Take a stand, say ‘no’ to local casino plans

Dear editor,

Casinos are a colossal, destructive, irreversible mistake for our pleasant, safe, affordable communities. Casinos will predictably destroy southwestern Idaho, Mountain Home, Boise and the Twin Falls region, and I-84 will become a criminal traffic highway.

We must think “big picture” to protect ourselves. “Jobs” offered are a false economy, far outweighed by horrible costly socio economic problems such as crime, addictions, poverty and values incompatible with our safe communities. We will quickly radically change, much like our unrecognizable neighbors in the Seattle-Tacoma area as well as Portland, San Francisco, Denver, and Las Vegas.

We won’t benefit from this false economy, and most will suffer. Healthy economies and communities are not built on addictions.

We’ve seen severe problems casino gateways brought to our neighbors: Legalized marijuana and hard drugs, organized gang or random crime, addictions, poverty, homelessness, prostitution, drunk-driving fatalities, burglaries, robberies, gun trafficking, frauds, auto thefts, illegal immigrants, regular police shootouts, higher auto and home insurance rates and soaring traffic congestion.

In addition, these casinos place a strain on the local infrastructure, including police, jails, fire-rescue, hospitals and roads while increasing the costs of living, utilities such as water and electricity along with housing, taxes, etc.

Shall we mirror Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas or Denver? These regions are undesirable, unsafe and unaffordable.

Is this our future? Do you want to live or raise families in such environments? You chose to live here for a reason.

We are lucky here and must protect ourselves.

Casinos are dangerous. The lure of “jobs” is a false economy. I implore our governor, mayors, city council members and all to deny casinos here.

– Tim Simmons, your concerned Mountain Home neighbor