Gambling And Growth - A Prophecy

Of all the addictions from which I suffer, and continue to struggle against in my recovery, gambling is not one.  I admit to have pulled a few handles on slot machines, played a bit of roulette, and engaged in some poker games in my youth, but I am not driven by the urge to gamble.  For one thing, when I pull a handle, and win, I want to see that money hit the tray, not a little icon that tells me that I have won, and then take a little chit to someone for a payout. For me, at least, that ruins the fun.

 There are those for whom gambling, like addiction to substances such as alcohol and other drugs, is a problem. This message is not directed to them. This message is about gambling as an industry, and it's effect on a little town on the Northern Plains.

The town of Miles City, MT. is the focus of this message.  Our county seat has fallen on hard times. They were founded as a support community for an army post. In the beginning, there were a few stores for supplies, and a large number of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels.  The stores are still there, as are the saloons and gambling halls. The brothels went the way of all things, and the girls now work the saloons as pretty much free lance entrepreneurs.

The military bases went away with the folding of the cold war. One of the two railroads which served the area and provided much of the income to residents is defunct. The other has tracks through town, but no longer stops there, and the people employed by the road are very few.

Miles City was a rail head for the cattle drives of the 1880s and '90s, but that has long ago faded into history. They do have a very active, and good livestock sales yard, but although it employs a few people, can hardly be called the town's major industry.

The town is dying by degrees. A major big box store came in and has driven out most of the locally owned stores.  They are an out of state owned company, and since Montana has no sales tax, very little of the money made from sales there goes to the city, county, or state. Other than the few big stores, government employees, and there are many, are the major source of income to the town.  The other major source of income is still  saloons and gambling halls.

There are coal mines nearby,and the railroad serves them. A short line terminating in Miles City has been proposed which would cut hundreds of miles from the route. Obstructionists to progress, and an anti-growth faction have curtailed it.  Meanwhile, another line is being built to the south, which will take the coal to the power plants in the east on a less circuitous route. The long range forecast is that the existing railroad will pretty much stop hauling coal through our region within the next 50 years.

The once bustling downtown area is dead and dying. Most of the businesses have, or are moving to the Haynes Avenue strip on the east end of town. Nearly the only thing left downtown are some of the century old saloons and gambling halls.

I have come up with a solution. Make downtown a gambling mecca. Put in giant casinos with big name entertainment. Lights, glitz and glitter. Turn downtown Miles City into Las Vegas Montana.  There were once a large number of hotels there, but they are gone except for one. Rebuild them. Make Miles City the tourist, and entertainment capital of Montana.

The detractors will say "Oh! but that will bring in crime!"  Probably, but the police department would grow and expand to cope with the problem.  Or, "Oh! Miles City is too remote.Nobody would come!"  Consider Las Vegas. A little railroad siding in the middle of the most inhospitable region of Nevada, has become one of Western Americas largest,most prosperous cities.  No. as the line from a movie said, "If you build it they will come."

I realize that sin is hardly a means by which the area should grow, but I don't think building a big church on every corner of the downtown area would draw many tourists.  No, Casinos are the only way to go. (In the meantime giving preachers a much larger field in which to work.) Otherwise, the lovely little down of Miles City will continue it's decline. The downward spiral will increase in speed until there is nothing left but an unused siding on a little used, and soon to be removed  railroad line.

Lee Akers