St. Louis County Council Agrees To Controversial Casino Development

Despite vocal opposition, St. Louis County Council approved a controversial rezoning plan that paves the way for a casino complex in north St.

[John]

I love how they talked to the Mayor of Florrissant and a councilman in Blackjack and an alderwoman In Moline Acres. Doesn't seem like any of those people are Spanish Lake residents. Maybe someone should talk to more than one resident of Spanish Lake. This is an ridiculous. If they build a casino you might as well shut down the Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area because you are just going to be pushing all of the animals out. Do you really think the birds that migrate through this area are really going to inhabit that land. Probably not. I am really good friends with one of the families who farms the land where some of the casino will be put. This will shut down their farm. Kill their lifestyle. But who cares about them right. Way to go St. Louis County Council, give yourselves a pat on the back.

[Rob]

Our Government needs to stop being greedy. The tax payers are going to pay for it. When are we gong to say stop to the fleesing of the middle class. Where is our change the president promised us? Our gove has not changed only out for big business.

[toejacket]

why do we need another casino, they never make any
money & go bankrupt all th time !

[Bushido Hacks]

Florissant Mayor Bob Lowery Sr. has just asked us to kick him out of office!

Like son, like father!

By the way, Old Man Lowery already has a parking spot at the local golf course here in North County. Feel free to ruin his game of put-put!

[Tom]

Unreal, the casinos get their way again. Does anyone who votes understand how/where casinos make money?
No, it's not from tourists...it's from middle-class St. Louis residents who visit the casinos on a regular basis losing their paychecks..They look quite different than those well-dressed happy people in the commercials. But, they can also keep looking the same after yesterday's vote on smoking...casinos got their way on that one too.

[Tom from St Louis County]

toejacket wrote:

why do we need another casino, they never make any
money & go bankrupt all th time !

Name one casino that has gone bankrupt in St. Louis...they make lots of money...money that could be spent or invested.

[Blackjack resident]

When is the County Government going to stop the greed. This casino brings no new money into the community. Money is removed by the Casino house and the taxes collected by the county. The rest of the money is passed around between patrons. Politicans don't have a conscience for the good of the community. Think about when gambling was first voted in for all the revenue comming in and for the cute little paddle boats crusing the river with their calliopes playing. Where's the boats and the revenue? What a farce!!!

[hanky]

Mayor Lowery wants thousands of jobs for Florissant, so he should build sleaze joints over there and leave the Conservation Area alone. And he and O'Mara should get off their cushy office chairs and start encouraging some decent big companies to relocate to North County, instead of settling for loser gambling jobs. All the casino will do is make the area more low class and prevent other decent jobs from coming into the area. How can 5 people from unions speak for a casino (Not in their Backyard) and 47 speak eloquently against developing their own backyards, and the County Council IGNORE THEM AND ALL THE SCIENCE that shows that you don't mess with the flood plain? Interesting what they said about Mike O'Mara (author of the bill) and how he's a Pipefitter and that they are throwing out all the old folks from the Pipefitter Old Folks Home and selling it all to the casino developers! Yeah, somebody ought to check out Mike O'Mara's financial records. He has been in the pockets of the Pipefitters for years. And he just pimped out Spanish Lake’s recreation and conservation wildlands for supposed construction jobs for other towns. Maybe he could join the 21st century and attract plant science technology companies and valid business to the area, rather than whoring out the last remaining undeveloped river land in St Louis! How about all that undeveloped land and empty industrial buildings in North County! Quit doing business like your dad and granddad, O’Mara (also Pipefitter Puppets). Can you believe the outdated provincial attitudes of the St Louis Co. Council!?. The whole auditorium asked O’Mara to recuse himself because of his conflict of interest with the Pipefitters and to delay the vote. And the St Louis County Council ignored all of them - well over 100 people! Even the Audubon Society begged them to leave the land alone!! Wasinger didn’t even bother to show up for the vote. What a bunch of crooks. They are operating like govt. in the 1960's...or like Illinois government now. Let's Vote out the St Louis (No Conscience) Co. Council asap! The council member who said "I"m only voting for rezoning" (Hazel Erby) is conveniently ignoring 1/2 the wording of the bill. ignoring 1/2 the wording of the bill.

[james]

It was really remarkable how the County Council completely disregarded the requests and reasonable arguments of the residents. They are not even going to study the effects on the environment, let alone the loss of the ecotourism atmosphere of the conservation area. Those few union commentators must have represented some heavy duty financial "backing". Obviously. It sure is easy to screw up somebody else's town, when you don't live there. Spanish Lake sure doesn't owe the construction unions any jobs - so just who does OWE the unions? Also obvious. What a bunch! it will come back to bite them. Also Floyd Warmann, a big North county union guy must really put the screws on Mike O'Mara to vote for jobs at the expense of the environment.

[Government Apathy]

St Louis Government have failed to ensure casinos lived up to the initial obligations that allowed them into the St Louis area. Now their catering to them. I would love to every casino in the area closed down.

[Concerned Citizen]

WE NEED REAL JOBS, THAT BRING MONEY INTO THE STATE, NOT JOBS THAT SEND MONEY OUT!!!!