Raise the Hammer

I would definitely welcome a Casino in downtown Hamilton.

1) It would provide up to 1.200 jobs for those "low income" people living downtown to apply for.

2) I am 36 years old and live and work in Hamilton. However, when I decide to go out there is nowhere for me to go but Burlington or Toronto. So my Hamilton earned dollars get spent in someone else's city and at someone else's business. I would love to be able to put that money back into my own city. Let's face it, Hamilton doesn't have any upscale or even well maintained places for the over 30 year old group to go. Most bars are dives or border on it and Hess Village has been over-run with 19 to 25 year olds and their immature drunken fights.

3) It would be nice to have more hospitality/entertainment type places for when I want to get a second part-time weekend job. I am one of those who borders on "low-income" and once in awhile I'll work weekends at a restaurant to make extra cash for vacations, etc. It would be nice to have some options for more part time work.

4) Please don't make me pay for other people's lack of self control. I don't find that blaming gambling addiction is a good reason at all. If someone is a compulsive gambler, there are many things they can do even without a casino to satisfy that addiction. ie) scratch tickets, LottoMax/6.49, bingo, etc. Those things don't have a black list like a casino does. Friends, Family or the Gambling Addict can put themselves on that list if it concerns them that much. It's none of our business and the public is NOT responsible for what MIGHT happen to the few.

5) Why stop progress from happening. This city is not going to prosper by staying the way it is. Honestly, it is boring, dirty, downtown needs major cosmetic work, entertainment and more jobs to bring people to the core. This entertainment complex will help bring Hamiltonians to our downtown and also to bring visitors to our city. This will mean MORE money for local businesses as people who never come downtown will see what they have been missing in the surrounding businesses and experience them while they are in the core. No one will be spending every second of their time downtown in the casino. People will venture out to the surrounding bars, restaurants etc and word of mouth will spread about the other local businesses. Or is that the problem? Are all these run down places concerned that they won't be able to keep up with a new entertainment complex without putting some work and a little investment into their business. These business owners have been sitting back and letting their storefronts and interiors decline without a care because there has been no competition for so long. Maybe this will make them clean it up a little.