A casino in Columbus?

Although having a resort casino in Columbus will create jobs, it will cause so many social and behavioral problems. These problems include addiction to gambling and alcohol, increased rate of crime, prostitution, DUI deaths, broken families, bankruptcies, home foreclosures, and poor health.

Those who run the casino will make substantial profits. The state and federal governments will collect more taxes. But the poor will pay for all this. This will increase the gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots." Our young military population will be vulnerable to gambling, alcohol, and prostitution. Columbus will become a "sin city" like Phenix City in the 1940s and 1950s.

A resort casino in Columbus will not improve the local economy. It will act as a parasite upon our economy, causing economic distress and negative impact on family and the vulnerable. It will drain wealth from the poor and contribute to economic inequality.

Citizens of Columbus and neighboring cities will be gambling and drinking alcohol every day. Women, low-wage workers, military personnel, and retirees will contribute a large share of the state's take of casino revenues. When the city of Columbus and the state of Georgia become more dependent on casino revenues, they become trapped into a regressive policy of taking from the poor and rewarding the rich.

Resort casinos are state monopolies often located in economically struggling communities. People become addicted to slot machines over a short period of time. A letter writer calls the proposed Columbus resort casino "casino 666." I agree.

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Please support Donna Tompkins for Sheriff in the December 6 runoff election.

Donna Tompkins was the leading vote-getter in the general election because voters recognized her integrity, commitment and experience. She’ll live within her budget and avoid frivolous, expensive lawsuits. Even her Republican opponent in the general election, Mark LaJoye, supports Donna Tompkins in the runoff.

If you voted for Donna Tompkins in the general election, it’s essential that you vote in the runoff.

There is early voting November 28 through December 2.

All polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on December 6.

Fiscal responsibility

Voters in Columbus have an opportunity to end the wasteful lawsuit that is draining our coffers dry and is crippling our ability to accumulate the funds needed to ensure our good credit rating. A vote for Donna Tompkins for Sheriff will end the constant demands for more and more of our taxes to pay the legal expenses of John Darr.

Darr has consistently gone beyond his budget every year that he has been in office and currently has cost us over $10 million in cost overruns, in addition to $1.8 million in legal fees to date. We simply cannot afford to indulge his prodigal spending further, since if he is reelected, the taxpayer expenses will continue to mount.

Donna Tompkins is qualified in every way to become our next sheriff. She has the education: a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, CSU; a master’s degree in public administration, CSU; and she is a graduate of Georgia Law Enforcement Command College. She has the experience of having served in every capacity in the Sheriff’s Department during her 30 years of service and retired as captain.

She has the intelligence to work with our council to avert problems, rather than trying to blame the city’s insufficient funding for a lack of ability to budget properly.

A vote for Tompkins for Sheriff is a vote for good management and sound fiscal policy. Donna has many ideas to save money within the Department, without sacrificing services or personnel.

Be sure to return to the polls for the run-off election on December 6, beginning with early voting on November 28. A vote for Donna is a vote for Columbus taxpayers, and that means you.

Christians unite

To all the preachers, pastors, rabbis, and priests in the Bi-city and everywhere: I keep reading and hearing about how this country has removed prayer and God from everything including Christmas. How Christians are fed up with being put down and can’t openly practice their religion because it may offend someone. I say enough is enough. It is time to go on the offensive. If you want to get someone’s attention, use the one thing even those who aren’t religious will pay attention to, the almighty dollar. Church leaders, tell your congregations and members this message.

If merchants and businesses want your business, they must put Merry Christmas out in front of their business big enough to see without a problem from the parking lot. It must be printed in their paper ads, spoken in television commercials and said in the store. Those that don’t do so will be boycotted until they do. No more happy holidays crap. Without the birth of Jesus there wouldn’t be a holiday period.

If you have already shopped for Christmas, return the items and tell them why you are returning them. Tell them when they comply you’ll be back. Christians unite and be heard instead of being silent. United we stand, divided we fall! It is time to unite and be heard loud and clear.

If all Christians stay together in their beliefs and convictions you will be heard. There are more Christians than non-believers. Show your power and that you mean business. Have all members make phone calls to all businesses and tell them about this new movement. After enough phone calls and low sales they will get the message and comply.

If this letter offends anybody, take Sheriff Jolley’s advice: Leave!

City unresponsive

This sweet city sure does what it can to not enforce laws. You can inform departments of issues. Such as bus drivers not having name plates displayed. Display on fare box not working. Stopping where no designated stop is, although federal regulations prohibit that. Drivers are continuing to break regulations.

There is also the fact animal control seems unwilling to only "inform" residents their dog is violating noise law, claiming the dog is on property. They need look at that law. Can they not do more than "inform"? With those residents claiming you are harassing when you inform them about their uncontrolled barking dog? Whatever.

What about houses and yard codes barely enforced? The departments do not bother responding. Many such issues were sent in. Result? Guess.

I cannot leave out police not issuing citations for windshield tint too dark, speakers too loud, speeding, parking on sidewalks, and driving against traffic. Surely they can. Those are not on property. Police, start doing your job.

The situation is so bad the question needs asked if we are in the Wild West where we can do what we want for justice with no concern about technicalities. So if you want to get by with something. It seems you only need do it on private property to get by with it.

This story was originally published November 24, 2016 at 5:53 PM with the headline "A casino in Columbus?."