Dear editor:
I will start off by saying, I enjoy going to a real casino and playing once in a while. But every place that has casino's has the same issues. Crime and poorly paid workers. Recently, while on The Gulf at a casino I won't name, my wife and I found out the housekeepers didn't make minimum wage. They were paid per room they cleaned. So if someone had a do not disturb sign, the housekeeper didn't get paid for that room. To make matters worse, they were on a clock on how many rooms they had to clean in an hour.
As far as crime goes, don't we have enough in Hot Springs? I remember when Oaklawn pushed for the amendment, they made a lot of promises to the city and their employees and they didn't deliver. So why should we let them expand again? They aren't creating real jobs. The traffic is still an issue. And to top it off, they have a full security staff, yet still hire city and county officers who go up there in taxpayers cars and use taxpayers equipment to protect their interests, not ours.
If we want casinos in Arkansas, fine. But Oaklawn needs competition, not total control. That's why I'm asking that you vote no. Till we get a gaming bill that will allow all the casinos to come in, that will benefit all the people of Arkansas in lesser taxes.
It's time to stop this one-horse race.
Ron Swanson
Hot Springs
Editorial on 09/16/2018