To The Editor Dr. Jim Tranthem Homestead
Re: News Leader article 8/10/12: Romanik Wants to Open Jai Alai /Casino
Where Does the Faith Community Stand on the Florida City Casino Issue?
While attorney David Romanik has "expressed ample excitement"over bringing a casino to
Florida City... and not to "his" neighborhood, the deep south Miami-Dade "faith community" has been surprisingly silent on this fundamentally social/moral issue.
For some South Miami-Dade residents, this silence implies a tacit approval by the faith community or any other civic leader not willing to step up and speak for the quality of life we are developing for our citizens.
Accordingly, the article states that we should not "scorn a business simply because of its nature" if there is an opportunity for local jobs. Mayor Wallace and the [Florida City] commissioners have backed the idea since its first proposal on the agenda. Mr. Romanik states that one of the greatest factors for the Casino at this location was having "a city government that supported us." Has the "local government" fully explored all of the opportunities for this property ? How many town hall meetings have been held to allow residents to express their views?How about a referendum?
Perhaps the "nature" of this business would be suitable for part-time employees from a high school only about a mile down the road from the casino. Students could walk to work after school and practice their math by dealing Black-Jack or by sitting on the other side of the table counting cards to improve their math F-CAT scores. This "adult arcade" would do nothing for our youth and a fronton with a sport in decline would bring few "adult only" spectators - Jai-Alai frontons all over the U.S. are struggling to survive, because the sport is vanishing.
If you believe that this is a moral, ethical or social concern, express your opinion to your pastor or community leader and ask for support before it's too late.
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