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Residents oppose bingo hall
Published Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Ferriday — Ferriday residents packed town hall Tuesday to discuss, and mostly shout down, a charity bingo hall, proposed by a group of four investors.
Mayor Glen McGlothin opened the meeting by saying “I’m not bringing these guys out here to hammer them or us to jump on them.”
However, that’s exactly what many of those in attendance did.
“I’m 76-years-old and I’d pick cotton on my knees before I’d go to that gambling,” Marigene Paul said. “It’s a sin.”
The Rev. Troy Thomas, pastor of Bethel Church in Vidalia and the Rev. Wayne Gray, pastor of First Baptist Church Ferriday, said the bingo parlor would be used by those who do not have much money to begin with.
“Normally it’s not the ones who have money, it’s the one chasing the dream that are throwing it away,” Thomas said.
People always think gambling profits will help them, but they rarely do, Gray said.
“It always seems we never get quite as much as was promised,” Gray said. “I feel like gambling generally exploits those who can afford it the least.”
However, the backers of the hall said that it would benefit the town by giving money to charities, the town, and local businesses and that these groups would make much more money than their company, Big Bucks Bingo LLC.
“Yes, we get a part but it is by far the smallest part,” Rusty Durham, one of the company owners said.
The company expected to have around $8.4 million pass through the bingo hall with $6.2 million of that being returned to the players. Of the remaining 2.2 million, $1.1 million would be given to charities and $436,800 would go to the town. Additional money would go to pay for local advertising and salaries.
Only one attendee spoke in favor of the proposal and the extra income for the town.
“As a practical matter, if it’s going to bring $436,000 to the town annually, I’m in favor of it,” Emerson Slain said. “If they’re going to Natchez or Roxie or Tensas Parish, I’d say let them spend it here.”
McGlothin said he expected the halls backers to get this type of response, because of negative response the issue had drawn in the past.
“I wanted to afford them the opportunity to have their say,” he said.
The special meeting was only to allow public discussion of the issue and no vote was taken. The ordinance cannot be voted on until a regular meeting, which will take place Aug. 12. Also, due to a law recently passed by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, for any new bingo operation to come in, it would have to be done by Aug. 15.
In other business:
4A motion to apply for grants to bring the sewer system up to regulation was passed.
4A motion was passed to honor Marjorie Vogt for her service to the Ferriday Garden Club, the town of Ferriday and the Concordia Parish Libraries.
4The department head salaries were approved based on the budget passed by the previous administration.
Comments
Posted by grrbrts (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 1:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ah, the ole saying...It takes money to make money...what about the poor?
Posted by blindink (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 6:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It seems this statement was made about the bingo… ”The company expected to have around $8.4 million pass through the bingo hall with $6.2 million of that being returned to the players. Of the remaining 2.2 million, $1.1 million would be given to charities and $436,800 would go to the town. Additional money would go to pay for local advertising and salaries”
That comes to a profit for the company of $55,266.66 a week. That seems like a lot of money for a company to take in. Nevertheless, how many employees would they have and how much would they be paid. What about the rent, insurance, and then taxes. How much would be left, each week? These are questions I would like to see the paper ask and research.
However, can it truly be that this area of Ferriday can produce $161,538.46 a week to Bingo? That is for the 4,111 [population of Ferriday by the town website] that is a total of $2,043.29 that each person would have to waste at the parlor each year. Can someone tell me that there is that much money in Ferriday that can be wasted?
What would each of us do if we had that much to waste, the average family would waste over $8,000 a year.
If this is so then there must be more money in Ferriday and the surrounding area than I believe it is, I guess I need to see if I can find where it is hidden as I don't have it... do you?
Posted by gator (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We supposedly live in a Democracy . Let the citizens of Ferriday take a vote and decide for themselve what they want . Just because some people showed to voice their displeasure about the proposal doesn't represent what the community as a whole wants . Voting is the correct way .
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ding Dong! It wouldn't be just the people that live in town playing. People from Natchez and other areas would come and play, even having a bigger impact on the area. Anything that brings money into this town should be considered. There must be something in the water over there like here causing shootinthefootinitus
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 11:18 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I also think it should be left up to the citizens in a vote. Gamblers have to take responsibility. If you don't have the money nor means, you don't need to be gambling what you do have away. If you do have the money and the means and you chose to squander away your money on gambling, you will have to stand before your God as we all will and answer to those decisions we make/made.
Posted by USMBOY (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 1:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
“I’m 76-years-old and I’d pick cotton on my knees before I’d go to that gambling,” Marigene Paul said. “It’s a sin.” I guess him/her is without sin, so he/she cast the first stone.
Posted by GopherBaroque (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What difference will a little bingo hall make? Heck there are gambling boats all over the place that are less then an hour away in most directions? Seems that bingo would be far less intrusive than those casinos on the river.
Posted by GopherBaroque (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey Glen here's an idea. Why don't you put the bingo hall on a boat over on Lake Concordia. Surely they wouldn't object to that.
Posted by GopherBaroque (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 2:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Come on! If there is a god he doesn't give a rat's ass about gambling otherwise he would have wiped Las Vegas and Monte Carlo of the earth years ago.
Posted by Yeahuhuh (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I never believed that old saying about gambling being sin but the stock market, the futures market and starting your own business is not.
Making gains with no work and just a wager and a little luck is the cornerstone of today's America.
Posted by blogfather (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 8:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How many jobs will this create?
Posted by Bobaloo (anonymous) on July 23, 2008 at 11:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
B 49, B 49, B 49
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on July 24, 2008 at 11:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ferriday needs all the help they can get. The up-tight citizens will block such as this and sit in front of their tv's and tune in that nefarious 'saving grace' and vote for it to be best show for the year. But that's the life of the high and mighty of Ferriday.
Posted by GopherBaroque (anonymous) on July 24, 2008 at 1:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bring back Jerry Lee. Only he can save Ferriday.
Posted by overthehill60 (anonymous) on July 24, 2008 at 9:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bingo in Ferriday with the crime rate they have. There would be shootings every night.
GopherBaroque
Exactly how would Jerry Lee save Ferriday when he's a washed out has been himself?
Posted by prodemocracy4all (anonymous) on July 25, 2008 at 8:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why, in the 21st century, are a few small-minded white people still able to shout down the will of the people (and the majority)? No wonder Walmart moved out of Ferriday!
I hope these men CAN HELP the town.
If the mayor does not work hard to help them, or stops them from coming I hope Rev. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton march on his office and throw him out of town. And on the way out they can show that woman where to start "picking Cotton" so she can give the town a MILLION DOLLARS!!
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