Local advocates and opponents of the proposed DeJope casino debated the issue in a forum at the Wisconsin Union Thursday.
The issue will be decided by referendum during Wisconsin’s Feb. 17 primary.
Speakers at the forum included representatives from the Ho Chunk Nation and opponents from No Dane Casino.
“If it goes through, we will be the largest revenue-generating entity in the city and Dane county,” said John Dall, a DeJope advocate.
The casino would provide 1,300 new jobs starting at $12 an hour as well as full employee health benefits, according to Ho Chunk members.
However, Joe Schumow, a member of Students Against Casino Expansion, said the jobs would merely be shifted, not added, causing smaller businesses to lose employees. Shumow sees the building of the casino as a problem for the city.
“Casinos put an undo burden on people of lower income,” he said. “It targets them just like a regressive tax would.”
One of the issues No Dane Casino is focusing on is the diversion of money from smaller downtown businesses, which could force them to shut down. The group feels the casino would detract from the greater city economy.
Dall, however, said the DeJope expansion would bring new clientele who would normally bypass Madison for places like Wisconsin Dells or Milwaukee.
“We are not in a business of directly competing with any businesses over there,” Dall said, adding the DeJope casino would not reach the size of the Wisconsin Dells casino because the Ho Chunk location would continue to attract the highest numbers.
The Ho Chunk Nation also discussed the amount of revenue the casino would generate. They expect to bring in $91 million over the next 13 years. This, they said, would lower property taxes in the area.
Shumow, however, pointed to a study by the Dane County Board of Supervisors that found property taxes would decrease by only $19 in the main city area. He considers such benefits not worth the possible economic strain the casino would bring.
He added most of the money generated would end up covering the casino’s expenses, including police and fire services, which would leave little money for the city itself.
DeJope advocates explained how Wisconsin has an obligation to the Ho Chunk Nation to allow them to do with their land what they see fit, including building a casino.
Shumow said casino opponents do not base their stance on race.
“We readily admit that the Ho Chunk have not been treated fairly through the years, [but] the issue is not who the owner of the casino is,” he said. “It would be detrimental to the city of Madison.”
