The Northern Illinois Conference Anti-Gambling Task Force needs your assistance. There is a movement in the Algonquin area to overturn the ban on video poker machines. Although this item is on the agenda for the next Trustees meeting on 3/05, there is no guarantee that voting will definitely take place at that meeting. This ban was passed by the Algonquin City Council approximately 3 years or so ago, and if it’s overturned, these machines could be placed in local bars and neighborhood restaurants (there are 42 places eligible for licenses for video poker machines). You can assist the anti-gambling task force by contacting the Village Trustees and expressing your opinion about this. Here are the email addresses for the Village Board. Board members use the village hall as their phone number but they don’t have office hours there so the best way for you to get messages to them would be via email.
- Village President, John Schmitt johnschmitt@algonquin.org
- Trustees:
- Brian Dianis bdianis@algonquin.org
- Jerry Glogowski jglogowski@algonquin.org
- Robert Smith robertsmith@algonquin.org
- Debby Sosine debbysosine@algonquin.org
- John Spella johnspella@algonquin.org
- Jim Steigert jimsteigert@algonquin.org
please read through the information below for more details concerning a mentioned “study” and the truth about that study:
Algonquin releases video gambling study, could take vote in March Algonquin officials have completed an analysis on how video gambling was faring in neighboring towns, leading up to a possible March vote on whether to allow it in their village. The analysis looked at the impact video gambling was having in Kane, McHenry and Lake counties over a six-month period. When it came to crime, the analysis concluded there were no noticeable increases in calls for police service since the terminals went live, though the machines had only been active for a month or two at the time of the study. . . . Algonquin Trustee Jerry Glogowski and Village President John Schmitt aren’t sold. “Gambling isn’t one of the things that I have envisioned for the village of Algonquin,” Schmitt said, adding that the board rejected off-track betting in the past. Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20130220/news/702209812/
ALSO…in response to that mentioned study, please see the email below from ilcaaap (Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems) which was sent to Beth Paschall (the person who contacted the Christ Church Office, on behalf of the Northern Illinois Conference Anti-Gambling Task Force)
From: ilcaaap
Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2013 10:21 AM
Subject: Need help opposing video gambling in Algonquin
Beth,
This study is bogus! None of the communities listed in the article had any video gambling machines operating in December. Check the Gaming Board Video Gaming Reports here: http://www.igb.illinois.gov/revreportsVG/Default.aspx Over 100 establishments have applied for liquor license in Springfield, but only 11 are operational! Over $82,000 has been LOST at a Road Ranger in Springfield in December and January! The municipalities only get 5% of the money lost. That won’t begin to pay for the social costs, which will come later. It takes about a year for people to become addicted to the machines, which will be readily accessible. Terminal operators and establishments are organizing to plead their case before City Councils statewide. Silence is consent. Please ask churches to call Village Trustees and/or sign petitions to speak out now before it is too late!
Anita Bedell, Executive Director, Illinois Church Action on Alcohol & Addiction Problems, 1132 W. Jefferson St., Springfield, IL 62702, Phone: 217-546-6871