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Baptist Association opposed to Choctaw casino
Friday, August 17, 2007
By VETO F. ROLEY The Mississippi Press
PASCAGOULA -- The Jackson County Baptist Association announced its opposition to a $375 million casino proposed on Choctaw land off Miss. 57.
Rev. Dennis Ray Smith, spokesman for the 42-church association, said the executive board was concerned about the effects of gambling on families.
"An issue like this is very important to everyone," Smith said. "We don't want to see any families get hurt."
Smith said there are a number of business uses for the Choctaw's land aside from a casino. While the Choctaws have said the casino will generate jobs for county residents, Smith said the county has plenty of jobs.
"This is the largest industrial county in the state of Mississippi," Smith said. "We have plenty of jobs here. Industries are hiring people every day. There are better ways for people to get a job than working in a casino."
To back their opposition to the casino project, Smith said the association will hold a voter registration drive in the association's member churches starting in September.
"We are going to get as many people registered as we can," he said. "We have to get people ready to vote. We feel like it is the duty of every Christian to vote."
Smith said the Christian community needed to voice its opinion on issues such as the casino.
"We don't feel we are any better than anyone else," he said. "But, Christians ought to set the standard, step out and lead the way."
Smith said the Baptist Association Executive Board appointed him as spokesman on the issue because they wanted to make a point.
"As Baptists, we felt we needed to make a statement," he said. "Hopefully, other denominations will do the same."
The Mississippi Band of Choctaws wants to build the casino on 100 acres located north of the Sunplex Industrial Park and the Ocean Springs city limits and south of Ocean Springs Road. The casino would have more than 2,300 slot machines and a 400-seat buffet. The hotel part of the casino would feature 1,100 rooms, theater, indoor and outdoor pools, and a fitness center.
The land is considered part of the tribe's reservation land and is not listed on Jackson County's tax rolls. Mississippi Choctaws also run the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos near Philadelphia, Miss.
Jackson County voters will vote in a non-binding resolution on the proposed casino during the general election in November.
Jackson County voters last considered gaming in a 1990 binding referendum. In that vote, 15,351 voters, or just over 60 percent, voted against gaming.
The Baptist organization's opposition to the casino is the second religious effort against project. Earlier, Rev. Carl King, pastor of the Crossroads Church of the Nazarene, organized Jackson County United for Families to protest the proposed casino.
Also opposing the casino is Coast Businesses for Fair Play, which is led by Tim Taranto and has backing from most of the casinos in Harrison County. Coast Businesses for Fair Play claims the Choctaw casino, because it will not be regulated or taxed by local or state government, will have an unfair advantage over regulated casinos.
So far, no groups or organizations have announced plans to campaign for approval of the proposed casino. However, newly elected Choctaw Chief Beasley Denson has said he will not abide by the Jackson County referendum. He said it is an issue to be resolved between the Mississippi Band of Choctaws, the governor's office and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Under federal law, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has to approve the casino before it can open. In addition, the Choctaws are required to negotiate a compact with the governor's office before opening a casino.
However, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has approved only three off-reservation casinos in the last 19 years. The proposed Choctaw casino is considered off-reservation since the land it would be built on is located over 220 miles from the tribe's original Neshoba County reservation.
A more difficult issue to overcome, though, could be opposition from the governor's office. Both current Republican Gov. Haley Barbour and Democratic governor nominee John Arthur Eaves Jr. have indicated their opposition to the casino project.
Reporter Veto F. Roley can be reached at vroley@themississippipress.com or (228) 934-1427. |
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