THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 20, 1994 TAG: 9411180127
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Horse racing and riverboat gambling on paper look like good money-making propositions for the city, promising millions in tax dollars.
Everybody wants a quick fix and when somebody talks in millions, everybody tends to jump.
But as much as we want big bucks, we can't bank on gambling of any sort to save the city.
The city made a good showing in the run for the horse race track, but not without paying for it. Not only did Portsmouth spend a lot of money. It also used a lot of city resources, including the time of the Economic Development people.
Before they became so involved in the race track proposal, the Economic Development staff was on a roll, making one announcement after another that put some under-used property to good use and produced some new taxes and jobs. Because the staff was producing, the assumption must be that we have not heard any new announcements in recent months because the staff hasn't had time to do the work.
As anyone who has ever sold anything knows, the calls must be made and they must be followed up. That takes time and it takes focus.
Although it was justified, working on the race track proposal took that time and focus away from other projects.
Now the city seems to be concentrating on riverboat gambling.
Putting out the word that Portsmouth has the perfect site for a riverboat operation is fine. But because the old Coast Guard base south of City Hall is such an ideal site, there is no reason for us to make any concessions or work any special deals. If there are business people here who want to get river boats, let them find the prospects and make an offer.
Instead of gambling more time and money on a questionable project, the city must concentrate on solid economic development to fill some more vacant buildings and put more people to work.
In addition to more traditional manufacturing and office jobs, we also need to work at recapturing retail dollars going across the city line because we have lost so many businesses in recent years.
All development has its costs, whether in streets or other city services or in tax concessions offered in enterprise zones. But it's doubtful that any new developments would cost as much in up-front money or down-the-road services, including public safety, as the horse track we lost or the riverboat gambling operation we seek.
Generally speaking, those attracted to gambling entities do not spend much money in restaurants and other tax-paying businesses in the city. The odds are far greater that additional money will be spent at local businesses by visitors to the Children's Museum or students at the Tidewater Community College art institute. The best bet for local expenditures, however, is the opening of a new business, which not only pays taxes but in many cases collects other taxes for the city. In addition, the businesses pay employees who in turn spend money here.
It's time for the city to put its resources into capturing stable new business and industry that in the long term will make the city more prosperous.
If riverboat gambling comes to Portsmouth, we can use the money. But we can't be obsessed with gambling as the answer to our money problems because there really never is a quick fix.
KEYWORDS: RIVERBOAT GAMBLING
by CNB