There is a new issue here in Steamboat Springs that concerns me. A small group wants to build a casino at the local airport a few miles from Steamboat. The breakdown between the “fors” and “againsts” is the same as for so many of current arguments.
It seems to me that the argument can be reduced to “community values.” I would not be personally impacted by the casino. I will certainly never go there. It won’t cost me much, but it is terrible for the community. The social costs will outweigh the economic benefits. A lot of people who can least afford it will be badly hurt. It will be ugly. It will hurt the reputation of our town.
It is just like the gun control issue. I would be willing to give up a little bit of my freedom if it made for a safer community.
Bill Dring
Oak Park/Steamboat Springs