More equity is long overdue

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett has unveiled a package of legislative proposals intended to keep the city's casino hopes alive while also reforming the state's gaming industry. He's determined to take the city's casino case to the Legisalture in January after the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission declined to license a Cedar Rapids facility.

We sense there are decidedly mixed feelings in the community about the mayor's determination. And that's true of our editorial board. Some members think Corbett's effort is appropriate, while others believe the city should get over its loss and move on to other ideas and issues.

In particular, we couldn't come to consensus on the mayor's request that lawmakers grant a license to Cedar Rapids for the state's first smoke-free casino. We strongly believe all Iowa casinos should be smoke free. But asking the Legisalture to override the Racing and Gaming Commission's vote is a concept that, for now, divides our board.

One major piece of Corbett's proposal does draw our support, and that's the mayor's call for increasing the amount of gaming revenue distributed to counties that don't have casino gambling.

Under current law, Iowa's 18 casinos provide roughly $11 million annually to 84 non-casino counties, including Linn County. That's approximately $125,000 each, according to the Iowa Gaming Association.

Corbett would double that share in 2015 and then increase it again in 2020 by an amount to be determined by lawmakers.

Existing casinos operators who opposed Cedar Rapids' license application argued that the facility would grab away or 'cannibalize” large chunks of their customer base and revenue. And yet, despite that dependence on Linn County customers, precious few of the millions of dollars casinos in Riverside, Waterloo and elsewhere give to causes and charities have flowed into Linn County. As the mayor points out, not even the Flood of 2008 prompted giving by these casinos.

We now have a system where some counties siphon big bucks from other counties, but give little back. Corbett's proposal for a measure of greater equity seems appropriate and long overdue.

And despite our lack of consensus, we urge the Legisalture to give Corbett's entire package a fair hearing. The issues he raises about the future of gambling in Iowa deserve lawmakers' attention.

' Comments: (319) 398-8262 or editorial@thegazette.com