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| Post Number: 1
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minnow 
Group: Members
Posts: 2243
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 26 2003,7:20 am |
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The Big Island Hotel and casino's lights can be seen from I-35...the lights shimmering off the water.
Our casino should be senior friendly with a tram running between the senior campus (located within old farmstead site) and Big Island.
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| Post Number: 2
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Mamma
Group: Members
Posts: 1474
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 26 2003,11:37 pm |
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I am with you on the casino idea. Of course, it will never fly in Albert Lea. It would bring in a lot of jobs and a lot of money. Not only would the casino benefit, but also the hotels and eating places in Albert Lea. It would be a good place to have conventions and meetings too, and would give Albert Lea a "destination". I think Behling would rather turn it into a butterfly farm or something similar. He had all kinds of ideas in his last column....which are great if you are a cyclist or a walker...and don't want to spend your money. I don't think the people that are out walking or cycling are spending a great deal of money along the trail. Southern Minnesota could use a casino.....the others are a ways off and what better place than at the intersection of two interstate highways. I am sure it would pull in some people off the interstates.
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A conclusion is simply the place where you got tired of thinking.
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| Post Number: 3
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rosebudinal
Group: Members
Posts: 303
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,12:45 am |
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 Why can't we have people like you guys running this city???
Give Sparks another 2-3 weeks and I guarantee that he'll say some big company is looking at Albert Lea as a possible site. The Trib. will put in on the front page, they'll spend boochoo bucks to do a study on it and it too will fade away like so many before it. Guess the meatpacking mentality will never die in Albert Lea (always gullable ) sadly enough. But, there is strength in numbers and I stand behind what they(the "local celebrities") would refer to as the rebels, malcontents (kinda reminds me of Prizing though.....) or negative citizens. Actually, that negative thing couldn't be any further from the truth. One has to be REALLY POSITIVE to keep their spirits up in this town in hopes that someday we will have a destination.
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| Post Number: 4
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Spidey
Group: Members
Posts: 1775
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,5:37 am |
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Don't you think the problem lies with the Indians not allowing us to have a casino rather then our officials not wanting a casino?
I can't think of a better solution then putting a casino in Albert Lea! The revenue would save this little town, and just think of the jobs. Who exactly on the food chain would be the one to pursue this venture? Has it been looked at or tried?
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| Post Number: 5
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1adam12
Unregistered
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,8:55 am |
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First, the state has to allow other casinos to operate. There is a lot of lobbying from the Indian community, as well as those who feel we "owe" it to the Indians for what happened 200 years ago. It was a big issue in the last legislative session to open up the casino restrictions so the staet could run thier own and generate revenue. It will take a lot of pushing from our local legislators (out there, repdan?), as well as the ones who backed the "racino" proposal to get this passed. It may be too late, though, if Northwood and Clear Lake get their casinos......
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| Post Number: 6
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jimhanson
Group: Moderator
Posts: 8491
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,9:32 am |
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Recall that 3 years ago, Bill Laughlin, (formerly of Owatonna, and owner of the casinos that bear his name, in the town that bears his name, Laughlin, Nev.) offerred to put in a casino in the area AT HIS OWN EXPENSE, AND TO GIVE A PERCENTAGE TO THE STATE. The proposal was killed at the State by the PC Indian crowd--giving the Indians a monopoly on gambling in the State. The Star-Tribune stated that the Indian Gaming people spent $4,000,000 in lobbying against the proposal--a tough nut for ANYBODY to crack.
Never mind that the casinos employ very few Indians, that while the Mdewankton indians collect hundreds of thousands of dollars per person, little or no money makes it to the reservations--the PC crowd feels that the State "owes" the indians this monopoly.
Sadly, while I think the idea of a "Big Island" casino is great, the reality is that unlike the Indians or the Iron Range, southern Minnesota doesn't have the constituencies or sympathies of the rest of the State. Our best hope for jobs comes from across the border, where these dynamics are not a factor.
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"If you want to anger a Conservative, tell him a lie. If you want to anger a LIBERAL, tell him the TRUTH!"
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| Post Number: 7
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minnow
Group: Members
Posts: 2243
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,9:34 am |
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It could happen in Albert Lea for two main reasons. Legislators and commissions require some logic, or moral compass in these matters. Albert Lea is right because:
1. It is Minnesota's sore spot. One of the most economically destitute counties in all of Minnesota. Decreased population. Then the plant burns down as the final symbolic blow. The state is sympathetic.
2. Big Island was a popular trading and meeting spot for area indians back when french fur traders were here. Our casino would be family and senior friendly as well as a living museum (a tribute) to those who came before us. This is very important.
Logic dictates that Albert Lea should get first and only dibbs in this area. I believe the time is perfectly ripe for a new beginning. It's time for a new generation to lead us forward into the new millennium with a new and fresh vision. The old guard is just that...caught up in the past. Albert Lea can be better than that.
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| Post Number: 8
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jimhanson
Group: Moderator
Posts: 8491
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,10:28 am |
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Minnow--you make a compelling case FOR the casino--and I hope you are right. The history of the area, the State Park, the economic need--they are all plusses.
I was just stating what we're up against--a big Indian lobby with more money than even Don Laughlin has, and a history of neglect from the State Legislature.
For over 50 years, the Iron Range has received the sympathy of the Legislature. They've received every special treatment, every government program, every tax break imagineable. Golf courses in the swamp, ski area hundreds of miles from major population, "Iron World" amusement park, numerous tax breaks, a "sea world" aquarium, taconite tax breaks, the Northwest Airlines maintenance bases and reservations centers (Northwest located them there to win favor for the State bailout--NO OTHER AIRLINE does maintenance off-line), and the grandaddy of them all--the IRRRB--the board that gets to KEEP ALL THE TACONITE TAX to spend on questionable projects.
The point is, the Iron Range has successfully developed a "poor me" attitude. The Star-Tribune, during the Northwest funding debates, reported that the major sympathizers for the Iron Range were LIBERAL, SUBURBAN HOUSEWIVES. The reality is that Southern and Western Minnesota are in much more dire straits than the Range--but we don't have the constituency of the Range.
About a month ago, Channel 6 had a piece about JOBZ, the "enterprise zones" for economically distressed Counties. They flashed on a graphic board--it wasn't up for more than a couple of seconds, but it graphically reinforced the point I made on the Trib. forum that NEARLY EVERY ECONOMICALLY DISTRESSED COUNTY IN THE STATE IS A BORDER COUNTY--having to compete with a better business and tax climate just across the border. I'd like to get that graphic, but have been unable to pull it up from Channel 6.
Having identified some of the PROBLEMS--let's GO AFTER IT!
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"If you want to anger a Conservative, tell him a lie. If you want to anger a LIBERAL, tell him the TRUTH!"
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| Post Number: 9
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GEOKARJO
Google This!!!
Group: Members
Posts: 7799
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,2:09 pm |
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the indians may have spent 4 mill. lobbing against a state run casino which legislator calculated the tax the casino pays into the state coffer I believe the figure is 0. Now they need to get their heads out their brief cases and do the numbers and put in Big Island Casino Good for the State and good for the city. Might take some heat off the Govenor he needs that right now.
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| Post Number: 10
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rosebudinal
Group: Members
Posts: 303
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 27 2003,8:12 pm |
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I think that minnow makes some very valid points regarding the casino and our destitute state.
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