Rolling the Casino Dice

Although four communities are seeking new gambling licenses, the proposal to build the Diamond Jo Fort Dodge casino dominated Tuesday's meeting of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.

A parade of 44 people told the state officials how they believe the casino would create more jobs, more entertainment options, more tax revenue and more money for nonprofit groups if a license for it is approved.

''It's about the jobs and making Fort Dodge a destination spot,'' said Cheryl O'Hern, the local manager of Frontier Communications.

In her remarks to the commission, Karen Wood, of Fort Dodge, described the proposed casino as a beacon ''that will help tell the world where our city is located.''

Many of the people who stepped to the podium wore blue shirts bearing the slogan ''Webster County is All In.'' Hundreds of other people wearing the same shirts filled rows of chairs in a large meeting room at the Stoney Creek Inn & Conference Center. Casino advocates said 230 supporters of the Diamond Jo Fort Dodge were on hand.

Opponents of the casino had their say as well. One of them, Blair Conley, of Fort Dodge, mocked the casino advocates' slogan.

''Gambling is sin, we're not all in,'' he said.

Conley described gambling as a ''systematic structure to take wealth from the unwary and give it to those who didn't work for it and don't deserve it.''

The Fort Dodge proposal was also attacked by supporters of the Wild Rose Emmetsburg casino, who believe a new gaming establishment in northern Iowa will steal some of that casino's business.

Tom Timmons, a vice president of Wild Rose Emmetsburg, said his casino would lose 21 percent of its revenue to a Fort Dodge competitor.

''It would turn us upside down,'' he said.

State Rep. Marcella Frevert, D-Emmetsburg, spoke against issuing a license for the Fort Dodge project.

''Please do not vote to diminish and cannibalize one community for the sake of another,'' she said.

Altogether, 14 people spoke against the Fort Dodge project.

Although they were heavily out-numbered by casino backers, many of the opponents of the plan went to the podium first. Bob Wood, of Fort Dodge, was the first supporter of the plan to speak to the commission.

''I'm here to turn the tide,'' he said, as casino backers cheered.

''A casino for Webster County presents exactly the kind of boost our citizens need,'' Wood said.

Tim Burns, of Fort Dodge, tried to refute the complaints of Emmetsburg casino backers.

''Emmetsburg didn't protest our last casino attempt and they have no grounds to oppose this attempt,'' he said.

City Manager David Fierke; City Engineer Chad Schaeffer; Dennis Plautz, director of business affairs and community growth; Lori Branderhorst, director of parks, recreation and forestry; and Rhonda Chambers, director of aviation at Fort Dodge Regional Airport, all spoke in favor of the casino. Acting Police Chief Doug Utley and Acting Fire Chief Woody Wolfe attended the meeting in uniform, but did not address the commission.

Councilwoman Margy Halverson-Collins was the only elected official to speak in favor of the Fort Dodge casino.

Letters of support from state Sen. Daryl Beall, D-Fort Dodge, and state Rep. Helen Miller, D-Fort Dodge, were read.

The controversy over donations made by casino backers Steve Daniel, Jim Kesterson and Merrill Leffler Jr. to the re-election campaign of Gov. Chet Culver was mentioned briefly by some opponents of the plan. There was no in-depth discussion of that matter during the daylong meeting.

Casino proposals from Lyon County, Ottumwa and Tama did not generate as much discussion as the Fort Dodge plan did. There were no public comments on the Lyon County plan.

The commission members took no action on any of the proposals during a meeting that began at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 6:30 p.m. Commission members are scheduled to make decisions on issuing new casino licenses on May 13.