Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maryland > Washington, DC suburbs in Maryland
 [Register]
Washington, DC suburbs in Maryland Calvert County, Charles County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
 
Old 08-15-2012, 06:24 AM
 
Location: It's in the name!
7,079 posts, read 9,530,476 times
Reputation: 3780
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanScholar View Post
And for those interested here is the voting break down

Maryland House of Delegates roll call for gambling bill - baltimoresun.com

House roll call for gambling bill



The House of Delegates voted 71–58 Tuesday to approve a bill that allows a sixth casino in Maryland and table games at all six. It also would cut tax rates for most current casino operators and allow veterans organizations to have slots-like machines in their halls. The measure will go before voters in November.
Quote:
If the proposal is approved by the majority of voters statewide but rejected by the majority of Prince George's County voters, the sixth casino will not happen, but table games will be allowed at the five already approved locations.
Baker, Peterson, and MGM has some selling to do. MY advice would be to push the jobs/revenue, entertainment, and retail aspect hard and not sell the gambling aspect so much. Truthfully, what MGM is offering is not JUST a casino. It shouldn't be hard to do, but anything can happen in Maryland. Peterson can now start advertising MGM at National Harbor to give people a feel of what it will look like. MGM needs to get on the ball with some preliminary designs for those ads, like the Disney ones that were posted around National Harbor, to give people a feel of what the casino could look like.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 08-15-2012, 06:50 AM
 
Location: DMV
10,125 posts, read 13,950,635 times
Reputation: 3222
Now things are about to get real interesting. Admittedly the smear campaign that has been going on against this project has been weak. They are going to have to do a better job on their end too, to get people more against this project.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 07:55 AM
 
2,429 posts, read 3,558,971 times
Reputation: 395
Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
Baker, Peterson, and MGM has some selling to do. MY advice would be to push the jobs/revenue, entertainment, and retail aspect hard and not sell the gambling aspect so much. Truthfully, what MGM is offering is not JUST a casino. It shouldn't be hard to do, but anything can happen in Maryland. Peterson can now start advertising MGM at National Harbor to give people a feel of what it will look like. MGM needs to get on the ball with some preliminary designs for those ads, like the Disney ones that were posted around National Harbor, to give people a feel of what the casino could look like.
And be sure Penn National will be placing ads for Rosecroft and against NH and MGM as the preferred location. Dont forget the religious/special interest groups that will flood the media downing the effort all together. It's going to be a battle royale but will be filtered by the presidential race. We probably won't see anything from any camp until after labor day. They will want to wait until people are done with summer vacation and have settled into their school routines.

You are right about them having the ability to tout other aspects of the project but for some it will still be a hard sell. Remember that this issue is heavy in the perception of morality so the vote is going to be tight but I think it will be favorable. I do remember reading that one of the last minute amendments was that part of the application money would be used to fund the 210 project. Don't know how far that would go but that, along with additional infrastructure improvements during construction should ease concerns if done correctly. That will be a harder sell for Penn considering the amount of road work necessary to make it work.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 08:03 AM
 
2,429 posts, read 3,558,971 times
Reputation: 395
One question that I do have that maybe someone could answer is what is the reputation of the Baltimore Sun? Is it considered a conservative paper? I ask because they seem to be hyper-critical about the sessions and pretty much anything going on in or close to the DC metro area.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 08:35 AM
 
35 posts, read 85,968 times
Reputation: 65
This "Battle Royale" is very simple. It boils down to revenue generation in a recession economy. Right now, the "PG Voters" often complain how everything is "bad" in the county, how theres no money, no money for programs, the rest of the state often complains that they have to fund PG/Baltimore with their tax revenue. People do not want more tax hikes to maintain the current system. Right now, as it sits whether people realize it or not alot of people go to casino's via bus lines far and away daily/weekend basis. There are many bus lines that run from the DC area to Atlantic City, Dover Downs, Charlestown, and those states/cities often enjoy the revenue of Maryland/Virginia citizens. I believe at one point there was a billboard up in one state (I forgot which one) that was thanking Marylanders for the money they spent. I can tell you that the rest of Maryland is frankly fed up with sending their tax money into the more urban areas to fund the ongoing disaster that festers there. It would be nice to actually have a major source of revenue that would be able to create funds that could provide major improvements to areas that are in serious need of it. It would be nice for Oxen Hill (National Harbor) to be known for a world class resort, not a crime rate that often exceeds most other areas in the DC area. The site would provide jobs for citizens who live in the county, alot of jobs whether it be in construction of the facility, or working at/maintaining the facility. Just think how much property values will rise when this international grade facility is built!

