By Staff
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
Two recent articles in the Mobile Press Register have prompted me to write to you regarding the hypocrisy coming out of our governor's office in Montgomery.
First, the article in the Sunday edition dated Feb. 25, 2007 titled "Mississippi casino revenue bouncing back" stated that the revenues from Mississippi gaming were over $245 million for the month of January alone.
Since that time there have been many articles dealing with our governor requesting over $400 million to court new industries to come to our great state. The main focus of these funds would go to entice a new ThyssenKrupp steel mill to locate in Mobile County.
In today's Press Register (April 4) there is an article that states that ADEM looks likely to OK air permits for this new steel mill. It continues to say that state regulators see no obstacles to approving air permits for his new steel mill even though recent fillings with the state show that it will become the largest new source of air pollutants on Mobile County in decades. This article continues to state that this pollution is somehow OK because Mobile County lost several major polluting companies over the past several years. Like this new pollution will be just fine for the citizens of Mobile and surrounding counties to breathe in.
At the same time our governor refuses to allow Class 3 gambling for the Creek Band of Indian Casinos in our state. Class 3 gambling at our local casinos would bring in most probably as much if not more monies into our local economies that any steel mill ever would and without ANY pollution to our citizens. Class 3 gambling would allow table games such as black jack and other table games that the casinos in Mississippi now enjoy. How many Alabama dollars go each month to the table games in the casinos in Mississippi. Our governor could remedy this with just one signature of his pen. Gaming at our local casinos provides many local jobs that pay good wages and benefits and will not pollute our environment. Our governor needs to wake up and smell the clean air.
James F. Kizer
Atmore