Was the failure to secure a casino in Allen County this past legislative term the loss of a potentially transformative economic opportunity? Or did we dodge a project that might bring more social harm than economic good?
Perhaps it was both. At this point, we don’t have much to go on.
Why? The objective answer is the absence of public leadership, dialogue, investigation, deliberation and community engagement by our city and county elected officials.
The issue has not vanished. Senate Bill 43 calls for a study of which two Indiana geographic areas would be optimal for a casino, with a report due Nov. 1. Notably, that study does not include assessing the negative impact of a casino.
Those questions have put a challenge to our community.
Greater Fort Wayne Inc., our local economic development and business advocacy entity, should assemble an inclusive committee of elected local officials, business leaders, neighborhood activists, social service professionals and voices both for and against a casino to publicly study and recommend whether a casino is best for Allen County/Fort Wayne.
Our elected leaders of Fort Wayne and Allen County, our largest units of government with the biggest impact, failed this past legislative session to engage publicly on this question. This major subject swirled around what appeared to be a leadership black hole.
Calling for a public referendum on the issue is not leadership, but simply punting the matter, avoiding accountability and evading leadership responsibilities.
Our local elected officials failed to lead on both sides of the same coin. They neither ardently fought for such a huge economic development project with unparalleled local tax revenue generation capabilities, nor battled against those attempting to foist a development that might threaten to bring us substantial hardship, suffering and loss.
Most sat on their hands, stayed silent, and left the community adrift and subject to other interests.
The proposed casino’s nearly 1,500 permanent jobs, half billion dollars in construction and development costs, and added tourism would have generated more jobs and investment than all but a handful of local economic development projects in the past several decades.
Further, beyond the normal increased income and property taxes, the casino would have ultimately brought our community an unprecedented bonanza of about $25 million every year in additional annual tax revenue that, wisely invested, could have stoked truly transformative economic opportunity.
We expect our city and county leaders to work like mad to secure such a singular economic opportunity, and they typically do. Why not on this one?
A reasonable and understandable answer might be that a casino in Allen County could increase our number of gambling addicts, bankruptcies, foreclosures, domestic violence incidents, thefts, divorces, and a host of other avenues of grief, suffering and loss.
Some research shows there can be an increase in all such maladies where casinos locate.
With such a threat looming over us, we expect our city and county leaders to work like crazy to defeat it. Why did so few on this one?
Fort Wayne’s 272,000 residents would contribute more than any other local governmental unit to the tax revenue generated by an Allen County casino. Likewise, Fort Wayne’s citizens would bear the brunt of the evils the casino would bring our community.
Yet, a search for public statements by Fort Wayne’s and Allen County’s elected officials about New Haven’s attempts to bring a casino to our community yields precious few results.
What were the actions Mayor Sharon Tucker and Fort Wayne City Council, and County Commissioners Ron Turpin, Richard Beck and Therese Brown and Allen County Council took to research, investigate, engage and advocate on these questions and issues, if any?
Where were they? What did they do? Did they privately work to secure their governmental units some of the casino booty, even while otherwise suggesting they opposed a casino?
The stark difference between the potential enormous economic opportunity and community suffering a casino presents demanded robust, public leadership from these office holders that was starkly absent.
We don’t know what they did, where they came down, and what they think about a casino, but we should.
Their job is to help us understand. Their offices obligate them to ask the questions that demand to be asked, to secure expert opinions, to seek out the pros and cons, to ensure an issue is fully vetted, to promote a comprehensive community conversation, to lead and to share.
Those who attain elected office should lean in even harder on such consequential issues.
Because of the state bill to study the optimal geographic locations for a casino, and the likelihood the issue may be presented to us again during the next legislative session, we have a second chance to determine whether a casino is best for us or not.
Through Greater Fort Wayne, the business community should lead and provide the inclusive, transparent (meaning public) study of these questions.
One recent example of leadership on this issue does exist. Some state legislators and other elected officials made their views known.
New Haven Mayor Steve McMichael stood out as an anomaly — a positive one: an elected official who did the work, put together a coherent position and engaged the public full on.
McMichael was public, transparent, studious and deliberative in his advocacy to bring the casino to New Haven. He voiced his initial skepticism of the benefits, but researched the issue and became a proponent.
He then stepped into the arena and interacted with all comers. He explained. He acknowledged risks. He showed respect.
A lot of political candidates promise us they will be transparent and inclusive in office. It’s time for our local elected officials to get ready and meet this challenge head on.
A good start would be the GFW committee studying the local impacts of a casino on our community. The group should be stocked with members committed to an open process, evidence-based data, a healthy debate and the refreshing sound of voices being heard.
Tim Pape is an attorney and former Democratic member of Fort Wayne City Council.
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