Dear Porch Press,
Like many of our neighbors, I’ve read the news of casino companies such as MGM lobbying our state government to legalize gambling. There are also plenty of rumors about the possibility of Turner Field becoming a casino.
I am against legalizing casinos or gambling in Atlanta or in Georgia. I have read the evidence, and casinos do not bring the promised benefits to nearby residents or to taxpayers in general.
Casinos are designed to be addictive. The result of the addiction is poverty. Poverty ends up being paid for by the state and local governments via the taxpayers.
Casinos are designed to keep consumers inside their walls. Therefore casinos provide little to no benefit to the neighborhoods in which they are established. Atlanta and Georgia would be better served with walkable districts featuring locally owned businesses as our entertainment centers.
Local businesses retain more of their profits within the local municipality and have a genuine interest in improving their neighborhoods.
Lastly, our city councilmembers say they are concerned about bringing jobs to their district, and I have already heard neighbors say they support a casino because it will bring jobs. However, there are good jobs and bad jobs. I see a casino as bringing mostly minimum wage jobs that won’t help employees stay off of government assistance programs. Meanwhile, most of the profits will go to a corporate entity most likely located outside of Georgia.
Instead I’d love to see developments that bring more jobs that match the diverse skills that Atlanta talent can offer.
Richard Patterson
Grant Park
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