house. It would be unfortunate if Pueblo's downtown was ruined in the same manner, especially because city voters in 1995 passed a $12.5 million bond to improve the Arkansas River waterfront and channel the river back to its original banks.

As a result of the Riverwalk project, many of the historic buildings on Union Avenue have filled up with restaurants and shops.

The less attractive parts of downtown Pueblo have been cleaned up.

A casino, even if it comes with a built-in spa and has few garish lights and signs, is moving away from efforts to make the area a nice, family-friendly shopping district.

Proponents of the casino, which originally was proposed to be built near Denver International Airport, are preying on the largely blue-collar, former steel town, where the leaders are eager to continue to encourage any kind of economic and workforce development.

Pueblo leaders should turn away this offer and instead focus on encouraging higher paying industries to locate to their city.

[Mudshark]

Oh brother...

In MY opinion, it's WAY too early to start bad-mouthing the Pueblo-casino deal. THERE IS NO DEAL ! Let's see what the tribes are willing to ante up. It will be in the compact.

Look, the State of Colorado is BROKE. Just watch the ads for Amendment C and D - VOTE FOR THAT by the way - the State needs the revenue. So does Pueblo. They need jobs, REAL JOBS, not just a "maybe we'll find higher paying industries to come in" hope and a prayer. Every other community in Colorado is trying to find those jobs - there aren't any!

If Pueblo can make themselves a sweet deal with an almost desperate tribal group then they would be FOOLS to not do it.

Let's see the deal on the table before we decide it's no good. Only makes sense.

Mud

[Gonzopozo]

This seems like a hot little topic...

I'm a gaming supporter - so you already know where I stand. Actually, I wanted them to build near DIA, but I'll take Pueblo as a second choice. But that's not why I'm writing here.

I must take issue with something the first editorial said: