Gambling continues to be big business in BC, and in Vernon. In its annual report, the B.C. Lottery Corporation says it had revenues of 2.6 billion dollars for the fiscal year 2010-11. It also reports record net income of 1.1 billion, which was short of projections, but 25 million more than the year before. In Vernon, the Lake City Casino outlet had revenues of 36.4 million dollars, up a million over the previous year.Gambling revenues were also up at the Lake City in Penticton, but down in Kelowna and Kamloops. The city of Vernon received 2.08 million dollars in casino revenue, an increase of 8 thousand dollars from the year before. That money is used for city projects at the discretion of city council.
3 comments:
Why isn't this revenue shared on a per capita basis with all of the Greater Vernon "gamblers"?
Power trip, anyone?
There is no requirement for the City to share this casino wealth with its Greater Vernon partners and there are no requirements for how they spend it.
Vernon's priority appears to be addressing its infrastructure deficit by using casino revenues to build roads.
Imagine if some of that $17 million had gone into Greater Vernon Parks & Rec over the past 11 years to support healthy activities and recreational opportunities for our entire community!
Do we really need a problem gambling program for the few,
OR....
Do we need to invest in the health of our entire community?
Fair comment EastHill.
These monies are a windfall to the community. They were available for any little project that City Council desired. It is a clear signal to the taxpayers from this Council that they were spent on the projects they were spent on rather than much-needed parks land or infrastructure. The clear signal is that this Council does not care about healthy citizens or outdoor spaces.
It is also a clear signal to the dysfunctional Parks function that City Council had no intention of seeing it spent on any Regional function like Parks. Just the same reasoning as you would never see it spent on clean healthy water for the citizens.
No, this money was kept in Vernon to pay for Vernon things rather cynically.
Simply put, those other people don't vote for this Council. This Mayor and this Council is incapable of thinking on any broader scale than their own backyard. Shame.
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