Letter: Linn County missed casino opportunity

Regarding the Nov. 27 letter 'Listen to the voters and build a casino” by Donna Myers:

Since the inception of 'riverboat gambling” in Iowa it has never been 'free enterprise.” It has been regulated by the state through the gaming commission. When casinos started and again several years later Linn County voted down having a casino. During those years, the commission approved casinos in area counties that voted to have them. It takes a large population to support a casino. To protect the large investment that was needed to open a casino, the state has always limited the number of casinos in an area. The state wants them to be successful because they use the extra tax money they generate. Part of that tax money is returned to counties that don't have a casino for them to distribute to charitable projects through a county foundation. Linn County gets this.

By the time the Linn County voters approved gambling, several casinos were in operation and serving the area. It is not the commission's fault that Linn voted no twice when they had the chance. If the commission were to approve a casino now it would be contrary to their policies that have been statewide since their inception.

William Ashby

Clermont