Republicans Take Stand Against Casino Gambling
By T. Michael Murdock

Highlawn Baptist Church in Huntington held the first open meeting of the Cabell County Citizen’s Against Gambling Expansion (C.C.C.A.G.E.) Monday night at 8:30 p.m. in the church’s Fellowship Hall.
Many Republican candidates running for office in this year’s November 5th election were on hand to show their support to the grass-roots organization that handed out several pages of anti-gambling propaganda, as well as bumper stickers and pins saying “No” to casinos.

Kelli Sobonya, a Republican running for the 16th District’s House of Delegates seat, said she was pleased with the turnout thus far against casinos.

“I’m thrilled,” Sobonya told HNN. “I lobbied with Mike Queen (a speaker at the meeting) when we worked for an American Family Association affiliate. Our first meeting had about 50 people, and with this being our fourth meeting and the first open to the public, I can only see the number growing.”

Sobonya said that she believes many people in the community are worried about what could happen if casino gambling was established in the area.

“A lot of people have concern,” Sobonya told HNN. “We already have to try to balance out with the state gambling revenue. Gambling is a cancer, not the answer.”

DeLane Ball, the chairman of C.C.C.A.G.E., told HNN that his group plans to take the issue to the Huntington City Council.

“We want to take it to council,” Ball said, “even though they voted to put it on the ballot. We want to try to get them to see what’s wrong with casino gambling.”

Ball said he had already approached Huntington Mayor David Felinton on the issue, because he wanted to know if the mayor felt like casino gambling would solve the city’s financial woes.

“I took it to Mayor Felinton,” Ball said. “He said he would vote for it. He said he didn’t see it as the answer, but a step in the right direction. But I think once the people see the facts, they’ll see that it’s not good for Huntington.”

Ball said his group planned to talk to Dr. Dan Angel, the President of Marshall University tomorrow about the proposition as well, because the only city with a major university that thrived from casino gambling was the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in Las Vegas.

Paula Stewart, a Republican running for the 15th District’s seat on the House of Delegates said she was very pleased with meeting as a whole.

“I’m pleased and encouraged with the turnout,” Stewart said. “I think casino gambling would be a serious offense to this county.”

Stewart said she personally knew the effects gambling could have on people.

“I’ve seen what gambling can do,” Stewart said. “I’ve dealt with family members in my extended family that have become addicts, and I would hate to see that happen to Huntington.”

According to The Problem Gamblers Help Network of West Virginia statistics of 700 clients from August 1st, 2000 to July 12th, 2002, the most common gambling addicts are married men between the ages of 46-55, and most have full-time jobs.

Other Republican candidates in attendance were Greg Howard and Jody Smirl, both running for the 16th District House of Delegates seat, Dr. Tom Scott, running for the West Virginia State Senate, and Nancy Cartmill, running for the Cabell County Commission.