A San Jose More Gaming Tables Allowed at City's Card Clubs ballot proposition is on the June 8, 2010 ballot for voters who live in the City of San Jose in Santa Clara County.^[1]

Two card clubs, the Garden City Casino and Bay 101, are authorized to operate in San Jose. If this ballot proposition is approved by voters, both card clubs would be allowed to add nine more gambling tables to the 40 they each currently have, and to increase their $200 wager cap and limit of 21 approved games.^[2] The ballot proposition would also increase the city's tax rate on proceeds from the card tables from 13% to 15%. ^[3] The added tables, and the increased tax rate, are expected to increase tax revenues flowing into San Jose's general operations fund by an estimated $3.6 to $5.25 million per year. The two card clubs currently generate about $13 million in tax revenues for the city.^[1]

6 of San Jose's 11 city council members voted to put the measure on the June ballot.

Supporters

Front doors of Bay 101, one of the two "card clubs" in San Jose

Mayor Chuck Reed was one of six San Jose City Council members who voted to put the measure on the June ballot. He said, "If you compare the revenues coming out of the two card rooms - $13 million a year, plus or minus depending on the economy, that’s more than all of our auto dealers combined."

Cindy Chavez, who ran against Reed for mayor, also supports the ballot proposition. She now heads the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council.^[3]

Opponents

San Jose Police Officers Association President George Beattie said that caution is in order because even if the city receives more in tax revenue from the additional 18 gambling tables, crime in the city is also likely to increase at a time when the police force is already understaffed.^[1]

San Jose City Council members who voted against putting the ballot measure on the June ballot were Sam Liccardo, Ash Kalra, Nora Campos, Kansen Chu and Madison Nguyen.^[3]

Budget woes

Logo of Garden City Casinos

The City of San Jose is facing a budget gap of $116 million, which a local newspaper characterized as "...a huge deficit that will require deep employee pay cuts or layoffs."^[3] If the ballot proposition passes, the additional tax revenue realized from the increasing gambling would be slightly less than 5% of San Jose's budget deficit.

The Values Advocacy Council, a socially conservative organization in San Jose, is expected to recommend to its members that they vote against the proposal.^[3]

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} KCBS, "Gambling To Go Up For A Vote In San Jose", March 10, 2010
2. ↑ New York Times "San Jose Voters to Decide on Expanded Gambling", March 10, 2010
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4} Mercury News, "Tough times lead to change of tune for card club critics in San Jose", March 12, 2010