Despite pastoral pleas, Keno is a go

Despite the impassioned pleas from two area ministers who spoke against gambling, McCook City Council decided by three to two Tuesday night to to reinstate the Keno lottery game in McCook.

Mayor Dennis Berry and Councilman Jim Kenny voted against the proposal to contact Keno operators in the state, with Councilmen Bill Longnecker, Phil Lyons and Aaron Kircher voting for it.

The city received approximately $60-75,000 in the mid nineties when the game was in operation, Councilman Phil Lyons said, but added that amount of revenue would be less today because of other gambling outlets available, such as Powerball and scratch cards.

"The voters have spoken clearly," he said, referring to the 1992 election when Keno was passed by a two to one majority.

Jeff Thurman, pastor at the Memorial Methodist Church, addressed the council with his concerns, and said it would be "unethical and bad government" for the council to reinstate the lottery game.

"Gambling affects those who are least able to afford it," he said, with the city and state reaping the profits off of those individuals. On behalf of himself and the McCook Ministerial Association, Thurman urged the council to vote against reinstating Keno.

Councilman Longnecker said he fully understood and agreed with Thurman's position, but added that Keno is legal and that he was going to follow what the majority of voters asked for in 1992.

Councilman Kenny then responded, "The state does a lot of things that are legal but not moral."

Councilman Longnecker also read a letter from Phil Meyers of Sarge's Bar, who expressed interest in operating the game if the council voted for it.

Darwin Scott, of the First Church of God., also spoke against the lottery game, and said the council would be taking a step backwards if they voted to allow it in McCook. The council had made a positive step in the right direction minutes before by voting to allow disc golf in Kelley Park, he said.

"Where are we going?" he asked. "Just because it makes money doesn't make it right." He cited instances where children have to go without the basic necessities because money was spent on gambling.

Councilman Longnecker also agreed with Scott, but said he was not going to make a moral judgments on the matter.

Thurman then asked, "Whose moral judgment are you following?"

Although he acknowledged that Keno did pass overwhelmingly in the past, Mayor Berry said the social costs to the community outweighed the revenue produced by the game. He said was going to represent those who voted against Keno in 1992 and vote no to the measure.

Councilmen Lyons said he was aware of the social problems that come with the addiction of gambling, but added that ignoring the vote of the people in the last election would be like "slapping democracy in the face."

City staff was directed to contact operators from Hastings and North Platte as potential Keno operators for McCook.