Any job is better than nothing

10/7/2009

Once again, the almighty Blade is trying to save us from ourselves. They want us to vote no on casinos. The Blade is now using the pretense of low-paying jobs.

The "Gambling on jobs" editorial states that "more than half the jobs created will be temporary construction work, lasting no more than a year." Do they know how many people would give their eye teeth for a job lasting a year?

As for "flipping burgers" part time, the people seeking those jobs are unemployed with no benefits in the first place. To them, it is better than no job at all.

I do not know what a high school diploma has do with this, but more people than not have only a high school diploma and no college degree. There is no difference in the part-time, low-paying jobs at the casino than those offered at the new Lucas Country Arena.

Families going to a Mud Hens game, Toledo Zoo, or Imagination Station will continue to do so regardless of whether there is a casino in Toledo.

Until these "full-time, good-paying jobs" that our "future economic security can be built on" start beating down our front doors, those who are unemployed or underemployed would rather have low-paying jobs than nothing at all.

In case you are wondering, I do not go to casinos, nor will I go to a new casino.

Donna Schoedel

Weston, Ohio

Proponents of casinos would have us believe that 34,000 jobs will be created if the issue passes. They concede that 19,000 of those jobs will be temporary construction jobs. That leaves 15,000 permanent jobs to run the casinos. Since there are to be four casinos, that equates to 3,750 jobs per casino. Assuming around the clock operation, that means there would be 1,250 employees per shift at each of the casinos.

Having been to Las Vegas, Windsor, and Detroit, I simply do not believe that Toledo (or any other Ohio city) will have a casino large enough to have 1,250 people on the job at any given time.

Think about it.

Denny Shea

Sylvania Township

There is no way that Mayor Finkbeiner can justify hiring his son-in-law as a temporary supervisor. I smell a rat, to say the least.

Frank Robare

St. Joseph, Mich.