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BorgBlog
Take a peek over Jim Borgman's shoulder


Jim Borgman has been the Enquirer's editorial cartoonist since 1976. Borgman has won every major award in his field, including the 1991 Pulitzer Prize, the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year in 1993, and most recently, the Adamson Award in 2005 as International Cartoonist of the Year. His award-winning daily comic strip Zits, co-created with Jerry Scott, chronicles the life of 15-year-old Jeremy Duncan, his family and friends through the glories and challenges of the teenage years. Since debuting in July 1997, Zits has regularly finished #1 in reader comics polls across America and is syndicated in more than 1300 newspapers around the world.

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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

An Exchange over Casinos

(The following is an email to me from Gerald Austin, spokesman for Louis Beck in his effort to open a slot machine casino at Broadway Commons in Over-the-Rhine.)

Louis Beck appeared before the Ed Board of your newspaper. I was there but I do no believe that you attended.

If you had attended, you would have met a businessman who is a poster child for corporate responsibility. You would have met a husband, father and grandfather whose companies have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars over the last twenty years on programs benefiting Cincinnatians in need.

You would have met a devoted product of Cincinnati’s public schools, university and law school who has stood up to Penn National(Argosy) and their strong armed tactics to deny Greater Cincinnati residents from deciding for themselves whether to have gaming or not.

You would have met a philanthropist who will create a separate foundation from his own profits. This foundation could grow to $10 million dollars per year and will be devoted to revitalizing Over The Rhine and other areas and programs through grants, investments and support.

But you were not present yesterday. You are very clever and creative as evidence by your many awards. I understand you have carte- blanch from your superiors to
publish anything you choose. You could not resist “slots” and “sluts”.

Unfortunately, today’s cartoon was uncalled for; outrageous and more importantly a gross disservice to not just Mr. Beck and his potential partners but to the people of Greater Cincinnati.

You should meet Mr. Beck. Then you could apologize in person.

Gerald J. Austin





Dear Mr. Austin,

I was not present for the meeting with Mr. Beck, nor were the hundreds of thousands of other members of this community who are nonetheless affected by his proposal and entitled to an opinion on the subject of introducing gambling to the heart of our city. I draw frequently about topics whose principals I have not met; I do not see any substantial connection between meeting individuals and commenting on their public actions.

If I ever do meet Mr. Beck I will be more than happy to thank him for his kindness as a grandfather and for the other good deeds he may have done for this city, none of which are germane to the subject at hand.

The word “sluts” in the cartoon (which refers to the “backers” of the casino proposal) are those who I believe are cheapening our city. The sort of gambling he proposes exploits those who cannot afford it and preys upon a vulnerable population while adding nothing of value to the richness and texture of our community. The cheerless, robotic feeding of slot machines is a pathetic sight that can hardly be listed with the zoo, symphony and art museums as civic treasures. Mr. Beck acknowledges that this sort of gambling would exacerbate social problems, but counters that government “programs are already in place” to deal with these ills. What a guy.

The tawdry payoff to the schools to buy off critics of the casino proposal is as cheap as the rest of the deal. The problems gambling and debt create in families more than offset any benefit schools may experience. Localities that already have casinos seldom list their owners among those who substantially give back to their communities. If Mr. Beck manages to break that mold, I will gladly express my appreciation.

Meanwhile, you have fortified me to oppose the casino measure with both barrels.

Jim Borgman


21 Comments:

at 5/17/06, 9:51 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

RIGHT ON!!!

 
at 5/17/06, 9:56 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

In Detroit, we have casino's, for the past half-dozen years and prior to their opening one could cross-over to Windsor, Canada to gamble.
I went to both establishments a couple of times to learn that these are not "happy places."
Sad, rather to see all these "losers" or "gamblers" feed the morass of slot machines, what a waste.
Are casinos benefitting Detroits resurgence? No.
Who is really profitting from their existence? Casino owners.
Are the jobs they create enough to offset the detrimental effects of gaming? Tax breaks from your state Capitol.
I'm no expert but if your looking for an antidote to regional-econic "lethargy" through gaming look no further than Atlantic City and Detroit. Put on your "rose-colored glasses" first.

 
at 5/17/06, 10:03 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

JIM,
I'm with YOU Jim, NOT Mr. Beck. I remember, being told, that for MY vote for the LOTTTERY, the State would make enough money for SCHOOLS our that ALL children would be well served AND the Schools would have SO...Much money, the taxpayers would NEVER have to vote for another School Levy.
That promise turned out to be not true. Schools are in terrible shape, Gambling has expanded, children are less better off, and I am disallusioned on this topic.
The Lottery started gaming in this country. A good idea at the time? I don't think so, how many years has it taken us to get to this. We do not need SLOTS or SLUTS in this town.
All My Best,
P.L.G.

 
at 5/17/06, 10:16 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jim,

The first guy was absolutely right, and he just proved what I already knew: That you do no research at all and base all your opinions on what others tell you.

 
at 5/17/06, 2:58 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

"The sort of gambling he proposes exploits those who cannot afford it and preys upon a vulnerable population while adding nothing of value to the richness and texture of our community"

This is why you're so terrible at what you do. HOW does having a casino exploit those that can't afford it? Maybe if you were to explain yourself, you'd gain the slightest bit of credibility. but what you do is throw out these insane accusations, and then offer nothing to back them up.

Typical Jim Borgman.

 
at 5/17/06, 3:39 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think he has a point and I don't think that the exploitation of those who can't afford it needs more explaining. There are countless examples of communities that have sunk deeper into poverty because of gambling coming to their area. Las Vegas, the gambling capitol of the world, represents some of the most extravagant, luxurious promises that casinos make but also has one of the lowest home ownership of any city its size in the country. A nd a walk down the allyways only hundreds of feet from the strip reveals one of the largest homeless populations in the country.