The money generated from the facility which will probably be frequented by citizens from Virginia, DC, Md. and beyond will be able to improve a failing infrastructure in Prince Georges County pending the politicians allocate the money wisely and not squander the revenue on sham companies and projects like Mr. Jack Johnson did. It would be nice to see road improvements and replace alot of the poor lighting conditions that plague the lower income areas of the county. It would be nice to see improvements made to the school systems, getting more money to hire better teachers, improve teachers security conditions (staff is frequently assaulted at the schools), improve the security situation at the schools (theres rioting and robberies that take place in almost all of them), and replace aging and overcrowded schools with bigger and better ones that are more in line with todays educational standards. It would be nice to see upgrades done to aging fire department buildings and the county to be able to purchase newer fire apparatus that isn't broken down all of the time. People often complain about the crime problem. It would be nice if they could not only hire more police officers and purchase the much needed equipment that those officers need to do their jobs. I think we are the only county in Maryland where instead of building quality police stations and purchasing and maintaining a newer fleet of police cars we decided to make old dilapitated schools into police stations and not update the police cars and equipment that would attract new officers and make experienced officers want to work in Prince Georges County. Speaking to one guy, the man said the place is like baltimore city, people often train there, do a few years and use it as a stepping stone to go to a "better department" as he put it. Its so outdated, they are the only police department in the state that still hand writes reports still to my understanding. The jail facility that the county has is outdated, overcrowded and understaffed. Its about time that something is done about this as well, whether its add on to the facility or do something, because speaking to those who work there and those who've been there, the security situation in the facility is not safe and the building is not built to handle what its being used for at this point. The County Administration Building and courthouse need to be updated or on higher ground. Everytime there is a big storm, the town of Upper Marlboro becomes a massive flood plain and everything shuts down. This is unsatisfactory. There needs to be some sort of better drainage system study done or something because paying out millions everytime it rains seems like a waste of tax money to me. Using the money to higher more competent states attorneys seems to be a good use of the money as well, to ensure that cases are properly prosecuted like they are in the other 20 some counties that exist in the State of Maryland. For anyone who's sat through court in Upper Marlboro, it often leaves the victims with a bad taste in their mouth, a revolving door concept for the offender and everyone else in the room disgruntled. I think the lowest point of dysfunction is when a guy represented himself and won against a assistant states attorney assigned to prosecute him in a homicide trial. A high school education beat out a person with 8 years of law school? The way it functions is certainly not in line with the rest of the state (Special rules for special people)?

So I can think of plenty of places to put this money to use to upgrade Prince Georges County that would benefit all of the citizens and make it a place where EVERYONE wants to be, instead of everyone attempting to escape it, everyone wanting to move out, everyone making excuses and assigning blame and continuing on with the "same old song" program. Its a chance to show the world that Prince Georges County is more than a county defined by crime and more of a county defined by business accomplishments. This is the opportunity to show the world and the State of Maryland that things can be properly managed and set the standard for how things should be run. This casino at National Harbor is a good start down that path!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 08:53 AM
 
Location: Washington, DC area
11,108 posts, read 23,779,703 times
Reputation: 6437
I have never seen a casino turn a community around. They don't really hurt them, but they don't really help them either. The state just gets more tax money and people tend to spend more of their discretionary income on the casino that used to go to movie theaters, home depot (like home projects) etc.

While I hate casinos myself (I find them boring, annoying, loud, they smell like cigarette smoke and are a total waste of time and money IMO), but I don't care one way or the other if they build them. I have nothing against them for those that like them and if they can keep my taxes a little be lower then I'm good with that.

But I don't see this doing much of anything for PG County as a whole. Kansas City and St Louis are now both huge gambling markets with several very large casinos in each metro and they were both promised the world. I honestly don't think they have done a lot for either city except add an entertainment option (that only takes away from other options).

Overall, I think they are nice to have as just one more thing to do in a city. But they just don't create all the economic spinoff and urban redevelopment etc that they try to sell the public on initially. The only things casinos to for a community is make the roads busier to get people to and from them.

In the case of PG County being right across from DC and VA, I think it's an overall net gain in revenue and jobs though. For that reason, I say go for it. Just don't expect it to create any miracles in PG County or Maryland. Little will change in the long haul.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 09:46 AM
 
Location: It's in the name!
7,079 posts, read 9,530,476 times
Reputation: 3780
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanScholar View Post
perception of morality
Hypocritical Christians. Typical. Let's see what is already legal in the state as far as immorality is concerned:

1. Alcohol (baptists specifically). - Not only that, Maryland opened up home delivery. Woo hoo! Didn't hear much from Christians on that one. Especially the Baptists which frowns against the drinking of alcohol.

2. State Lottery - Has been around for decades. I see or hear no fights from Christians to get Maryland to cease lottery operations in the state.

3. Keno - Different from the Lottery, but you can find this game in gas stations, liquor stores, and pizza shops. How many Christians boycott those establishments or have tried to remove Keno from the state?

4. Horse racing - A Maryland pastime. The industry almost went belly up. Where were the Christians to halt its revival?

5. Strip Clubs - Reluctant acceptance? Where are the cries of damnation? Where are the petitions to remove those from the state?

6. How many Christians in my lifetime have I seen participate in football and basketball pools? March madness brackets?

7. Let's not forget the glaring hypocrasy when Church groups go on cruise ships that have, wait for it......CASINOS! And on most ships you have to walk through the casino to get to another part of the ship. So, when Christians raise up for stuff, I take it with a grain of salt.

We can go on and on abut what Christians have allowed in this state and in this county. There was a recent thread about casinos in this county's history. MGM is more of a resort than a Casino and will do the state and county more good than harm. Maryland Live is right across the border. I don't recall any fights against that casino by the Christian community. The casino is not that far. I'm not sure it matters if the casino is within our borders or not.

Let me also clarify that I am also a Christian. I just think we can be the biggest hypocrites sometimes. We need to focus more on feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and providing homes for the homeless, rather than wasting time and money fighting the forces of capitalism.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 10:37 AM
 
Location: DMV
10,125 posts, read 13,950,635 times
Reputation: 3222
Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
Hypocritical Christians. Typical. Let's see what is already legal in the state as far as immorality is concerned:

1. Alcohol (baptists specifically). - Not only that, Maryland opened up home delivery. Woo hoo! Didn't hear much from Christians on that one. Especially the Baptists which frowns against the drinking of alcohol.
Wait a minute. Now you are jumping the gun again. Although I do not drink myself, it is not a sin to drink. It is a sin to get drunk. I definitely don't think any Christians should support it, but it's not immoral to drink.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
2. State Lottery - Has been around for decades. I see or hear no fights from Christians to get Maryland to cease lottery operations in the state.

3. Keno - Different from the Lottery, but you can find this game in gas stations, liquor stores, and pizza shops. How many Christians boycott those establishments or have tried to remove Keno from the state?

4. Horse racing - A Maryland pastime. The industry almost went belly up. Where were the Christians to halt its revival?
We need to see the evidence of that not being protest when these things were originally developed. Who's to say that there weren't Christians who opposed this? You also have to understand that not everyone that calls themselves Christians, really are Christians.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
5. Strip Clubs - Reluctant acceptance? Where are the cries of damnation? Where are the petitions to remove those from the state?
Again, it comes down to are they real Christians? Also just because these things aren't being 'protested' in your eyes, doesn't make gambling morally right. You can't justify your actions on what others do. As a Christian you are responsible for your own walk. The word of God doesn't change, people do. If Christian people decide the strip clubs are okay, that doesn't make it okay in the eyes of God.

Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
6. How many Christians in my lifetime have I seen participate in football and basketball pools? March madness brackets?

7. Let's not forget the glaring hypocrasy when Church groups go on cruise ships that have, wait for it......CASINOS! And on most ships you have to walk through the casino to get to another part of the ship. So, when Christians raise up for stuff, I take it with a grain of salt.

We can go on and on abut what Christians have allowed in this state and in this county. There was a recent thread about casinos in this county's history. MGM is more of a resort than a Casino and will do the state and county more good than harm. Maryland Live is right across the border. I don't recall any fights against that casino by the Christian community. The casino is not that far. I'm not sure it matters if the casino is within our borders or not.

