Table Games Debate

With opposing sides of the table games issue there to have their voices heard, the public forum turned out to be a great success. The idea was to have the public hear both sides of the table games debate, so that they could make an informed decision on the merits of each of the arguments.

Shepherd University was the site of the forum, and attendance was so great that there literally wasn’t enough room for everyone in the venue. They were not expecting as large of a turnout, but more than 100 people showed up to hear what it was all about.

Delegate John Doyle, a Democrat from Jefferson, and Douglas Fraim, a local pastor, were there to show why the games should not join slot machines at the tracks. They talked about the idea that not only would crime and denigration follow the slot machines, but that the city wasn’t getting nearly enough of the pie. They say the state is getting more than their fair share and that residents should say no to the table games.

Walter Pellish and Alan Sturm came from the pro side, and they talked about the fact that the schools needed the money badly, and that this was the best deal they had ever been offered. They said that residents needed this deal so that they could get more money into the city, as well as improve their schools. They said that by approving the table games they were helping to keep taxes down.

The forum ended up being in the room originally scheduled, even though there were more people than it could hold. They ended up running an audio feed into the room across the hall so that people could hear it over there as well.



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