At best, gambling encourages lonesome behavior, excessive drinking and has time-tested correlations to the increase of organized crime. It's hard to argue with those who believe that we shouldn't regulate such behavior at all but for those of us who do want to build a supportive community I have yet to hear an argument that tells me why a casino would be an encourageable element.

 
at 5/17/06, 4:25 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Bravo Jim! I've had the misfortune of going to a few of the "boats" in NorthWest Indiana. There is such a reek of desperation and sadness.

 
at 5/17/06, 6:27 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Regarding exploitation:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/gamble/procon/kindt.html

The site seems to be a fairly even discussion of the pros & cons of gambling. Of the pros & cons, this particular article is the only one to have citations to back the article. It is difficult to discern when this was published, however.

 
at 5/17/06, 6:33 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Also, regarding exploitation:

>>A major source of the social cost of gambling comes from the relatively small (but growing) group known as problem and pathological gamblers. "Two-thirds to 80 percent of gambling revenues come from the 10 percent of the population that gambles most heavily. Expressed in reverse, 90 percent of the population may provide as little as 20 percent of casino revenues," Grinols and Mustard wrote.
At least one in five compulsive gamblers file for bankruptcy after they have exhausted multiple credit cards and other lines of credit, often putting their families in jeopardy.<<

From:
http://www.news.uiuc.edu/biztips/01/10gamble.html

I think that pretty much defines exploitation.

 
at 5/17/06, 11:33 PM Blogger Steve Willhite said...

Borgman rocks!

I love how his critics throw stones but hide behind the sheild of anonymity. Sissies, I say!



Did I spell anonymity right?

 
at 5/18/06, 12:39 AM Blogger College Hillbilly said...

I'm sure this has absolutely nothing to do with the "slots" versus "sluts" debate, but did anyone happen to notice who Mr. Beck's business partner is?

 
at 5/18/06, 7:35 AM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Steve -

Anonymity, yes...shield, no...

But you know me; anal retentive and all... ;)

 
at 5/18/06, 2:10 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

trixie,

That wasn't my quote - it was from a professor of economics at U of Illinois. (Earl Grinols) I don't know nearly enough about these issues to speak with that authority.

I can't argue your opinions on to what degree the public is responsible for problem gamblers (or problem drinkers, or the homeless, or etc...).

But the true cost to the public is much greater than the destruction of an individual's life. Increased crime, decline in adjacent businesses, increased need for social service programs - all these things are costs that you, the public, the voter, have to bear. They are facts. Not my opinion.

I love Cincinnati too much to see it used in this way.

 
at 5/18/06, 2:32 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm all for free enterprise and such, and people can be free to lose money as they see fit.

I just don't see a bus load of slot junkies taking time to enjoy any arts or other cultural activities that might spring up in Over the Rhein.

Where are all the arts in southeast Indiana? What culture in northwest Mississippi? Indian reservations?

There are other ways to breathe life into our city.

Mr. Borgman torques me on occasion, but his "Sluts" reference was right on the money.

 
at 5/18/06, 7:42 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Meanwhile, you have fortified me to oppose the casino measure with both barrels."

Jim got so worked up about gambling, he forgot to toe the official Inkwar anti-gun line. The rank and file Inkwar employee would be fired (did I say "fired"?) for less.

 
at 5/19/06, 7:00 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I happened to run into Peter Bronson today, and he suggested Jim probably meant to say "with both barrels of INK."

 
at 5/21/06, 7:54 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

rick,
I'm not going to express an opinion about whether there should be gambling on Broadway Commons, because I believe whoever owns the property has the right to do what the hell ever they want to do on it.
I'm more disgusted with Jim and others here thinking they deserve a say-so as to what property-owners can do.
I'm even more disgusted with the blanket acceptance of government as a property-owner... shouldn't happen.
We shouldn't be "stake-holders;" rather, simply consumers... or not.
That said, I need at least a weekly "fix" of Wal-Mart: not to see the "beautiful people," but to stay in touch with reality.
(Even Dial-Up Man here worries sometimes about losing touch.)
Finally, rick, for "beautiful people," they are all at Hyde Park Square. I need at least a weekly "fix" of them too.

 
at 5/24/06, 8:52 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would just like to say as the son of someone addicted to gambling I really wish casinos would stay as far away from Cincy as possible.

Remember -- The house ALWAYS wins. Not schools and not the residents.

Wes

 
at 5/25/06, 10:21 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jim Borgman,

I'm no supporter of the Broadway Commons slot machine casino either, and for pretty much the same reasons that you gave in your response to Louis Beck's spokesman. But I still didn't like your "sluts" cartoon. I'm a long time fan of your work, but this one just seemed mean-spirited and not very clever or humorous to me.

Enough said on that. This week Newsweek ran a Jimmy Hoffa cartoon that showed an excavation of the burial site much like yours did. It wasn't as funny as yours and was not as well drawn. Except for the backhoe. The guy (Steve Kelley of the New Orleans Times Picayune) drew a beautiful backhoe. Yours just looked weird. You should have looked out the window, as they're all over the place these days.

Still a fan,

Tony Barga

 
at 5/27/06, 6:16 PM Blogger MJLM said...

I sincerely hope Casino ugliness doesn't make a home in such a great city like Cincinnati.

Jim is not alone in his opinion.

 
at 6/1/06, 11:03 PM Anonymous Anonymous said...

Since tax-hike Taft can't turn Ohio's economy around, maybe he should start taxing Ohioans' proceeds from out-of-state casinos as unreported income, or not let the scofflaws return to the Buckeye State. Wonder if Betty, Ken, Jim, Georgie and Mike would endorse that tax-or-take-a-hike plan?

 
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