Let me also clarify that I am also a Christian. I just think we can be the biggest hypocrites sometimes. We need to focus more on feeding the poor, clothing the naked, and providing homes for the homeless, rather than wasting time and money fighting the forces of capitalism.
So because other Christians are not opposing other immoral things, it makes it okay for you to support something that is immoral? Let me ask you, did the Bible change what it has stated about these things? So are you following man or the Bible? Man don't let me get preaching up in here!!! People love to use other people fault's to justify their actions, but when you get to judgment day, God's not going to ask you why those Christians didn't stop the strip clubs from coming.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 11:18 AM
 
Location: It's in the name!
7,079 posts, read 9,530,476 times
Reputation: 3780
Quote:
Originally Posted by pgtitans View Post
Wait a minute. Now you are jumping the gun again. Although I do not drink myself, it is not a sin to drink. It is a sin to get drunk. I definitely don't think any Christians should support it, but it's not immoral to drink.
I'm not jumping the gun. I agree with you. You, as well as I, know that there are some denominations that consider alcohol a sin. Some frown upon it. Trust me, I stood as a Baptist for years and recited the pledge to abstain from "the sale of use of intoxicating drink as a beverage." Yes, I said it so much I know it by heart. But this is not the forum for religious debate.

Quote:
We need to see the evidence of that not being protest when these things were originally developed. Who's to say that there weren't Christians who opposed this? You also have to understand that not everyone that calls themselves Christians, really are Christians.
Of course we can't see non-publicized protest. This is a given. I'm talking about the kind of protest that are presented as pickets, op eds in newspapers, news interviews, mailers, etc. I'm not going to presume someone's state of salvation. I'm referring to those who represent the faith. Namely the pastors and ministers who speak for their congregations in the local media. Come on. Work with me here pgtitans.


Quote:
Also just because these things aren't being 'protested' in your eyes, doesn't make gambling morally right.
So, do public protests make gambling morally wrong just as drinking wine is for my Baptist friends?

Quote:
You can't justify your actions on what others do. As a Christian you are responsible for your own walk. The word of God doesn't change, people do.
Amen brother!

Quote:
If Christian people decide the strip clubs are okay, that doesn't make it okay in the eyes of their perception of God.
We both know there are 100s of interpretations of who God is and what people perceive He feels is right or wrong. Thus the reason for all of the denominations around the world. Holiness believe things that Baptists don,t, etc. Again, that is another argument in another thread on another web site for another time.

Quote:
So because other Christians are not opposing other immoral things, it makes it okay for you to support something that is immoral?
You're asserting your belief that gambling is immoral. I don't agree with that. I believe that gambling to such an extent that you can't provide for your family or help others in need is immoral. If I drop $5 in a slot machine, I don't think I'm sacrificing my family or a person in need anymore than I spend $5 on a White Chocolate Mocha in Starbucks if it's discretionary income. I think banks who charge individuals 29% interest on credit cards, which does more harm than occasional slot playing, is immoral.

Quote:
Let me ask you, did the Bible change what it has stated about these things? So are you following man or the Bible? Man don't let me get preaching up in here!!
!

Not gonna get into a Biblical debate with you in here out of respect UrbanScholar.

Quote:
People love to use other people fault's to justify their actions
What action am I justifying? I have only stated my opinions. My whole point was that when Christians stand up for something in a community such as gambling, I take it with a grain of salt. It is my opinion that they should focus more on loving their neighbors by feeding them, clothing them, and providing them with shelter. All else, we can agree to disagree. When Christians get political, things get messy. Waynesboro, Planned Parenthood, contraceptives, etc. Love thy neighbor as thyself.

That is all. Moving on.....


PS If you MUST respond, please start another thread.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 08-15-2012, 12:25 PM
 
Location: DMV
10,125 posts, read 13,950,635 times
Reputation: 3222
Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
Of course we can't see non-publicized protest. This is a given. I'm talking about the kind of protest that are presented as pickets, op eds in newspapers, news interviews, mailers, etc. I'm not going to presume someone's state of salvation. I'm referring to those who represent the faith. Namely the pastors and ministers who speak for their congregations in the local media. Come on. Work with me here pgtitans.
Very weak argument. You act as if newspapers keep track of everything. Who is to say that they weren't protesting these things, and that is just wasn't documented or even big enough to warrant a story. You are making a giant leap on your assumption that none of these things face protest. All I'm saying is we do not know. What we do know is that there will be groups, especially Christian groups, who will oppose this gambling bill. You can't fault those people for protesting just because you believe other people may not have done the same before. It's a flawed argument.


Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
So, do public protests make gambling morally wrong just as drinking wine is for my Baptist friends?
No, I don't care what people protest, what a denomination says. That is what's wrong with Christians now, but that is for another topic. As it pertains to the main topic, the Bible does address gambling. If people are going to look for the Bible to literally say that "gambling is wrong", then they will never feel like it's addressed, but that's not how the Bible was written. People are looking at the Bible how they want to. It is addressed in there, which is why these groups feel justified to protest this bill. If you disagree, then that's your prerogative but I think you are the one that is being hypocritical because you use a basis of what you believe the Bible addresses as being wrong to show that Christians shouldn't protest gambling, just because in your own opinion, you think the Bible doesn't address gambling. In other words, you are basically telling other Christians that your interpretation of the Bible justifies your actions, but their interpretation of the Bible doesn't justify theirs. Why are you even surprised that there are protests? How do you know if these people are not protesting other things? Do you keep up with everything they do?


Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
We both know there are 100s of interpretations of who God is and what people perceive He feels is right or wrong. Thus the reason for all of the denominations around the world. Holiness believe things that Baptists don,t, etc. Again, that is another argument in another thread on another web site for another time.
This is the hypocrisy in your statement. You say there are 100s of interpretations, but then you come on THIS thread and bring up why they shouldn't protest this gambling bill. Let's start with the fact, that YOU, YES YOU, brought the matter of what Christians do and do not protest up, so if you feel as though the topic is inappropriate for this thread, then you shouldn't have even brought up the point of questioning other Christians morality, because it is irrelevant to what they are doing. Furthermore, if you believe that there are all of these interpretations of the Bible, then why are you condemning people from protesting. You are putting all these people in a box. You are assuming because they are protesting gambling, that they didn't do the same for other 'immoral' things. That is the issue I take with you on this point. You want these individuals to protest all of these things you listed, when yourself aren't even doing it yourself and your excuse is because you see the Bible different. So what make their actions any different than yours?


Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
You're asserting your belief that gambling is immoral. I don't agree with that. I believe that gambling to such an extent that you can't provide for your family or help others in need is immoral. If I drop $5 in a slot machine, I don't think I'm sacrificing my family or a person in need anymore than I spend $5 on a White Chocolate Mocha in Starbucks if it's discretionary income. I think banks who charge individuals 29% interest on credit cards, which does more harm than occasional slot playing, is immoral.
It's what the Bible states. Let me ask you, about your example. Why would you put $5 in slot machine? Is it fruitful? Is it going to get you to heaven? Is it going to get your close to God? Let's call it what it really is, you put the money in the slot because you WANT MORE MONEY!!! That's what gambling is. It's a form of greed. Some people do not know how to control themselves from allowing this behavior to consume them, which is why there are so many that oppose it. Is putting money in a slot or on a table immoral? No. It's the reasoning for doing it that makes it immoral. People are so focus on the appearance of things that they forget that God wants to know what's in our heart. If you go to a casino, you aren't putting money in a slot just because you like seeing machines light up.


Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
!

Not gonna get into a Biblical debate with you in here out of respect UrbanScholar.
You brought it up!!!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by adelphi_sky View Post
What action am I justifying? I have only stated my opinions. My whole point was that when Christians stand up for something in a community such as gambling, I take it with a grain of salt. It is my opinion that they should focus more on loving their neighbors by feeding them, clothing them, and providing them with shelter. All else, we can agree to disagree. When Christians get political, things get messy. Waynesboro, Planned Parenthood, contraceptives, etc. Love thy neighbor as thyself.

That is all. Moving on.....


PS If you MUST respond, please start another thread.
Obviously I'm not starting another thread. You made the comment so I'm addressing your comment. If you have a point that you want to make that is irrelevant to the gambling bill then you should be the one to start a new thread, I'm just responding to what you wrote.

So in other words, as Christians, we should keep our mouths shut, don't speak out against what the Bible speaks out against and never fill the Great Commission. Sure..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Maryland > Washington, DC suburbs in Maryland
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:04 PM.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top