It’s high time the Hollister City Council stops sitting on its
hands and takes a vote on supporting or opposing the Miwok casino
near the Hollister Airport just outside of city limits.
It’s high time the Hollister City Council stops sitting on its hands and takes a vote on supporting or opposing the Miwok casino near the Hollister Airport just outside of city limits.
If they don’t make a decision soon, it probably won’t matter what side of the fence the council sits on considering the opposition to gambling in San Benito County is putting up a fierce fight.
With Casinos Represent a Poor Solution’s delivering 5,000 signatures opposing the plan to the governor’s office last week, San Benito County Supervisors indicating they will likely oppose the plan in a resolution later this month and Monterey County already passing a resolution of opposition, it appears as though the people against the casino are overwhelming its supporters – at the very least the opposition seems considerably more organized.
In the past, some council members have said they would take a wait-and-see approach to the casino – apparently attracted by the promise of new jobs and a kickstart to the economy, but also wary of the moral concerns from permanently allowing gambling into the community.
However, now is the time for the council to stand up, be counted and display the leadership they were elected for. City council members need to spend some time beating the streets of their districts and talking to constituents about how they feel. Then they need to vote instead of walking the political tightrope between both sides of the contentious issue.
If the city truly does believe the casino is a benefit, then they need to step out in support of the project before it’s too late and the opposition slams the door, locks it and tosses away the key forever.
If council members believe the people of Hollister are against the plan, then they need to join the vociferous opposition to ensure the plan doesn’t come to fruition.
And, if council members just don’t know how they feel, then they need to decide – quickly. Perhaps, a special meeting inviting the community to speak their mind is in order.
Whatever the case, the council has an important job to represent the citizens of Hollister in the issues that affect their lives. Obviously, the casino will have a major impact – be it positive or negative – and the city council must join in the important debate. Very simply, making tough decisions like this is exactly what the people elected them to do.
