By Chad Cooper, Cedar Rapids
Ever known someone who just wouldn’t let something go?
A friend with a cause. A family member with an opinion. A city with an inferiority complex. That level of conviction can range from admirable to aggravating to annihilating.
Have you heard Cedar Rapids wants a casino?
Well, a lot of city leaders do. Prominent businesspeople and investors do, too. And, to be honest, so do a fair share of citizens. This is now CR’s third formal try at brick-and-mortar gambling, after failing to secure a gaming license in 2014 and 2017.
Existing casinos around the state definitely don’t want it. That particular point has been used by supporters to curry favor for CR’s shot at the roulette wheel. Existing casinos obviously don’t want Cedar Rapids to get one. They’re pulling people and money out of our community on a weekly basis. Why should we feel sorry for them? It’s CR’s time!
A compelling argument, albeit a myopic one made in a vacuum.
Most people against a CR casino (including me) don’t care about existing casinos. I’m not shedding any tears for Riverside, and most detractors are well aware the other casinos are playing games with CR’s prospects.
Other casino proponents say detractors are against this city’s growth and development. As if not wanting a casino means you’re against progress and must hate the place you live.
The opposite is true.
I’m against a casino because it’s a hackneyed, overwrought, tread-worn idea that caters to addiction and blight instead of substance and growth.
This is not a creative idea. It’s not an innovative project. It doesn’t signal progress. It’s the absence of those things. A casino adds nothing to our culture; it only threatens to detract from it.
They will tell you something different. Developers have promised the casino will include an arts and cultural center and a STEM lab. Reports say Miss America 2020, Camille Schrier, would be a stakeholder in contributing to the STEM center. She performed a science experiment for her talent performance in the competition.
Fun.
See, it’s fine. This casino is for the whole family. The kids can blow up a beaker while mom and dad blow their college savings at the blackjack table. Because hosting children just feet from active gambling is a great look.
Also, let it be known: I’m not against vice-patterned fun. I’ve consumed plenty of cocktails and taken a seat at a few gambling tables in my time. I’m just not a fan of creating a mall-sized shrine to it in the middle of the city. While other communities around the state propose sports complexes and new high-rise buildings, the City of Five Seasons wants that fifth season filled with slot machines.
I love Cedar Rapids. The progress this city has made after suffering through three catastrophic natural disasters is nothing short of impressive. This city’s resilience is something to cherish. We have the potential to continue moving forward and upward.
So, why are we threatening a self-imposed disaster on the place we call home?
Dollar signs of projected revenue are surely one reason. But the bigger reason seems to be something much more basic: the age-old compulsion of wanting what we can’t have.
Well, when it comes to a casino in Cedar Rapids, we should all be careful what we ask for.
