Norfolk's Gambit on Gambling

Norfolk is on a quest.

But, like Don Quixote, city officials may be tilting at windmills, since Virginia’s patrician legislators are madly opposed to granting municipalities to host casinos, and no municipality has the authority for gambling or even the audacity to ask legislators to grant them a franchise, anticipating wholesale opposition to such as request.

But try they will, despite the obstacles.

Norfolks’ city officials hope to tag on to Portsmouth legislative initiation to petition legislators in the 2013 General Assembly for a gambling franchise.

Portsmouth’s strategy is a simple one: forty percent of the city’s property is tax exempt and this restricts the city’s ability to provide essential services.

The data shows that 36 percent of Norfolk’s property is tax exempt, so city officials hope to have the proposed legislation to include their threshold.

An editorial in The Virginian- Pilot, Saturday, Nov. 10, opposes Norfolk’s initiative, although the editorial blames Virginia’s legislators for this fiscal desperation.

The editorial calls this a sign of desperation to consider casinos to replace insufficient state funding for education, transportation and other crucial services.

But one may also ask for an accounting of Norfolk’s accounting and its spending sprees over the past ten years: $100 million or more for a new courthouse, $41 million for a cruise terminal, $12 million for beautification of Town Point Park, among other expenditures which defy common sense yet have added to the sense of downtown Norfolk as a place to visit, dine, play and work.

Nonetheless, I give kudos to Norfolk city officials for thinking outside the box and for at least making the attempt to generate more dollars.

I say, let roll the dice.

Let’s hear the cha-ching of one-armed bandits.

Let’s welcome the hawkers, barkers, showmen and show women to Norfolk’s downtown.

If Norfolk wants gambling on its shores and its hotels, ostensibly to finance flagging school funds, we, as a community torn by poverty, high unemployment and flooding, should embrace gambling.

Norfolk City Council will formerly vote on its legislative agenda Dec. 13. Behind the scenes, I assume Norfolk City Council members are conferring with their counterparts in Portsmouth.

But will Portsmouth officials comply?

Remember, Mayor Paul has publicly supported tolls on the Mid-Town tunnel, saying this is the only way to finance and complete a critically transportation link.

Portsmouth officials and residents have decried the tolls, saying this is a tax and have gone to court to block the tolls.

Virginia Beach, flush with funds and blessed with a beach that attracts tourists, is gambling also.

City officials, especially the city’s economic development department and the Virginia Beach Development Authority, are gambling on the construction of a $350 million sports arena to attract a major sports franchise.

The Authority, as proposed, would issue bonds to pay for construction of the arena, so the debt would be on the city’s slate.

The arena is the carrot to attract a sports franchise, supposedly the Sacramento Kings, plagued by bad publicity and its controversial owners, and possibly to host ACC tournaments.

Virginia Beach City Council will vote on changing the city’s charter Tuesday, Nov. 13, on debt issued by the Virginia Beach Development Authority.

I suspect the vote is aimed at raising the debt ceiling on the amount of debt the authority can issue.

Norfolk is gambling on casinos while Virginia Beach is gambling on becoming the epicenter of professional sports in Virginia.

Bring on the gambling.

Build an arena.

Ten years ago, I never thought local officials, conservative in thought and action, beholden to the will of Richmond, had the guts or the drive for such politically and financially risky deeds.

Bring it on, I say.