OK, I’ve kept quiet long enough!!!!!!!  After watching from a distance…..reading from local, state and regional newspapers and online, I’ve decided enough is enough…….so here it goes……

January 14, 2009

Actions speak louder than words.

Our elected official, Governor Bob Riley of the State of Alabama;  the same State of Alabama that gave “Country Crossing” the license to operate a business AND to open the doors of  the “Bingo Pavilion” of  “Country Crossing“, has gone to far.  Before the land acquisition and then the purchase of the property for the development,  Governor Bob Riley’s visited our city and his comments where,” he supported any entertainment within the law of the State of Alabama and would, AFTER they opened, visit the facility and determine if the gaming machines are illegal or not.”  WHAT?  I would think.  AFTER?   Did he just say, “spend your money first and then we will try and shut you down?”

This is the same Governor of Alabama (”along with Alabama Law”) that has allowed recent openings in the State, and who supports the gaming of the existing, self proclaimed “CASINO’S“, that are open in the State of Alabama.   All the while these “CASINO’S” (as they call themselves), are advertising on our local television stations such as Channel 4, our local FOX Channel and Channel 18, here in Dothan, Alabama.   My Point? You ask.  This morning, January 14, 2010, while watching the news on WTVY (channel 4) and listening to the story about how a group stemming from the “Citizens for a Better Alabama” came together Wednesday afternoon on the steps of the State House to let the public know they are against gambling.   Then, “low and behold“, a commercial for the “CASINO” in Atmore, ALABAMA is graciously inviting our citizens (in Houston County) to their facility to gamble in their “CASINO“!

“Country Crossing’s” local “BINGO PAVILION“, as it is called here in Houston County, Alabama, has yet to advertise on our local television stations.   They are getting enough local advertising through our local and state newscast’s at 6: a.m., 12: p.m. and again at 6 and 10 p.m. at night!  Hey, Governor, while your telling people you don’t allow gambling in the State of Alabama, why don’t you go ahead and tell the “CASINO’S in the State of Alabama that they can’t advertise on our State’s television station’s because the State of Alabama doesn’t allow gambling.

This is the same Governor of Alabama that has allowed cut’s to our education system here in the entire State of Alabama.  Governor Bob Riley cut the educational budget where it is needed most.  He’s allowed his own agenda’s to become more important than our teacher’s salaries, and the needed funding to accommodate the needs of the educational building and remodeling funds that are desperately needed along with other extra curricular facilities to create awareness of the world around us.  He put’s our children of the State of Alabama on the back burner because he has to fund his task force to fight illegal gambling in the State of Alabama.   This is what he feels our taxes would be better spent on and I’m sure in other agenda’s that we never hear about.  All we know is that our schools and our unemployed, are not worth his generosity.

This is the same Governor Riley of Alabama who is heavily opposed to gambling. So much so that he had founded the Governor’s Task Force on Illegal Gambling, after the announcement in November 2008 of the location of Country Crossing to be in Houston County, Alabama.  Not before.  On January 6th, 2010 the task force was set to raid the Dothan Bingo Pavilion under the “pretext” that the games did not fit the law separating bingo machines from slot machines.  Over three dozen state troopers were said to have congregated before daybreak on the Wednesday (before the Thursday of the SEC Championship game) close to Country Crossing’s location,  ready to bring your threats to a close, your way.  Calling Country Crossing a unlawful “Casino”.   But, according to the law of Alabama, should be called a “Bingo Pavilion” because it meets the requirements of the State.   Our Local government had to step in of course (as they are known to do when they feel it’s needed), causing the power’s that be, (local vs. state officials) to swap threats with power.  The local officials came out on top. The local officials had taken the initiative, going to the home of a judge just after midnight. The judge signed an order to stop the raid, an order that was personally delivered by Houston County Commissioner Mark Culver at the location of the Task Force.

This is the same Governor Bob Riley who was in California (during this planned raid) along with other Alabama Economic consultants during the SEC Championship football game about to be televised on National Television.  All this to promote Alabama Economic Development.  All the while having his sharks here in Houson, County, ALABAMA to embarrass and destroy the economic development going on right here in his own State?  What’s up with that?   Our machines have bingo cards on them just like other’s in the State.  You have to change the number’s on the card’s in order to be a winner of a BINGO!  Our local “Privilion” just pay’s out more than regular “Bingo” games.

Governor Riley, we are tired of your wishy washy governing tactics!  We are tired of you not paying attention to the citizens, including our children of the State of Alabama.  So what if the County of Houston, Alabama decided to use the laws of the State of Alabama to better educate our children (building a library) and further employment opportunities with our own economic development that is obviously legal, because the State of Alabama gave it a “Business License” to do so.   You certainly have not tried to help our communities.  Also, you have used your position to say, “this casino can be in business, but this “bingo pavilion” can not be in business.”  You are using your “power” to threaten and misinterpret the laws of the State of Alabama by allowing other gaming facilities to operate and give absolutely nothing back (other than jobs) to the communities that they reside in.

This is why are we upset.  We are upset that you are also using YOUR power’s and some of OUR state taxes, to raid a facility who just gave $1.8 million dollars (in one month’s business) back to the County of Houston, which it resides in.  Our County,  Houston County of ALABAMA, Governor.   We want to know who Atmore, ALABAMA and the other self proclaimed “CASINO’S”  in Alabama are giving back to……., well?  What’s up with this picture?

It seems to me and thousands of others that you wanted “Country Crossing” developers to spend millions to facilitate this deal and build this facility so you could come in and be the big hero and RAID it.  Shame on you!  Why didn’t you work with them from the beginning and see what kind of machines they were going to be using before the land acquisition.  You were invited, remember………oh, yeah, that’s right…….you wanted to be a hero, so you didn’t cooperate.  That would have been too honorable and easy.  You didn’t want to fight the battle then, why now and why so dishonorable?

As I said:  Actions speak louder than Words, Governor.  I can’t wait till election time!

Written by: Jan Renae Walding in support of Equal Rights and Fair Opportunity!